The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-01-18
From Public opinion. Chambersburg.

- tOAAf'iNaoA AhiS1 WV - - W VI ~
trolley line westward from Cham
bersburg to McConnellsburg,
and thence to Bedford, as well as
a line from Chambersburg to
Gettysburg, it is.in order to fore
cast the future of travel by cleo
tricity. In the last two years
the creation of trolley lines has
been phenomenal. Wherever
there are two important towns or
cities in this State, adjacent to
each other, they either are al
ready or are soon to be connected
by trolley.
There is line from Harris
burg to Middletown, one from
Marietta to Columbia, and one
from Columbia to Lancaster,
Easton and Bethlehem and Beth
lehem and Allentown will soon be
connected in the same way. Del
awarecounty is a perfectnetwork
of trolleys. Chester, Bucks,
Berks and Lancaster counties
will soon be permeated in all di-
rections by trolley lines. The
counties of York and Cumber-
land are not likely to lag far be-
hind. In ten years it will be pos
sible to go by trolley down the
valley to Harrisburg and from
Harrisburg to Philadelphia by
way of Lebanon and Reading, or
a much wider circuit, and to re-
turn by way of West Chester,
Lancaster, Washington Borough,
York and Gettysburg. In the
same way the counties west of us
will be permeated by the trolley
system but the danger is that
tire main line westward may be
diverted from Chambersburg un-
less we take time by the forelock.
AS we showed last week the
Mercersburg Journal is adyocat-
ing line between Mercersburg
and McConnellsburg westward,
and Mercersburg and Pen Mar
by way of Greencastle and Way
nesbOro. If this scheme was re-
allied it would soon become a con
Meeting link in lines eastward to
Gettysburg and York, south
ward through Littletown to Bal
timore, and Emmitsburg to Wash
ington, and westward by way of
Bedford, Somerset and Connells-
vile to Washington, McKeesport
and Pittsburg. Then there may
be a line from Mt. Union and Jun
iata Valley by way of Shade Gap
and Burnt Cabins to McConnells-
burg, or through Shirleysburg
and Concord by the Roxbury
Gap to NewOurg and Neville.
If we do not utilize our advan-
tages in time there are capitalists
who will build trolley lines re-
gardless of our interests. That
the great railroad corporations
are alive to the Importance of the
trolley system is shown by the
case Of the "Pennsy." Those fa-
miliar with the operations of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company
declare that when the value OF
electricity as a motive power for
cars was demonstrated a few
years ago the prominent capital
lists in the company arranged
plans for the future. They hao
been confronted with a serious
problem. The passenger ano
freight had increased to such az
extent that its carrying capacity
even with it's four tracks, was
taxed to the utmost. They ther
decided that a trolley system
would furnish relief for many
years, and the capitalists made
the test between Jersey City anc
Newark.
The company owned the ma
iority of the street car lines ii
Jersey City, and substituted elec
tricity for the jaded horses. The
test was satisfactory IL obtain
ed control of the Newark stree
car lines, and constructed tive
lines between Jersey City anC
/ Newark to relieve the heavy pas
senger traffic between the two
cities. A slightly cheaper rat'
1