History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II, Part 41

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1196

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At the close of the Rebellion streetcar travel fell off so much that the service failed to pay expenses and it was seriously proposed to take up the track and abandon the enterprise. The local pride of some of the directors prevented this and the working force of the company was reorganized, with Isaac Eberly at the head of its management. Mr. Eberly was confronted with an assessment of 85,700 for improvement of the Iligh Street pavement, which assessment could not be met out of the receipts. In this emergency the heavy cars and rails then in use were sold to a Springfield company, lighter cars and rails were substituted, and by this exchange enough was saved to meet the street assessment. When Mr. Eberly took charge he soon became convince.] that a large quantity of tickets was ont which had not been paid for. The old tickets were printed on green paper, the new ones on yellow, and it seemed that the green ones would never cease to come in. In 1873 Mr. Eberly substituted ticket boxes for conductors and onehorse cars in lien of those drawn by two horses. At the end of three years he had the satisfaction of show- ing a balance in favor of the company on its books. He had received a salary of twelve hundred dollars per year. On making his report Mr. Eberly resigned and Mr. Henry Miller was elected president. After a few months service without pay, Mr. Miller proposed to lease the property and a lease was accordingly made to Miller & Hutson, who operated the road until January 1, 1873, on which date Mr. Miller, who owned more than half of the stock, purchased at forty per cent. of its par value, sold his interest to E. T. Mithoff and H. T. Chittenden at seventyfive per cent., the total amount of the stock being at that time 860,000. The newspap- ers expressed a " hope of better management, more attentive drivers and conduct- ors, and less running off the track."

In March, 1874, the repeal of the company's charter was threatened because of alleged neglect in running the cars to the southern terminus of the road and failure to keep the cars and tracks in proper condition. In August, of the same year, complaint was made that the company's track north of the railways was " an unmitigated nuisance," and that the cars were run north of the railway station only on Sundays. In giving expression to this complaint the Ohio State Journal observed that " the only thing that makes the track tolerable on any part of High Street is the intolerable condition of the street itself." During a controversy between the company and the City Council about paving between the rails, Mr. Brey fogle introduced an ordinance repealing the charter of the Neil Avenue line, and Mr. Hinman offered a resolution of investigation as to whether the railway company had paid for such paving ; also whether the property owners had paid for it, and if the company bad paid for it, what had become of the money. The State Journal of May 16, 1877, contained the following significant observations :

It is suggested, as some gentlemen seem to be anxious to preserve the present rickety and dilapidated Stationhouse intact, to put it on wheels and rent it to the Columbus Street Railway Company. By so doing it could be exhibited to the public as a specimen of one of our princely municipal institutions. It might be necessary, however, to label it, as the casual observer could not distinguish it from some of the palace cars that ornament our principal

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thoroughfare. A hipshot, windbroken horse might add a little to its outward appearance- but this would not necessitate any outlay on the part of the Street Railroad Company. They have several specimens that would be equal to the emergency.

In the same paper of September 19, 1878, complaint was made that the north part of the High Street line was " slow, irregular and dirty." On August 25, 1878, a petition bearing the signatures of fifty prominent citizens was presented to the Council declaring the High Street Railway a nuisance and asking the Council to take measures to repair the pavement between the rails and have the nuisance abated. In compliance with this petition the City Solicitor served notice upon the company that its tracks on High Street, from Naghten Street to a point 125 feet south of Friend Street, were so much out of repair as to make it dangerous to vehicles and a great annoyance to the publie, and that unless the company would repair its track and abate the nuisance caused by it before twenty days, an injunction against further operation of said street railroad would be applied for. In the ensuing September a contract for paving the space between the rails was made.

On October 14, 1880, the company purchased the North Columbus Street Railway & Chariot Line, whereupon the chariots were discontinued. On January 24, 1880, A. D. Rodgers was elected president, E. T. Mithoff vice president and E. K. Stewart secretary of the company. In 1883, the company bought some ground near Franklin Park-then used by the State Fair-for the purpose of erecting a large stable and carhouse. In February, 1891, the company's carhouse and stables at the corner of High Street and Chittenden Avenue took fire and were destroyed, together with twentyfive cars. In 1891, the company erected buildings and machinery for electrie power which began to be applied in driving the cars on the High Street line January 14, 1891. This machinery is now suffi- cient to furnish twenty thousand horsepower, if needed.

