Amador ledger., 1907-02-22

s- 1901 49, -IasSNa
Edison Electric Locomotive Operated Ex.
perimentally at MeniO Park. 1880.
Windsor, Canada; Appleton, Wis; Port
Huron, Mich; Scranton, Pa. and
Montgomery, Ala. In the autumn of
1884 Frank I. Sprague, whose name
is inseparably connected with electric
traction, began to attract attention
with his motors.
Twenty Years of 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 cars. In 1905 there were nearly
thirty thousand miles of electric track
In the United States alone.
This change was not accomplished
without opposition. discouragement
and financial difficulties. Mr.. Sprague
himself, who was so potent factor In
working this change, has told the story
of his first important contract. In the
spring Of 1887, the Union Passenger
Railway company of Richmond, Va,
engaged him to build an electric rail-
way. The first car was run out one
night while the skeptical people slept,
to make sure 1t could climb the hills.
1t started out in blaze Of glory and
ignominiously was towed back again
by four big mules But Sprague per-
sisted until on Feb. 2, 1888, in a
drizzling rain, the road opened for
business.
From that time forward the future
Of electric railroading was assured and
events moved rapidly. City after city
adopted the new motive power; horse
cars became things Of the past; in
terurban roads began to gridiron the
country everywhere, and in each in
stance a commercial success was
scored. Electric interurban lines have
been money makers from the start.
The greatest development has been
In the east; but the west Is not far
behind. The Aurora, Elgin and Chi
cago Electric railway the third-rail
system) which has been in operation
several years, Is famous From one
center power station over two hun
dred miles Of road are operated, or will
be as soon as the line to Belvidere is
completed. Electricity at wholesale Is
sold to cities and villages along the
route for lighting purposes; electricity
for power b sold to farmers. Trains
Of elegant cars run into Chicago at
speed which would have seemed i'm
possible few years ago. Passengers
wave good bye to steam trains on
paralleling railroad, which they pass
easily. A parlor and dining car Is one
of the luxuries which the suburbanites
enjoy going to and from the city, and
the railroad seems a veritable gold
mine for its owners.
The horse car has long since disaP-
peared. VIII the iron horse, the great
steam locomotive. be supplanted also?
This question occurs to all who can
Probably not for many years TO come.
as far as heavy freight traffic is con-
cerLed, because steam Is especially ap-
plicahle to the hauling of freight. But
the Action of the New York Central in
electrifying thirty-fve miles of its road
leading out of New York, and the
popular agitation for similar improve
meIt in Chicago and elsewhere, would
seem to point to a time not far distant
when electric railroads Will connect
distant cities and greatly shorten the
hOC-s of travel.
Chicago to New York In Ten Hours.
In fact such railway already Is
being built between Chicago and New
York by the Chicago New York Elec-
tric Air Line Railroad company, of
Chicago. This company, headed b.
groGp Of practical railroad men, pro-
poses to run limited trains, making not
more than three stops, through to New
York or Chicago, In ten hours The
thorght fairly takes ones breath away
at first, but the project considered
soterly seoins practical enough, and
certainly Is "a contamination devoutly
to be wished" The work of grading
began Sept. 1 near LaPorte, Ind.
AS the new road will be an air line.
with few curves, the route surveyed
Is lGo miles shorter than the Pennsyl-
vun!a short Line" and 2SO miles
shorter than the Lake Shore and
New York Central, each Of which runs
trains covering the distance In eighteen
hours. Taking into constderaioG the