The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-05-15
COUNCIL INSPECTS INTERURBAN.
The Edgerton City Officials and Friends
Ride Over the Rockford, Beloit and
GAINESVILLE Electric Line.


| The Edgerton City Officials and Friends
Ride Over the Rockford, Beloit and
GAINESVILLE Electric Line.
Accepting an invitation of Mr.. FL. FL.
| Clough, general manager of the James
vile and Rockford trolley line, for an in
| spection of his road, the members of the
| common council, city officials and a few
| others left Edgerton last Sunday morn
ing on the $3.50 o'clock train for James
vile. The party was made up of Mayor
G. W. Doty Aldermen E. NJ. Ladd, Theo.
Clarke, G. Fl. Babcock and A. Dalln.a
City Clerk Henry johnson, City Atty.
II. S. Sloan, Street Commissioner G.. G..
Biederman, and E. G. Hopkins, r. j.
Maltpress, F. w. Coon, G. FL. Bliven, Fl.
B. Knapp, Oscar Jensen, Chas. Birken-
meyer, and S. L. Emery and G. M. Will
liams of Albion. At GAINESVILLE the party
was met by Mr.. Clough with special
car provided for the trip. Thos. S. No
Ian, attorney FOR the company, also joined
the party here and remained with them
throughout the trip. The day was de-
lightfully pleasant and the country just
taking on it's summer green presented it's
most attractive appearance. In fifteen
| mile ride from GAINESVILLE to Beloit the
line passes mostly along highways,
though on it's own right of way. Later
as it approaches Beloit it skirts the river
bank for few miles and then crossing
the river on it's own bridge enters Beloit
at the north end of the west side and
passes through the residence por-
ton to Bridge street where it crosses
the river again through the business
portions of the town, leaving the city by
turning south near the Milwaukee depot.
Thus the electric road reaches within
| half block of both depots, passes both
| hotels and along the best business streets
OF the city. A stop of half hour was
made at Beloit, where an inspection of
| the power house and main Offices was
made. An outlay of $4,000 has been
expended in Beloit, where the head
| quarters of the company are located.
! Two mammoth engines of Il hundred
| horse power each furnish the power for
the entire - miles of road and with one
extra engine added will make sufficient
| power for the extension of the road to
| Madison. The machinery is all of the
| most improved type; an alternating cur
| rent is first generated at 37O volts, then
| passed through step up transformers to
34OO VOLTS for transmission to the sub
| stations. There it is passed through
rotary converter, changing it to direct
current of 600 volts, feeding the trolley
line. By using high voltage in trans
mission there is but little loss in power,
and by employing four more sub-stations
| for letting down the current it is esti-
mated that power can be carried to Mad
ison at loss of not more than 10 per
| cent.
| The run from Beloit to Rockford, Is
miles, passes through fine farming
! country and the small towns of Rockton
and Roscoe. Near the latter place
stop was made at the Riverside stock
farm Of A. j. Lovejoy & Son, breeders of
| Berkshire hogs. Mr.. Lovejoy showed
| the party over fine new stock barn
| which he has lately completed at cost
of 81 800. He is one of the most success
/ full breeders of Berkshires in the west,
his sales the past year reaching over
$4,000. Reaching Rockford, a special
! car was placed at the disposal of the
party for trolley ride over this pros
porous city, with it's $50 manufacturing
concerns there is fonnd an evidence of
thrift to be seen on every hand. Rock
ford is becoming quite center for inter
urban lines. Besides the Beloit & James
vile road, one runs to Belvidere, east II
miles, and still another is building con-
| Meeting Freeport on the west, all having
I their starting point here. The party
were given ride over the Belvidere line
! during the afternoon.
The return trip from Rockford to
GAINESVILLE was made in about one and
half hours, including short stop at Be-
lott. We believe Mr.. Clough succeeded
in demonstrating to his guests that his
manner of constructing interurban lines
is up to date in every particular. He
certainly left most favorable impress
sion as generous entertainer, and those
who enjoyed his hospitality have CRATE
full remembrance of the occasion. A
prospectus of the line and the character
of the construction Mr.. Clough intends
to build is given in another column of
this paper.
I