On June 25, 1892, the road and its entire equipment changed owners, and the following directors were chosen : Emerson MeMillen, B. J. Burke, G. W. Sinks, C. D. Firestone, P. H. Bruck and Theodore Rhodes ; president, E. E. Deniston ; vice president and general manager, E. K. Stewart; second vice president, R. E. Sheldon ; secretary, James A. Williams. At the time of this transfer the com- pany's stock was increased to $3,000,000. Improvement and new lines costing 8646,000 are now proposed. The company owns all the street railway lines in the city excepting the Glenwood and Green Lawn line, which is controlled by the same parties under a different organization. Electricity as a motive power was first used on the Glenwood and Green Lawn line in Angust, 1890; on the High Street line January 14, 1891; on Long Street, September 7, 1891, and on the Main Street and Mount Vernon Avenne lines November 11, 1891.

On November 25, 1865, the North Columbus Railroad Company was incor- porated by George Geiger, Samuel Doyle, J. J. Rickly, George E. Deming, Phile- mon Hess and Daniel Hess ; capital stock, $35,000. This company had authority to construet a railway from the northern terminus of the High Street line to North Columbus. On May 6, 1868, the Friend Street Railroad Company was incorpor- ated by Thomas Miller, M. C. Lilley, H. H. Kimball, Isaae Eberly, Nathaniel Merion and Horace Wilson ; capital stock, 825,000. This road was completed to

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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.

East Public Lane-Parsons Avenue-July 16, 1869, and on the nineteenth of the same month one car made regular trips over the line. The extension of this road to the County Fairgrounds, now Franklin Park, was intended, and was finally carried that far after halting some time at Miller's Lane.

On May 5, 1870, the East Park Place Street Railroad Company was incorpor- ated by W. S. Sullivant, W. B. Hawkes, A. D. Rogers, S. S. Rickly, F. C. Sessions and John G. Mitchell; capital stock, 825,000, subsequently increased on May 9, 1876, to 850,000. This company had authority to construct a street railway from High Street on Long to a point " near the centre of Mitchell & Watson's tract, thence south to Broad Street, thence on Broad Street terminating on the east bank of Alum Creek."

On August 21, 1871, the company was authorized to build its road from the east end of Long Street through East Park Place to Albert Street, and thence by Monroe Avenue and Broad Street to the eastern boundary of the city. A con- struction contract was awarded to A. S. Glenn, September 1, 1870, and-on Novem- ber 24 of that year the iron of the track was laid to Albert Street, now Garfield Avenue, except between Seventh Street and Washington Avenue, and at " Old Joe's Garden " east of Washington Avenue. By January 1, 1872, cars were ruu- ning on the line from High Street to Albert Street. The use of " dummy " steam engines on the line was authorized by ordinance of November 27, 1872. By August 6, 1873, the road was graded as far as Winner Avenue. In January 1875, the cars were equipped with " fireless stoves," consisting of hotwater boxes placed beneath the seats. A fare of five cents to the Monroe Avenue stables, and one of ten cents to the Fairgrounds, were charged until October 26, 1875, when the fare was reduced to five cents for the entire line.

On July 12, 1875, the East Park Place or Long Street Company was author- ized to extend its line on High Street south to, and to the distance of one hundred and fifty feet into Broad Street from High Street. The High Street company objected to this and made threats of an injunction, to avoid which the Long Street company put down its track in the night. This extension was completed August 27, 1875. On March 6, 1876, the company was authorized to construct street rail- ways from Long Street on Eighth Street to Mount Vernon Avenue, thence to Washington Aveune, thence to Buckingham Street, thence to Eighth Street and thence to Mount Vernon Avenue. A double track on Long Street from Washing- ton Avenue to Fifteenth Street was completed October 17, 1881. On August 2, 1886, the laying of a double track on Long Street, from Seventh Street to Wash- ington Avenue, was authorized after long contention growing out of the narrow- ness of the street and the fact that the sidewalk on the north side had been placed too far south by seven feet at Seventh Street, and by twentytwo inches at Wash- ington Avenue.

