davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15
The Trolley Symbol Of Modernism Now Peneaes Ear Remote Place.

/ zealanders have a trolley line at Auck.
land.
Probably one Of tine most progressive
trolley systems is that in the city Of
Durham, Natal South Africa. The line
as first installed was OF American origin
in its equipment. You can ride cheaper
if you buy tickets instead of paying
cash for each single fare. But the most
suggestive phase Of the service is the
streetcar parcels delivery. Parcels not
exceeding twenty-eight pounds in weight
nor larger than eighteen inches square.
practically OF all characters, are carried
at a very moderate rate. The line is
owned by the municipality. We have
something TO learn from that out-ot-the.
way section Of South Africa. American
enterprise is also responsible for tie
electric tram line at Patras, Greece.
The horse-drawn tramcar has been
common sight in Bagdad for years, and
il is proposed TO supplant that bid TO
progress by an electric line This limo.
walton might seem unreasonable IL II
were not for the restless reaching ont OF
the tourist and the equally tlreioss ef
forts Of the travel agencies 10 widen
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15
The Dntry Trolley Which
DrOskLS' Lihet4, R1AsSia-.

but after the burning lesson OF the death
dealing live wire" had been scorched
deeply into their savage minds, they let
the lightning makers alone. The Jap
anesc have shown a pronounced spirit OF
progressiveness In dealing with the build
ing Of modern tramways in Formosa, and
surely and slowly the savage Formosan
is either being reconciled TO civilization
or forced to retreat further and further
into the islands rugged wilderness In the
mountains.
The japanese have adopted tho electric
trolley for street and suburban service in
many OF their important cities, and gradu-
ally the "ricksha man" Is being forced
more and more from the frcquented high
ways. While this means OF transportation
undoubtedly facilitates trade and the
tourings of the Western sightseer, still II
rObs tho native atmosphere OF some of its
ancient charm OF local color. However,
the present day japanese is decidedly utiii-
tartan, and he welcomes anything from
the Caucasian world which will help him
To make money faster and to hold his own
In this age of mechanical progress.
Even conservative China is surrender
ing TO the lure Of the electric line, and
trolley systems now exist I'm a number
of her larger seaports. Hankow is the
latest 10 welcome this method of urban
traffic. and twenty million dollars is the
sum To be spent In reyolution!Zlng the
streets and the car service of that city.
The Chinese have already accomplished
nIIUNner nf it,n
takings. but. despite the introduction of
these modern facilities. the native still
persist In using the simplest and most
primitive implements I'm carrying out the
work. Just the same, it is remarkable
what the Celestial can do. II the trolley
line passes over "A waterway or upon
shaky ground, piliug Ia necessarily re-
sorted 10, and pile drivers are seldom if
ever seen. However, John Chinaman sets
MS pile in position and pinches IL be-
tween two long poles of very thick bam-
bog, and, with these firmly strapped to-
gether crowd OF chattering coolies
cling To the outstretched arms; by sheer
weight the pile Is forced into the mud or
soft earth When the top of the pile
has come down TO their own level these
coolies. aided by big stone held firmly
between two pieces OF timber. hammer
the stake securely into its resting place.
Like the Hindu laborers In India, the
Chinaman Will have nothing to do with
the wheelbarrow-he clings to his wicker
basket instead
But CONSTITUTIONAL work in China has
TO contend with "A form af eunaretItion
centuries Old We refer 20 that devel-
opment OF Chinese geomancy which the
natives term 'Feng-Saui." "Feng-Shu
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15

