Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-03
PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILROAD

From the old Los Angeles street rail-
way INES as basis, the first five years
evolution of one Of the most snIendid
CITY and interurban electric systems ON
the continent; There is probably no city
in the United States that has sunerior
street car service, while the numeroua
lines of the Pacific Electric and Los An
geles !nterurban railways connect this
CITY with all the more important townsl
cltles, resorts and attractions within a
reach of thirty miles, In so large a
measure is this magical improvement due
tto 70 the Iar-seeing intelligence, the busi-
ness instincts and the courageous enter
prise of one man, namely, that valiant
ana intrepid captain of industry Henrv
r. Hunt1ngton, that brief sketch Of the
conditions and events which led RAPIDLY
to consummation of these welcome de-
Velopments is of prime interest because
showing by contrast the suddenneSs OF
present and future, of the wonderIui
transformation through tho achieye,
ments OF individual effort. Twenty years
ago, when the population was scarcely
zOOOO, Los Angeles contained wo horse
car lines, rendering a poor service. Three
years later, in the midst of the great
lines of cable road were added, and a
single electric line, built by a real estate
operator to his subdivision. A few years
later the well-remembered cable system
was constructed at large expense. in
volving heavy loss to Chicago Capitalists.
who bought the bonds The motive power.
".
and so continued, with extensions Of the
system In the city, including a suburban
line to Pasadena. In 1898 Mr.. Huntington.
in connection with his business asso-
ciates, purchased the Los Angeles street
railroads, or the major portion of them,
and from that time began great improves
consonance with the large and splendid
growth of the city, and no city has
more thorough or more excellent street
railway. system, Under the, new man
0R6n0Ant n Az
geles Railway company has been retained.l
1t has lis miles Of double track within
1900 men,. In the year 1901 Mr.. Hunting
ton, having acquired the line to Pasa-
dena, outlined a plan for an extensive
system of suburban railroads, reaching
out from Los Angeles to the cities and
resorts of the coast and all the surround
ing centers of population, industry and
varied attraction. In November Of that
year, the organization having been per-
fected, the Pacific Electric and Los AM
geles Railway company was Incorporated
with a capital Of S0.0o0O00. The officers
of the company are: H. E. Huntington.
president; w. F. Herrin, vice president:
J. w. Hillman, treasurer, and S. G. Bax-
ter, secretary. In this Incorporation there
was absorbed all the interests of the Los
Angeles and Pasadena Railroad company,
the Pasadena and Mt. Lowe Railroad
company, and the Pacific Electric Rail-
railroad was the name adopted for the
corporation operating the suburban elec-
trio lines of the Huntington system.
which now covers the country according
to the original plans, comprising 253 miles
of track and giving numerous lines OF
transit and interurban connections in all
consolidated names of the Pacific Elec-
trio and Los Angeles Interurban railways.
Upon the entire system under the man
agement of the corporation there are 800
cars, including four observation cars for
the greater pleasure of excursionists, and
the total number of men employed under
| t.
5000 Including those working in the shops,
power houses. etc. large number being
still engaged on new construction work,
which is in progress under the plans for
many extensions which, when Completed,
will embrace network about and around
Los Angeles of not less than 500 miles OF
system A. ID. SCHNEIDER is the general
manager and ]. Mcmillan traffic manager.
the general offices Of the company being
located in the Pacific Electric building.