St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-06-14
ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
The Village Votes $500 for Lighting
the Streets.

The Village Votes $1,000 for Lighting
the Streets.
A fairly attended village meeting
Saturday evening voted to appropriate
sum not to exceed $1,000 for lighting
the village streets with electricity. Al
the beginning of the meeting the fol
lowing resolution was offered by Harry
Blodgett and eventually passed:
The voters of the village of ST.
Johnsbury in village meeting assem-
bled for the purpose, hereby authorize
and empower the trustees of the viii
lage of st. Johnsbury to enter into and
close a contract for and in behalf of the
village of st. JOhnsbury upon such
terms and for such time and with such
| person, persons, company or corpora
tion as in their judgment is most for
the advantage and interest of the viii
lage, for the purpose of lighting the
streets of the village with electricity,
and they are authorized and empOw-
cred to expend sum of money not
exceeding $1,000 per annum for that
purpose.
This resolution was not adopted
without considerable discussion, no.
body pretending to know anything
about the subject, anyway. 1. B. Cor
ham wished to limit the trustees to $35
for each light; in Norway, Maine, it
cost 5000 for 1S lights. E. E. Sargent
was for leaving the entire matter in
the hands of the trustees without limi-
tation of any kind.
w. P. Smith favored the limiting
clause while not opposed to the elec-
trio light he thought the village ought
to know more about the matter before
going into it blindly; he objected on
general principles to comforting unlimi-
ted powers on any committee. P. d
Blodgett favored leaving the business
in the hands of the trustees for just
that reason-because the village didn't
know anything about it. Alex Dun
nett was for striking out the clause as
to limiting expense; thought it would
cost over $500 but was in for it; the
mountains of Europe were lighted by
electricity and we must be up with the
times. David Trull thought the vii
lage ought to appoint a committee to
investigate and report, and A. j. Will
lard was of the same mind. Harry
Blodgett had talked with the represen.
tatives of three companies and they
estimated the expense of lighting the
village at $1,000, $500 and $1,000 re.
spectively. H. G. Bates thought there
should be some limitations but was in
favor of the light. B. G.. Howe said Inc
couldn't throw any light on the matter
but was for trusting in the trustees
| w. S. BOyntOn wanted to know how
many of the village trustees were in
terested in the local electric light com.
pany that had been formed. Trustee
Chas. Calderwood said that himself
and T. c. Fletcher signed the petition
but that he shouldn't take any stock
in the company. DR.. Bullard and G.
P. Carpenter objected to giving trus
tees unlimited powers on general prin
ciples. John Mcdonald was for the
new light if it was the best thing bu
thought committee should be ap
pointed to investigate various systems
and report; as at present talked i
might cost ST. 900 and it might cos
$4,000; meanwhile taxpayers must re
member that 100 cents make a dolla
every time, and that general satisfac
tion is the best general known. Dun
nett's amendment to strike out. tn
limitation clause was voted down, an,
the resolution as originally presented
was passed with hurrah.