Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-10-03

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Impressed with thi. idea when re0ected o.
~naf Boston corporation had accomplisbe,
In barely twelve months. just about on
year ago the American Electric & uiamina
ting Company of this city we're SUPPLYING les
tnan thirty lights to q few patrons in III,
vicinity Of their lighting station on Hunting
ION avenue. The few that we're supplied
however, became Noticeable by their bril-
nancy, steadiness and general -superiorir,
over the spiuttering. binding, Kissing exam
pies OF electric lamps in use elsewhere. Re
representatives. Of capital became interested an,
uen OF intelligence and keen perception tool
noio OF this electrical embryo and from tia
time the business began to expand. Enouvl
capital was ready to demonstrate the practi
caoiiify OF the patents controlled and psrma
nent excellence of the light. Arrangement,
we're perfected for operating on a broad basis
10 DO this Al immense capital would be ne.
cessary. Ii MAS decided to raise it by public
subscription. The history OF the company.
advertising is well known, for the manage
ment were determined not to s.hide their liyb,
under bushel." Shrewd investors inye.ti.
gated and the future outlook was 50 fiatterinp
mat IN nearly every case they brought stock
ana many afterwards endorsed their former
Judgment BY buying more. This money was
immediately used increasing the plant and
stretching wires. Outside men were solicit
ing business houses and others for lights, and
oy the first of last February the company
were In position to extend operations
and withdraw special inducements to
investor, which they had at frat
extended. Enough lights were then furnished
to pay dividend ofover four per cent Semi
annually, and the business rapidly increasing.
Ihtlr history since March LIST. when they
paid. after six months existence, their first
| dividend of fur per cent, is but a repetition
OF successes. Profitable local companies
were organized. and operated elsew here and
In many cases: one in particular, in the face
| or iercest opposition from other electric light
companies, who saw in their coming the
handwriting Oh the wall. which foretold dis
aster to theirs, apoorer light.
During the past spring and summer they
! have established companies at Lowell and
fltchburg, Mass. (the latter having since been
sold to syndicate of local capitalists who
were willing to pay handsomely for the
| pioneer work that had been done), Hartford.
Conn, Providence, r. |. In the last named
city they have to use language Of local
| clothing king. Taken the town by Storm -
they also established and operated success
| fully lighting stations at Cottage City, Ocean
| Pier, and Old Orchard beach; the latter sta
ton having been sold to the CONSOLIDATED Elec-
trio Light Co of Maine, recent corporation
| formed TO establish and operate plants in
various cities in that state, using the Ameri-
| can or Thomsoa.Houst0n system under Ii
| cense OF the American Eclectric & Illumi-
| mating Co. This company in Maine also ac
quired by purchase the plant and property of
| the ArnOux Co , in Portland that had been in
existence year or two, and were, with about
t..-l~s-
| basis.
Under the new man ,gement, which is
live one, the Maine company had already
added some 80 lights and proposed to run it
| up to 200 this winter, and / think they will
| from what is said of the light in that city
This Maine company made good stroke at
| the recent State Fair. They solicited a con-
| tract to light the fair grounds and buildings,
and could have done so for five or six hundred
dollars and made money, but spirit of econ
| omy pervaded the minds of the truly enter
prising management of the fair. and it was
| an offer of theirs to give the electric light
| company so per cent. of the gate receipts for
| one day for their remuneration.
This offer was accepted and the lowest es-
| innate | have heard on the numbers present
was 5000 and there were probably 10000
people present which at so cents head left
| very comfortable profit for the electric light
company besides being a good advertisement.
| for the light But / am DEPRESSING. The
present business of the American Electric &
Illuminating company is far beyond the most
sanguine expectations of even their warmest
| admirers. 1t has grown to such proportions
that proper machinery cannot be manutac-
| tured tor them fast enough to meet their de-
mands. They are doing a larger business
than any of their older competitors.
Orders are now and have been in for some
| time for plants in Worcester, and Springfield.
Mass, Biddeford. Bangor, Bath, Lewiston
and Augusta, Maine, and other cities Of more
or less importance. The lighting business
| in Boston has increased to such proportions
that with their extensive interests elsewhere
the American Electric and Illuminating Com
pany found it impossible to properly look af
| ter it. subcommittee known as the mer-
chants Electric Light & Power Company was
formed, to attend to the business of furnish
ing lights solely, while the former company
devotes all its interests to the construction
| business.
How well this movement is succeeding
will be learned from the following quotation
from the financial columns of the Boston
| Daily Globe:
THE local electric lightning business in
Boston has received decided impetus since
the organization of the Merchants Electric
Light and Power company. which assumed
the lightning business in Boston so success
fully established BY the parent organization
the American Electric and Illuminating
company. The Merchants is making rapid
he adwav and is already out stripping all com
petitors in the number of its lights and new
business, which already exceeds that of any
of the other companies. The earnings al
ready assure ten per cent. dividend on the
outstanding capital. and when the plant and
other facilities for business are doubled, as
they soon will be, the directors are confident
of greatly increased dividends, as the future
possibilities of the business are great-in fact
| can hardly be estimated.
In order to keep pace with the rapidly in
creasins business it is found to be necessary
to establish new central lightning station
with greatly increased facilities in the bust
ness center of the city. And the manage
ment have partially concluded arrauk ements
for a four-story building which will have am
ple room for central lightning station.
workshop and supply rooms. and it is now
verv probable that an incandesceDt Lightning
plant will be added, and one floor occupied
by electric motors for supplying power to
different manufactures, which of itself is
destined to become q very profitable branch
or department of the electric business. 1t is
said. upon authority which is considered re-
E,bia that tho up urraI combination and hus l.