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THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: JUNE 13, 1011.
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Throughout Omaha, then a budding town of
10,000 or 12.0C0 inhabitants, word was heralded one
cool Novcrr.ter morning in 1868 that "they have be
gun to build the hone car line." The day was Fri
day, November 13, and the Omaha Horse Railway
company, pioneer of street car lines in Nebraska, was
beginning work on its project The line was laid on
Farnam street between Ninth and Fifteenth streets.
Extensions were made rapidly. A line was placed on
Fifteenth' street to Capitol avenue. Then rails were
laid a block west on Capitol avenue. Other lines
were put in until the company was stabling twenty
six horses and sheltering four cars.
Until 1883 the development of the Omaha Horse
Railway was slow, as it was certain to be. The
horses and cars were at the mercy of weather con
ditions. Service waa crude bound to be with horses
and light rails and small cars. Despite the condi
tion of the service the road grew to some extent and
hew lines were laid.
BONDHOLDERS FORECLOSE IN 1878
In 1878 the bondholders were forced to fore
close under the usual security mortgage. The prop
erty of the company was sold at sheriff's auction
and was purchased by Captain Marsh, who operated '
the road until 1883.
In 1883 the company was reorganized and Cap
tain Marsh relieved of the individual responsibility
which he had carried for five years. Omaha was
starting to grow in earnest and everybody realized
the necessity of adding to the street railway facil
ities. From 1883 to 1889 between $700,000 and $800,
000 was spent on the construction of the Omaha
Horse Railway. At the end of this period there were
about 75 cars in the service, 600 horses owned and
worked and 255 persons employed. There were 56
miles of car lines.
, But before 1884 the people of Omaha were dis
satisfied with the service of the horse railway. They
wanted a cable line. So in 1884 The Cable Tramway
Company of Omaha was incorporated. A franchise
to build and operate cable tramways pn the streets
of Omaha was granted to the new ; company on,
October 7, 1884. Construction of the cable lines was
started in 1888. For a long time the competition be-- -tween
the horse line and the cable railway was keen.''
Neither was willing to concede anvthinir to the other.
and people were forced to pay two fares in many
ces
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- TWO ELECTRIC FRANCHISES .GIVEN
- In 1887 the people of Omaha granted two fran
chises to electric railway companies. Only one of
these companies, the Omaha Motor Railway com
pany, exercised the rights of its franchise. The
Omaha Motor Railway was placed in operation in
the fall of 1889. The cars run on this line were not
the first electric cars propelled through the streets
of Omaha, though, for this honor belongs to the
Omaha & Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge com
pany, which brought electric cars across the river on
its new bridge in the summer of 1889, and ran them
around the loop tracks, leased from the Omaha
Motor company.
The success of the Omaha Motor Railway com
pany was very marked, for the electric lines seemed
to be the most satisfactory. The question of the sur
vival of the fittest now occupied the attention of
Omaha people, for none believed that all the roads
could prosper, or even live as three separate organ
izations. At the beginning of 1889 traction conditions in
Omaha were about as chaotic as they could be. The
Omaha Horse Railway company was operating
twenty-five miles of horse railway, the Omaha Cable
Tramway company about six miles of double track
cable tramway, and the Omaha Motor Railway com
pany was constructing an extensive double track
electric road, covering ten miles. There was no
friendship among the trio. All were envious.
DIRECTORS FORESAW END
Directors of the roads saw that the business of
the city would not support the three companies. In
1839 the Horse and Cable roads were consolidated.
The Motor Railway company meanwhile had its trou
bles. The result was that the Omaha Motor Railway
company was purchased by the Omaha Street Rail
way company, October, 1889. The Omaha Street
Railway company was the name which was given to
the horse and cable roads after consolidation. Thus
the consolidation of the three roads left Omaha in. a
condition in which it was possible for the new com
pany to go straight ahead and give this city some of
the best street railway service in the country. And
that is just what happened the Omaha Street Rail
way company began a new era of prosperous street
car service for the city of Omaha.
The work of building up the service was slow at
first because conditions were very poor money was
hard to get and the whole country was experiencing
conditions that did not bid well for such a concern
as a street railway company..
The eight years preceding the Trans-Missis-lippi
Exposition were, indeed, very severe ones for
the company. Those familiar with the conditions
over the western country at that time will appreciate
what a hard row the railway company had.
