The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-03-20

passenger traffic. In Ohio it is said
that in the last seven years the num-
Der OF passengers on the steam rail
ways have fallen off by several million
not because there is less travelling, but
because the competing trolley has stol-
en- the traffic. There is little travel
ing now in Ohio by steam between
points where the electric lines pass
The effect upon the steam roads is
noticeable from the fact that many of
them have discontinued entirely or
largely their local passenger service.
Trains that used to stop at every sta
ton between Toledo and Cleveland.
NOW stop at only the more important
places. There is considerable difference
Iof OPINION, however, as to the effect
OF the electrics upon the steam roads.
Some OF the steam companies do not
think they are suffering much from
the electrics although having lost a
good deal of short haul traffic. hayino
also gained considerably from the troll
leys as feeders.
A great deal Of the traffic on the
trolleys is entirely new business. Be-
fore the advent of the electric rail
way between two cities of intermediate
size in Ohio the steam road did bust
ness of about 100000 month"; the
electric railway now does three times
that amount of business with very
much lower rate of fare while the
steam road seems to be handling about
the same volume of business as before.
From 10 per cent to % per cent of the
triffic on the! electric lines is between
towns and this in turn has served to
stimulate a considerable amount of long
distance railroad travel both by rem
dering the city more accessible and by
developing the travelling habit.
In some places the competition be-
tween the steam and the electric roads
has been very keen and fares have been
cut badly by the steam roads in their
efforts to hold the business. AS rule,
however, the electrics make still lower
rates and on account of their fire.
quent service have been more than able
to hold their own against their compe-
titors. Some roads have attempted to
meet the competition by building troll
ley lines or buying out existing lines
or electrifying their own roads for
suburban traffic. In other places the
steam roads have recognized the
futility of competition and the value
of the electric lines and have entered
into traffic arrangements. Probably
this will obtain more and more in
future.
The electric line does not affect the
parallel steam line so much in their
freight service as the passenger traffic
The freight service of the electric road
has been confined for the most part to
small, perishable articles, though this
is changing of late. The farmer
who lives near large city sends by
them his butter, vegetables and fruits
to the city market. The ease and
promptness of this service has called
in a great deal of business which was
not previously carried on at all or was
carried on by wagon rather than steam
railroad.
The future, it seems to me, may be
looked upon as most encouraging.
When we realize that the electric rail
way is still under twenty years old,
that there are now about 10000 miles
in this country and growing rapidly
we hardly need the prophetic eye to
see what the future may bring.
1t is certain that it will show Won
derful things in the line of rapid elec-
tric transit between great centers.
Experiments within the last couple of
years in Germany have shown that it
is possible to attain a speed of $50
miles per hour and if the resistance
of the air could be overcome there is
no doubt but what much higher speed
could be obtained. When the time
comes that an electric train can run
from New York to San Francisco in
two days, the men who are accus-
toned to that kind of rapid transit
will certainly think that the facilities
of today are inadequate and unsatis-
factory.
Wherever there is population or
freight to warrant, electric roads will
be found. The country waterfall will
be harnessed to furnish power. City
and country will be linked together for
the good of both and in many places
it will be difficult to tell where city
ends and country begins, as all will
enjoy equal means of transportation.
The trolley is certainly a factor that
is working for the good of the people,
bringing wealth, happiness. culture,
health and comfort wherever it goes.