The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-30
MAY HAVE AUTOMOBILES SOON
SOMETHING SAVANNAH MAY LOOK
FOR IN THE NEAR FUTURE.


and Put That Company on Its Met
tIe-wOuId Easily Drive Out the
Teams and Wagons for Trucking
and Delivery BusIness-NHr. Bald
wins plan for Direct Streets
Through the Squares Might Then
Come Into Play.
What would you think if were to tell
You that Savannah is to have an automo-
bile company within year?" said a busi-
ness man TO a Morning News reporter yes
terday. well, l cannot tell that exactly,
but / can tell you that there is no rea-
son why we should not have one. The au-
tomobile Is the coming conveyance for
both freight and passengers. II is being
rapidly introduced in the large cities, es-
peciany in New York, and in a few years
the entire street carrying business of the
larger cities viii be done by automobiles
THE conditions in Savannah are peeu-
liarly suited to automobile traffic. The
city is compactly built, the streets are on
a level and with the number of we'll
paved streets, the new self-propelling car
riages would have no difficulty in reaching
suit of the Introduction of the automobiles,
Should they prove popular, as they I'M
doubtedly would would be a tendency to
further improve the streets of the city,
so that all sections would be accessible
90 these vehicles. Another important ad-
vantage would be that these automobiles
would compete with the street car COM
pany, and that that company would be
forced to give the citizens the many things
which IL has been promising for so many
years, and is still promising. With au-
tomobiles to compete with the street car
company, would not only gladly give
transfers to all parts of the city, but
would even insist that they be accepted
1t Is not at all beyond the range of
probability that something of this kind
may be done. The feasibility of the scheme
has been discussed. An official of the Edi-
son Electric Company informed me that
the company could furnish the power 10
operate these vehicles at the rate of one
eighth of a cent a mile. That is cheaper
than horses. The advantage which an au-
tomobiie company would have would be
that 1t would have no great outlay to
make IN providing and equipDing track
way and having no trackway 10 maintain
IL would have an immense advantage over
a street railway company.
The support of an automobile company
would not come from the passenger bust
ness aSone. These vehicles are being chiefly
introduced in New York now for freight
carrying purposes. Several of the large
firms now use these electric vans for de-
hvering goods throughout the city. If one
company could obtain contracts with
just half the merchants in the business
section for hauling and delivering their
goods 1t would have a profitable business.
Inc merchants of the city are at an i'm
mense expense, collectively, to maintain
their drayage and delivery wagons A COM
pany which could secure the entire con-
tract could undoubtedly effecta large saw
ing 10 the merchants This could not be
satisfactorily done with wagons and teams
but with automobile cars, operated by cleo
u-city or compressed afr and able to go
upon any paved street. there would be no
difficulty in handling the business. Regu-
lar lines could be operated and hours for
delivery on the different streets fixed The
cotton carrying business alone would af-
ford larg1 amount Of business. While the
drayage Of cotton Is not as great as was
once the case the automobile lines would
doubtless be able to compete with the
lighterage companies on the river and
saving affected 10 the cotton men in this
way.
We may not get an automobile line
this year or next, but il is as certain as
anything else human can be. Ten years
ago the people of Savannah were doubtful
of ever having electric railway lines. and
now the man who is so unfortunate as to
have TO ride on the Sand Fly branch feels
that he has been condemned to unusual
and unnecessarily cruel punishment The
day is not far distant when the horse and
the mule Will be among the strange sites
of the country which the city children
VIII be taken to see, and a generation
hence the noble quaruped, mars COM
panion for ages, may be one of the lead
ing attractions of the side shows of the
day. The footballs of the horse will then
be no longer heard, but horseless vehicles,
equipped with rubber tires viii move
noiselessly and swiftly along our streets,
emitting neither smoke nor steam"
year or two ago, when Mr.. George ].
Baldwin. now president of the Edison
Electric Company, was member of the
park and tree commission, he outlined
. plan for the Improvement of the squares
OF the city, which was informally discuss
ed by the members of the commission
as one of the things which might be con-
sidered in years TO come. Mr.. Baldwns
plans was to project the street
running north and south directly
through the squares closing up the por-
tons which now run on the eastern and
western sides of the squares and extending
the grass plats to the property line. The
space devoted to the squares would be
practically the same, while the north and
south streets would run directly through
much to the convenience OF all who make
use of them. It was also a part of Mr.
Baldwins plan that the street intersections
between the trust lots fronting on the
squares be parked also, thus becoming a
part of the square or park system and
giving a continuous expanse OF park from
one square to another, looking east or
west. One argument suggested by Mr.
Baldwin in favor of his plan was that
with Barnard, Abercorn, Habersham and
Montgomery streets, running directly
through the squares, the advsability OF
paving these streets would at once be
seen and the cost Of paving would be
greatly reduced. while the streets would
be rendered much more convenient and
satisfactory for all purposes.
Mr.. Baldwin coutendod that instead Of
inturing the squares the putting OF his
plan into effect would greatly enhance
their appearance. When the automobile
companies begin operations In Savannah
Mr. Baldwin's plan win be- likely to meet