CHAPTER XVII 

 THE ELECTRIC TROLLEY 



What part does electricity play in the run- 

 ning of the trolley? 



Uses of electric cars. One of the most recent develop- 

 ments in modern means of travel is the electric trolley and 

 it has grown rapidly in popularity.. Almost every city now 

 has its system of electric cars, and in the more thickly settled 

 portions of the country, a network of these lines connects 

 the larger cities. The trolley is taking the place, to some 

 extent, of the steam cars. It has one great advantage over 

 the steam cars in that no special roadbed need be con- 

 structed, as the rails can be laid up hill and down, on roads 

 already constructed -or across country. This makes the cost 

 of construction very much less. In some localities trolleys 

 are being constructed through regions of beautiful scenery, 

 and the trolley is a source of much pleasure during the sum- 

 mer months, as well as an important business necessity at 

 all times of the year. Like the railroad the electric car 

 widens the residential area, about a big city and enables 

 business people to find pleasant homes in the suburbs. 



History of electric cars. Crude forms of electric cars 

 were made many years before they became a practical 

 success. In 1835 Thomas Davenport of Vermont con- 

 structed a small circular railway at Springfield, Mass., on 

 which he operated a car driven by a motor. This was 

 probably the first electric car ever built. Following this, 

 other inventors at various times made different forms of 

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