Atlantic City & Shore Railroad 1913 Accounting Voucher Check Electric Power
$ 6.86
Description
Atlantic City & Shore Railroad 1913 Accounting Voucher Check Electric Power. The check, numbered 7799, was drawn on H. F. Bachman & Co., Bankers of Philadelphia, and dated August 1, 1913. This item consists of a complete 1913 accounting voucher and paid check issued by the Atlantic City and Shore Railroad Company to the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad Company for the procurement of electric traction power. The document set includes a typed billing letter, a formal voucher, and the original bank check, all joined by a perforated edge. The primary transaction, dated April 1913, records the purchase of 96,490 DC kilowatt-hours of electricity at a rate of one cent per unit, resulting in a base amount of $968.20. Additional fees increased the total payment to $1,047.98. Authorization for payment was provided by General Manager A.J. Purinton and Secretary J.M. Purinton of the Atlantic City and Shore Railroad. The check, numbered 7799, was drawn on H. F. Bachman & Co., Bankers of Philadelphia, and dated August 1, 1913. The payment is validated by a prominent purple PAID stamp. The accompanying letter, dated May 12, 1913, on Pennsylvania Railroad Company letterhead from Camden, Camden County, New Jersey, records detailed operational data including wattmeter readings from infrastructure locations such as Meadows Tower and Pleasantville Tower. It also notes the Somers Point substation as being out of service and references power deliveries to the Newfield Branch and Atlantic Avenue Branch. This documentation provides insight into the operational and financial relationship between the independent interurban Shore Fast Line and the larger standard-gauge railroad network, from which it sourced its electric power. The reverse side of the voucher features a printed ledger containing standardized railroad accounting codes. The $968.20 charge is documented under Account 55 for Power Purchased within the Conducting Transportation category. Collectively, this set represents an operational record encompassing metered electricity consumption, managerial approval, and final financial settlement, reflecting the economics of electric railway operation in the pre-World War I period. The documents display original filing folds, minor edge wear, and maintain clear period handwriting and stamps, and are preserved in a condition consistent with their age.
