A visitor to these pages provided the above scans of OH 175 X and the following information regarding the token. Thanks to Bob Gardner for the information and permission to reproduce his scans on this page.
This 3 cent token involved violent labor strikes and a subsequent legal battle that ended in 1907 when the fare was dropped from 5 cents to 3. This info can be found at http://ech.cwru.edu/Scripts/Article.asp?ID=CERC
From the
Cleveland public library, Encyclopedia of Cleveland History:
"The CLEVELAND
ELECTRIC RAILWAY CO., known as Big Con(solidated), was created by a merger
of the East Cleveland, Broadway & Newburgh, Brooklyn, and South Side
railway companies on 15 May 1893. On 29 May the Cleveland City Cable Co.
and the Woodland Ave. & West Side St. Railway Co. merged to form the
rival Cleveland City Railway Co., or Little Con(solidated), leaving Cleveland
with only 2 local transit companies. Big Con operated the Abbey, Broadway,
Cedar, Central, Clark, Euclid, Fairhill, Mayfield, Scovill, Scranton, Union,
Wade Park, W. 14th St., W. 25th St., and partial E. 55th St. lines. In
1897 it owned 127 miles of track, 344 motor cars, and 145 trailers. By
1901 it had expanded to 135 miles of track, 426 motor cars, and 83 trailers.
Workers at Cleveland Electric Railway called a strike on 10 June 1899,
demanding improved pay and working conditions and union recognition. Violence
and lawlessness followed as the strike failed (see STREETCAR STRIKE OF
1899). On 1 July 1903, the company acquired and merged operations with
the Cleveland City Railway Co. Known as Con-Con, the virtual streetcar
monopoly owned 901 motor cars and 236 miles of track. From 1901-09, Cleveland
Railway officials, who favored a 5-cent fare, were embroiled in a legal
battle with Mayor TOM L. JOHNSON over the issue of MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
and a 3-cent fare. During this period, Con-Con experimented with zone fares,
penny transfers with a 3-cent fare, and 7 tickets for a quarter as ways
of improving its position with the public. In 1907 the company gave in
to Johnson, agreeing to lease its operations to the Municipal Traction
Co. The 3-cent fare was a reality, but operating economies and a violent
transit strike resulted in a 1908 referendum election defeat for the municipal
system, forcing it into receivership. In 1910 voters approved the compromise
"Tayler Grant," which provided "service at cost" and a 3-cent fare (see
ROBERT W. TAYLER). Operations were returned to the newly reorganized CLEVELAND
RAILWAY CO. under city supervision."
5/21/99