An experiment in powering streetcars via rails rather than overhead wires (the car reaches 35 mph and the inventor says it could hit 70 mph–an interesting idea when sharing the street with horses and autos)… A clothing sale… And how about a trip south for a stay at the Del Coronado? Note the Japanese influence: An art show and Yamato’s Bazaar.
ladailymirror.com 
With regards to the story on the test running of a “completely safe” third rail electric car system.
The third rail system for propelling electric cars did not prove to be as “completely safe” that the inventor/promoter claimed in the story.
Notice the phrase “third rail of politics” is still in popular use today?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_rail_(metaphor)
A third rail electric car system not adopted in Los Angeles until the LACMTA Red LIne started operating in 1993.
On a related subject concerning the speed of the trolleycars in 1908, a little research reveals some interesting information.
The 22 mile LACMTA Blue Line which runs from the 7th Street Metro Center in Downtown Los Angeles to Downtown Long Beach uses an old Pacific Electric right-of-way after turning off Washington Blvd. It was built by Henry Huntington for a trolleycar line that operated from 1902 to 1961 and was called the Long Beach Line. It ran from the Pacific Electric Building at Sixth and Main to Ocean Avenue in Long Beach. Virtually the same or similar route and same or similar distance as the LACMTA Blue Line.
A comparison of the running time of the PE Long Beach Line in 1911 and subsequent years and the LACMTA Blue LIne in 2008 provides some surprising information.
The MTA Blue line schedule from the MTA website indicates an average time of approximately 53 minutes to run from Downtown Long Beach to the Seventh Street Metro Center in 2008. Trains run every 12 minutes.
An appendix in the book “Henry Huntington and Pacific Electric” by Spencer Crump has some scheduling and running times for the PE Long Beach Line.
In 1911, trains ran every 30 minutes. Local trains and express limited stop trains. The locals are listed with a running time of 40 minutes and the limited stop express trains took only 36 minutes to go from downtown Los Angeles to Ocean Avenue in Long Beach! Given the distance and time lost for stops along the way, the P.E. Cars had to have been racing at faster than 50 miles per hour at certain stretches! In 1911!
However, in later years the PE Long Beach Line took longer and longer to make the trips between Downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Just two years later in 1913, the limiteds took an average of 44 minutes to make a one way trip. In 1926, the limiteds took 51 minutes. In 1944, the limiteds took 54 minutes. In 1954, the limiteds took 60 minutes.
It is clear that the electric trains could be run pretty fast and they were run very fast when they started service in the early 1900’s. It is generally believed that the longer running times for P.E. Trains in later years was due to the increasing number of stops at grade crossings because of the rising number of automobiles on the streets and highways forcing the trains to run at slower speeds. Maybe. Another possibility is that the trains were running at speeds too fast for public safety and were required to slow down.
One big difference between the Blue Line and the old Long Beach Line. The Blue Line is elevated at Slauson Junction and Firestone Blvd. and (I believe) at other spots. The Long Beach Line ran at-grade virtually the entire route including Slauson Junction and Firestone Blvd. Traffic got worse and travel took longer but the route was never grade separated by Southern Pacific to compensate. In my opinion, the passenger service was a side business that Southern Pacific neglected, the real money being in freight operations for Southern Pacific.
There was a lot of carnage along the PE Long Beach Line during its years. That’s why the trains ran slower and slower. The Times archives should be full of stories about this.
When the MTA restarted the trains along the Long Beach Line again so did the accidents.
–Fascinating information… thanks for sharing!
–Larry
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