The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-04

ther and undertake to relieve merchants
and shippers from the trouble of applying
10 the railroads at all. 1t will collect
freight. attend to the billing of it to it's des-
tination and finally deliver 1t. so that ship
pers will not need to bother with II from the
moment IL leaves their doors.
REGULAR SCHEDULES.
Express companies get special rates for
the use of cars On passenger trains, but the
expense is much higher than freight service.
The new company will not expect to get any
concessions from the railroads that the gen.
eral public does not at present enjoy, but
will make use of the regular schedules. 1t
will. however. by adding moderate amount
as terminal expense. make a through rate
FOR collection. transportation and delivery
that the hackers of the project think will
prove attractive to the public.
1t is the intention TO have special routes
throughout indianapolis and other cities, so
that goods may be picked up as expeditously
as express packages are at the present time.
The franchise of the general company gives
1t all the privileges it desires and permits it
to use any motive power that it wishes. If
it is deemed advisable 1t can use electricity.
air. gas or any other form OF motive power.
The charter covers every conceivable form
opening to cut deeply into the business Of
street railways, horse cabs and express
companies
The subcompany. by combining the busi-
ness of many of the merchants of Indian
apolis. will be able to avail itself of the
benefits OF carload rates. Most merchants,
by reason of having smaller amounts to
ship, now have to pay class or package
rates. This would mean considerable saw
ing 20 shippers and make it an object for
them To deal with the new terminal COM
pany In addition, by reason OF handling
goods on a large scale. the company hopes
TO secure faster time from the railroads and
guarantee of the prompt delivery of
freight. Hence 1t is hardly possible that a
bitter fight with the express companies can
be avoided.
The promoters Of the new scheme have
been secretive in floating the enterprise. but
the information herein has been obtained
from confidential sources high in the man.
agement of the auto-concerns, and is suffi-
cient to establish the fact that Indianapolis
and several other of the larger American
cities are on the verge Of complete revolu-
ton in their systems of intramural passen-
ger transportation and mercantile delivery.
The relations between the three parent
companies are understood to be that the
New York Gas and Electric Light, Heat and
Power Company owns a controlling interest
In each of the other two. The Electric Stor-
age Battery Company is really a consolida-
| ton of all the leading storage battery COM
panies OF America, and practically controls
that industry 1t will supply the storage
batteries to the subcompanies, while the
Electric Vehicle Company will build and
| sell the vehicles to the subcompanies
| Agents of the companies have been for
| weeks past studying the conditions in the
various cities where it Is proposed to estab-
lish subcompanies, and it is said that the
| report regarding Indianapolis Is most favor
able.
The automobile vehicles to be put in the
| service IN indianapolis will be like those
| used in New York. They differ but little in
| appearance from the horse vehicles, except
| for the absence of shafts or tongue, and
| that the wheels are smaller and have large
pneumatic tires and wire spokes, like a
bicycle. The storage batteries are beneath
| the body of the vehicle and are not particu-
| larly noticeable.
POPULAR IN NEW YORK.
| The automobile service was established In
New York about two years ago. At first,
vehicles on the streets, people hesitated to
patronize them because they were novelty
and excited considerable attention. so that
persons riding in them became more or less
| conspicuous. AS the number of vehicles in
creased and the novelty wore off they grew
rapidly In popularity and are now more in
demand than horse cabs and coupes. There
| are now upwards of 800 electric passenger
vehicles in use in the city. and hundreds
more will be put into service as soon as the
manufacturers can complete them.
/ An idea of how popular the automobiles
have become in the metropolis may be.gath-
cred from a paragraph which appeared in
a New York paper a day so ago. 1t fol-
| lows:
| 1.-TWO patrons of Delmonico's tried for an
| hour yesterday to hire an automobile to
/ ride through the park, but had to give ii up
| as a bad job. In front of the restaurant
stood dozen cabs and hansoms with
| horses attached, but no one seemed to de-
sire their. services. When a motor cab
| passed and was hailed the reply came back
| Engaged Numerous styles of the automo-
| biles were In the avenue going UP and down,
but all were busy. The same condition was
noticeable at the Grand Central Station
| thirty horse vehicles stood idle while money
| was not good enough 10 hire an automo-
/ bile"
In addition to the automobiles in the pub
| uc service IN new 1Ork, tnere are scores
of them owned by wealthy citizens as pri-
vate conveyances, and men prominent in So
| cial, professional and business life can be
| seen any morning or afternoon spinning
through the parks or along the avenues and
boulevards, manipulating the levers of their
own carts, drags or victorias-just as a year
| or so ago they held the reins over high
stepping thoroughbreds.
The electric automobiles are but a step
| forward in the development of automobiles
in which other propelling power was used
| France. where automobiles are most pop
ular to-day is the country where the first
automobile was made. In 1863 Nicholas
| Joseph Cugnat built working model of a
steam carriage. and, six years later. built
| steam gun carriage. Murdock, an En-
glishman, built a steam bicycle in 17S1, and
| in 1856 another Englishman. Symington
built a steam carriage thought at that time
TO be an Improvement on the steam carriage
of Cugnot. built many years before. In this
| country, Oliver Evans, in 1856. and Nathan
Read. in 1880. applied for patents for steam
driven road wagons. In the present state OF
development of automobiles, steam car
riages are dropped from the race. Electric
automobiles are now considered the best fol
city use, where storage batteries may bs
replaced recharged conveniently. Fol-
travelling considerable distances petroleum
automobiles are the favorites OF many
There are several points urged against pc.
al -