El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-03-29
Millions FOR
INTERURBANS
IN TEXAS
Many Lines Building and
Projected in State; West
Texas Shares Activity.
PROJECTS APPEAL
TO OUTSIDE CAPITAL

a DSIlN, Tex, AdIcn -5.-OIe u
n the most important features Of
4 \ the presena industrial advance
ment of Texas is the construction of
interurban electric railway lines. Elee-
tricaI development Of all kinds IS going
on in every part of the state. 1t would
seem that men Of large finance have
Just discovered the great opportunity
that exists in Texas for investment in
this character of enterprise
1t is said that one of the FACTORS
which serves as an encouragement AOI
the investment of capital in these rail-
ways is that they do not come unoeT
the Jurisdiction Of the state railroad
commission and their financing ana op-
Grafton is not restricted IN the manner
that applies to steam railroads Texas
promises to far outstrip any other state
this year in the construction OF new
mileage of interurban lines.
The aggregate mileage Of the lines
for which construction plans have Deen
adopted is nearly 900 miles more imam
one-half of this new trackaSe VIII
have been completed before the end OF
the present year, ii is stated Besides
the several lines which are practically
assured. q number of other similar pro-
jects are being promoted, but the plans
are as Yet embryOgenic-
Lines Now Operating.
q The electric lines that are now in op-
Grafton in Texas are those OF the NOrtn-
ern Texas Traction company, running
between Fort Worth and Dallas, 80
miles: the Bryan College company s
line. between Bryan and College Sta
ton miles; the Galveston a Houston
Interurban Railway company's line, pc
tween Houston and Galveston, 81
miles; the san BenitO & Rio Grande
Valley Railway cOmpany'S lines, radl-
ating out of San BenitO and aSgregaI-
ing about IS miles; the Riviera Beach
& Western Railway cOmpanyiS line, De-
tween Riviera Beach and Riviera, 10
miles; the Southwestern Traction com
pany's line. between Bolton and Tenn
pie, Is miles; the Southern Traction
cOmpany's line, between Dallas ana
WaNahachie 81 miles, and between Dali
las and DenisOn, 76 miles. and the Fort
Worth & Cleburne Interurban Railway
company's line. between Fort Worth
and Cleburne, 80 miles
Some Lines Being Built.
The Stone & Webster Engineering
corporation. Of Boston, Mass, owns the
Northern Texas Traction company nd
the Galveston & Houston Interurban
Railway company II is also preparing
to construct an interurban line between
Dallas and Terrell, about 30 miles, and
between Beaumont and Port Arthur, %
miles It owns the Rio Grade valley
Traction company which has been or
ganized to construct an interurban line
between FL PasO and Fabens, about
so miles.
The Eastern Texas Traction company
is constructing a line between Dallas
and BOnham by way OF GreenVille, a
distance Of 81 miles.
The Southern Traction company,
which is constructing lines between
Dallas and Waco and between Dallas
and COrsicana, a total of 15S miles, has
taken steps TO extend the Waco dtvls-
ion south to Austin. a distance Of about
100 miles This company's line is fin
ished and in operation between Dallas
and WaXahachie and the main line, be-
tween Dallas and Waco, viii be COM
pIeted about July ]. The line to Cor
sicana is under contract to be finished
by August J. The Southern Traction
company is a subsidiary of the Texas
Light & Power company. which is in
stalling a central electric power sta
ton at Waco. In connection with this
latter plant there is being constructed
a high tension transmission power line
to carry SO. 600 volts. This. line will
ton which the company is installing
at Fort Worth. Power for operating the
entire system of the Southern Traction
company viii be obtained from these
plants.
The Blue Ridge Interurban Electric
Railway company is constructing line
between Anna and Greenville, "a miles.
The Stone & Webster Engineering
corporation will soon begin the con-
struction Of an interurban line between
Dallas and Terrell, about 30 miles Pre-
liminary steps in the way of surveys
and rightOfway for this proposed line
have been taken.
One OF the Big Projects.
The San BenitO & Rio Grande Valley
Railway company. which has already
finished the construction and has now
in operation IS miles of track. is rap
idly extending the system and Will
have more than 200 miles finished by
the end of the year. il is stated This
system, when completed, will embrace
about $50 miles of track. It viii "a
diate all through the lower valley OF
the Rio Grande. The main line will
extend from San BenitO to Roma, about
l25 miles. This company recently fin
ished the construction of a street rail-
way system in Brownsville and will
connect it with a division of its inter-
urban system running out of San Be
nitO.
The Seguin Extension.
The San Antonio & Austin Interurban
Railway company is now having sur
Veys made for its proposed line between
those two cities, with a branch to Sc
gum. 1t is stated that construction
will be started within few weeks. The
system will embrace about $50 miles OF
track. ". b. Tuttle of San Antonio,
manager of the San Antonio Traction
company. which owns and operates the
street railway system in that city, IS
at the head Of this interurban project
A syndicate of Houston and Beau
mont men, represented by John w.
Maxcy, engineer of Houston. is also
promoting the construction of an in
terurban electric line between Austin
and san Antonio The proposed road is
by way of LOckhart
The Southwestern Traction company
is preparing to extend its line east from
Temple to Marlin. about so miles
L. p. Turner of Dallas. and aSsOci-
ates are promoting the construction OF
an interLrban line between Dallas and
Wichita Falls by way OF Denton, about
$50 miles, and between Dallas and
GlenrOse- about so miles.
rnnnenr-r,r- 70 u,vr. sraEEr