Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-18


gun to build the horse line" The day was Fri
DAY, November 49, and the Omaha Horse Railway
company, pioneer Of street lines in Nebraska
beginning work on its project The line was laid on
Farnam street between Ninth and Fifteenth streets
Extensions were made rapidly A line was placed on
Fifteenth street to Capitol avenue. Then rails were
laid block west on Capitol avenue. Other lines
were put in until the company was stabling twenty
six horses and sheltering four cars
Until 1883 the development of the Omaha Horse
Railway slow, as it was certain to be. The
horses and cars were at the mercy of weather con-
ditions Service was crude-bound to be with horses
and light rails and small Despite the condi-
ton of the service the road grew to some extent and
new lines were laid
BONDHoLDERS FoRECLosE IN 1878
In 1873 the bondholders were forced to FORE
close under the usual security mortgage The prop
erty of the company sold at sheriff's auction
and was purchased by Captain Marsh, who operated
the road until 1888.
In 1883 the company was reorganized and Cap
tain Marsh relieved of the individual responsibility
which he had carried for five years Omaha was
starting to grow in earnest and everybody realized
the necessity of adding to the street railway facil-
tiles
From 1883 to 1889 between 100000 and $780,
OOO was spent on the construction of the Omaha
Horse Railway At the end of this period there were
about rs cars in the service 900 horses owned and
worked and 255 persons employed. There were %
miles Of car lines
But before 1884 the people of Omaha were dis
satisfied with the service of the horse railway They
wanted a cable line. So in 1884 The Gable Tramway
Company Of Omaha was Incorporated A franchise
to build and operate cable tramways the streets
OF Omaha was granted to the new company on
October q 1884 Construction of the cable lines was
started in 1885, For long time the competition be-.
tween the horse line and the cable railway was keen
Neither was willing to concede anything to the other
and people were forced to pay two fares in many
x rr TWO ELECTRIc FRANCHISES GIVEN $50
In 1887 the people of Omaha granted two fran
chises to electric railway companies Only one of
these companies the Omaha Motor Railway com
pany, exercised the rights of its franchise The
Omaha Motor Railway was placed in operation in
the fall Of 1889. The this line were not
the first electric propelled through the streets
Of Omaha though, for this honor belongs to the
Omaha & Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge COM
pany which brought electric the river on
Its new bridge in the summer of 1885, and ran them
around the loop tracks, leased from the Omaha
Motor company
The success of the Omaha Motor Railway com.
pany very marked for the electric lines seemed
to be the most satisfactory The question of the
vival OF the fttest now occupied the attention of
Omaha people, for none believed that all the roads
could prosper, live as three separate organ
ixations.
At the beginning of 1889 traction conditions in
Omaha were about as chaotic as they could be. The
Omaha Horse Railway company was operating
twenty-five miles of horse railway, the Omaha Gable
Tramway company about six miles of double track
cable tramway, and the Omaha Motor Railway CON-
pany was constructing an extensive double track
electric road, covering ten miles There was no
friendship among the trio. All were envious.
DIRECTORS FoREsAW END
Directors of the roads saw that the business of
the city would not support the three companies In
1889 the Horse and Gable roads were consolidated.
The Motor Railway company meanwhile had its trou-
bles The result was that the Omaha Motor Railway
company was purchased by the Omaha Street Rail
way company, October, 1889. The Omaha Street
Railway company was the name which was given to
the horse and cable roads after consolidation Thus
the consolidation of the three roads left Omaha in
condition in which it possible for the new CON-
pany to go straight ahead and give this city some Of
the best street railway service in the country And
that is just what happened-the Omaha Street Rail
way company began new era of prosperous street
car service for the city of Omaha.
The work Of building up the service was slow at
first because conditions were very poor-money was
hard to get and the whole country was experiencing
conditions that did not bid well for such concern
as a street railway company.
The eight years preceding the Trans NIissis-
sppi Exposition were, indeed very severe ones for
the company. Those familiar with the conditions
the western country at that time will appreciate