Part 69 (1/2)

”Dated December 31, 1890.”

The franchise asked for by these stockholders was for twenty-five years.

Although the above application was warmly supported by the leading newspapers of Cedar Rapids, the city council refused the franchise so asked for, but instead on May 1, 1891, granted to the Thomson-Houston Electric Co. a franchise for fifty years, for lines covering substantially the same territory on the east side of the river as that served by the horse cars, and also for three miles of new lines on the west side of the river, to be afterwards located.

So these gentlemen who had put up their money to save the city of Cedar Rapids from non-resident owners.h.i.+p of transportation lines, found their purpose frustrated and with a fair prospect of losing their entire investment. Rather than suffer this, a majority decided to acquire this new franchise at the best price obtainable, and then go ahead with construction according to its terms. After this decision Mr. Ives and Mr. Magnus retired from the enterprise and took back their money.

Previously, during the negotiation for the franchise, Mr. S. C. Bever and Mr. U. C. Blake had sold out. On the organization of the new company to take over the Thomson-Houston franchise, Mrs. Frances R.

Greene, C. G. Greene and Geo. W. Bever sold their interests to the remaining stockholders.

Neither the Cedar Rapids and Marion Railway nor the Cedar Rapids Street Railway ever paid a dividend, so that all of the stockholders who had invested their money in these enterprises went out with entire loss of income, and most of them with considerable loss of princ.i.p.al.

J. P. Messer was superintendent from January 1, 1881, to February 22, 1883, when he resigned and was succeeded by Wm. Elsom, who remained superintendent until after the system had been changed into an electric railway.

CEDAR RAPIDS AND MARION CITY RAILWAY COMPANY

The Cedar Rapids and Marion City Railway Company was organized May 14, 1891, and immediately thereafter purchased the franchise for electric railways in Cedar Rapids recently granted to the Thomson-Houston Electric Co., and also took over all the rights, property and franchises of the Cedar Rapids and Marion Railway. A franchise for twenty-five years for an electric line from the terminal point in the city of Marion to the southwesterly city limits of Marion was granted to this company at about that time. The first officers were: Jas. L.

Bever, president; Walter D. Douglas, vice-president; Chas. H. Clark, treasurer; Glenn M. Averill, secretary.

Within a few months Jas. L. Bever and A. T. Averill sold out and retired from the enterprise. After the reorganization resulting from this change in owners.h.i.+p, the officers were: P. E. Hall, president; W.

D. Douglas, vice-president; Chas. H. Clark, treasurer; John S. Ely, secretary.

The stockholders were: Chas. H. Clark, Geo. B. Douglas, John S. Ely, J.

S. Cook, Walter D. Douglas, Henry V. Ferguson, and P. E. Hall, of Cedar Rapids, Horace Williams, of Clinton, Iowa, J. E. Ainsworth, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, now of Williamstown, Vt., David P. Kimball and L. C.

Kimball, of Boston, Ma.s.s., and J. Van Deventer, of Knoxville, Tenn.

No change of owners.h.i.+p except through division of estates of deceased stockholders has taken place up to the present time.

The work of construction and reconstruction was begun at once and vigorously pushed during the season of 1891.

All tracks were entirely new excepting from Sixteenth street to Marion.

Those across the First avenue bridge were laid with strap rails, nailed to the bridge plank. The balance of the double track with 58 pound girder rails. All other new lines with 45 pound ”T” rail. The strap rail was taken off the bridge and girder rail subst.i.tuted a few years thereafter. The city lines on the east side of the river were open for business in November, 1891, the west side lines in December, 1891, and electric service begun to Marion in February, 1892.

The main line mileage of the road at this date, not counting spur and sidetracks is, within the city of Cedar Rapids 12.85 miles, of which 2.28 miles is double track. From the city limits at Kenwood to Marion, 2.80 miles; total 15.65 miles.

The Marion line above Twentieth street through to Marion has been entirely rebuilt with new rails, the grades cut down, the alignment changed, the track ballasted, a new steel and concrete bridge built over Indian creek; so as to make that portion of the road fully adequate for the business.

Within the last three years all of the girder rail tracks east of the river have been relaid with 60 and 80 pound ”T” rails and the number of ties increased fifty per cent.

The service has been increased to once in fifteen minutes each way and extended to twelve o'clock at night on all the lines excepting the Marion line, where the service is once in twenty minutes during the day and up to 12:30 a. m.

The power plant first installed consisted of two 125 horsepower engines connected by belts to two 75 k. w. generators. It now consists of one 400 horsepower engine belted to a 300 k. w. generator, and one 750 horsepower engine directly connected to a 450 k. w. generator. The output of power is equalized by a storage battery of 272 cells. The boilers, smoke stack, switch board, condensers and all minor machinery have been correspondingly increased and improved.

[Ill.u.s.tration: U. B. CHURCH, LISBON Built 1855

FIRST U. B. CHURCH WEST OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER Built and Presented to Members at Lisbon in 1850 by Rev. Christian Hershey]

The car barn (originally a wooden iron-clad building 80140 feet) has been enlarged and new brick buildings erected with shop room for building car bodies and trucks, and making all necessary repairs to cars and electric equipment; so that the present storage shop and office buildings, with storage for lumber and ties, covers six full sized city lots. The company now builds its own car trucks and car bodies.