St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1907-03-01


Windsor. Canada; Appleton. Wis; Port
Huron, Mich: Scranton, Pa. and
Montgomery, Ala. In the autumn Of
1891 Frank l.. Spraric, whose name
In inseparnbly connected with electric
traction. began 10 attract attention
with his motors.
Twenty Years or Achievement.
At the beginning of 1887 there were
IN the whole world less than sixty
miles Of electric railroad track. and
only about one hundred motors and
motor cnrs. In 1895 there were nearly
thirty thousand miles ~ electric track
IN the United States alone.
This change was not accomplished
without opposition. encouragement
aud financial difficulties. Mr.. Sprng,ic
himself, who was 81 potent factor Ia
working this change. has told the story
OF his first Important contract In the
spring of 1887. the Union Passenger
Hallway company ~ Richmond, Va.
engaged him to build an electric rnii.
wny. The first ear was run out one
night while the skcpticnl people slept,
% make sure u could climb the hills.
II started out In blaze of glory and
ignominiousiy was towcd back again
by four big mules. I,ut spragic per.
sisted until on Feb. =. 1888. In a
drizzling rnin. the road opened for
business.
From that tlme forward the future
OF electric railrondlng was assured and
events moved rapidly. City after city
adopted the new motive power; horse
cars became things OF the past: In
tcrurhan roads begun 10 grldiron the
country every where. aud In encb In
stance commercial success was
scored. Electric intcrurbnn lines have
been money makers from the start.
The greatest development has been
IN the east: hut the west II not far
behind. The Aurora. Elgin and chi
engo Electric railway (the third.rall
SYSTEM which has been In operation
several years, In famous From on.
center power station over two hun
dred miles of road are operated, or VIII
be as soon ns the line 10 Belyidere In
completed Electricity NJ wholesale II
Sold 10 cities and villages along the
route for lighting purposes; electricity
Cor power Is sold 10 farmers Trains
OF elegant ears run into Chicago at n
spcei which would have seemed I'M
possible few years ago, Passengers
wave good bye 10 steam trains on
pArlleling railroad. which they pass
easily. A parlor aud dining ear is one
OF the luNures which the suburbanltes
enjoy going TO and from the city, and
the railroad seems veritable gold
mine for It's owners.
The hors. ,ar has long since disap, |
peared. VIII the iron horse. the great |
steam locomotive. he supplanted alsof
This question occurs 10 all who can |
see the sgnfcance OF passing events. |
Probably not for many years 10 come, |
as Tar as heavy freight traffic Is con- |
eernel. because steam Is especially ap-
plicahle 10 the hauling of freight. hut |
the action of the New York Central In |
electrifying thirty.fiye miles OF its road
leading out Of New York, and the
poi ular agitation for similar improve
mcnt In Chicago and elsewhere, would
seem 10 point TO time not far distant
when electric railroads viii connect
distant cities aud greatly shorten the
hours of travel.
Chicago to New York In Ten Hours.
In fact such a railway already Is
being built between Chicago and New
York 10y the Chicago New York Elec-
tric Air Line Railroad company. OF
Chicago, This company, headed by a
group OF practical railroad men, pro
poses 10 run limited trains, making not
more than three stops, through 20 New
York or Chicago, In ten hours The
thought fairly takes ones breath away
at first, but the project considered
s0hcrly seems practical enough. aud
certainly is "a consummation deyoutly
10 he wished" The work OF grading
began Sept. near LaPorte. Ind.
As the new road will be an air line.
with few curves, the route surveyed
IS lu0 miles shorter than the Pennsyl-
'ania short Line" and 30 miles
shorter than the Lake Shore aud
New York Central. each Of which runs
rains covering the distance In eighteen
hours Taking into consideration the