BOOM HURTS AT LAST
Omaha had suffered a financial collapse from
the real estate boom. Business slackened, factories
closed down and firms went out of business The
panic of 1893 is historic. Hard times in Omaha be
gan fully three years before the crash of 1893. Cap
ital for any purpose was next to impossible to obtain. ,
The Omaha Street Railway company at this timo
was confronted with the problem of installing an
electric system over about 30 miles of line and rais
ing money to pay for the power, machinery, new cars,
motors, trolley wire, etc. The Omaha public would
be satisfied with nothing less than electrification of '
all lines.
In the face of the great financial troubles the
task of doing all this seemed insurmountable, but the
company succeeded in changing over all the horse
lines to electric lines withing three years. The cables
were taken out in 1894 and replaced with trolleys,
the greater part of the cable investment having been
made valueless in less than eight years.
BICYCLE CRAZE NOT HELPFUL
The revenues of the company suffered severely,
not alone from hard times, but also from bicycle
competition during the fad of 1893-96. The bicycles
were used for several years by men, women and chil
dren as a common mode of transportation. Demands
of the city for paving between and outside the rails
increased in volume and added materially to the in
vestment cost.
During this severe period of the company's his
tory there were no profits. The company was not
able to establish a depreciation fund to pay for re
newals. It was hard to make necessary betterments.
By exertion of determination and heavy expend
iture the company placed itself in good condition for
transporting the crowds which visited Omaha in 1898.
The principal routes used to haul passengers to and
from the exposition were by the way of North Twenty-fourth
street and through Sherman avenue. These
lines were looped in the business district and an ex
cellent service provided. The Dodge line cars were
run direct from the railroad stations to the grounds.
It was the general verdict that the company did
wonderful work during the exposition and assisted
materially in the convenience and comfort of visitors
and also in giving them a good impression of the city.
MADE MONEY m 1898
With the year 1898 came prosperity for the
Omaha Street Railway company. The revenue of
the company for this year was more than twice as
great as that of the preceding year. For the first
r time .in the local streetr railway business thirty -,
"r years there, was a surplus in the treasury greater
than this i immediate financial demands.
Since 1898 Omaha has grown with strides and
has become one of the best cities of the west. In order
for the city to grow this way the street car service
has had to keep pace with every move of industry,
and that the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway
company has done this every one will agree, every
one who is conversant with conditions in this ex
panding city.
It was in 1902 that the name of the street car
company was changed, for then the Omaha" lines
were unified with the Omaha & Council Bluffs Rail
way and Bridge company. , . -
Under the reorganization a large amount of
money was obtained from eastern sources and the
Council Bluffs lines and bridge taken over for opera
tion on a 99-year lease.
With the new order of things came a better sys
tem of street car service for Omaha and Council
Bluffs. The Council Bluffs- lines were re-built and
re-equipped in all essential respects. In addition
many miles of extensions were made to the lines.
NEW HORSE POWER STATION-
A modern 6,000-horsepower station was con
structed and equipped at the foot of Jackson street, '
replacing two power stations in Omaha and one in
Council Bluffs and causing the scrapping of the ma
chinery formerly used.
At the present time there is under construction
an addition to the central power station which, when
completed, will cost about $600,000. This addition
is twice the size of the original station and will dou
ble its capacity, bringing the total horsepower up to
20,000. When the new addition is completed the sta
tion will represent an investment of $1,000,000. ,
At Twenty-seventh and Lake streets a new con
crete substation was built, equipped with trans
formers and rotary-converting machines, and con
duits for carrying higher tension cables laid to cen
tral power station.
All of the light track construction in Omaha was
replaced with 73-pound girder rail, laid over rock,
cinder and gravel foundation and connected with
continuous joints.
A complete replacement and large addition to
the rolling stock with new and modern cars took
place. The majority of the cars were 40 feet long
and upwardson double trucks fitted with powerful
motors. A large brick car building and general re
pair shops were constructed at Twenty-sixth and
Lake streets.
SERVICE STEADILY IMPROVES
Ever since the consolidation of the Council
Bluffs road with the Omaha line the service has
steadily been improved until today the Omaha &
Council Bluffs Street Railway offers the best service
- in this part of the country. It is not perfect; the
management has never claimed this much for its
lines, but it is very good and is being improved
every year.
