Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-07-13
I 7 has long been apparent to keen

n 7 has long been apparent to keer
II observers that there is as much
q money in comparatively small en-
n terprises. such as city or subur.
"A ban trolley lines, as IN Yastel
schemes compelling immense mi.
tial outlays Of capital and the tray
erslng Of great distances, In brief, that
the day Of the steam railroad for snort
distances Is passing and that Of tie
electric road has arrived And the dis
tanoes TO be covered by the accomplish
ed and projected "electrics' are not all
Of them short, as, for instance, the llt-
est to be announced. trolley line
from Cincinnati to Fort Wayne is to
be 35G miles long. II is already posi-
BILE to travel by trolley from New York
10 Boston, and Al Johnsons scheme for
connecting New York and Philadelphia
by trolley cars travelling at so miles an
hour was only recently exploited in the
press From Germany comes the in
formation that on the new electric rail-
way now In construction between Ber-
In and Zossen It is expected to develop
q speed Of IA miles an hour
Everything points 20 the universal use
Of the electric railroad all over the
United States, aud now that the people
generally are awakening 20 the fact
much curiosity Is expressed as TO those
men who had sufficient farsightedness
TO perceive the magnitude OF the move
ment before it began. There are, Of
course. many names that have more
than local prominence, but only those
which are most conspicuous are here
mentioned. II has been predicted Of the
largest street railway syndicate In the
United States. probably IN the world
the Elkins- Widener- whitney combina-
ton OF New York and Philadelphia
that eventually, and at time not far
distant, It viii control every mile of
track east Of the Mississippi and be-
tween Canada and Florida.
Mr. p. A. h. Wldener, the man TO
whom Is given the credit Of discovering
the latent traffic possibilities in Phila-
delphIa's streets, was born In the city
OF Brotherly Love Nov 70, 1884.
His educational advantages were few
and served him at first only in the hum
bic capacity of a veal butcher. Taking
20 politics, he became prominent, and
In 1873 was appointed to FIJI the unex-
pired term of city Treasurer Mercer
who had defaulted. on retiring from
public office In 1876 he turned his at
tentlon TO the development Of the clty's
street railroads, Joined with him some
influential men and secured the fran
chlses that made him and his compan-
ions mlllionaires. Branching out into
other kinds Of business, the head Of the
concern became dominating factor In
many enterprises, ana his name became
well known IN other large cities, nota-
bly, Chicago, New York, Baltimore and
Pittsburg. 1t was about four years ago
that Mr. Widener announced his deter
mlnation to present his magnificent and
palatlal residence to his fellow citizens,
The residence was valued az 100000,
and the art collection which II contain
ed and which went with II was esti-
mated at not less than $500 600, making
the gift worth sl,0OOOOO IN all. Two
years later he set aside $1,000 600 for the
erection and maintenance OF a home for
crippled and deformed children
Al the time Mr. Widener was appoint
ed to the Office OF city treasurer he was