The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1905-10-21
VIII the L. & N. Run HALF Hour In.
terurban Trains?
From Thursdays Daily States.

4
According to well-founded reports
coming from Bay st. Louis, Miss. the
Louisville & Nashville is preparing to
| inaugurate an interurban service be-
tween that city and Scranton, Miss,
that will prove boom of untold propor-
tions to the summer resorts along the
Mississippi Sound. A regular daily
thirty minute service, operated at largely
reduced fares, is what is planned. Up
to this time no official announcement
has been secured from officials in posi-
ton to speak authoritatiyely, but it is
pretty we'll established that the PROPOSE
ton to establish the service is actually
under consideration and is being viewed
with favor by those within whose power
it is to inaugurate the new departure.
Colonel Charles Marshall, superinten-
dent of the New Orleans and Mobile
division of the road, when approached
for a confirmation of the report, dis
played lively interest in ferreting out
the sources from which the report ema-
mated, but would not affirm or deny that
the interurban proposition was actively
under consideration.
It is said by those who are apparently
speaking from accurate knowledge that
the service spoken of will be inaugura ted
next spring. The advisability of such
service being operated on short sched-
ules in winter time, is questioned on the
ground that it would not give sufficient
returns to justify the heavy cost of ope-
ration, but during the summer time it is
held that the operation of a thirty min
ute schedule would not only pay, but
would net handsome return. 1t is,
therefore, very probable that if the Lou
isville and Nashville decides on trying
the experiment 1t will begin the opera
ton of its proposed inteTurban trains at
the opening of the next summer season.
The matter of inaugurating the SER
vice is said to be in the hands of the
executive officers for final approval, and
the proposition has developed so far that
the matter of a reasonable fare to be
charged and probable schedule are be-
ing figured out by the passenger depart
ment of the road.
Along the Gulf Coast the impression
has somehow gotten abroad that the
Louisville and Nashville, in proposing
an interurban service, has been actuated
with desire to compete with the elec-
trio line which Colonel Jones, the domi-
neering factor in Gulfport affairs, is es-
tablishing between Gulfport and Bay
ST. Louis. This is, however, erroneous
and does the L. & N. an injustice. The
company had the internrban under con-
sideration long before Colonel Jones en-
tered upon his career of exploitation
along the Mississippi coast. The inter-
urban railroad proposition is one of the
many improvements which the company
! has been figuring on for the advance
ment of the coast and the convenience
of those who live there, and those other
thousands who spend their summers in
that locality.
Now, after several years of observa-
ton and study, the establishment of the
service appears to be TO or the first time
justified by the big increase of popula-
ton and the growth of the summer and
winter patronage of the coast by tour
lists from the North in the winter and
recreation seekers from the South in the
summer.
According to present plans it would
not take much extraordinary work to
inaugurate the proposed service, but the
cost of operation would be tremendous.
1t would be necessary to establish the
clock signal system along the entire
route of the interurban service, and it
will also be necessary to put in some ad-
ditional switches along the route. Block
signal stations would be established at
distances of between one mile and a
half to two and half miles apart, with
each signal station as stopping point.
Every little hamlet from Bay st. Louis
direct through to Scranton, Miss, would
be given the advantage OF regular daily
service. The trains to be used are to
consist of light engine capable of at
tanning a rapid speed and one large
coach, DIVIDED, of course, to accommo-
date whites and blacks.
A service such as this would be a
blessing of magnificent proportions to
the prosperous little towns along the
Gulf coast. 1t means the opening up of
a service almost equal to that of the
street car service in big cities between
Bay st. Louis and Scranton, with stop
ping off places at all points lying be-
tween these two places, and the estab-
lishment, probably, of new townships en-
route. A thirty minute schedule would
mean that all these splendid little places
would be placed within intimate and
ready communication for business and
for pleasure, and means tremendous
boom. Especially convenient will this
be in summer time when thousands of
visitors are stretched out along the
coast.
From Fridays Picayune.
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