1877, their interest was bought up by the Birmingham Tramway and Omnibus Company for the sum of L25,000, the original cost of the property thus acquired being L115,000.  The new company leased the borough lines for seven years at L1,680 per annum, and gave up the out-district portion of the original undertaking.  That they have been tolerably successful is shown by the fact that in 1883 the receipts from passengers amounted to L39,859, while the owners of the L10 shares received a dividend of 15 per cent.  The authorised capital of the company is L60,000, of which L33,600 has been called up.  The Aston line from Corporation Street to the Lower Grounds was opened for traffic the day after Christmas, 1882.  The Company’s capital is L50,000, of which nearly one-half was expended on the road alone.  This was the first tramway on which steam was used as the motive power, though Doune’s locomotire was tried, Jan. 8, 1876, between Handsworth and West Bromwich, and Hughes’s between Monmouth Street and Bournbrook on July 2, 1880, the latter distance being covered in twenty-five minutes with a car-load of passengers attached to the engine.  The next Company to be formed was tha South Staffordshire and Birmingham District Steam Tramway Co., who “broke ground” July 26, 1882, and opened their first section, about seven miles in length (from Handsworth to Darlaston), June 25, 1883.  This line connects Birmingham with West Bromwich, Wednesbury, Great Bridge, Dudley, Walsall, and intermediate places, and is worked with 40-horse power engines of Wilkinson’s make.  The Birmingham and West Suburban Tramways Co.’s lines, commencing in Station Street run, by means of branches from several parts, to various of the suburbs:—­1st, by way of Pershore Street, Moat Row, Bradford Street, and Moseley Road, to Moseley; 2nd, by way of Deritend, Bordesley, Camp Hill, along Stratford Road, to Sparkhill; 3rd, leaving Stratford Road (at the Mermaid) and along Warwick Road, to Acock’s Green; 4th, striking off at Bordesley, along the Coventry Road to the far side of Small Heath Park; 5th, from Moat Row, by way of Smithfield Street to Park Street, Duddeston Row, Curzon Street, Vauxhall Road, to Nechells Park Road; 6th, in the same direction, by way of Gosta Green, Lister Street, and Great Lister Street, using “running powers” over the Aston line where necessary on the last-named and following routes; 7th from Corporation Street, along Aston Street, Lancaster Street, Newtown Row, up the Birchfield Road; 8th, from Six Ways, Birchfield, along the Lozells Road to Villa Cross, and from the Lozells Road along Wheeler Street to Constitution Hill, forming a junction with the original Hockley and Snow Hill line.  The system of lines projected by the Western Districts Co., include:  1st, commencing in Edmund Street, near the Great Western Railway Station, along Congreve Street, Summer Row, Parade, Frederick Street, and Vyse Street, to join the Hockley line; 2nd, as before to Parade, along the Sandpits, Spring