Buchanan County, Missouri - Chapter 16: Public Service Cohpohations, 1904

The Waterworks - Electric Lighting - Gas Companies of the Past and Present - Telephone Companies - Street Railways - Omnibus and Herdic Coach Lines - Historical Facts Concerning the Above Mentioned Institutions.

The Watcr-JVorks. - In 1875 an unsuccessful effort was made to secure a public water system for St. Joseph. The matter was not permitted to slumber, howex-er. and the close of 1879 saw the project well under way to success. On December i, 1879, the Council passed an ordinance agreeing- to contract with W. Scott Fitz, John W. Rutherford and their associates for water-works, when these men had formed a corporation to build such works. The sum of $5,000 was deposited with the city treasurer as a guarantee that this company Avould be formed and incorporated within 10 days.

On December 10, 1879, ^^^^ Council passed an ordinance granting the St. Joseph Water Company the right to construct works on the reservoir gravitation plan, to lay mains, etc. The city reserved the right, at its option, at the expiration of 10 years from the date of the approval of the ordinance, to jiurchase the waterworks, including all pipes, attachments, extensions, franchises, etc.. upon giving six months' previous notice in writing; the city and water company each to appoint a i)erson and the two to select a third to ai)praise the property. The city contracted for 1 60 hydrants for a period of 20 years, the company agreeing to place 10 additional hydrants for every mile of pipe to be laid in the future extension of the service. This contract was, as provided for in the ordinance, ratified by the people at a special election, held on December 23, 1879, and only four votes were cast in the negative.

The water company was organized as follows : W. Scott Fitz, president : Thomas J. Chew, Jr.. secretary; John \V. Rutherford, chief engineer. The company agreed to ha\e 16 miles of pipe laid and the system in operation in one year. One hundred acres of land, some miles north (^f the city, were purchased and work was begun on January 4, 1880. There was but one reservoir at hrst, located on a hill 320 feet alxnx the river at low-water mark, and 112 feet higher than any point in St. Joseph. The puiuping station was located at the river. The original cost of the works was estimated at $300,000, but before they were offered for acceptance the company had expended $700,000.

in active service Theodore W. Davis was the first superintendent and was succeeded b}- Louis C. Burnes, who ser\ed until the spring of 1897, ^vhen he was succeeded by Charles H. Taylor, the present superintendent. In October of 1889 the stock and franchise of the company were sold to the American Water-Works & Guarantee Company of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, a combination of capitalists owning and controlling the water systems of 31 other cities. The stockholders at tlie time of the sale were Col. James N. Burnes. Calvin F. Burnes, Thomas J. Chew. Jr., and William M. Wyeth.

The system has grown and expanded materially since the beginning. The water is pumped from the river, through filters, to the reservoir on the hill, and thence it flows to the city through pipes. South St. Joseph is supplied from a large standpipe on King Hill.

The period of the city's contract with the water company expired in December of 1899, and there was a spirited contest incidental to the renewal. Another company bid for the business, but the old company finally conceded to terms asked by a joint committee of councilmen and citizens.

Electric Li gluing. - \n 1883 the St. Joseph Electric Light Company, composed of J. F. Bernard. L. D. Tuttle, Joseph A. Corby, A. N. Schuster and Richard E. Turner, secured a franchise for stringing wires through the streets, and erected a plant at Fourth street and Mitchell avenue for the production of electric light. Walter C. Stewart, the present city electrician, was the superintendent. Only arc lights were furnished, and no attem])t was made at street lighting. This plant was absorbed by the People's Street Railway. Electric Light &- Power Company, in 1887. which company had a contract to furnish a sniall number of arc lights to the city. This company introduced the incandescent light. It is now known as the St. Joseph Railway, Light, Heat & Power Company (see street railways in this cliapter), and its plant is located near the ri\-er. between Francis and Felix streets.

Gas Companies. - In 1856 the city went into partnership with J. B. Ranney and others for the purpose of manufacturing illuminating gas. The capital stock of the concern was $50,000, one-half of which was owned by the city. A ])lant was erected at h^ifth and Angelique streets, in a building now used as a stable. Gas came high is those days, at least to private consumers, who were charged v$5 per thousand cubic feet.

The people were soon sick of the cit}''s bargain. The treasury being empty, the city's stock in the company was sold to James M. Wilson for 20 per cent, of its face value. In 1861 the interest of Ranney & Company was sold under execution to Thomas B. Weakly, who, with James M. Wilson, operated the works until 1864, when Weakly purchased the interest of ^Vilson, paying therefor $8,000. Previous to this the works were burned to the ground, Init had been rebuilt. At this time Weakly advanced the price of gas to $6 ])er thousand feet to private consumers, at Axhich price it was held until the purchase of the works in 1871 l)y James Clements and associates of Detroit, Michigan, under the name of Citizens' Gas Light Company, at the sum of $50,000. This company at once enlarged and improved the works and secured the contract for lighting the street lamps, which had remained unlighted for several years. They supplied pri\-ate consumers at v$4.50 per thousand feet, and afterwards reduced the price to

In 1878 the Mutual Gas Light Company came before the city authorities and, through their president, Charles H. Nash, offered to supply private consumers at $2.50 per thousand feet and the street lamps at $25 per annum. They were awarded the contract and granted franchises in the streets equal to the other company. The beginning of work was but the commencement of hostilities between the rival companies, which finally resulted in the sale of the entire works and franchises of the Citizens' to the Mutual Gas Light Company. This company was reorganized some }'ears ago and called the St. Joseph Gas & Manufacturing Company up to the summer of 1897.

