Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1921-07-14
Pioneer Inventor Was a Vermont
!. Blacksmith.
SpURRED OTHERS TO WORK
Success Finally Reached In 1888 and
Richmond, Va, Was First City to
Operate Cars After Edison Had
Done His Share-During the Years
Since That Time the Electric Rail-
way Industry Has Made Enormous
Strides.

More than eighty years ago Thomas
Davenport, Brandon (vt.) black
smith, completed working model OF
an electric railway. A few years later
a car was ready for a trial trip. The
power was provided by an electro
magnetic engine. This device was
driven over a circular track In Spring.
field. Then Mr.. Davenport, apparent
ly satisfied that public conveyances
could be propelled by electricity, rest
cd on the honOrs he had achieved.
News of the device spread and
stirred into action a score of able
men, who sought to make practical
USE of the idea. Among them were
Profs. Moses G. Farmer and =. u.
Page, and Thomas Hall. They Ia
bored for years to perfect an electric
railway, but their efforts were futile.
Professor Page cahe the. nearest to
success. In the spring of 1857 his
car ran between Washington. .. c.,
and Bladensburg, Nd. distance OK
81 miles. The maximum speed was
at the rate of 10 miles an hour and 1t
proved too much for the professors
batteries, which were ruined.
Many Inventors Try II.
1t was generally conceded that
progress had been made and there.
after, for II period of 80 years, many
inventors tinkered away at batteries
and made many trials, but there was
always something the matter which
convinced the majority that the use
Of electricity for transportation pur-
poses was merely an interesting
thought, like perpetual motion.
Then entered the field of the ex.
perimenters Thomas A. Edison and
Stephen d. Field, who advanced so
far that, in 1879, MIR. Field filed an
application for patent on third
rail system. Mr.. Edison built small
road at his laboratory at Nlenlo Park.
and, after many trials. 1t became
known that the use Of electricity as
power for transportation was prac-
ticable. In 1883 Field and Edison
produced an electric locomotive that
moved around small circular track
at the Chicago and Louisville exposi.
lions.
During the long period of tests and
failures Frank ]. Sprague, student
at the United States Naval academy,
had followed with deep interest the
various attempts TO make a success Of
the idea, and in 1883 he resigned from
the navy and for five years made an
intensive study of electricity and how
1t might be controlled for use in trans
p0rtation. Some of his tests were
made in detail before distinguished
gatherings. Everything was going
nicely and tinanciers were becoming
interested In the matter when one
day a fuse blew out during trial.
There was a startling flash, and the
car was out of business.
Then Mr.. Sprague interested Oscar
7. Crosby, afterward secretary of tine
treasury, and S. Dana Green In Ills
invention, and they all went to Rich
mond, Va, where on a very dark
night early in 1883 the first electric
car was tested. 1t ran well under cleo.
trio propulsion until 1t came to hill,
when 1t bucked, and four mules were
Communicated to drag the car to the
barn. Efforts to perfect. the mechan-
ism were continued, until finally car
Yves placed in service. Passengers
were willing enough to ride in 1t, but
they soon grew doubtful Of ever being
able to reach their destination with
an electric horse.''
More or Less Trouble.
There was more or less trouble at
all times, and winter storms added to
the general uncertainty Of electric
travel. These first electric cars In
Richmond were run over mud road
bed on rails one-third the weight Of
those used today. The road was bal
J lasted. the wooden stringers heing
laid In dirt. But des tie these ,is,,.l-
vantages the first round trip Of u lit
tie more than three rllles was made
% about ~ bong. lore cars were
ss3s l$4 5isfFs; q TIL 81 ~.