New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-18
STEAM AND ELECTRICITY ALLIES.
AN ODD COMBINATION IN ST. LOUIS TO CONTROL
SUBURBAN TRAFFIC.

SUBURBAN TRAFFIC.
Until very recently the rivalry between steam
roads and the trolley in the vicinity Of large
cities for suburban passenger traffic has been
The trolley has invaded The
field without saying by your leave and M
gobbled up large share of the business; and thH
steam line has coaxed some of ii back by reduc-
ing its fare In a few cases the owners OF the
steam road have equipped their track and can
with electrical apparatus and within the next
few years the country will undoubtedly witne0
a considerable development Of that policy
An entirely new way OF dealing with this prob
lem has been devised in ST. Louis within a few
weeks, however. and is now being tested. 1t de-
serves mention as a BIT of current history. what
ever be the outcome Of the experiment In the
present instance apparently hostile Interests
have Joined hands. Electricity and steam have
formed an alliance.
About fifteen miles to the southwest Of tn
Union Station in st. Louis is a suburb known
as Meramac Highlands II you get a train
Of the Missouri Pacific you can come in from
Meramac Highlands in about thirty-ive min
utes but II you take the trolley you will spend
about an hour and forty-fve minutes. thres
times as long. Now, by the new deal be-
tween the Missouri Pacific and the trolley COM
pany, the former agrees to run frequent short
trains propelled by steam) from the suburb just
mentioned into the city far as Vandeventer
Station. which is three and half miles from the
Union Station and three miles within the city
limits. At this point passengers are trans
ferred to a trolley line running down into
the heart of the city or else to another trolley
line running out into the west end, or residence
district.
The time from Meramac Highlands to Vande-
venter Station is twenty-five minutes. and the
trolley requires about the same length Of time. IN
addition to carry passengers downtown as far
as Union Station. The fare from any point out
side the city limits to any point within is to be
only ten cents. aud from any point within the
city (on the steam road To any other point with
in the city ION the trolley its connections 70
only five The all-trolley line from Meramac
Highlands not only spends more time in carry
ing a passenger but charges five cents more.
1t ought to be pointed out that the particular
trolley company with which the Missouri Pa
cfc has made this combination, the Linden
Railway, is not the trolley company which has
line to Meramac Highlands. The latter is known
as the St Louis and Suburban. There has been
a gradual consolidation of trolley lines in st.
Louis within the last few years, 50 that where
as there were once about eighteen different COM
panies. there now only six, and three OF these
Will probably be absorbed before long by the
others 1t will thus be seen that the st. Louis
and Suburban Urolley) IS not only a rival of the
Missouri Pacific, but also of the Lindell.
The Missouri Pacific has still another rival
for some of this suburban business The st.
Louis and san Francisco. a steam read. runs
parallel with it fol- many miles. Since the trolley
line was extended out near Meramac Highlands
both steam roads hav, been compelled to take
off about half their trains, owing to loss q
patronage. But the combination which the Mis-
souri, Pacific has jus. made with the Lindell Com
ranv will give it a distinct advantage over the
St Louis and San Francisco. or at least that IS
the present expectation. 1t is too soon to say
how the new arrangement will work.
The trolley has the advantage of picking uD
a passenger If not at lis very door, IT least
within block Of K. The electric cars stop more
frequently than the steam cars on the other
hand the steam road is able to carry passenger
more quickly, because its trains do not stop al
every corner. Hence. combination like that
lust effected i'm st Louis possesses the advan-
tages Of both systems. \ passenger is carried
quickly over the greater part Of his route. and
then set down at his office door. He is likely
To have a more comfortable seat and ride in .
less crowded vehicle besides. The experiment
will attract the attention of railroad people else
here. even if the example should not be ini-
tat, cd