q party OF American engineers working
upon an electric line in China unhappiiy
plotted their surveys in a maner to
threaten the local "Feng- Shut" and one
OF our eunboats had TO be dispatched
with utmost speed To their rescue. There
are a good many places where the rail-
ways have made expensive detours In
order TO avoid antagonlzing the natives
in this way. II sounds droll, and is
funny but il shows the concessions
which modernity has TO make In the Far
East to mysticism.
The trolley has obtained n footing, so
TO speak In the Malay Peninsula and
also In French Indo-China. The diff
Guilty in that part of the world Is In
furnishing accommodations for the va
rlous classes. We all know what caste
means in the Orient. The lower natives
have taken kindly to the trolley lines,
but they have not yet adjusted their
habits 60 meet fully some of the stand
ards which this modern convenience
imposes. Into these cars the farmer ma
tive carries his baskets or balances of
vegetables. poultry pigs, etc. which are
usually swung over his shoulders upon
bamboo poles. one can easily imagine
the condition which this leads 10. In
British India. Calcutta hike Bombay, now
has its electric tramways, and the City
of Palaces Is otherwise quite up to date.
Ii Is far cry from the BLACK Hole
TO the trolley car. and yet the ancient
and the modern rub elbows in Calcutta
at every turn
By way OF emphasizing her up-to-date-
ness, Japan has built an electric rail-
way in Dalny, thus making more modern
that seaport of Southern Manchuria
which she wrested from Russia during
the late conflict. Before the dominance
of the Japanese transportation or traffic
facilities In Dalny were years behind the
times. To skip from north to south,
II Is said that the capital of Ceylon, the
lovely city OF Colombo, now has a trolley
service.
Americans have done a good deal
toward supplying the principal cities OF
South America with electric tramways
Systems OF this sort have been installed
In Caracas, Venezuela Para Brazil:
Montevideo, Uruguay, and at Buenos
Ayres, Argentina. Electric railways have
been built and are building in Valparaiso
and in Tacna, Chill; Lima, Peru, and In
Guayaquil and Quito. Ecuador. In sew
eral Of these places local waterpower
has greatly facilitated the installation of
electric lines or course. one naturally
expects electric traffic lines In Australia.
and these progressive antipodeans have
trolley systems at Melbourne, Perth and
kalgooriie, while the neighboring New
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15
IN Ear e1u ey uck1and New Zea1apd.

been running continuously and proiitaDly
since the spring OF 1905.
But Hawaii and the Philippines are not
the only outlying possessions that VIC
have helped TO modernize by the introduc-
tion Of the intrusive trolley. Down In
slumberous Porto Rico we have built an
electric railway first I'm San Juan and
then about thirty miles toward the in
terror 20 Caguas. which is Il populouS
town In tho centre OF "a very rich tobacco
and sugar growing territory. This line is
a composite passenger and freight trolley
service. and is accomplishing wonders IN
the way of facilitating traffic and trade.
Within San Juan the electric line has
.upplanted a funny little one-horse tram
way. which for years furnished the only
cheap means of public conveyance. The
horses looked as though they were walk
ing In their sleep, and the very vehicles
themselves resembled fourposters on
wheels. We can easily imagine that the
native that had business 10 do found this
mode OF travel a convenient means of
combining locomotion with a siesta.
Who has not heard of Oolong tea, bat
do you know that IL comes from faraway
Formosa? Most of us recall the Island
Beautiful as the home or mead hunters
who for generations swarmed down upon
the rich Chinese land owners and went
back TO the .hils either with rich tribute
or carried away the head of some obstl-
nate mandarin or merchant prince. After
Japan's war with China she set herself
the task Of driving these native bandits
TO the remote Businesses OF Formosa' $
rugged mountains. and she also under
took 10 reap the fruit OF the islands
commercial riches. Formosa has nearly
four hundred miles Of electric tramwayS
in operation and under construction, and
besides feeding from the capital Keeling,
into the out-of-the-way corners OF the
island for passenger service. these lines
tap the great sugar and camphor dis
tricts, and are an important element in
developing these Industries as we'll as of
providing ready outlets for the fast-grow-
ing bamboo pulp factories. For while
after tho japanese built these tramways
the head hunters caused some Interrupt
tons to traffic by cutting down the poles,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15

