G7\231l-177

311,700 toward the extension of the line, However, financial difficulties came
about by late summer, and in September of 1910, service was discontinued along
the 4.9 mile electric route. fhe organization of a new company’ was proposed

and 342,000 worth of funds were raised to meet the needs of operation. Tn this
time of financial distress, the line almost was swallowed up by another electric
line, The Kansas City, Lawrence, and Topeka. The "Hocker" Line ran from Kansas
City to Hast Zarah, Kansas and was seeking to push westward as it's name amplied,
Citizens of bonner Springs were approached by the officials of the "Hocker" Line
to help finance a bridge over the Kaw River south of Sonner and then to help
sound neilion on the north side of the river bank, west to Lawrence. Negotiations
were made to the Santa Fe kailroad in hopes of using their bridge over the Kaw
River to reach Sonner, but they ran into continued difficulties and were finally
discontinued. This insured at least the independent future of the struggling
Kaw Valley line as the "Hocker" Line never made it to Bonner Springs.

In 1913, Waters succeeded in interesting J. J. Heim, a Kansas City brewer,
in the little electric line and Heim purchased the stock of the company, Heim,
experianced in running electric lines as well as building them, brought in a
@., hk. Taylor from his home town of Farmington, Missouri to oversee the develop-
ment of the Kaw Valley. Under Taylor's direction, the extension of the line east
to the Kansas City, Kansas city limits was immediately begun, and a power sud]
station was soon built at kuncie. Un June 17, 1914, the line received four trolleys:
cars that were forty feet long with a seating capacity of forty-six passengers.
these were second-hand cars purchased from a traction company in Minnesota and
were to be turned into special excursion cars when new equipment was bought.

On Monday’, July 20, 1914, the Kansas City, Kaw Valley & Western Railroad began
operating the full 14.6 miles between Bonner Springs and Kansas City, Kansas,
with a direct connection with the Metropolitan Street Railway Company tracks that

traversed the City. this hookup allowed the Kaw Valley cars access to both sides