THE WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

June 23, 1899

 

SPARKS FROM THE TROLLEY

 

 

            The dynamo and other electrical machinery for driving the motor cars of the Electric Light and Railway Company is rapidly being put in shape at the power house.   

            Workmen have Hans Yorkson’s building on Water Street for storing supplies for the electric railway line.

            The poles are about all up and wiring and bracketing has commenced.

            A tough job is the boring holes with hard drills, near the ends of the steel rails and connecting the rails with heavy copper wire, the fish plates which are bolted to the ends of the rails being of wrought iron are not satisfactory to carry the current unless connected with copper.

            The rails will be laid to the Wisconsin Central depot by tonight, then there will be only the gap on the corner of Main and Fulton Streets to be filled.

            A train of Wisconsin Central flat cars on the siding between Nelson’s planing mill and Penney’s potato warehouse contains five trolley cars two of them being motor cars, freshly painted in old gold and lettered on each side in silver “Waupaca Electric Light and Railway Co.”  The cars have glass ends, but are the open summer cars provided, with curtains to lower when necessary.

            A new water wheel governor is to be put in at the electric station.

            The work has been delayed some this week on account of the non-arrival of a carload of poles, but we learn they are expected today.

            The first car, the construction and repair tower was hauled up Main Street by Dick Brown and placed on the line at Fulton Street, and the big copper trolley wire was paid out as fast as possible and hung up ready to be permanently fixed for the current.

            The contractor and all hands are bending every energy to have the line in working order by July 4.  Still it will depend on the weather.

            James Jensen, the boat builder, is constructing at his shop two heavy gravel cars for use in ballasting the road.  The company has purchased a gravel bed of Richard Lea and will use electricity to move the gravel cars to and from the hill of gravel to their road bed.