The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-15
To Inaugurate Big lm-
 proyements. PHILADELPHIA SYNDICATE
 HAD A BAD INVESTMENT Purchase Price Not Known, But Less Than ProportiOaate. W. ,. cinnavan win Maaase opsrat- sas Dspartmsnt, MT. RaFiand Re- sisnea--Dsntsr Avsass asa
 Lawrence street Im-
 prsvements.

Richard Tniis. the well known Mont- eorsery millionaire capitalist, has bought the Montgomery street railway system. He win take charge of 1t sun- day night at midnight, and before the week Is well advanced he will begin improving the system by replacing the worn out tracks on Dexter Avenue. He uroposes. he said yester Jay. to improve the system throughout
 The property was purchased from an association Of Philadelphia capitalists. who have owned and controlled the Traction Company since December. 1905. The purchase price was not stated. but 1t was less than the pro- porttonate price the company paid Tor the property two years ago.
 The present system was made up of a combination of the old Montgomery Street Railway Company and the new. CT line built by the original Traction Company under the supervision of W. II. Ragland. The two lines we're com bfned under the name of the Montsom~ cry Traction Company when the Phila- delphia capitalists entered the street railway field in Mentgonaery.
 When the Montgomery Street Raii- way Company was sold by Mr. Tillfs three years ago in November, he was paid ss00,000 for 1t. He continued to hold the old Montgomery Street Rail- way bonds and these are said to have beea no little factor in the last sale of the property. When the two lines were combined after AEr. Tillis had sold the Montgomery Street Railway Com pany the property of the Traction Company, that Is, the Pickett Springs. the Highland Avenue and Mobile Street lines were put in at s160.ooe. This made tho total investment of the Philadel- phia capitalists in Montgomery Street Railway property Si,osolooo.
 Ssss.S Details af the PxeReEtx.
 The new Traction Comp any has put in Improvements that are estimated fo have cost $zo0.D0e, These improve ments ares First, the company.s biz car barn near Capitol Heigits: second tile finest one line in the city. out Hull Street, with it's attendant paving. and third the replacing of most of the or igInal trackage with 70-ponnd steel rails.
 Tn other words the property which is changing hands, represents on it's face something over. $1. 1.200,000. It can be stated with authority that MT. Tiiiis did not pay that much for it. It can be stated with authority. that MT. Tiliis bought the property in proportion for less than he was paid for 1t.
 The exact figures are not to be known. MT. Tillis and Ray Rushton, attorney for the Traction Company. de- cIined to give the figures Saturday. saying that the exact amount paid was a business secret, that had no special significance for the public.
 w H. Ragland, who, for the past eight years. has been identified with the street car service fin Montgomery, will no longer have any connection with the company. He was General manager of the first Traction Com pany, and when 1t was consolidated. he became General Manager of the new Traction Company and served in that capacity until few weeks ago. His resignation as General Manager was submitted last August, and it was ac- cepted severl weeks ago Mir. Rag land Is now in North Carolina.
 S ]. Vessels. who came here as president of the company in the sum- ner to take personal charge of the property, will have no connection with the system under the ownership of MT Tillis. Mr. Vessels is one of the most expert electrical and practical engi- neers in the country and the Philadel- phia capitalists secured his services for a time only to help the company over crisis in Montgomery He will return North where his services are in constant demand.
 Mir. Tillis said yesterday that he would summon his old Superintendent W. J. Ginnivan, to his aid in conduct ing the system. Mir. Ginniyan will take charge of the practical end of it Monday morning. He already had a familiar understanding with the needs of the system and most of the needed improvements have been mapped out Some of his first work will be to tear up the rough and shackly track on Dex- ter Avenue and make that part of the system equal to some of the well laid suburban lines.
 Of course there will be no wholesale change of motormen and conductors So far as they are concerned the system will be run as it has been In the iin- mediate past But few changes win be made in the immediate office force
 Mir. TiIIIs Talks.
 T shall inaugurate a system of con- tinuous improvements on the property" said Mir. Tillis yesterday, while dis cussing his new property. 'This pol icy will have special reference to the suburbs of Montgomery. I am not onIy going to improve the service in the suburbs, but I am going to extend the system further into them whenever the trafic justifes 1t.
 You may say that the first work will do will be done on Dexter Ave- nue. We do not propose to lose a min- ute in removing that track and lay ing a new one. I am going before the Council and find out what the city wants done on the Lawrence Street line and then I am going to do it.
 .'In saying that I intend to pursue a policy of improvements do not mean to say that I am going to throw away every one of the cars owned by the company and tear up every bit of track in the city. The rolling stock will be improved. and what is more, the im- proYement will be continuous. As matter of fact. the greater part of the trae5age of the company in the city ia of 70-pound steel rails and ie is as strong as the trackage of any company so far as they go. We propose to con- tinue to replace poor trackage. where there Is any, with good trackage.
 we only ask the public to be lit-