On December 30, 1879, a consolidation of the Columbus, the Friend Street and the East Park Place companies was authorized and completed by transfer of the stock of the two corporations last named to the first. The amount of the consoli- dated stock was fixed at $100,000, but on December 8, 1880, was increased to 8250,000. An improvement in the character of the street railway service was one

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of the results of this operation. On June 12, 1876, an ordinance was passed author- izing the construction of a track on High Street from Naghten Street to the north corporation line, and on October 9 of the same year ears were running on the track for a distance of two miles north of Naghten Street. The company which built this extension becoming financially embarrassed, it made an assignment, and on May 8 its property was sold to Jahn Marzetti, R. P. Woodruff, W. A. Hershizer, William Powell and P. Merkle for $15,000. These purchasers, together with F. E. Powell, were, on May 24, incorporated as the North High Street Railroad and Chariot Company, with a capital of $30,000. The line was operated on what was known as the " ten minutes schedule," in connection with a line of chariots which ran from the railway station southward on High Street in opposition to the High Street line. In 1885, the road and its equipment were sold to the Columbus Street Railroad Company and the chariots were shipped to Philadelphia. The standard gange was adopted and cars were run the whole length of High Street without change.

On November 16, 1874, the Columbus Street Railroad Company was authorized to extend its road from High Street on Goodale Street to Neil Avenue, and thence on Neil Avenue to the North end thereof, at the grounds of the College. The company was forbidden to use any other motive power than that of horses and mules, or to charge more then seven eents for a single fare from the College to the south end of the road, tickets in packages of five and its multiples to be sold at the rate of five cents each, and children under seven years of age, ifaccompanied by a grown per- son, to be carried free; the cars not to be run at a faster rate than six miles per hour or within less than one hundred feet of each other when going in the same direction ; no ear to stop on a cross walk or eross street; the ears to have the right of way on the track but not to impede other vehicles by standing longer than necessary ; women and children not to be permitted to enter or leave a ear while it was in motion ; and drivers, conductors and attaches violating any of these provisions to be subject to a fine. These or similar rules and regulations were embodied in all street railway charters granted subsequent to this time. The Neil Avenue charter was granted for a term of twenty years, the company being required meanwhile to pave the street and keep it in repair between the rails and switches in the same manner as the main part of the street should be improved. On June 10, 1889, a double track in Goodale Street and Neil Avenue was authorized.

On January 23, 1872, the State and Oak Street Railroad Company was incor- porated by William S. Ide, A. D. Rodgers, E. D. Kingsley, R. C. Hoffman and L. Donaldson, with authority to construct a street railway from the east end of the State Street Bridge over the Scioto River, along State, Seventh and Oak streets, to East Public Lane, thenee to Broad Street and east on Broad Street to Monroe Avenue, there to connect with the East Park Place line. The capital stock of this company was $20,000. On July 31, track laying on this line was completed as far as Seventh Street. In the charter granted to the State and Oak Street Company the Council reserved the right to make any improvement on the street without liability to the company, and protected the city from liability for any damage

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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.

resulting from the breaking of water, gas or sewer pipes by reason of any change in the grade of any street, or by reason of any other work or improvement required to be done by the city. Provisions similar to these are found in all charters subsequently granted by the Council. No motive power was allowed other than that of horses and mules ; the fare was fixed at five cents. On March 13, 1882, the company was authorized to construct a street railway from High Street on State to Seventh, ou Seventh to Oak, on Oak to Bruce, on Bruce to Fair Avenue, and thence to the Fairgrounds, with a double track on State and Seventh streets ; and on July 23, 1888, the company was authorized to lay a double track on Oak Street from Grant Avenue - Seventh Street - to Ninth Street. Extension of the track from Bruce Street to Rose Avenue was authorized May 9, 1889, and on April 6, 1892, the company obtained permission to lay a double track on Oak Street between the first alley cast of Parsons Avenue and Eighteenth Street. The property of the State and Oak Street Railway was purchased by the Columbus Consolidated Street Railway Company in 1882, at which time the line was in such bad condition as to cause much popular complaint. A reform in its service was soon brought about by its new management, its gauge being made to conform to that of the High Street line, and the running of its cars being extended from State Street to the railway station. On January 16, 1882, it was announced that the Consolidated Company would transfer passengers to or from the Town Street chariots and the State and Oak Street Railway.