. merely overcoming civic inertness-the
| climatic conditions presented some obsta-
cles Of their own. Not only did the damp
ness OF the climate corrodc the rails, ne
cessitating generous coatings Of as
| phaltuIn paint but the white ant prompt
| " set about destroying the wooden ties
until they were made unpalataDle by be-
/ ing impregnated with jodelIto or with
I carbollneum. The tubular steel poles,
which readily meet our atmospheric con-
/ ditions here, were rapidly rusted by the
/ humid air OF the Philippines. and poles n
native wood had to be substituted. The
white ants did not limit their ravages TO
| the roadbed-they attacked the rolling
| stock as WELL and soon showed that the
woods commonly employed in the build
, ing OF cars for lines here would not with
stand the attack OF these destructive In
! sects. AS result, IL became necessary
| 10 employ teak extensively. which added
considerably TO the expense OF the raw
material and its fabrication. a great
part of the CONSTITUTIONAL work and cX-
cavating were done by F1lipinos. and the
habits OF these people called for a good
deal OF watchfulness in order TO keep
them on the Job.
The native is an inreterate gambler
and his first impulse Is to start a little
I game as soon as he has a few pennies In
his pocket. The luncheon hour furnished
the period Of worst temptation. and at
first most Of the earnings went to pay
for that excitement. instead Of the need
| full nourishment. Finally the builders re-
criited lunchmen, who were stationed
near the line and right or hand 10 pro-
vide n superior temptation in the way Of
food, This worked beautifully, and with
mutual benefit. The Manila Electric Rail-
| road has about forty miles OF track, and
some OF this In the suburbs had to be run
through a verltable jungle. Apart from
what this imposes upon the upkeep Of the
line II offered many difficulties and dan
gers 10 the surveyors engaged upon plot
ting the route. The tropical jungles OF
the Philippines abound In native snakes
Of varying degrees OF menace. and We all
know what malaria means I'm that part OF
the world. However. the linc was COM
pleted with commsndable speed, and has
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15
IGNORANCE is DANGER.

Probably one oC the most interesting
engineering achievements is the trolley
Cape Town and Camps Bay. Apart from
overcoming natural obstacles and break
ing a way for the route through heavy
rocks. the line has TO climb to n height
of more than eight hundred feet above
the sea and from that position it COM
mands "A magnificent view of Table Bay.
Native labor was very extensively an
lLoyed in the construction Of the road,
any many funny stories are told OF the
uegro's wonderment when the horseless
tram was first set in motion. no end Of
care had TO be exercised In keeping the
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15

, portation breaks out In some OF the oda
corners of the empire. This is not hard
10 understand when one learns that there
are probably thousand miles OF lines 10
the various Russian municipalities In
the smaller towns and cities OF the Baltic
provinces the trolley plays its part IN
providing transportation for the less
prosperous. but these trans are usually
run at decidedly moderate speed. aud
quicker motion and more exhilaration can
be had by recourse TO the abundant ma
, tive drosky. The drivers of these vehicles
are always ready for a race; the streets
are narrow and the turnings abrupt
while your seating is anything but over
secure. hence the excitement OF ride II
one OF them. Probably when the trolley
man becomes equally reckless these new
tangled conveyances will ut In better
with the spirited requirements OF some
grades Of Russian citizenry.
For a number of years electric motor
cars have made il easier TO reach the
summit of Mount Vesuvius. The line mas
to make a pretty stiff climb, but that j.
the very reason for its existence. II mas
made II possible for the tourists with I'M
derpinnings of Chippendale lines TO reaeh
the crater without overtaXing themselves
and the tourist agency responsible for the
construction has found the enterprise de-
cidedly worth while. But Vesuvius, WIN
its moderate altitude OF 400 feet, i
hardly circumstance to the climb the
electric cars make among the mountains
of Tyrol The highest station on 'n'
Jungfrau has the exalted height OF nearE
le,50o feet above the sea. However tho
trolley cars make that ascent with APP
parent ease, thanks to the power '''
melting SHOWS furnish at the hydro-eiee
tric plants. But Europe is destined 500"
TO hold very secondary place III ui'
matter Of mountain climbing electri0
tramways. Old Popocatepetl has been
rearing its peak two miles heaven"aI'
for centuries, and the Mexicans are Jusu'
proud Of that famous volcano. It's creS'
reaches far above the snowline-the sun"
nit being nearly eighteen thousand iee'
above the sea. on the rim OF the crater
large hotel is to be built, and an Ensis"
syndicate intends TO run an electric rah'
way from the City of Mexico TO PuebiS
and to send a branch line thence up !"
the mountain top. At Necaxa there is
big hydro-electrc plant, and that VIII DC
the source Of power for the system. Inc
crater OF Popocatepetl has been mined
for sulphur for long time. and the ne"
tramway will be used both for passenge'
and for freight service. IL Is said tha'
the volcano contains fully l5O,wooW toh'
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15
Pilgrims to the Holy Land Use Explore the Streets of the Holy
City, jerusalem Venturesome Climbers Find Useful IN Seal
ing Vesuvus While the Head Hunters of Formosa
Have Greatly Chastened by Costly
Contact with the Live Wire

