St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-26
Forty Millions to be Put Into
a Gigantic Electric
"TruSt."
The Consolidation of the Edi-
son and Westinghouse
Systems Discussed.
Herr Wizards Fine Frank
fupter Hand Seen in the
Big Deal.

control of the business on the basis
which is now contemplated, says the
New York Herald.
Henry Willard has been stakeholder
in the Edison Electric Light company for
a dozen years, and to his far-seeing
financial and economic ideas are largely
due the steady advancement and success
of that organization. He was director
in the company until his departure for
Europe, and will go into the directory
again at the next election. Since his
return from Germany Mr.. Willard APP
pears to have unlimited capital at beck
and call, and within the past few
months he has gone into the market
and bought up about all the floating
stock of the concern and secured several
blocks at private purchase. The price
has advanced under this bull movement
and points are given out for still further
appreciation in Wall street. 1t was a
pretty big deal to obtain controlling
interest in the EdiSion Electric Light
company, which has a capital of s., 800,
600, but Mir. Willard and his friends
have done this, land now own a majority
of the stock. so it is said on good author
ity.
A MATTER OF FORTY MILLIONS.
But this is only stepping stone to
the gigantic combination of electric
systems which will eventuate in the
formation of the big stock company to
control the business of electric lighting
in the United States, referred to in the
Herald of yesterday. This scheme
conprehends, first, the control of the
Edison system, with the parent and
branch companies scattered through the
Ond, the consolidation of the leading OPP
position organization u; ins the incan-
descent light in the way OF central sta
tons tor the distribution of electricity
for light and power. The Edison sys-
TEN has licensed $50 central stations in
the United States, with an aggregate
capital of S30,000,000. The Westing-
house Electric company, which uses the
Acknowledgements plan, and is the
chief competitor of the Edison, has es-
tabliShed 1872 central stations, with a
capital of about S10,000,000. 1t would
therefore require upward of S40,OO0,OOO
to control and consolidate these two
systems and to make the extensions
deemed necessary to the placing of the
combination upon foundation so
strong as to be practically beyond COM
petition. The dozen smaller lncandes-
cent companies could be swept INTO this
great combine" just as soon as the be-
hemoth could open its capacious jaws.
There would be no difficulty with the
little fellows.
THE WILLARD SYNDICATE.
The Willard syndicate having already
gobbled the Edison parent company IN
this city, is now turning attention to
securing stock in local organizations in
the $50 cities where works are already
liz operation. A large number of these
have been brought in, and the other
deals are getting along nicely for the
originators. There will be little or no
trouble i'm floating the whole scheme.
Cash is the principal thing required,
and it Is said that MIR. Willard has been
promised more money than he can pos
sibly use. Capitalists in Berlin and
Frankfort have been tumbling over
other for the past three months, 1T Is
said. so great is their desire to get in on
the ground floor. Bankers in this city,
cOnversant with the situation, say that
the plan is entirely feasible. and its ac-
complishment will be great thing for
the country-will, in fact, add largely
to its wealth. Several representatives
of Messrs. Siemens IL Holskir, of Lon
don and Berlin, who laid the first At
lantic cable, have been in the city for
three weeks, and another party will ar
rive within a day or two to lend aid to
the proposed syndicate. Two or three
were closeted with Mr.. Willard nearly
all of Yesterday, and he is so busy that
he scarcely has time to eat. Everything
is moving beautifully.
OFFERING TO GONE IN.
Secret ry Frank 5. Hastings, of the
Edison Electric Light company, No. 1G
Broad street, told me yesterday that
the Westinghouse people had been
haunting Mr. Wizards Office for week
past and Offering to come into the grand
consolidation upon terms which have
not vet been agreed to. As the Edison
folks have everything they want in the
way of patents and superior system
for the distribution of electricity, they
are not inclined to make very liberal
offers to the Westinghouse company.
"They have not a thing which we care
to possess, and do not see any reason
for consolidation" said Mr. Hastings.
The knowing ones, however, maintain
that this is only the regular edison"
bluff and that when the time arrives the
w CIOhu Will DC ldhCll III
quick enough. Another point which is
urged against the smaller system is
that Westinghouse uses the alternating
current, which Is considered TOO danger
Gus 10 utilize in electric lightning gen.
orally. Why" said Mr.. Hastings.
'.the spec al commission appointed by
the New York legislature to devise
some new method of executing the
death sentence in cases of condemned
persons hit upon and recommended the
use of the alternating current to pro-
duce instant death and rob the gallOWS
of its ancient horrors. Capital cOnvictS
may hereafter be compelled to walk up
to Mr.. Westinghouse battery and
alternating current, and his system can
not fail to become very unpopular. |
understand. also, that the municipality
of Paris has just decided to refuse any
license to any system of electric light
ing which depends upon the alternating
current"
UNCLE GEORGE Is ENCOUNTERED.
Strangely enough. Dir. George West
iaghouse, president of the Westinghouse
Electric company, arrived yesterday
from Pittsburg. the headquarters of the
concern, and was in close conference
with several mysterious gentlemen at
the branch Office, No. l9 Dey street,
during the afternoon, and again in the
evening at the Windsor hotel. 1t seemed
to be the general impression that some
thing very important was in the wind,
but Mr.. Westinghouse would hot ac-
knowledge that his company was going
into the syndicate. He said: ''We have
more business than we can attend to,
and that ought to satisfy any set of men
possessed Of reason. Your question
reminds me of the Old president of the
Pennsylvania railroad. who once upon
a time said to me. George. you can
invent almost anything in the way of
wonderful labor. saving machinery, and
we are using thousands of your safety
brakes. Now, want you to get up
some device to prevent men making