In 1890 a franchise to lay gas mains in the streets was granted to the late Charles McGuire of St. Joseph, his heirs and assigns. Upon this was founded the St. Joseph Light & Fuel Company, with Samuel W. Allerton of Chicago as president and L. C. Burnes of St. Joseph as vice-president and general manager. This company manufactured what was called "water gas." It was used for illuminating purposes also, but required a magnesium burner, shaped like a comb, to produce the desired result. The gas burned against the teeth of the burner, heating them to an incandescent point and producing a brilliant light. The process was afterward changed, and the gas was used for illumination as the ordinary coal product. The works of this company were located at Fourth and Cedar streets. There was lively competition, rates went down, and previously unheard-of concessions were made to consumers.

In the summer of 1897 jjoth of the existing companies were absorbed by the St. Joseph Gas Company, of which Emerson McMillan of New York is president; W. A. P. McDonald of St. Joseph, vice-president ; Kerr M. Mitchell,, general manager, and Ferdinand Labrunerie, secretary and treasurer. This organization has continued to the present time.

In February of 1904 the gas company occupied a commodious pressed-brick building of its own, recently completed, at the corner of Eighth and Francis streets.

Since the consolidation of the two companies, the price of gas has been $1.25 per thousand cubic feet, with a discount of 25 per cent. on bills paid before the loth day of each month.

TclcpJionc Companies. - Within a year after the first general public exhibition of the telephone at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, in 1876, this iii\enti(jn was practically applied in this city. John Kenmuir, a jeweler, who is generally remembered, first used the telephor - in St. Joseph. His place of business was at No. 509 Felix street, where the Tootle- Lemon Bank Building now stands, and he connected this with his residence at No. 121 1 Frederick avenue. In the same year a line was strung that connected the two Fire Department houses - one at the foot of Edmond street, and the other east of the Tootle Theatre - with the residence of W. B. McNutt, wdio was then chief of the department. In February of 1878. another fire alarm line was built from the engine house to the International Hotel, at Eighth and Olive streets.

The St. Joseph Telephone Company, a partnership consisting of John Kenmuir, P. Lebu Coombes and Joseph A^ Corby, was formed in April of 1879. Work was begun soon thereafter, and on August 12th of the same year an exchange, with 150 subscribers, was opened, the central office being in the rear of Kenmuir's jewelry establishment. At about the same time the Western Union Telegraph Company opened an exchange with about the same number of suliscribers ; the central office of which was located in the third floor of what . was then known as the Board of Trade Building, and which is now part of the Hotel Truckenmiller, on Third street. A lively fight ensued, and rates ranged from nothing up to $2 per month. This continued until 1879, when both rivals were absorbed by the National Bell Telephone Compan}' under the name of St. Joseph Telephone Company. The exchange was moved to the third floor of the Fairleigh Building, at the southeast corner of Third and Felix streets. In 1882 the Missouri & Kansas Telephone Company purchased the system and maintained its exchange in the Fairleigh Building until December 12, 1896, when it was moved into a fireproof building erected by the company on Seventh street, between Felix and Edmond streets.

The Citizens' Telephone Company was organized in 1893, the incorporators being C. M. Shultz, E. J. Peckham, A. B. Sowden and M. M. Riggs. A franchise was secured from the Council, and in 1894 an exchange was opened in the Hughes Building.

Street Railways. - St. Joseph has over 44 miles of street railway, operated by electricity. Like all other public conveniences of this kind that existed prior to 1885, the St. Joseph street railways were first e(|uipped with horses and mules.

The first street railway line in St. Joseph was built in 1866 by Richard E. Turner, Thomas J. Chew, Jr., Arthur Kirkpatrick, John S. Lemon and others, and extended from nth street and Mitchell avenue to Third and Felix

In 1876 Adolph Steinacker, the Krugs, Seymour Jenkins, Louis Streckebein and others built a line from Market square to New Ulm Park. In 1880 this line was extended to Sixth street and down Sixth to x\tchison street. This was the best street railway in the city, its horses being of a high quality and its cars being equipped with stoves.

At about the same time that the Sprague electric motor was being placed into practical operation at Richmond, Virginia, the late Adolph Steinacker was experimenting upon the Union line with the same machine. Electric cars were run between the power house at Highland and St. Jose])h a\enues, and New Llm Park, in the fall of 1887. In the spring of 1888 they were run to Market square. The Union was the first electric line in the West. It was a horse line from its southern terminus to Market square, where passengers changed to motor cars. The southern line formerly ran down Second street to Charles, and thence east to Fifth street.

