The Lake County times., 1908-08-21
STREET CAR CO.
OFFERS EXPl lANAT|ON
In Letter to Times Shows
That Fault Lies Not
Wholly With It.
REHABILITATION HAS BEGUN
The City Itself, According To State
ment, Is Causing Much Delay
on Account of Red Tape.

The rehabilitation of the Calumet ane
South Chicago railway has begun. Or
Monday last the plans for a good por-
tion of the rehabilitation work which
has been endorsed by the board OF
supervising engineers, was handed tc
H NJ. Sloan, general manager of the
company.
In an interview with a TIMES re-
porter this morning, Mr.. Sloan said the
work on the plans has started and
will be rushed. In regards to the new
cars contemplated by the Chicago City
Railway company, the tracks now being
laid by the South Chicago City Rail-
way company, being SO close together,
will not allow the type of a car that
they will compel them to purchase, to
pass This is the situation al the pres
<ent time which is holding the work
back
The rehabilitation work at the
present time will have to be completed
in South Chicago before work of any
note is started in any other locations.
Mr.. Sloan said that the company had
been held back in their work in many
ways, but from now on the rehabilita-
tion work will be put through and
everything done for the betterment OF
the service in South Chicago. The fol-
lowing letter from Mr.. Sloan, received
this morning, will explain itself:
South Chicago Times, South Chicago,
Gentlemen: Relative to the complaint
of the local street car service, the pub
lie should know the following facts
The franchise ordinance passed on
March 80 was not accepted until May
ZS owing to delays in the negotiations
of the consolidation of the Calumet
Electric Street Railway company and
the South Chicago City Railway com
pany.
The operating agreement with the
Chicago City Railway company was not
ratified by the city council until June
29.
Following this came consultations,
participated in by the local and city
companies and the board of supervis-
ing engineers. Plans were then at
once begun for the general rehabilita-
tion of tracks and rolling stock, aggre-
eating in cost over $3,00O,OOO
These plans were then submitted to
the board of supervising engineers for
their official endorsement, as the or
dinance provides that no expenditures
can be made without their approval
On Monday, August II (the day be-
fore yesterday the plans for a good
portion of this week, endorsed by the
board of supervising engineers, were
placed in my hands. Work on these
plans was started the next day ives
terday).
Bridge Conditions Bad.
1t will thus be understood, that al
though thoroughly recognizing the
fact that the service stands in need
of Improvement, that every effort has
been made to get it in shape to make
start
AS to the delays in the service, which
is confessed, every possible effort has
been made to better the condition. but
l find that the Ninety second street
bridge when swung remains open so
long that it is impossible to keep cars
running over that bridge on schedule
time.
A man is stationed at the Ninetv-
second street bridge to note the de-
lays caused by the swinging of same.
and also TO take notes of the times
the Ninety fifth street bridge is swung
and the delays
As the delays at the Ninety-ffth
street bridge are very much less than
at Ninety-second street, it is contem-
plated to run all the cars via Ninety
NTH street, Erie avenue, to Ninety
second street, and on Ninety-second
street to Commercial avenue. until such
time as the conditions at the Ninety
second street bridge are improved
Track Not Wide Enough.
The new cars contemplated are of
width that the present tracks laid bv
the South Chicago City Railway com
pany, being so close together. will not
allow the type of car that the city will
compel us to purchase, to pass. and if
follows that all the rehabilitation work
will have to be completed in South Chi
cago before work of any note is done
in other locations
We are sensibly aware that the SER
vice is inadequate, out of date and in
need of improvement; that it is a good
financial proposition to put it in first
class shape and upto-date condition
which we are anxious to do. and which
the city of Chicago, by the terms of
our ordinance. will compel us to do
Yours truly,
II. M. SLOAN.
General Manager.