The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-06-10
RICHMOND LINE
IS THE PIONEER
This City Boasts of First Suc-s
cessful Electric Railway 3
System
ENGINEERING CREW
ARE YET YOUNG MEN
All Acquire Distinctionin Pro-
fession, Among Them
Being j. Marshall At
kinson of This City

1t is no news 10 Mr.. Old Citizen. but
even he VIII take some pleasure in
being reminded that 1t was right
here in Richmond that the first sue
cessful trolley Ane was ever built
and operated in America. In fact, II
Is not necessarily the old citizen who
remembers this fact, for the building
OF the road Is we'll within the mem-
Dry of the younger generation, for IL
has only been twenty-three years
since the first line was established
and put in operation.
1t seems remarkable that the maze
of trolley wires now existing In every
city OF any size or consequence In tho
world and which branch out. form
ing a network of interurban lines.
are the development OF only twenty
three years. yet such 10 the case. The
history of the trolley car can hard
| ly be written as yet, for the reason
that 1t has very little history.
| Pioneers in the building of the first.
| trolley line are still young men. and
the Oldest are just now in the prime
of life. One OF these pioneers on the
| first successful trolley line Is J. Mar
shall Atkinson. Of this city. who, Az
ter chewing considerable success In
I the electrical world and becoming
/ one of the best-known selling agents
/ in the United States, chose to returp
to his home In Richmond and is now
associated in the successful manages
ment OF hotels.
j. Marshall Atkinson.
Among Mr.. Atktnsons treasures Ii
one which he prizes highly. This IL
a copy of The Street Railway Ga
zette' OF the date Of October "a,
1892, which contains a picture Of tho
engineering corps, which built ths
first trolley road In Richmond, which
~SI<@ -
In the picture are to be found men
who now stand at the head of the
profession in which they were pion-
GERS. Two or three have passed away.
but the remainder manage to keep in
touch with each other. and 1t some
times happens that Jimmy can be
found sitting in some corner Of the
Richmond Hotel in earnest converse
with one of his old partners on the
line, recalling the many trials and
obstacles encountered in those days,
which at the present time. owing to
the great development of the cleo
trio railway, towards which all of
them contributed so much would
seem trivial-yet they were noun
. tains in those days.
MIR. Atkinson Is the inventor Of the
first automatic continuance for tho,
throwing OF switch and permitting
cars TO pass on sidings The CONF
pany by which MIR, Atkinson was em-
pioyed at that time made use OF the
Invention ana prosecuted suits against
rival concerns for infringements.
winch suits went to the Supreme
Court of the United States in the
course of the fifteen years in which
they were in court, and were finally
Withdrawn at about the time the
patents would expire. upon the COM
soiidatlon OF the companies.
The Pioneers
Following is the article from tho
Street Railway Gazette. which wa.
printed In connection with the Pic
ture herewith reproduced.
owing to the very brief period or
Ifne. which electric railroading haH
been recognized Industry, IT il
father d1fheult to say that this branch
OF the business has much OF a his
tory. AT the same time the picture
which we present on this page il
what may be properly termed real
history.
1t Is photograph showing the
electrical corps exclusive of the great
Sprague himself. and his equally
great assistant @. r. Crosby, empioy-
ed on the first successful trolley Tine
In America. This was at Richmond.
Va. in 1887. From time to time, the
struggles and misfortunes of this
/
| notice of street railway managers by
various journals. but this is the first
time any view has been given OF
the exceedingly interesting group Of
electricians and engineers who pilot.
ed the road TO ultimate triumph.
Perhaps the most notable OF the
group Is s.. Dana Greene. at that
time brilliant young engineer, who
had cast his lot with Mr.. j. r,
Erty~n }x.
Introduce electric railways. Mr.. Greene
was for many years one of the most
important factors in the Sprague
Electric Railway Motor Company.
When that company was merged into
the General Electric, Mr.. Greene join-s
cd the ranks of the latter coupauY.
rising by degrees to the position az
manager of the sales department..
Under the recent consolidation with
the Thompson Houston Company, he
was appointed assistant general man.
aGer.
A. p. Lundy Is another Of the
pioneers. who has risen to distinc-
ton. After leaving Richmond he
went West to take charge OF the
ri aer,s4ssqas II ~ 7aGf
from this branched into Independents
engineering. He is now partner q
Mr.. +. Sergeant, who has becou
celebrated as electrical engineer u
the Worlds Fair. Mr.. Lundy haa
always been a hard,and conscientious
worker. and his success has been En-
tirely due to his own efforts. He de-
votes a great deal of his time to elec-
trfc railroading in conjunction with
his famous partner The most in.s
teresting figure OF the group IL Mr..
c. w. Mansfield He was the only
experienced motor man OF the entirA
corps, having previously been con
nected with the Daft electric motor
system. He brought with him 70 this
hopeful band that priceless Jewell
experience--whicb. when lacking IT.
an enterprise OF this kind. n af~o-
Ilutsly ruinous- To his efforts a. mue