The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-03-28

I. T. I tL5s
which tho Observer could not MAKE ou''
tbe printer took liberties with Ut aau
made some sort OF y combination 1Ra.
looked like linotype pi. but II wns WIZ
Ten rchnnnelga" which the Observer VIII y y
r,,aj,v recognize as the North Carolina
way of saying challenge. AZ least tn ny
was the way IN some parts OF Nor'n
Carolina VIXEN the baseball fever broke
out, twcnty-o,id years a go.
Speaking Of American stree railways rail 9!
ain interesting history Of then, hal recent
jy been sent out from sl.ington, III
which itsis stated that the first pass'en-
ger car for New York city was built IN
1scc5. 1t was drawn by horses over strap
rails laid on stone ties and THIS method
was still in use at the close Of tho CIVIL CIVIL
War. II was not until 1873 that the first
cable system was introduced. Tie caole
road became very popular and enormous
SIMS OF money we're spent IN cons tructlon.
But as soon as the electric railway came
III. the Cable roads began to go out, and
their use to-day, says tho Washington
writer, is practically confined 10 three
citits-Chicago. San Francisco and Kansas s'7ls
City-in the last, two of which the heavy
grades discourage the adoption of cleo
tricity as a motive power. The develop
ment OF the trolley lines is told In the the
following figures:
During the twelve years from 1890 to
1902. under the electric impulse. the total
single track mileage for street railways IN
creased from S,123 to 2261I The mileage
of electrical lines alone increased during
this period from 1.22.i2 to 21e07. The de-
crease OF the mileage of other systems
during these years tells its own story. Ca
BILE lines fell off frcm ass miles TO 24l
steam lines from III to no. and horse
and mule line from 1862 to 2oa.
H between 1890 and 1902 the cost Of street
railway construction and repair Increased
from ssSe.oco,oD to so,150, ono,O 900. or nj
most 457 per cent: operating expenditures
increased from $1,000 900 to $4,000
0G0. or 100 per cent; the number Of. fare
passengers carried Increased from 2,OoD.-s
Ono 900 to Ats, 900 coo. or 1876 per cent. In
the year 1902. is per cent. of the passen-s
gers were carried on transfers. There
were seven times as many fare pm sser-
gers on street railways in that year as
there were fare pa ssengerss on steam rail-!
ways. and contrasting the earning ca
pacity of the trolley with the steam rail-
way, 1t is shown by a census bulletin
that the great trunk systems OF the.
United States in 90, earned $500, ooo,ol0
from passenger traffic, while the troll
leys earned sss,s4 ooo.oee.
Years ago this paper. in urging the en-
largement of the electric railway service
in Richmond and vicinity, contended that
IT was destined to be a most important
a gency in decentralizing the population?
and relieving the congestion in the cities
That proposition no longer needs TO be:
demonstrated. The trolley; has already in
great part fulfilled its mission in this
respect, and the good work Is going on
The Washington wr.t ter, in speaking on
this phase of the subject. says that from
1857 10 1862 the population of Manhat-
tan borough. New York city, increased
from 1,44l. 90 to $1,000 and of this in
crease cs1.io1 or more than one-haif took
place in thar part Of the island lying
north OF Eighty-sixth Street. the popula-
tion OF this section having doubled I'll in
ten years att distance gilmore than sevet
miles from the southern extremity OF the
city. In Brooklyn and Queen boroughs
the increase Of population was more than
30 pei CENT mainly in the outlying dis
tricts.
The same situation is noted ina more
striking way In The city Of Boston. OF
the seven wards nearest TO the business
chr nv oof,J oil
decrease of population between 1890 and
1sle. while in the outlying wards
there was an Increase ~ 81 600 inlabi-
tants or nearly 90 of the total increase
for Boston for these years. Moreover,
the population OF the Immediately adj
jacent ctics-Ca ge. Somerville and
Chclsea-increased much more rapidly than
the older parts OF Boston.
Other figures are cited from other cities,
all showing the same results everywhere.
| Richmond is no exception. The trolley
has developed our outlying districts In a
| way that is most gratifying and has
enabled citizens TO live miles away from
their places OF business without serious
| 1llS ~ tASlftlsI "
iE,o consideration ii. extending the cltys
boundaries. With our splendid electric
railway service reaching out in all di-
rectons the city ought to occupy a much
]larger area than could have been in the
days of horse cars. When man gets
1 on IN electric car it matters Tttle{to him
whether lie rides twenty blocks or forty
4 blocks, Tho cost is the same. and tho
matter OF time is only q few minutes.
Under such conditions It is absurd and al
most criminally absurd for people to be
huddled together In long rows Of tcne-
mcnt houses, three and four families in
La house. Trolley has come as nature, $
Town relief for an abnormal state of things,
and If We do not take the relief thus
Iaffordeds it is our own stupid fault
/ -=-----=---.
i A Most Important Official.
\ There is intense interest throughout
1 Virginia In the poIiticnl cont cst 4 hjs yoor