On December 6, 1875, right of way through the High Street tunnel was granted to the Consolidated Company with the reservation that any other street railway company desiring the same favor might have it on equitable terms, the further condition being imposed that the Consolidated Company should not there- after charge more than five cents fare on its whole line. On November 28, 1883, the officers of the company certified that the company's stock was fully paid up and had been increased to $1,000,000. On November 7, 1891, a similar statement was filed with the Secretary of State declaring that the stock had been increased to $1,250,000, and it is now, 1892, 83,000,000. On December 22, 1879, the Columbus Street Railroad Company, the East Park Place Railroad Company, and the Friend Street Railroad Company, having been consolidated as the Columbus Consolidated Street Railroad Company, the new corporation was granted the right to lay a double track on High Street from the south end of the tunnel to Mound Street, on condition that the company should keep in repair all that portion of the street or streets lying between lines drawn one foot outside of and beyond the extreme outer rails, the company to charge but one fare of five cents in one car over its lines, a transfer from the North High Street and the State and Oak Street companies, to be granted for a single fare of five cents. On August 9, 1886, the company was authorized to lay a double track on High Street from the tunnel to West Woodward Avenue, the usual conditions being imposed as to paving and keeping the street in repair. Cars stopped at any point to take up and discharge passengers until October 1, 1885, when orders were given to stop only at the crossings of streets and alleys.

Yours Fraternally R.P. Rickly 330

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STREET TRANSPORTATION.

On February 15, 1888, the company obtained permission to extend its truck from Stewart Avenne to the south corporation line, provided High Street should be widened south of Hanford Street. On February 18, 1889, authority was given to construct a line on Schiller Street, from High to Bruck Street. It was required that this line should be completed by May 10; that its ears should be run at intervals of not less than twenty minutes at least twelve hours per day ; and that " no cars should be used on said road if so worn out, broken or so constructed, or kept in such condition as to imperil the lives, limbs or health of the passen - gers." On April 9, 1889, the company was authorized to lay a double track from Chittenden Avenue north to Hudson Street.

Authority to use "electric motors, gas engine motors or cable traction " was granted September 9, 1889. Various requirements as to maintaining streets and alleys, and keeping poles, wires and fixtures in good condition, were coupled with this draft. By ordinanee of March 14, 1892, the allowable rate of speed on High Street, between Goodale and Mound, was fixed at eight miles per hour, and on all other streets at not over fourteen miles per hour, ineluding stops.

Extension of the tracks from Washington Avenue on Mount Vernon to Reed Avenue was granted October 1, 1883, and on June 27, 1887, permission was given to lay a traek from High Street on Chittenden Avenue to the State Fairgrounds. An electric motor - the first to operate in the city - was put on this line at the opening of the State Fair. It was built under the Short patent. On November 17, 1890, permission was given to lay a double track on Main Street, between Parsons Avenue and Rose Avenne. An ordinance passed January 25, 1892, authorized the company to lay a track from High Street on Chestnut to Fourth, and on Fourth to Chittenden Avenue, including use of the Fourth Street bridge, this grant to be good for twentyfive years and ineluding the right to use elec- tricity, eable or other improved motive power. Numerous conditions as to the operation of the road were coupled with this grant.

On May 1, 1871, a company with an authorized capital stock of $100,000 was incorporated by William Dennison, R. E. Neil, G. G. Collins and HI. M Neil to build a narrow gauge road, and use on it a " dummy " engine. On September 9, 1871, a contract was made with Samuel Doyle to construct the road in one hund- red and twenty days. It was to run from the Moek Road, North Columbus, to Adams Avenue, thenee to South Street, thence to Summit Street, thence to First Avenue, thence to Kerr Street, and thenee to Tod Barracks, where it would eon- nect with the High Street line. After an ineffectual attempt to enjoin the con- struction of the road on Kerr Street, Mr. Doyle succeeded by November 22, 1872, in completing its grading and masonary at a cost of $23,000, and on October 8, 1873, a " dummy " engine with three cars took an " excurison " to a sale of lots in Doyle's Summit Street Addition. The road, after being operated for a short time at a loss, was abandoned and its iron and ties were removed.