In forty years the street railway system of this
city has grown from two miles of single track, oper
ated with four horse cars, to a modern electric street
railway, equipped with the best centralized power
that money can buy, maintaining service over more
than 150 miles of track, having at its disposal more
than 400 modern cars, and requiring the services of
several hundred men.
A feature of the street railway system which has
attracted great comment is the new car building and
general repair shops at Twenty-sixth and Laka
streets. The shops of the company are entitled to
consideration by themselves as an industral and
wage-paying factory. Permanent employment is
possible for about 100 men, comprising the highest
and best paid kind of artisans. As the work done at
the shops is constantly growing with the expansion
of the company the payroll shows a steady increase.
LARGE STORAGE YARDS
The shops and large storage yards are located
on a tract of ground two blocks square, giving ample
room both for present and future needs. The main
building is 245 feet long by 120 feet wide. The of
fices and draughting room are housed in a separate
building, 25 by 50 feet in size. This is fitted with a
fire-proof vault for the storage of maps, plans and
records.
The shops are separated by heavy brick fire
walls into six departments, as follows: Machine
shops, forge shops, truck room, armature rooms,
mill or wood working shop and paint shop.
All of the many expensive machines, apparatus
and devices used are thoroughly modern and capable
of performing far more work than is required of them
at present. All mechanical power used is electric,
and so far as practicable, the various machines have
their individual motors, ready for the most economi
cal operation at all times. The natural lighting
facilities are excellent and the entire building is
fitted with incandescent lamps.
Compressed air is used for operating hoists and
certain tools. The hoists are portable and are em
ployed when it is desired to lift anything which is a
tax to man's strength, upwards to 20-ton cars.
BUILDING ITS OWN CARS
The Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway
company has built some of its own cars since 1906.
In deciding to build these cars the company was in
. fluenced by a number of reasons, one being ,the wish
to add to the industrial growth and welfare of the
city. The. company found that it could build its own
cars about as cheaply as it could buy them from man
ufacturers. By building the cars stronger and better
and carefully supervising each bit of construction, it
is believed that superior service could be offered,
and maintenance costs reduced at the same time.
Repair parts could be always obtainable; and local
needs could be studied and specially met as they
arose.
. The cars turned out at the company's shops can
be compared favorably with any regular urban ser
vice in the United States. They are 42 feet long,
built on heavy double tracks and operated by four
40-horse power motors. They are heated by hot
water systems, with the stove in the motorman's
compartments. The seats, affording room for forty-two-passengers,
are covered with cane, the larger
proportion being cross-seats with an aisle in the cen
ter. Electric push-buttons to signal the conductor
are placed between the windows.
WELL EQUIPPED CARS
All of the large cars are equipped with air
brakes and air controlled sanders. The rear plat
; form is large and roomy, steps are wide and easy to
mount and the passage-way into the car is protected
by a railing. Careful attention is given to ventila
tion and everyeffort is made to offer a passenger
the safest and most comfortable ride that money and
invention can procure.- .
The company not only attempts to give its pa
trons the highest class of car-equipment, but makes
special efforts to keep the cars clean, hygenic and
sightly.
At least once a year every car on the system
goes through the repair shops toi a thorough over
hauling and revarnishing. Once a week remains in
the car house long enough for a thorough daylight
inspection and for any minor repairs that may be
needed. Every night all cars and trucks are in
spected, oiled and cleaned, and if anything is found
materially wrong the car is taken out of service.
The cars are cleaned thoroughly every day with
soap and water and disinfected twice a week with
formaldehyde.
The investment of the Omaha & Council Bluffs
Street Railway company in its central power station,
rotary reverting sub-stations and high voltage
cables runs into the millions. I
FOUR DIVISIONS MAINTAINED
The Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway sys
tem is operated in four divisions, as follows: Ames
avenue division, with its car-house at Twenty-fourth
and Ames avenue; Vinton division, with its car-house
at Twenty-fourth and Vinton streets; Mason division,
with its car-house at Tenth and Mason streets, and
the Council Bluffs division, with its car-house at
Twenty-eighth street and Avenue A. The car-house
at Tenth and Mason streets is the newest and largest.
