The Washington herald., 1909-06-20

St Louis. June I9.-One forecast which
makes the future of st Louis in the cleo
tric age visible to the eye. is the latest
map Of the United States. showing the
trunk lines OF the long distance telephone
system for which. with the Western con-
nection now complete to Denver, St
Louis is one Of the central points of con-
nection.
Another forecast, not less important
IN the same connection, il visible also
as one of the four great bridges which
viii soon connect the West and the East
across the Mississippi at St Louis
When completed. the new municipal
bridge, the construction Of which mas
been undertaken by the city itself may
not be less important. commercially, than
the Eads and Merchants bridges now in
operation. But of the four which viii
soon connect the city with Illinois, the
Mckinley Electric Interurban bridge be
longs distinctiveIy 10 a new period OF
development for the same States south
east. southwest, and west Of the city,
which are now connected with 1t by its
steam railroads. the trunk lines OF its
long distance telephone systems.
What New Bridge Means.
As the piers Of the first twentieth
century electric bridge across the MIS-
sissippi now extend high above the
stream from the Missouri to the Illinois
shore. the piles Of structural steel which
are being unloaded TO complete the con-
nection By the close Of the present year.
stand for connection not only with III
nois, Indiana, and Ohio on the east but
with Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama. and
Mississippi on the southeast. This-is not
all that St. Louis electric bridges are
likely 10 mean on the southeast during
the next ten years, but Il is well 10 be
conservative, even in dealing with GER
tainties. When Missouri, west OF the
river. is Ike the States south Of the Ohio,
in having made only scattered beginning
Of this electric interurban development,
still those who know the subject and the
country will not think IL exaggerated TO
expect the connecting lines Of the city S
electric mileage 10 reach as its trunk
lines Of steam railroads and long distance
telephone do, TO the Gulf and the At
lantfc across Georsia.
1t is equally apparent now that inter-
urban electric tracks from ST. Louis viii
reach across Arkansas and Oklahoma
through leAdS 10 lle fliO GttuQf- AS
the trunk telephone lines now on the
map show the natural lines Of least re-
sistance the local electric systems when
they become trunk lines finally will
mark the map in very much the same
way. With main lines Of connection
much the same, their reach win not be
less in mileage in 1919 than the trunk
telephone mileage Of the present. While
this is as certain now as anything in the
future can be. the first great electric
bridge across the Mississippi In 1903
stands not only for forecast, but for facts
Of the present which belong 10 great re-
suits already realized
Large Capital Invested.
The 515 miles Of electric interurban
track, operating in Illinois under the
single system which IS building this
bridge. represents SS5.OOO.0oO now. The
bridge and it's first approaches will rep
resent an investment OF S2,50OOoG, or a
total for the bridge and terminals Of So,
10000, TO make this connection between
Illinois and Missouri, at a time when a
similar electric interurban system is
planned west from St Louis TO connect
with local systems developing in Ar
kansas, Oklahoma. and Kansas.
When the northern connecting links
and those connecting East with Indiana
electric systems are completed, Illinois
VIII have over S40,000.600 invested in max
ing its beginnings in electrifying itself
between town and town This has been
great work done so quickly that the
Interstate Commerce Commission has not
vet had time 20 foot up the totals on Il
after reaching the wise conclusion that
as it is now manifestly one OF the great
things In the future Of the country. the
time has come 10 find out all about IL in
the interests OF public education.
Before the totals era footed. We know
IN Missouri that when we claim over
250O miles Of electric track operated or
IN process Of construction in the State,
nearly all Of Il that is operating instead
OF being IN process Of construction is
strI inside the city and suburban terri
tory of St. Louis. Kansas City. st. Jo-
seph and other incorporated towns and
cities Of the State.
Largely I'm the Cities.
II is also true that when Illinois reports
foot up a total Of 5000 miles Of electric
track. It is still chiefly urban track. with
less than coo miles Of it interurban this
year. BY this time next year it will
be possible 70 take an electric car on
any corner in St Louis and travel by
electric car on connecting interurban
lines through Illinois. Indiana, and Ohio
10 Cleveland, Buffalo. and other Lake
cities with the same reach 20 Ohio River
points. There VIII also be a connected
reach beyond towards the Atlantic coast
as a result Of which trips such as are al
ready reported by electric car through
Illinois 10 New York City, win be no
longer experimental
How long then will IL be before trips
OF the same kind can be made from St
Louis 70 Nashville. Chattanooga. and be-
yond? or 70 Little Rock. Dallas. and be-
yond by hailing an electric car on the
corner and changing as IS now done in
urban travel2 That as the great question
OF the first great electric bridge across
the Mississippi. has it's final answer in
the certainty Of a great industrial revo-
luton which belongs to the present and
the immediate future In l909, the entire
country reported only 32,5l7 miles Of elec-
tric track What was thought strange
or visionary only five years ago is now
so well defined that Missouri would feel
humillated II rot insulted by the sus-
picion that il viii not soon equal and sur
pass the Illinois electric mileage Of the
present
Kentucky and Tennessee. Arkansas,
and Texas have their future defined as