The Glenwood & Green Lawn Railroad Company was incorporated April 23, 1872, by W. B. Hawkes, A. D. Rodgers, F. C. Sessions, J. L. Gill, W. S. Sullivant, W. A. Platt, G. A. Doren, William L. Peck, Robert D. Hague and E. A. Fitch, with authority to construct a street railway on Broad Street and the National Road

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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.

from High Street to the western boundary of the city, with a branch running to Green Lawn Cemetery. The capital stock of the company was $50,000. By July 16, 1875, the track was laid to the western corporation line except over the National Road Bridge, the floor of which needed relaying. The company built a large stable and carhouse this year. On September 25, 1875, at the invitation of Doctor Hawkes, the members of the City Council, the city officers and a party of invited guests were taken over the line to the Central Asylum for the Insane, where a collation was served. On July 26, 1881, control of the company was obtained by B. S. Brown, who purchased two hundred shares of its stock, the entire amount of paid np capital being 818,000. On April 20, 1891, the company was authorized to use " electric motors, gas engine motors or cable traction," and to change the gauge from three and a half feet to five feet two inches, and to extend the track to the western boundary of the city. An ordinance of January 4, 1892, authorized the company to run its ears from High Street to Davis Avenue at the rate of eight miles per hour, including stops, and from Davis Avenue to the end of the line, at not more than fourteen miles per hour, including stops. The road eost originally, about $40,000; in 1891 it was rebuilt at standard gange, with electric equipment, at a cost of 8150,000.

On December 20, 1875, an ordinance was passed prohibiting smoking " in the street cars running on the roads now operated or that may be hereafter operated," provided the company should post printed notices to that effect. On February 12, 1877, this ordinance was amended by adding a penalty of not less than one nor more than ten dollars for violation of the ordinance, and a like fine for refusing to pay carfare. On June 25, 1877, this ordinance was again amended so as to pro- vide that any person who, on " being requested by an employé of a street railroad company or of the person operating such car, to desist from smoking on or in any streetcar fails to immediately do so; or uses obscene, profane or indecent language, or engages in any quarrel. . . or, without permission, takes a dog on or in such car," or fails on demand to pay his fare, shall be fined not more than ten dollars and imprisoned until the fine and costs are paid.

From time to time charters have been granted to a considerable number of street railway schemes which are not mentioned in the foregoing narrative because their history is a paper one exclusively, unproductive of practical results. The project of building a belt railway for the transportation of freight and passengers- particularly freight-around the city has been many times proposed and some- times definitely formulated during the past ten or fifteen years, but as a positive undertaking it is yet in the future. Of the street railway service at the time of the present writing-July, 1892-the concluding remark may be made that, with the introduction of electricity as a motive power and the improvement in the trackage and rolling stock already completed or in course of completion, it prom. ises to be equal in speed, in comfort and in profitableness of operation to that of any city of equal population in the Union.

NOTE.

1. Ohio State Journal.

CHAPTER XX.

MANUFACTURES.

During the first fifty years of its existence Columbus gave no great promise of ever becoming an important seat of manufacturing interests. The numerous establishments of that kind now existing are mostly of comparatively recent origin. Not until the Geological Survey had explored them and brought them to the attention of capitalists throughout the world, were the mineral resources of Ohio, which constitute the basis of her manufacturing industries, at all adequately known. Mineral lands which have since sold for as much as three hundred dol- lars per acre, were twentyfive years ago disposed of by their agricultural owners as comparatively worthless. To lands such as these, unlocked by science, made accessible by railways and utilized by invention, Ohio owes the diversification of her industries and Columbus owes chiefly her industrial consequence. The extent of the economic revolution wrought by these agencies can be fully appreciated only by contrast with the feeble beginnings by which their opera- tions were preceded. What those beginnings were, so far as the capital of Ohio is concerned, may now be briefly stated.

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History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II, Part 41

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co Publication date: 1892 Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1196

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1196