New-York tribune., 1898-01-13
THE MANHATTAN'S CONTRACT.
THE WALKER COMPANY TO EQUIP THE
ELEVATED WITH ELECTRICITY.
JAMES W. HINKLEY. ANTHONY y. BRADY AND
OTHERS WHO ARE ASSOCIATED WITH
TAMMANY ARE INTERESTED
IN THE CONCERN.


IN THE CONCERN.
The Walker Manufacturing Company OF Cleve-
land has secured the contract for partial equip
ment Of the Manhattan Elevated Railroad with the
third-ra system 1t is said that the Third-aye.
line will be the first division of the elevated
structure to be equipped with the new motive
power The officials OF the Manhattan Elevated
Railroad and those OF the Metropolitan street
Railway paying their obligation 10 Richard
Croker for his aid in killing the plan for UNDER
ground rapid transit The Metropolitan Street
Railway Company. under Mr.. Vreeand's authority.
announces that it will not undertake the building
Of the underground road. George j. Gould ana the
officials OF the Manhattan. as a compensation 10
Mr.. Croker for killing underground rapid transit
will at once equip the elevated roads with the
new electric motive power.
All day yesterday there was n persistent rumor
that the Walker Company, Of Cleveland, had Sc
cured the contract to equip the elevated road win
electricity. II was stubbornly denied by those
Interested. Despite this fact it was learned from
an authoritative source that an agreement was
reached between representatives. Of the elevated
roads and the Walker Company late yesterday ana
the contract has been closed The conditions are a
secret yet
The natural supposlton would be that the Cen
era Electric. the Sprague Company. when makes
n Speciality OF this sort OF work. or the Wes'lhs-
house Company would have secured the contract
a
ested in the Walker Company may tend to en-
Tighten those who are mystifed. Major j. W.
Hnkley. who formerly chairman Of the Demo-
cratic State Committee and is hand and glove Vith
Richard Croker and Tammany Hall. Is president Oh
the company. Ex-Governor Flower, who Is also
prominent In the Democratic party; Perry Belmont
and Anthony y. Brady. Of Albany. also leagued
with the Tammany combine. the controlling
spirits in the company. So further explanation
need be given Of why the contract goes TO this
company.
Major Hlnkley. president OF the company. was at
Il dinner at the Democrats Club last night An
thony y. Brady was also there. When Major
Hnkley was asked about the contract he said
evasivev: II don't care to discuss 1t. We are od-
dors and think We will get il. At least we have
as good a chance any one. | don't care 10 com
nit myself on the matter however.
Mr. Brady was equally non-communicative NJ
Mel. Harding. manage Of the New-York office Of
the Walker company. at No. Nassau-st, said: l
am not a position to speak Of the matter must
refer you to President Hinkley
The expectation is that now that the adoption or
electricity is definitely decided upon plans and
specifications will be prepared and much OF the
work will be subet among the three or four large
companies. 1t is settled that the third ran VIII
be employed to carry the current. George j. Gould
some time ago expressed himself definitely on this
poirt F. T. Sprague OF the Sprague company,
which makes n speciality Of equpping trains with
motors on each car instead OF using a motor car
at the head of each train, said yesterday that he
thought the Sprague system would be adopted
because It would enable the trains TO start more
quickly than by other systems. Fifteen minutes
would thereby be saved between the Battery and
One e-hundred-and-f ffty-ffthst The Sprague sys-
tenn was in successful use on the Metropolitan
West Side road in Chicago Mr. Sprague added;
There is no large electrical company which is
not able to equip the entire elevated railway sys-
tenn of New-York by purchasing certain material
from other companies | think il IS too early TO
determine who is to get the contract The men
in control of the elevated railroads Will undouDt-
edly let the contract to the lowest responsible
bidda-