THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 
137 
some cities, because of geographical conditions in the 
form of lakes, rivers, ravines or mountains, it might be 
impossible to provide more than one entrance. Such was 
the problem which confronted Detroit some years ago. 
In the year 1879 the citv purchased for the sum of 
$200,000, an island of 700 acres (Belle Isle Park ) located 
in the Detroit River. Parts were marsh and the only 
means of access were by small ferries. As improvements 
were made and the public attracted in sufficient numbers 
sentiment crystallized in favor of the construction of a 
bridge from the mainland, and in 1889 one was built at a 
cost of $295,000. The bridge was a half mile long and 
the island two miles long. Today the island contains a 
total of 14j,_> miles of driveways, 5 1 2 miles of which are 
shore drives, and in addition there are five miles of foot 
walks. As time went on a zoological garden was estab- 
lished, a bathhouse, a horticultural building and an aquar- 
ium were erected and an athletic field established. Dur- 
ing the winter months skating was provided. Under 
these conditions, 
naturally, there 
soon was created a 
demand for trans- 
portation and to 
meet this the depart- 
ment purchased a 
number of phaetons 
or busses, h o r s e- 
drawn, of a carry- 
ing capacity of 
from twelve to six- 
teen persons each. 
T h e passengers 
were carried across 
the bridge and to 
the Skating Pavil- 
ion or C a s i n o, a 
distance of a little 
more than a mile. 
This innovation, as 
it was then looked 
upon, scored an mi- 
ni e d i a t e success, 
but proved quite a 
problem on Sun- 
days and holidays, 
as the crowds came 
and left principally 
at stated times and 
the service was in- 
adequate. These 
troubles w ere 
somewhat over- 
come, however, by 
the purchase of ad- 
ditional equipment 
and pressing into 
service the teams 
employed by the 
department during 
the week. These 
phaetons were con- 
structed with can- 
opy tops and side 
curtains, and dur- 
i n g the winter 
months, or skating 
season, straw was 
placed on the floors 
and blankets pro- 
vide d. With a 
Shoii'iiig the Interior and Exterior of a Detroit Pork Motor Bh 
growing city the attendance, of course, continued to 
increase, and fortunately the automobile was perfected 
and our system was changed to auto service. The 
first two motor busses purchased were equipped with 
curtains, but with the advent of winter we discovered 
a mistake had been made and that windows should 
have been installed. In the succeeding orders the 
change was made. The windows, by the way, are re- 
moved in the summer time. 
With the changes since the days of the horse-drawn 
vehicle, or rather the days when people were pleased to 
have a bridge to walk over, having resulted in reducing 
the time consumed in reaching the destination and provid- 
ing greatly increased comfort, one would have thought 
that the acme of perfection had been reached ; but such is 
not the case, as demands are now for artificial heat, a'nd 
when the proper device appears this also will be provided. 
During the last fiscal year there were carried across the 
bridge approximately 650,000 passengers and around the 
park 16,000. The 
charge for the 
bridge service is 
three cents each 
way between May 
26 and September 
26, and five cents 
during the balance 
of the year. ( )n 
the busses operat- 
ing around the park 
a ten-cent fare is 
charged, which is 
equivalent to five 
cents from one end 
ti ' the other. 
The motor busses 
cost, approximately 
$5,000 each and 
have a seating ca- 
pacity of twenty- 
six p e r s o 11 s. but 
d 11 ring the rush 
h o u r s thirty-five 
p a s s e 11 g e r s 
are often carried. 
The interior is sim- 
ilar to an ordinary- 
street car ; an aisle 
in the center with 
a row of seats on 
either side. They 
are electrical- 
lv lighted, but are 
propelled by gaso- 
line motor. 
The cost of oper- 
ation last year, in- 
cluding both labor 
and supplies, 
amounted to $22,- 
167.13. The receipts 
amounted to $26,- 
016.11. During the 
b u s y season we 
have a five-minute 
schedule ; during the 
dull season, or on 
week days of the 
winter months, a 
schedule of fifteen 
minutes is sufficient 
