Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-10-29
WILL RUN CARS CARS
Pittsburg Men to Control st.
Petersburg Traction Lines.
SCHEME FAVORED BY RUSSIANS.


Mckee aEd Werner Propose to Form
Company win S5O.o0o.OoO and
Take over Ronds OF Russian Cap
itaI-Cznr Nicholas. IL Is Believed
VIII Approve the Project.
According to the Pittsburg Dispatch
announcement has been made by Muir
/ ~ \. Werner. the well known Pitts
burs traction capitalist. that William
a. Heydecker. representing himself
and IL. Sellers Mckee, had presented
memorial To the municipal council OF
81. Petersburg Offering 10 absorb the
entire surface traction system of thar
city and To form Il company under the
Russian laws. with a capital Of lOO.-
100000 rubles (S5O.O0O,0O0). The lines
are now operated by horses and axe
eighty-tiye miles in extent. The Pitts
burgers intend TO Install electricity and
extend the system to 300 miles, making
the deal the browning venture of their
remarkably busy lives in large traction
affairs.
Negotiations were begun 10y Mr.. Yer.
Eer two years ago, and during that
time he has made nine trips to the CAPT
tai Of the car leaving the details Of
the transaction to Mr.. Heydecker, n
resident of 81. Petersburg. The trac
ton roads of the city have been OPP
Grated for the last twenty-five years
10y three companies of Russians. Bel
Sians and Germans. These companies
bad the right To operate cars in st.
Petersburg for twenty-five years, and
their right TO do so expired some time
ago.
The city ut once purchased the sys-
TENS and is now operating them. The
Tittsburgers have offered TO take the
lines or the hands OF the city. place
them ON Il modern basis and reach ev-
cry populoas section in the vicinity Of
the capital.
Mr.. Werner said recently that he ard
Mr. Mckee were alone for the present
In the venture. but IL is believed that
the Clarkes and Magees of Philadel-
phia and Paten * 60. of New York.
who have been in previous traction
ventures of the two capitalists, will
eventually bc associated. The exist
ing tramwayS OF ST. Petersburg form
Al perfect network. interSccting the city
la all directions aud reaching also the
more remote islands and suburbs. Mr..
Werner said the other night that he
knew III" aWuiut " traffic Of the
roads. but would not make II public.
The three lines are said to carry aboul
;,J.OOO.OOO To G0.OO0.OOO people every
year. or about the same number car
ried on the Consolidated Traction lines
of Pittsburg Mr.. Werner said that the
fare was paid 10y the mileage. but
averaged practically the fare charged
IN American cities. Ii is believed that
when the lines are completed and eX-
tended and equipped with electricity
the traffic will increase tremendously
as st. Petersburg is about as large as
Chicago and is prosperous and busy.
IL is not known what will he done
I'm winter in the event of the Pittsburg-
crs being successful. The present horse
car lines are not operated in that sea
son. omnibuses and public sledges
maintaining the traffic when the snow
becomes deep. as it invariably is for
some months of the year. The number
of carriages in use increases from
lV.VNb III SutllDtI III duOul To-
600 20 $4,000 in winter. This is said
to he one of the most serious questions
involved in the installation OF electrici-
~.
Mr.. Werner and sir. Mckee say that /
while the prospect of receiving the
properties was good. they did not care
10 say much about their plans until |
they had accomplished what they |
sought. Mr.. Werner said that the per
petual lease sought was unusual in |
but that the prospect of it's be |
ing granted was good. He said that |
the matter would be referred to the |
government and finally To Car Mich
olas before it was finally approved.
AIR. Mckee and Mr.. Werner were pio-
geers in the electric traction period. In
their time they have been the most eN-
-ensivc traction owners i'm the United
States. with the probable single eXcep-
ton of +. A. Il. Widener and William
l.. Elkins of Philadelphia, whose ex-
ample they closely followed.