The Frederick avenue line was built in 1878, when a charter was granted to the St. Joseph & Lake Railway Company. The road was narrow guage, and the iron and rolling" stock had been brought by August Kuhn and Charles A. Perry from Leavenworth, where it had been the equipment of an unsuccessful venture between the city and the State Penitentiary. The line began at Eighth and Edmond streets and ran to the end of Frederick avenue, where the barns were located. The company went into bankruptcy shortly after the line opened, and was acquired by Thomas E. Tootle, Joseph A. Corby and others. In 1887 a franchise was secured to run down Ed- inond street to Market Square, in the same year both this Hue and the Citizens' Hne were acquired by the People's Street Railway, Electric Light & Power Company (a corporation composed of Eastern capitalists) and were at once equipped with electricity.

In 1888 Charles W. Hobson. Dr. j. M. Huffman and others built the W'yatt Park line, \\hich l)eg"an at Seventh and Edmund streets and ran south on Seventh street to Olive street and thence, as now, to the power house on 36th street. At the same time the People's company built the Jules street line, which began at Seventh and b>lix streets, ran north to Jules, and thence east. In 1889 the People's company built the Messanie street line. In that year the Wyatt Park, the Messanie and the Jules street lines were extended to the New Era Exposition grounds.

In 1890 the People's company absorbed the Union line, wdiich was now fully equipped with electricity, and also the Wyatt Park line, gaining- control of the entire street car system of St. Joseph. The gap on Seventh street between the Wyatt Park and the Jules street lines was at once filed, and a delightful trip could be made around what was called the 1)elt. People could start, say at Seventh and Felix streets, and go north and east on the Jules street line, pass through the eastern suburbs and the ruined New Era Park, and return through Wyatt Park, to the starting point. A line was also extended to Vineyard Heights, located on eastern Mitchell avenue : but neither the belt line nor this spur proved remunerative and were discontinued.

The Citizens' line was extended to South Park and Gladstone Heights in 1890, but runs only to South Park now. A spur was run from Frederick avenue north on 22nd street to Highland Park at about the same time, and is still in operation. In January of 1898 the Union line was extended to the Stock Yards, over a track leased from the Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company. In the following year, upon the completion of the viaduct connecting lower Sixth street with King Hill avenue, the line was built from Atchison street south on Sixth street and King Hill avenue through South St. Joseph to the Stock Yards, and thence one branch was built to Lake Contrary and another to Hyde Valley. In 1900 a line was built from Francis street north on Sixth, east to iith and north to Grand avenue. In 1904 a line was built south from Messanie street through Wyatt Park to Jackson street.

The People's company was reorganized in 1895 as the St. Joseph Railway, Light, Heat & Power Company, being part of the Harriman interests. It furnishes electric light, electric power and heats a number of buildings in the business portion of the city with steam. W. T. Van Brunt was manager for 14 years, until early in 1903. when he resigned to broaden his field of activity in New York, The company acquired the ])leasiu-e grounds at Lake Contrary and developed them, building a casino, swimming beach, park, fair grounds and making the place a desirable summer resort. In the summer of 1901 the Harriman holding was ac(|uired b}' Clark Brothers of Philadelphia. John Donovan of St. Joseph was made president, and John H. Van Brunt, who had been superintendent for 10 years, succeeded his brother. W. T. Van Brunt, as general manager. The company has recently completed a modern power house on the river front, and an immense car barn at St. Joseph and Highland avenues.

road. Major Holman and Samuel Jerome started the St. Joseph Omnibus Line. In the spring following- Col. John L. Motter and C. D. Smith bought out the line and built omnibus stables near the Patee House. They continued to operate this line until George W. McAleer bought out the interest of J. L. Motter. The business was conducted by these gentlemen for some time, when Col. John L. Motter bought out C. D. Smith. Motter and McAleer ran the business in partnership for some time, wdien Colonel Motter sold his interest to McAleer. The line subsequently became the property of ^^'iUiam Medaugh, b}' whom it was sold, in 1867, to ^laj. Thomas Christopher. The stock then consisted of five omnibuses, one carriage, four buggies and 36 horses. Smith Adams afterwards became a partner in the omnibus line w'ith Major Christopher. Maj. Joseph A. Piner purchased the line in 1871 and associated with him Thomas A. Massey. Upon the death of Massey, Col. Elijah Gates became Major Piner's associate, and this firm continued until 1894, when the

Hcrdic CoocJics. - The Herdic coaches were intended for service upon streets that had no tramways. They were a sort of carry-all, with seats along the sides, and were quite successfully operated in Eastern cities. In July of 1 88 1 a company was established in St. Joseph with Dr. John T. Berghoff as president ; Joseph A. Corby as secretary, and E. F. Mitchell as superintendent. There were eight coaches and 56 horses. There were two lines. The first ran from Market Square east on Felix street to Ninth street, north to Frederick avenue, east to 13th street, south to Sylvanie street, east to 15th street, north to Edmond street, east to 17th street, and north to Francis street, returning by the same route. The second line ran from Felix street north on Sixth street to Hall street, east to Ninth street, north to Powell street, and thence to Mount Mora Cemetery. The venture proved unsuccessful and was abandoned after a year's efforts.