Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-03

tended nv the building Of single 'raon
nm BROAD TO Adams. down Auhins
Grace and out Grace TO the slate -
Grounds which was at That tiIhe ioeaeeu
AZ tho present site of Monroe Path' Du-
r,ng the war this railroad was torn uP
90 the iron used in armoring the gun
boats and for other uses to meet the
needs OF the Confederate cause.
In 1866 a Mr.. Burroughs a northern
man. re-established the old Richmond
Railway Company under an ordinance
nassed December II, 1863. and rebuilt the
road on Main street from Twenty-eighth
to Ninth. up Ninth to Broad. out Broad
10 Adams. and up Adams TO Grace, as 1t
was before the war. Colonel John -.
Richardson. formerly commander Of a
battalion of the Young Guards. was SUI
perintendsnt at this time and for several
years thereafter.
EXTENDED TO HOLLYWOOD.
In the course of a year or two the
lines were reorganlzed. the track down
Eighth street was built, that on Grace
street west was taken up, and line was
run from Laurel street to Hollywood.
During this time the road was by no
means successful, which was doubtless
partly due 10 the fact that the fare
charged was 10 cents, and that the road
only extended as far as Twenty-eishth
and Main on the east of the city. At
the death Of Mr.. burroughs the line
passed into the hands of Mr. j.. Lawrence
SchOolcraft and was run under his adj
ministraton for several years, until
he became a member Of the firm Of Camp
bell 4 Co.. who were then interested with
him in the road. Under this management
General j. Lindsay Walker was super'n-
tendent, and he was succeeded by a Mr..
Waterman, who had been IN the Chcsa-
peake and Ohio railway offices here.
Through the Campbells Major c. NJ.
Bolton, who married the daughter OF Mr.
Parker Campbell. became part owner
in the line. which was then extended TO
Fulton by single track, and also to the
New Reservoir by a single track.
A STEAM LINE.
This latter part OF the line was used
as steam line and was not run in con-
nection with the street railways. The
fare was reduced TO cents, and Major
George Norton. formerly an officer in the
First Virginia Regiment, was made SUI
Verintendent
Under this management the street-rail-
way business seemed to prosper. and il
was run successfully for several years.
but never paid dividend
In 1857 Nr. John +. Barry. Of Boston
came to Richmond and became Impress
ed with the necessity for rapid communi-
cation between The eastern and western
portions Of the city. on his return TO the
North he Interested a number Of northern
capitalists in street-ra lway enterprises
in Richmond, and organized a company,
Of which Mr.. j. Thompson Brown was
president. and such well-knOwn citizens
as Messrs. Charles L. Todd, DR.. ". II.
Scott. and Valentine Hechler Jr.. were
members OF the Board Of Directors.
THE FIRST ELECTRIC RAILWAY.
These gentlemen, in connection with the
northern gentlemen with whom Mr.. Bar
~ had associated himself, procured
franchise March %, 1851. and built What
is now known as the Richmond Union
Passenger Railway Company Ohe Clay
street line), and thus established in Rich
mond the first electric railway in the
United States.
The power-house was located on
Seventh street. just below Cary. next 10
the Allen & Ginter Branch Of the Ameri-
can Tobacco Company's Warehouse. This
road was indeed the first electric road
Of any considerable length ever success
fully established i'm the world. The COM
bination Of curves and grades on Ninth,
Twelfth. Bank and Franklin were CON
sidered insuperable, and the average eX-
pert electrician Of that day laughed in his
sleeve as the work progressed IN fact,
Richmond was the Mecca for months OF
electricians from all over the country,
many Of whom asserted i'm the most POSI-
tive terms hat the undertaking was fore
doomed 20 failure.
All this time however, Mr.. Frank
Sprague. the inventor of the Sprague
motor. pursued his experiments hopefully
and fearlessly lie was assisted in this
work by Lieutenant Daniel Green, Of the
United States navy. The electrical dim
culties were I'm time overcome, but the
people had not yet been educated 10 such
a use of the street-car service as would
render it commercially profitable, and
so the enterprise languished.
In 1858 Mr.. Maurice B. Flynn, who had
become associated with the northern syn
dictate. purchased. I'm connection with
several others. the stock OF the Rich-
mond City Railway Company and reor-
ganized both companies. Mr.. W. r. Trigg
was made president. and Messrs. John
Il. Purcell Ashton S,arke. II. Sale Wat
kins and other prominent citizens were
members Of the Board of Directors, and
tary and treasurer.
Mr.. George W. Burt was made man
ager Of the electric line. and Major
Charles Selden. who had been superin-
tendent under Major Q. VI. Bolton. was
continued in his position ON the horse
car line until he resigned and was sue
ceeded by Mr.. Alfred 81. Almond.
immediate preparations We're made 10
electrify Main street. and the line was
extended by a double track 10 Fulton
and a double track to the loop at straw
berry ana Main streets. and electricity
vas used a : a motive power commencing
i'm July, 1889.
In the summer of 1889 the Richmond
CITY Railway Company, and in fact both
lines. were in considerable difncullle5
owing 10 the Illness Of Mr.. Flynn, the
moving spirit I'm both companies who was
taken sick I'm February Of that year Du-
ring his illness captain Pizzini. who was
secretary and treasurer ran the proper
ties and succeeded by herculean efforts
in electrifyng the Maln-street line IN
time 10 preserve the franchise rights
Mr.. FISHERS FIRST APPEARANCE
About this time the future Of Rich
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