Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-07
Consolidation and Identification

At the beginning of 1889 traction conditions in Omaha
were about as chaotic as they well could be. The Omaha
Horse Railway Company was operating Is miles of horse
railway; the Omaha Gable Tramway Company about 6 miles
Of double track cable tramway, and the Omaha Motor Rail
way Company was constructing an extensive, double track,
electric road covering 10 miles.
All three we're militant. The Horse Railway declared
it would install both electric and cable lines. The Gable
Company announced it's intention of building additional
lines and making itself a more formidable competitor. Both
concerns watched the construction OF the electric lines with
The excess expenditure in investment and operation,
and the inconvenience and expense of double fares to the
people in competing street railways were soon apparent to
all concerned. Competition between two lines was bad
enough; among three it would be lntolerable.
There were strong men in both the Horse and Gable
roads and each group saw the necessity OF consolidation.
February II, 1889, the Legislature passed a law permitting
the merger, which formally took place April !, 1889. Both
companies were Incorporated in a new organization-The
Omaha Street Railway Company-on about equal terms.
The new directorate was made up OF men on the boards
OF old companies, as follows:
Frank Murphy C. B. Rustin
S. r. Johnson Guy c. Barton
w. w. Marsh A. S. Paddock
w. A. Smith B. F. Smith
Mr.. Murphy was president, Mr.. Johnson yice-president,
Mr.. Marsh treasurer, Mr.. d. H. Goodrich secretary, Mr..
w. A. Smith general manager and Mr.. F. A. Tucker gen.
eral superintendent.
The cable and horse railways henceforth were operated
as one system, transfers being exchanged, and the combined
efforts OF the two former systems exerted towards improving
the service.
"A liz HSt mccunS OF the directors OF the Omana OtreeC
Railway Company, April 3, 1889, the following resolution,
introduced by W.. V. Morse and seconded by w. w.
Marsh, was adopted:
Resolved, That the president and vce-peadent be instructed
and requested to investigate the matter of electric street railways
and to employ men and means to Consuuc and equip n electric
Zine from HanScom Park to Leavenworth Street and on Leavenworth
Street east to Sixteenth; north O Sixteenth to Cunning; west o
Cunning to Twenty-fouth; north on Twenty-fourth to point near
what is known as the city limits"
AT the same meeting Superintendent Tucker was in
structed to obtain figures, estimates and drawings" for a
complete cable line on South Twentieth Street from Harvey
to Syndicate Park"
The new company thus affirmed its intention of follow
ing close in the wake of invention and giving battle to the
Motor Railway. The contest between the two organizations
for certain privileges was intense, particularly for trackage
rights on the South Eleventh Street viaduct, on Lake Street
and other streets. Officers and employees of one company
were Swallowed at night by men of the other, lest surprises
might be sprung: The controversies were taken into the
courts delaying construction and hampering financing. In
general the public was painfully aware that competition ex-
listed between the two organizations.
In May the Omaha Street Railway Company decided to