It is modernly constructed, with every facility for
the convenient housing of a large number of cars. It
has been opened within the last year. Each car
house is under the supervision of a day and night
foreman, who have the immediate direction of the
car-men. The latter rank in order of their seniority,
according to the divisions to which they are attached.
The older men have the preference of runs, etc.
New men are required to spend at least twelve
days on the cars under the tutelage of old employes,
who are paid an additional compensation for the in
struction so rendered. They are then further in
structed and examined by road officers, given some
practical experience by themselves and finally ex
amined by the superintendent of transportation be
fore they are considered regularly employed. .It is
necessary to maintain an extra list of 150 men. who
hold themselves in readiness to take the places of
absentees from day to day and who are rotated in
priority.
There is no doubt that during the past fifteen
years the cost of living has greatly increased. The
company experiences the same effect as an individ
aul in its expenses, due to the advanced prices of
GREAT GAINS SINCE 1902
Since 1902 the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street
. Railway company has been practically rebuilt and
equipped with a new central power station, a new
general repair and car shops, new car-houses, new
and larger cars, new and heavier rails and road-way,
and new electric distributing systems. The first
electric lines in the early ninties have disappeared.
Besides this many miles of new lines and extensions
have been constructed.
AU the work has been with first-class materials,
purchased at the high prices of the period and with
labor constantly and justly demanding higher wages
and receiving them.
It is apparent to everyone, undoubtedly, that it
costs more to maintain the track and roadway of to
day than it did to maintain the early type of track
and roadway, and also that it costs more to maintain
the heavy modern cars in operation today, with their
air-brakes, hot water heating plants and other ac
cessories, than it did to maintain the small single
truck in use when electric operation was commenced.
BUYING POWER OF NICKLE
Since 1898 the power of a five-cent piece in buy
ing transportation throughout Omaha and its sub-
urbs has increased 50 per cent. In 1898 the longest
street railway ride that could be purchased for five
cents was eight miles. Now the same sum will buy
ury one of several rides, each about twelve miles long.
In 1898 the five-cent ride was good for a maximum
of eight miles, in small electric cars, run on 45-pound
rails, the service being excellent for the period. In
. 1911 a nickle buys a ride of twelve miles in smooth
running, 42-foot, hot-water-heated, air-brake cars,
traveling over heavy rails on a firmly-constructed
roadbed and driven from energy distributed from a
10,000-horse power central power station.
In serving tlje community the company ignored
the aftifical lines of corporate limits and regards
Omaha, South Omaha, East Omaha, Florence, Ben
son, Dundee and intermediate territory as a single
district to be served impartially and without dis
crimination. A nickle is good for a ride to any point
in this territory or any other point on the lines of the
system. A universal transfer system, which permits
travel in the same general direction at any junction,
enables this accomplishment.
MANY FACTORS IN UPBUILDING
Many factors enter into the upbuilding of a city.
A street railway is one of these factors and by no
means is the least important. No mill or out-lying
real estate is worth much unless it is easily acces
sible by the electric cars. No visitor comes to the
city without forming an impression and using it in
passing judgment upon the town. No small-salaried
worker can enjoy the pleasures of home-owning, of
lower rents and healthier surroundings unless he can
go to and from his work quickly at a small cost.
The street railway company that makes no pro
fit is not a good institution for a city. The street
railway that is prosperous and is always looking out
for the improvement of its service is the company
that makes good in the hearts of its patrons. Quick
service in airy, sanitary cars, makes the Omaha &
Council Bluffs Railway company a most desirable
corporation for this city. It makes it the company
that stands at the head of things.
RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF BEST
The street railway system of Omaha is rec
ognized in all parts of the country as one of the best.
It is much better than many systems in cities the
size of Omaha. It is enabled to maintain a high
( grade of service at all times and continues to make
.: improvements. Its officers and directors are contin-"
ually engaged in, endeavoring to make all improve
ments that will aid the progress of the city and the
convenience of its patrons.
Omaha must, in a degree, be known by the street
railway system. It is the aim of the local street rail
way management to make Omaha known as the city
of the ideal street car lines. Every year has seen
many improvements. Every year of the immediate
future will witness improvements.
, , The Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway
. company desires to give Omaha a square deal, to
make its patrons boost for the service. To this end
the company is always trying to improve conditions,
and that it is succeeding la questioned by none,
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