Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-03-22
To the Citizens of Great Bend.

To the Citizens Of Great Bend.
March 18th, 1888.
Our attention was called to an article
in the Great Bend GRAPHIC of March
18th, from the Electric Light Company,
in which they make very pathetic ap-
4 peal to the citizens of Great Bend. Now
if you will grant us the privilege We
would like to say few words ourselves,
though not in way Of appeal nor by
stating our grievances; but from strict
ly business standpoint. We do not
work purely for the benefit of the city,
as our friends, the electric light compa-
ny, would have you believe they do.
But we can do the city good and our
selves good too.
This city does need good system of
electric lights. Citizens of Great Bend,
have you good, efficient system now?
Is it not fact that the lights you get
from this company are inferior; giving
only six candle power, in place of six
teen, which they should give? And
they do not furnish light when they are
needed. Another proof of their inef-
ticiency is, that many of our merchants
have abandoned them and are now
using coal oil instead. Is it any reason
why Mr.. Jones should not have fran
chise because two companies cannot be
remunerative? Is it any reason why
we should not have two dry goods stores
in town because they do not pay; or
that good hotel should not be built in
town because the new one would
draw all the trade. away from the old
hen coop of a concern that was running
before. What is that to the city of
Great Bend? Is not competition a good
thing for the cityp Would they not get
better lights and cheaper? What the
city and citizens wish is, cheap lights,
and good lights. and they are not get
ting good lights now. What you
want is value received and what
your electric light company wants, is
to give you as poor a light for your
money as possible, which they will con-
tinue to do, if they continue to monopo-
lie the electric Lighting in the city.
The present company does anything
upon the Cheap John principle-look
at the quality of their wires and see
how they hang. Averytime that they
have twenty-five new patrons they
have to get new outfit of machinery.
They say that their plant is now in it's
| in 70 boru IOp0 xvOuId II 70 If fo ho
youth even at the rate of progress that
it has made in the past two years. 1t
appears to be weaker child than
when it was born. Though Mr.. Jones
more for the town than the electric
light company have done or ever will
do. That $4,000 appears to worry
them, but the 81, 500 that he has spent
what material purchased here Goes not
enter their mind, a sum that would
take ten years of hydrant rental to pay.
We could not afford to come here
and defraud the city; we would be
bound to give goodslights at reasonable
rates. They term their scheme an en-
terprise. They have invested thoir mon
ey here the same as any individual
would, expecting their investment to be
advantageous and have found it so, not
from any enterprise or push, bnt
by giving the people poor light at a
high price. They should be running
one thousand where they are now run
ming but one-third that number. Does
that show enterprise? Mr.. Jones in a
smaller town even than this has six
hundred on system that has been run
ming but three months. We would put
in a Thompson s. Houston system
which is conceded by the best electri-
clans to be superior to any other sys-
tenn and more decidedly so as an arc
light.
There appears to be much dissatis-
faction throughout the city with the
present company; out of this grew
our attempt to do something. but we
are not going to get down upon our
knees. What we ask we ask from a
business standpoint, and not as an APP
peal to the citizens or council.
We can benefit the city as whole.
| Would you find fault if we benefit our
selves too. what we did some time ago
benefited many of yon, because the
company was afraid that we would put
in lights and reduce their rates.
Respectfully,
For MR. j. A. JONES.