Part 68 (2/2)

Both Judge Greene and Mr. Latham died early in the summer of 1880, and although Mr. S. C. Bever, Mr. A. J. McKean and other prominent citizens of Cedar Rapids and Marion afterwards became interested in the enterprise, the Greene family always held a controlling interest and were foremost in management of the company up to the sale in 1890.

Mr. Latham was succeeded as president by William Greene on July 15, 1880.

The board of supervisors forbade the company laying its track on the boulevard, and brought suit to enjoin such construction. The Eighteenth General a.s.sembly (1880) pa.s.sed an act authorizing street railway tracks on roads 100 feet wide. So the supreme court sustained Judge Shane in refusing the injunction. Early in the spring of 1881, the line was extended across the steam railway tracks at Fourth street to the foot of Iowa avenue. Soon after that date the company were not allowed to bring the steam motors below Fifteenth street, the horse cars carrying the Marion pa.s.sengers up to that point.

The track between Marion and the city limits of Cedar Rapids were laid with ”T” rails weighing sixteen pounds to the yard; afterwards changed to thirty-five pounds per yard. The horse car tracks were laid with flat rails weighing twenty-two to twenty-four pounds per yard, spiked on the top of wooden stringers. The first equipment consisted of two small second hand steam motors and four cars.

The extensions and additions made were: In 1882, track to fair ground from First to B avenue, only operated during fairs and amus.e.m.e.nts. Line on Adams (now Third) street, First avenue to Fourteenth avenue. Opened September 7, 1882. Line from First avenue and Commercial (now First) street to Third avenue, across Third avenue bridge on Third avenue to Sixth street west; also line on Third street north from Third avenue to A avenue, and south to Seventh avenue west. These west side lines began doing business in the fall of 1882, and early in 1883 car and horse barns were built at Third avenue and Third street west.

In 1884, line extended from Third street and Seventh avenue west to J.

C. Young's addition at Sixth street and Fifteenth avenue west and afterwards taken up for want of business.

In 1886, line from First avenue east along Fifth street to Fifth avenue, up First avenue to Tenth street, thence on Tenth street and Mount Vernon road to Oak Hill cemetery; opened for business July 4, 1886.

Fair ground line taken up. New line on Sixteenth street from First to E avenue, built and put in operation November 15, 1886.

As the branch lines of horse railroad within the city of Cedar Rapids paid no profit, the Marion stockholders stoutly objected to the earnings of the Marion line being used for the sole benefit of the people of Cedar Rapids. So the Cedar Rapids and Marion Railway Co., on the 13th of July, 1889, conveyed to John W. Henderson--for the sum of one dollar--all of these branch lines excepting the Sixteenth street line. Mr. Henderson on November 14, 1889, deeded the same to the Cedar Rapids Street Railway, a company organized for the purpose of operating these city lines, and for the further construction of other city lines in Cedar Rapids, of which company C. G. Greene was president, U. C.

Blake, vice-president, W. J. Greene, secretary, and George Greene, treasurer.

These city lines failed to earn enough to pay operating expenses and were all conveyed back to the Cedar Rapids and Marion Railway Co. on February 9, 1891. For the year ending June 30, 1884, the number of employes of the company was twenty, the annual wages $11,667.44. In 1889 the number of employes averaged twenty-eight and the annual wages $15,878.00.

During the years 1886 to 1890, the west side lines had been gradually abandoned, so that on December 1, 1890, there was only remaining the one on First street and across the Third avenue bridge to Third street, and thence on Third street southwesterly to Seventh avenue.

The entire equipment at that date consisted of two steam motors, two 28-foot coaches, one open trail car, 20 feet long, one baggage car, one 18-foot, six 12-foot, and eleven 10-foot horse cars, two snow plows, two flat cars and nineteen horses and mules, with the necessary harness and fixtures.

In the autumn of 1890 it came to the knowledge of Mr. J. S. Ely that non-resident parties were investigating the situation with a view of acquiring the property of the Cedar Rapids and Marion Railway, together with the city lines then owned by the Cedar Rapids Street Railway. Mr.

Ely believing that it would be best for the interests of the city of Cedar Rapids that control of the transportation facilities be in the hands of resident property owners, who would have a greater interest in a more extensive system and better service, than those seeking merely financial profit, obtained options on a controlling interest in the capital stock of both of the companies. After which Mr. Ely and Mr.

Henry V. Ferguson organized a syndicate consisting of Messrs. A. T.

Averill, James L. Bever, Chas. H. Clark, Geo. B. Douglas, Walter D.

Douglas, C. J. Ives, C. Magnus, P. E. Hall, J. S. Ely, and Henry V.

Ferguson, who on December 15, 1890, purchased two-thirds of the entire capital stock of the two companies (the C. R. & M. Ry. and the C. R.

Street Ry.) buying out all of the old stockholders except Frances R.

Greene, C. G. Greene, S. C. Bever, Geo. W. Bever, and U. C. Blake.

Immediately after this change of control, the stockholders paid in money enough to clear up all the floating debt of the companies, and put them on a good financial basis. The stockholders addressed the following communication to the mayor and city council of Cedar Rapids:

”To the Honorable Mayor and City Council of the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa:

”The undersigned stockholders in the Cedar Rapids and Marion Railway, and in the Cedar Rapids Street Railway Company, respectfully represent to your honorable body that they are the absolute owners of all the stock of the corporations, and all are resident tax payers in said city, largely interested in its general progress and prosperity; that it is their purpose and intention to reconstruct, improve and extend the properties now operated by the said companies and to run the cars on said lines by electric power as soon as the necessary authority and the additional rights and franchises required are granted, and on the granting of the same, we pledge ourselves to take immediate steps toward putting on electric service, and to rebuild, maintain and operate, and from time to time extend the lines in said city to the full extent that ordinary business prudence will warrant.

”We, therefore, pet.i.tion your honorable body to grant said corporations the necessary authority, rights and franchises to enable them to enter upon and make the changes and improvements above mentioned.

”P. E. Hall, A. T. Averill, Henry V. Ferguson, C. G. Greene, Walter D. Douglas, Jno. S. Ely, Chas. H. Clark, C. J. Ives, Jas. L. Bever, G. B. Douglas, C. Magnus, F. R. Greene, Geo.

W. Bever, S. C. Bever, U. C. Blake.

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