; OCT 2 1890 I NEW YORK: I I CHICAGO* ) Vol. i. liberty Street.) October, 1885. I 32 \12 Lakeside Building./ NO. 12. President Calvin A. Richards. advance of the times; to do that, has now family circle engrossing all his time out- become a motto with him and guides him side of business hours. The subject of our sketch, President of in all his railroad transactions. the American Street Railway Association The railroad which he represents is now The Car Timer's Last Gasp. and of the Metropolitan Railroad, of Bos- probably the largest street railroad in the ton, was born in Dorchester Mass., fifty- world in equipment, in miles of track, and "Timers is like machines," said a gray, seven years ago, and received his educa- in the number of passengers carried. oracular driver on the Third avenue line. tion in the public schools of "Timers is like machines. Boston. His business train- They gets so used to timin' ing was received with his that they can't let up, but father, an old and honored keeps along at it sleepin' or merchant of Boston. wakin'. If some o' them Mr. Richards was en- fellers was a-dyin' they'd gaged in business, him- want to spot the ticker afore self, until 1872, when he peggin' out, just to see if retired from active work, death was up to the scratch. and with his family, made Why, there was Pete Long a long visit to Europe. On —the allfiredest particular- his return from abroad, he ist man I ever see. You was induced to take the couldn't be a second afore position of director in the or behind but Pete wus af- Metropolitan Railroad Co. ter you wid a sharp stick. this position he held for Well, Pete wus a- timin' up eight months, when he was at the end o' the line, and chosen President of the one day he was so cussed corporation. The direc- took up with layin' out a tors were desirous of hav- driver that a truck tongue ing a man at the head of fetched him in the back and the corporation whose ex- laid him out. Then the ecutive ability had been bosses tramped about oh proven by his former suc- him some, and he wus all got cess in life. When he as- broke up when they sumed the presidency of him to the sidewalk. There the road he knew nothing wasn't sense enough in him laid more about street railroads t' open his eyes as he than any other merchant, there, and they wus think- but he did not accept the in' o' pourin' some whiskey as hkelier than any- position until he had had C. A. RICHARDS, PRES. AMERICAN STREET RAILWAY ASSOCIATION. in him, the most positive assur- thing to fetch him to, when half a minute late. ances from the directors that he should When he assumed the charge of it, twelve along comes Forty-nine " his side and grabs manage the road alone, with what is called years ago, it was but one fourth as large as Pete rolls over on Then he opened "one man power," until he had placed its it is now. Its growth has been steady, his silver bull's-eye super. ticker and be- affairs on a footing satisfactory both to strong, and successful, and yet to-day the his eyes and set 'em on the a-dyin.' himself and to them. public demand for its services requires its ginned t' gasp like's he was " says one o' When he finally took the position he present equipment, and it is necessary, to 'Hev you enny message?' sumthin' for his found that the affairs of the road, through satisfy and gratify the public. the boys, thinkin' he had loose and inattentive management, were in Early in life, Mr. Richards had a wide famerly to hear. " great disorder. It took him from three to parliamentary experience, serving as coun- 'Yes,' gasps Pete Long. " feller. five years to lift the corporation out of its cilman, public land commissioner, and as 'Wot is it?' says the " says Pete, still a-gas- difficulties and to place it upon a plane, alderman of his native city, Boston; an 'Tell Forty-nine,' that he's a half behind; which its almost unbounded success experience which gave him a thorough pin', 'tell Forty-nine down weak as since would seem to have warranted. He knowledge of municipal affairs. and tell him,' says he a-settlin' another go o' that attributes the success of the road solely to He is five feet, eleven inches in height, a child, 'tell him that '11—give him—the the fact that he has always endeavored to and weighs two hundred pounds. As for kind and—the old man furnish the public with the best class of his taste outside of "cold hard business," grand bounce.' accommodations, keeping always in he is entirely domestic, his home and "Then he swoonded." 278 THE STREET RAILWAY JOURNAL. [October, 1885. Car Heating. every case, without any exception, where welfare of their patrons (so far as it will we obtain the greatest satisfaction for the pay) was the principal reason that led to Messes. Editors:—1 saw in the Journal the amount paid. The success of the rapid the production of the invention represented an article from the Chicago Tribune on transit roads, the competition of parallel by the accompanying illustration,* which the subject of car heating, in which the surface lines and the profits of every enter- portrays a car heater of modern design. It author claims " that it is possible to make prise that meets a general demand, all tend is not the result of twenty-five or thirty street cars comfortable in cold weather by to the one result, and the time is not far years experience in the business, and did means of a furnace on the front platform, distant when street cars will be provided not require brain-racking work by the mid- provided with pipes to distribute the heat with heaters under the seat that will supply night lamp, or the long undivided efforts through the car near the floor. " I agree a uniform heat at any desired temperature of a wonderful inventive genius, but was with the gentleman to a certain extent; during the entire day's run without special simply invented by rule, and is not justly but the alternate change of front renders attention. This will again present some- entitled to the favor of such weighty evi- the system slightly impractical for general thing new, and danger will be the cry, but dence, although it will meet the require- purposes, and suggests that a greater experi- only a cry without an echo, for the useful- ments to the nearest point of perfection ence than can be obtained with pen and ness of Nature's provisions is just in propor- that can be obtained without some modifi- ink is absolutely necessary to give a practi- tion to the development of intelligence and cation in the design of cars. Perhaps the cal solution of this subject, that has in- skill in handling them, which is fully veri- reader of this article may have some curi- volved the attention of captains, colonels fied by the history of the previously un- osity in reference to this rule, therefore I and generals, with the aid of some of the known, invisible power that was first halt- will explain that it is only necessary at first most enterprising street car companies in ered by the illustrious Ben Franklin, and to obtain a correct knowledge of the re- testing hot sand, hot slugs, and the various is to-day being handled, harnessed, and quirements of the subject and then form devices for storing up heat, together with used for various purposes with no greater an unknown combination of the best known oil stoves, coal stoves and furnaces of dif- degree of intelligence than is necessary in principles to meet such requirements. VANDEMARK'S STREET CAR HEATER APPLIED TO A CAR, erent designs; and with all this experiment- managing the historical hind-footed mule. The heating of street cars evidently re- ing have not, up to this date of 1885, pro- The system of heating steeet cars with quires the finest system that can be pro- to give perfect satisfaction, which is duced one good street car heater that is straw is one of the old, well demonstrated duced sustained the fact that it has not known to the trade. I claim the right to methods, and is undoubtedly so very old by been know something about this business, hav- that the modern public fails to appreciate heretofore attained. The heater must not ing had an experience costiug me a few the generous motive manifested by its lib- occupy any useful space; must be free from hundred dollars, and think I can convey eral use. danger, dust, dirt and odor; must supply some idea of a heater that will meet the re- Rubber-lined crevices are new for the pur- just the desired temperature throughout quirements, sufficient to satisfy the public pose, and have only been adopted by some the car at all times and under all the con- ditions to which it is subjected, with suffici- quite as well, if not much better, than rub- of the most enterprising roads. I have not ber-lined crevices, or a bale of straw. been favored with the extreme pleasure of ent ventilation to maintain a wholesome Street cars can and will be made comforta- stepping from a temperature of zero into atmosphere.