Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1905-12-30
A POPULAR STREET BARON,
How "Tom" Lowry Has Won Hearts
of Twin Cities Trolley Patrons.

AiOW A4onTI IL" " CA @@''@ =
of Twin Cities Trolley Patrons
Mr.. Dalrymple of Scotland, who
came over here little while ago to
tell Mayor Dunno OF Chicago how to
bring about municipal ownership, and
who finished by advising him not to
try-Mr. Dalrymple said that the trac-
ton system OF the Twin Cities was the
best In the United States. II you go
to Minneapolis or St. Paul you VIII
find the entire population saying the
same thing, according to the American
Illustrated Magazine. And you Will
be saying It yourself before you go
away. You ride on the cars-they are
big, roomy, clean, and they move like
Pullmans You wait on a corner to
see a shabby old car go by, feeling
that you really ought to know the
worst, and you find there is no such
thing. Mr.. Goodrich, the manager,
says he can't afford to keep old cars
In commission.
The power house embodies the very
latest engineering practice. So far rs
you can find out, every employe Of the
company is possessed by the Idea OF
making everything as near perfect as
possible.
Now, to all intents and purposes,
"Tom" Lowry Is the Twin City Rapid
Transit Company, and he Is also the
most important part Of the 500 road.
He also owns much real estate and
all the important newspapers. So there
can be no doubt at all that he is really
the baron Of Minneapolis; yet this is
sure, that II you tried to talk about an
"oligarchy" up there and were to hint
at municipal ownership people would
merely stare at you.
Tom Lowry was young man when
he went to Minneapolis and he found
Minneapolis a very young city. The
two hit 1t off wonderfully together
On his part, the attachment began at
once. He became at first sight an en-
thusiast. 1t was true devotion; that
is, the idea that he belonged to Mime.
apolls possessed him much more
strongly than the idea that the city
must belong to him. And II the latter
has in course of time come true II Il
only because he read the future clearer
and more hopefully than any one else
could do.
He went into the street car business
in the 70s and It prospered a good
many years, as everything else wai
prospecting. BY the later SOS he was
regarded by everybody ms the riches
man in the thriving town. But thS
bankers, who were not so optimistic al
to think that the boom could be eter
nal, were a little nervous about him
II was common talk that any maj
with any sort of scheme to boon
Minneapolis could get Tom Lowry
name on the back Of it, and that mos
OF them had.
1t was Just at tho end of the 80l
that the change was made from hors'
power to electricity. Then In 90 cam'
the short, sharp panic, caused by tn
failure OF Barring Bros, and at tina
the boom In Minneapolis came to nj
abrupt end.
1t was hard enough for everybody
but II was almost the end OF Ton
Lowry, for the weight Of every broke
scheme and every blasted hope fel
back at last on his shoulders. He wa
as good as bankrupt half dozen time
over and yet the crash never came
The simple reason was that no one /
the town was willing to sue him 10
payment.
That has curiously improbabl
sound after the men. the measures an
the atmosphere we have been talkin
OF little way back, but 1t is LITERAL
true. The banks that held his pape
renewed 1t as often as II fell due, an
certain banker 10 whom l talke
about It said:
"Oh, yes; you could have broken u
any board OF directors In Mlnneapoli
by proposing to sue Tom Lowry
As for him, his serene confidence
his city never wavered, and when 1
3 last things came his way they can
fast. Minneapolis has caught up wilt
him at last and has made him n yer
: rich man. But he could no more ente
4 tain the idea of going away to look Il
Q q wider field to rule than New En-
Q land preacher could think of going
: the far East and setting up harem.