both the traveller and the residents-noth
native and foreign born. This is easily
TO be understood. because the wonder
fully equable climate soon promotes
spirit OF easy going Incidence and any
means Of rapid and effortless transporta-
ton is at premium.
Immediately after our war with Spain,
and while conditions were yet unsettled
in the Philippines, d great American en-
cheering company went out to Manila TO
construct the Manila Electric Railroad.
We have had an example right at our
front door Of Spanish supineness, and We
know how backward Cuba was from the
standpoint OF engineering advancement up
10 1898. and the Philippines represented
this Iaggard state OF things several times
multiplied By minus Such was Manila
when our constitutional pioneers took
I'D the task of undermining that old city.
The problem was something more than
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15

casualty list The trousers were re-
moved, and both the police and the cleo
trio cars moved with their designed free'
dom.
Bombay. India, because of British III
fluence. has been a comparatively pro-
gressive corner of the Orient for good
many years, but it followed the lead set
by Bangkok i'm the matter of electric
street railways. To-day Bombay boasts
a typical American installation Of forty
four miles Of tramway tracks within the
So-called city system. The native eie-
ment looked somewhat askance at the
innovation, but promptly set itseh 10
enjoy this speedy mode Of travel as soon
as the lines were in working order Inc
most interesting part Of the building OF
The line Was the manner i'm which the
natives did the necessary street excavat-
ing and allied labor. In that part Of the
world the wheelbarow and the pick are
seldom seen In place OF the pick the
Hindu employs a sort Of Grubbing noe
and for The carriage OF dirt and other
SPOTS he has recourse 10 shallow, boWl-
like baskets Just the same, the LABOR
crs accomplish a good deal I'm the course
of a day. ana IN this work both the men
and the women cooperate. the women
bearing the cxcavated material away in
baskets upon their heads.
We all know how strenuously Corea,
the hitherto hermit nation, has resisted
all Innovations OF the Western world. but
we also know something Of the changes
forced upon that ultra conservative peo-
pie by japan after the war with Russia.
To-day. much against its will. Corea
has Il single line OF trolley cars running
out of Chemulpo, and the natives find 1t
much better way of covering the dusty
highway than the means formerly at
their disposal This line was built by one
Of our great engineering companies,
which has done much pioneer work in
trolley construction. IT is the intention
10 extend this service To the ancient capt.
tai of the country Seoul, twenty-five
miles inland. one cannot help but Won
der what the conservative Coreaus think
Of this modern marvel which now
speeds without visible means Of propul-
sion over IT'S highways, travelled for
centuries by It's tolling coolies and tug
glng ponies.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15
F1t1p4nos WORKING Upon the Electric
Line 1h Mo-n11& 8 Streets.

that the project hung in allegiance for
some time because Of native superstition
and the fear that the wailing motors
might disturb the calm of the sacred
elephants, but the royal leaning toward
tnodernlty won IN tho end. and the road
was built. Up 10 that time the native
police had worn a fun dress consisting
Of helmet ana breech-cloth, but this
uniform was not considered quite In
keeping with the Simultaneous advent OF
lncandescent lights and the electric
tram, so the bronze legs Of the guardians
Of the peace were promptly clothed In
European trousers. This was too much
Tor the lsughter-lovng native populace.
and the crowds that quickly gathered
ibout the police threatened TO block rapid
transit or 90 promote an unwaranted
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15

| African from satisfying his overpowering
curiosity AT the expense of his life or
physical welfare. When the system was
In full operation the cars provided for
these laughter loving children of larger
growth We're literally packed with all
that could find standing room and who
had the necessary fare. The trolley cars
were far more of a source of amazement
to the black man than the dazzling glow
OF the incandescent light. which reached
that part OF the world earlier.
The march Of American imperialism
has carried the electric trolley across the
Pacific Ocean. Honolulu has a thorough
ly up-to-date electric line. and the road
winds out of the town and carries the
slghtseer 10 the crest Of the famous
Punch Bowl. five hundred feet above the
sea. The line has, proved popular with
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15
SWINGING THE PAST FORWARD.

