The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-27
VESTIBULE TROLLEY CAR.

shaw, William Brecll, Joseph Godfrey,
James S. SlOcum, and William Chit
tenden. The two companies consoldat-
Cd in 1868 and were operated under the
name of The Peoples Street Railway
company. The difficulties encounter ,
IN operating the road were many,
especially in the winter time when for
days during the storm periods it was
necessary to abandon the tracks en-
tiroly and carry passengers in large
Slcighs. Passengers We're often con-
VeYed on runners on the Providence
line up to 1887, after electricity had
0ecn introduced on some of the lines
OF the city.
The year 1886 marked an important
epoch in the history of Scranton. 1t
was during that year that the Scran-
ton Suburban Railway was organized
which was the second street railway
in the world to adopt electricity as a
motive power. The capital stock of
this road was divided into 400 shares
AZ fifty dollars each which We're sub
scribed as follows: Mary A. Dickson,
eighty shares, $4,000; George Sander
son, sixty shares; $1,000; Edward B.
Gturges, trustee, sixty shares, $4,000;
At'A "a al "a d. EcLIi sSJ illlSy SIlSlGS,
$500; John l.. Hull, twenty shares,
$1,000 Thomas f. Tory twenty shares,
$l,G00; Orlando S. Johnson, twenty
shares, $1,000; William e. Watkins
twenty shares, $1,000; James W. Gar
ncy, ten shares, $500; J. Benjamin Dim
mick, ten shares, $500; Ambrose L.
Spencer, ten shares $500. Tracks were
laid from the Lackawanna Valley
= II,1 Ill
street; to Adams avenue and up Adams
and Washington avenues to the cor
nor of Washington avenue and Green
Ridge street. The road was equipped
wien two cars which We're propelled
by clumsy motors, the invention of
~. VanDeople. Trolley poles were
unhcard of ct that time and the pow
cr was conveyed from the overhead
Wire to the motor by means of a wire
which was kept in place a portion of
the time by means of little wheel
which was balanced on the feed wire.
As a result the trolly was as liable
to be on the street as In it's proper
place the most OF the time, and at
tempts to make fast time on the road
were met by many discouraging re-
suits.
the new road in November 2.1SS6. The
day was unpropitious. The chilly
breezes OF November were augmented
by falling snow and rain, and the six
inch covering of Adams avenue mud
that surrounded the tracks seemed also
TO froWn on the enterprise. But citi-
Zens generally were interested and
gathered along the line in large mum
fret fy.iV
gazed in wonderment as the cars moV-
ed rapidly along propelled by the mys-
tcricus power that seemed to partalSe
Of Witchcraft. AS soon as Mr.. Var
Deople had demonstrated that the cars
would run, everybody was invited to
take a ride free. Many Of the timid
class were unable to gather sufficient
courage to risk a ride on the vehicle
which they thought might suddenly
annihlate them at any moment, by
-shocle OF electricity, but the young
er element enjoyed the treat and al
day long the new cars We're crowded
by willing passengers who We're loud
in their praise of the new system
Many difficulties however awaited
the projectors of the new enterprise
The patronage was all that could be
desired from the start but the eIec.
trio motor invention was yet in its in,
fancy and the machines furnished
were crude in the eXtreme. With the
loose trolly cord and bunsling motors
the car runners had their hands full
and 1t was impossible to make trips
ON any kind OF regular time. Th,
horse car magnates found much Il
sustain their therorles that the elec.
trio system would be a failure In the
troubles of the new railroad company
during the following winter.
IN spite Of the discouragements ol
the Suburban company keen-wltte(
business men Of the city saw at once
! the possibilities OF the system anC