The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1908-09-10
HISTORY OF TIE STREET CAR.
Wonderful Development Of The Electric
Ca9 In i:lac:eeA Years.
FIRST STREET CAR Eua At RtCKHCHD
electric EeE.s)

| Only twenty years ago the SLOW
moving horse-car lines carried th'
people Of the larger cities who, fol
manifold reasons, Gid not care t.
walk. For those who wished t.
ride where the horse-car did not rur
arge carry-a!!s, draw, by listles:
horses, served as a means Gf convey
ance for a nominal fare.
Only twenty years have passed
since the first electric car was pro
nounced commercial success al
Richmond. Va, but III this brie!
period the electric street car systems
have been improved and develop ed
until they practically reach the ends
of the earth. The carry-all has been
relegated to the scrap heap and Tie
horse-car is curiosity in one or two
cities Of the world.
The credit for building and oper-
ating the first street railway system
in the world belongs to Frank j.
Sprague, whose pltents are now held
by the General Electric Company,
although a number of unsuccessful
experiments in this line had been
conducted by other men before the
year 1888.
The electric railway motor was ir-
vented by Thomas Davenport, a Yer
mont blacksmith. in 1884, and four
years later Robert Davidson. Of
Scotland, produced small electric
locomotive which moved at the as
tonishing speed Of four miles per
nour. Nine years later Prof. Moses
8. Farmer, of Salem. Mass, pro-
iuced a locomotive capable Of carry
;ag two passengers. In,l879 anoih-
II machine vas exhibited as a novel
y, aad the next year Thomas a.
Edison constructed an electric loco
tive pulling two cars and carrying
several passengers. Eiison's loco
motive, however. was not practical
ior commercial use and he was too
busy experimenting with the electric
light to give the locomotive careful
study. The summer of 1887 party
of experi:nenters tried out an elec-
tric car in the streets CT New York
amid the boots and jeers { the peo-
pie. This machine was also more or
less Of failure.
DR.. Sieulens in 1879 exhibited in
Berlin, Germany, a small electric
locomotive. For some time he con-
Quoted experiments ON an electric
railway with Indifferent success.
Through all these years the electric
car was little more than the cherish
ed dream of the numerous electrical
inventors. 1t remained for Sprague
TO give to the world the first electric
street railway which was CONNER
ciaIly possible.
Since that early morning twenty
years ago when the first electric car
glided over the rails in the streets OF
Richmond, motors have been brought
to such point of perfection that
electric cars are rapidly encroaching
on the steam engine and threaten to
take it's place entirely in few years.
The principles which Sprague used
in the construction Of the first car
and power line are about the same
as in actual use to-day. He invent
ed the overhead trolley; his motors
were geared to the car wheels and
his system of control was nearly the
same as in the modern cars.
Miraculous, indeed, has been the
growth OF the street railway sys-
TENS since 1888. To-day there are
nearly 25,00O miles Of street and
electric railways in the United
States, carrying more than five biz
ions OF people annually. From the
tiny cars constructed according to
Sprague's plans twenty years age
the cars have grown TO be models OF
comfort and convenience. Some OF
the best interurban lines boast OF
electric cars rivalirg the beauties
and comforts of the Pullmans. 4r
the middle west some of the longest
electric lines maintain sleeping
dining and even cold storage, freight
express, milk and mail cars.
The trolley has extended the boun
dairy lines Of cities and stretched the
residential sections of the larger
cities miles out into the country
With the electric cars to whisk then
to and from their work in the cities
men and women can now live ou
where the air is good and where
they can enjoy ali the comforts O
the country. AS if in payment fol
removing the residential sections th'
trolley brings into the city dali.
thousands of country people who ar
only too eager to do their shopping
and sightseeing in town" Tn
trolley has been Of material bench