Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-10

TED Iit1So AMI Inn t-'A -
PRESS.
sTREET-CAns. PAST AND PRESENT
Great as has been the extension Of our
streot-car facilities iu recent years, there
are yet seekers Of franchises before the
city Council The public demand for
additional service is not set satisfied, and
the probability IS that IN the course of a
twelyemonth our many miles OF track
will be added 10 by several short lines
connecting with existing systems.
Historically speaking the street-car ser
vice Of this city may boz divided into three
different periods-the antc-bollum period
the post-bellum period. and the electrical
period. About 1860 horse-car line was
constructed ON Main street between Ninth
and Libby lin, and was Sra operation
when Virginia seeded. 1T remained In
existence for some time during the war
when it was discontinued because it's iron
rails were needed for defensive purposes
ana bccauses horses and mules Were
scarce. and those employed iu drawing
the cars could be more advantagoously
employed drawing artillery and ambu-
lances. Whether the rails were used ON
the iron battery Mt Channs or Drewry's
Bluff. on James river, or were made into
armor for one OF our Jamos-riycr iron-
clad fleet or were sent TO the Trodegar
and rolled into other shapes for Other
war uses, we know not; but that the first
street railway that Richmond had was
sacrificed upon the altar of our country
so 60 speak, we believe. is accepted his
tory here.
The war over. and Main street having
been cleared Of the ruins left by the
evacuation fire, northern capitalists SCI
cured the street-car franchise. and built
the line which was the precursor II not
the parent, of all the lines that we now
have. The line began ON Main street
near the Lower gas-works, and extended
mp Main to Ninth. up Ninth to Broad, up
Broad to Adams. up Grace to a distant
cross-street. and thence out Reservoir
street TO the rescrvolr-that is 90 say, 10
the only reservoir we had then, now "the
Ola Reservoir
when this line was projected there were
about 10000 Federal soldiers quartered at
Camp Grant NOW HauI-towm and the
company derived large revenue from
the soldiers, SO long as they remained
there which was not very Ions when
the soldiers lett Camp Grant or rather
not very long afterwards. the Reservoir
street branch was abandoned, and was
only restored when "the electric period"
OF strect-car service dawned upon Rich
mond
Ina these oldcn times Immediately sue
oeedirg the war the streot-car fare here
was 10 cents. and for a considerable
period hy q military order whites and
blacks patronized separate cars, Grad
TALLY the strect-car fare was reduced,
first 10 four tickets for q quarter. and
then 20 cents for each fare as at
present
Considering tho growth and prosperity
a. the city, the street-car service here
vas at a very low ebb when. I'm lSSS, the
promoters OF the electric line succeeded
ST. getting from the City Council the
franchise for the line now most generally
known as "the Church-Hm line"
it was not without doubts that our
here. True, few such lines were already
m operation in other cities or in the
suburbs of other cities. but nowhere
Nos an electric car threading such
crowded streets as ours. nor climb
irg such steep grades, nor round
ine such sharp curves. However,
every difficulty here was successfully
overcome though not without much ex-
p.rimenting and at no little expenditure
o. money. Thus the capabllty and re-
liability OF the trolley-car were demon
s.iated and the trolley has become a
worldwide favorite
Richmond owes a prodisious debt Of
gratitude TO those Of her citizens and
others who were Instrumental In ostab.
fishing the Church-Hu line. That line
gave tremendous impulse 10 building
operations. particularly in the suburbs.
and caused the Main-s,reet line 20 inn
prove its service and finally 10 adopt
electricity as a motive power But before
the latter was done we believe the line
had been bought up boy the owners OF the
Church-Hil line. And Manchester. which
in those DAYS was reached from Richmond
only by stage line soon came TO have
no less than three stteet-car lines
And now the consolidated companies OF
Richmond have competitor in the TIac-
ton Company. which has built a superb
double track from Cnimborazo Park to
the ENposition-Grounds. and which will
form an iron bond OF union between
Church and Shockoe hills Nature ala
much TO separate these Two hills. but man
has undone her work TO some extent
Previous 10 about 1875 a great chasm
separated the hills. This was overcome
by rearing the arch over Shockoe creek,
and making the great nm OF earth upon
which a roadway was constructed from
tia old African church 10 where The
Chesapeake and Ohio depot now IS. But
until electricity was developed as giant