Promoter H. T. Morton

PROMOTER H.T. MORTON

Bobs Up Serenely with His Plans in Adrian.

The Detroit, Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor Line Already Said to be Negotiating for the Saline Road as a Branch.

Hudson T. Morton, of this city, is still booming the project for an electric line from Ann Arbor to Saline.  An Adrian dispatch in last evening's Journal says:

"Adrian, Mich., June 30--Hudson T. Morton, of Ann Arbor, is here today working up interest in the proposed electric road from Adrian to Ann Arbor, with numerous spurs and loops to take in some lake resorts, Jackson, Chelsea, Manchester, Clinton, and other points.  He says Ann Arbor citizens will back the enterprise with their money."  

Before going to Adrian, Mr. Morton called at Saline and the Observer of that village says:

"Mr. Morton of Ann Arbor, was in town Wednesday.  His talk largely was along the line of an electric road between this place and Ann Arbor.  Perhaps it would be well to let us try one for a time before giving us a second one, the first one may prove to be all that we can handle."

In another column speaking of the Ypsilanti-Saline line the Observer says:

"The Electric line is steadily working with a small force of men, they have been delayed for the past three weeks owing to not being able to get ties.  The track is now laid except a stretch of about two miles this side of Roberts.  The other materials is mostly on the ground."

The Observer has made a discovery in relation to this line and gives it as follows:

"It is given out by pretty good authority that the Detroit electric road people have negotiated for this line, which is to be continued west to Adrian and is to become the main line, using the Ann Arbor spur for a feeder.  Tecumseh appears a little slow in granting the franchise and the line is now looking toward Clinton and from there direct to Adrian leaving Tecumseh to one side."

This item simply confirms the statement made in the Argus some time ago that the Ypsilanti-Saline line as soon as built and completed would become a part of the Detroit, Ypsilanti & Ann Arbor road.  It is the policy of this road to build feeders to its line from various points on the line but all the feeders are built by separate companies and are accepted and taken in to the parent company only after they have been satisfactorily completed and put in operation.  The part of the item which intimates that the line between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti is simply to be used as a spur to feed the main line between Adrian and Detroit is undoubtedly "a jolly" perpetrated upon the good people of Saline to make them think that the Detroit, Ypsilanti & Ann Arbor road may think it of more account to run to Saline than to Ann Arbor.

While we are upon the subject of electric railway building, it may be well to quote from the New York Tribune:

"Compressed air will undoubtedly be the future motive-power, and I believe that it will eventually be used for light and heat," said Henry D. Cooke, at the Fifth Avenue hotel yesterday.  Mr. Cooke is the vice president of the Compressed Air Motor Co., of Chicago, and has been interested in compressed air enterprises for more than 10 years.

"Compared with horse power," he continued, "there is more compressed air used today than electricity.  This is something which the public doesn't realize, because electrical appliances are always more conspicuous than those which are operated by compressed air.  The company is not at work on a 60 foot passenger coach for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, with a compressed air motor under one truck which is designed to run the car for 30 miles at the rate of 45 miles an hour, with only one charge of air.  It will also be a trailer, without diminishing the speed or the distance.

"One of the good features of compressed air is its absolute safety.  In all the years that I have been in the business I have never heard of one fatal or even serious accident being caused by a compressed air machine of any kind.  I am firmly convinced that electricity will soon be driven from the fields which is now occupies, and turned to uses which are more appropriate for it."