But the trolley has done something be
sides this. It has intruded itself. so TO
speak, in out-of-tho-way parts Of the
world and brought into native life a form
Of transit which has virtually leaped for
ward many hundreds Of years beyond
their previously existing facilities. The
electric tramway has done other things:
IT has made it possible for the tourist 10
reach easily and speedily points OF inter-
est which In the past have been inacces-
sible or prohibtively expensive 10 the av-
erage traveller.
One Of tho first of the distant places
10 encourage the trolley was Bangkok.
Siam. This was brought about by the
influence Of American advisers, then high
IN the favor Of the late ruler OF the
Land Of the White Elephant. Prior 10
that time bullock carts did duty upon the
land for those not forced TO rely upon
shank's mare for locOmOtion, while
boats of an endless variety furnished
means of transportation upon the muddy
Meinam and its many canal-like tribu-
tarics at the capital city. II is said
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15

ONE weeks ago most OF Us Ameri-
cans were surprised, If not Jared
~ by the announcement that the troll
lev car was TO intrude in all its spirit Of
modernlty upon the traditional arehaicism
Of Jerusalem. We have so long thought
of the ass and the camel as instruments
of carriage in that out-Of-the-way corner
of the world that the thought OF the troll
ley gong changing there seems almost like
n dissertation. And yet Jerusalem is but
responding to conditions which are out
growing the sacred limits of it's walls and
building up beyond its ancient boundaries
populous suburbs-hence the need of rapid
transit. The telephone has already taken
its place in the daily life of the Holy
City.
Within the last three decades trans
formation has been wrought in Jerusalem.
From an Old World city it has been
changed into a typcally progressive one
OF to-day, but this revolution has been
effected so discreetly that no offence has
been given native Oriental conservatism
at least so We are told; but. in fact the
steam roller has played a part in the al
tered life Only a short while ago one
of our big motor road rollers arrived IN
Jerusalem. and surely the trolley car is
even less shocking to the Eastern mind.
Thousands OF Jewish immigrants have
been taking their way TO, the Holy city
annually for some years, and large
part of these new arrivals have had to
make their homes outside of the city
walls. The old gates, formerly closed at
shutdown, are now always open, and some
of the gateways have actually been oolit-
Grated. The effect OF these changes mas
been greatly to expand the city limits
and to call for speedier means oil
transit. II is said that the Mahometan
population is falling rapidly behind the
Jewish increase, and the Holy City is IN
a fair way to become in fact, as well as
in name. the capital city of the Hebrew
race. That probably explains why ii IS
borrowing ideas from New York.
The trolley car for goodly number OF
gears now has been working wonders in
the way of facilitating intercommunica-
ton among neighboring towns favorabiy
situated and i'm developing suburban prop
critics and Il has gradually created net
work Of lines in some states which make
st possible FOR a person 10 travel we'll
nigh without a break for several hundred
miles.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15

the range Of their sightseeing tours. We
have an example OF this in the new cleo
tric line now running from Cairo 10 the
ruins of Heliopolis. Egypt thus furnishes
US with q strange contrast between the
pyramids and this development OF the
engineering OF to-day. Somehow We in
stinctiyely think Of the camel as the
appropriate means of rapid transit In that
part of the world-the trolley Is an IN
seemy anachronism.
any manner of means in European Rus
STA OF to-day, and this system OF trans
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15

. is the native expression for what We
might term the symmetry of local To-
Biography, and when nature has not quite
met the needs of this imaginary balance
tho Chnaman sets about building pago-
das. etc. to establish the right physical
poisc He places his house so az not TO
disturb this imaginary balance, and he
buries his dead SO that they may always
enjoy peace in their long repose by sub
scrIbing TO these circumstances of land
I and water and the prevailing winds. Woe
10 the native or 70 the foreigner who
dlsturbs this equilibrium. BOT long ago
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15

Continued on fourth page.