The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-04-29
BY q. e. BLAKEsLEE, JACKSON
Interurban Transportation.

The interurban electric lines traversing
the States in the North and East have
proven wonderful developers along all
lines, and particularly so as to agricul-
| ture and horticulture. These lines have
been built to portions of the country
where there were no steam railroads and
have given to the people quick and cheap
connection with all important centers OF
| commerce. The farmer has been given
facilities for bringing his vegetables,
milk, butter and other products to the
people who wanted them in an hour or
so, and if he desired could go along and
look after the delivery and be back home
in time to spend the greater portion of
the day at his work. 1t is needless to
state that the sections of country
! traversed by these electric interurban
| lines have developed at a wonderful rate
and that the people have grown prosper
Gus on account of the quick and econom-
zeal means of disposing of their products.
| Mississippi is in need of such lines,
many communities already having begun
| the agitation for their construction.
| They would prove great builders for any
| sectloil, iuoIc especially tHoSc Withoue
| regular railroad communication with the
outer world With them farm life would
be more attractive and the remuneration
greater They would stimulate diversifi-
cation as nothing else would. Had the
farmer convenient market for his vege-
tables, fruits, milk, butter, etc, there
would be an inducement for him to pro-
duce it. With an interurban line rum
ming near by, it wsslld be small job
| to gather these things in the morning
early, 90 to town and dispose of them,
reaching home long before the noon hour
| to take up the regular routine of duties.
| But the electric line is an expensive
| proposition to begin with. 1t costs con-
siderable money to lay the track as well
| as for grading and ties. Then comes an
other enormous expenditure for the great
| power stations that are to furnish the
cars with electricity. The pole lines are
expensive to install and cost money to
keep up. The copper wire is high-priced
and wears fast by contact with the troll
| ley. The communities in our State that
are in the greatest need of these lines
have not the population to warrant their
being built, and although it is a fact
| that their operation would soon develop
| the country adjacent to them, capital is
slow to invest under such conditions.
| There is new car being built for in
| terurban service that attracted the at
| tention of the writer some years ago. 1t
| is propelled by gasoline and has proven
| a success after several years of trial. The
| first called to his attention were large
| and extra heavy and operated on steam
| lines for short runs. These cars were
| built by the Union Pacific Company, and
| in some instances leased to other roads.
| They cost 5000 to 100000 each and
| were from 20 to so feet in length. A
| speed of 60 miles per hour and more was
| easily obtained and after five years trial
| have proven to be as reliable as those
| operated by steam or electricity. One
| of them runs out of Houston, Tex, every
day in the year and is perfectly safe and
| reliable.
Within the past three years some OF
| the leading manufacturers OF gasoline en-
| gines and cars have begun building small
err cars for service on lines in sparsely
settled communities, and they are prov
ing a success. The initial cost of an
interurban road of this character is slight
when compared to that of an electric
road. There are no expensive power sta
| tions to build and maintain, no pole lines
| All that is necessary to get your line GO
| ing is to grade the roadbed, lay the ties
| and steel and start the cars running.
| The cars cost from So 900 to $4,000, ac-
| cording to capacity. Experience has
| proven them to be as safe and reliable
as the steam or electric, and it. is to be
hoped that Mississippi will investigate
this proposition and companies be formed
| to furnish means of transportation for
| the people in rural communities.
The writer has before him the record
for six months on one of these cars that
runs out of Searcy, Ark. showing that
from April to September 1907, this car
| carried 30,541 passengers, made $500
miles and the gross revenue was 81
| 443.2S. The actual cost of operating for
| the six months, including operators sal
airy, was $6256S, leaving net revenue
of 81 ,S1760 OF course the cost of main
| tanning track, interest on cost of line,
| etc., must also be deducted, but there
were other cars helping to pay this. 1t
ran every day, 1872, and the cost per
mile was only nine cents. The man who
ran it was not maehinist and had had
little previous training. The maximum
speed was 2s miles per E4ur. The cars
have three speeds and can be slowed
down to climb grades that the steam
trains would not go over. Trailers can
| be carried for freight when the slow
speeds are used. The cars have de-
partment for freight and express as well
| as room for % or 80 passengers.
One of these cars has recently been
| installed on line running out of New
Orleans to Covington, and gentleman
from Holmes county, this State, writes
~ l.