Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-09-12

The ELECTRIC LIGHr.-To night was
the third or fourth date fixed by the Schuy-
ler company fur lighting this city by cleo
triclty, but the time is not yet This COM
pany may be first class one and be on
sound financial basic, but its actions. 30
far, at least, as this city is conoeroeu' 10 noo
warrant that belief From the time the
companv began its negotiations With Inc
city 70 the present, The action5 OF its asehIS
have not boen -ucn as 10 INSPIRE cou
syouy the ri IZens, hut rather 10 raiee GUS
-, and ,o cause many to fear that the
air.. h.s"cUtten into b box" Although 1t
ya. tn. .xu,ess.d understanding that the
sI.ctr,o ulant was 10 BIZ tested Tor sixty
days by tbs company, and Was TO prove SAT
isfactory during that time, before the Guy
should be asked TO accept It, 1t was only
few weeks ago that the clty WAS asKeu 10
employ men to run the plant during sucn
trial. This request, after some debate, the
Committee on Light, which has Inc entire
matter in hand, declined to grant. linen
matters subsidized till the additional three
miles OF wire" arrived and was strung, when
it was announced that the plant would be
started upn to night. a reporter of the
GAZETTE Yesterday called at the office of
the Superintendent OF Gas aud asked 1t the
SCHUYLER com pany had made any provision
for putting its plant IN operation. Inc
Superintendent replied that be knewoi meme,
but that he had nothing 10 do wlth IL,
he having never been consulted la reierebce
To he electric light the Committee on Light
managing that affair entirely themselves;
He was then asked if the company had stored
sny coal at the gas works with which 10
run their plant, and he replied that they
had not. The reporter, 10 his conversation,
learned that the little coal and other sup
plies so far used by the company Tor testing
its boiler, engine, 10, belonged 10 the
city, ana the Inference WAS Clear toat when
the works were started the companYintenoed
using the city's coal and other supplies Oh
hand at the gas works, Tor lis own pur-
poses. 1t IL hoped tnat the committee
will be careful in their dealhgs WIN tn's
company and guard we'll the citizens inter
eats The general understanding was that
the city was 10 have nothing to do with the
electric plant till 1t had been in successful
operation ior sixty days, and that after that
time. if it proved satisfactory, to accept the
n,ant AID give notes 10 payment therefor.
As ,na,ters now stand it looks ike the city
will have an experience similar 10 that IL
had witt The oil gas humbug, when, accorc-
imp TO the statement of the Superintendent
of Cas- the city paid out over 81 ,UUO in mo
ney for the oil gas mems expenses, whereas
those men had assured Council that the
city would not have to pay one cent unless
the Gil gas plant proved success and was
accepted.
Since tie above was written 1t is learned
that MIR. l.. n Cox, of the Schuyler Com
pany, came here last night and MT the
Committee on Light. Alter long confer
encs paper which had been prev
ousIy drawn, was signed by Mr.. Lewis
Mckenzie for the committee, and Mr..
Cox for the company, in which 1t was
agreed that the Schu,l r Electric Company
ahould run the electric plant for sixty days
at its own expense, and that at the exp!Ta-
ton of that time, if the plant be accepted by
the city, the latter should pay the cost OF
the sixty days trial. The committee then
fixed the salary of the engineer OF the works
at $50 and the fremen at $40, and were
about to go into an election to fill these posi-
f,ons. but, at tina suggestion of Mr. Roxbury,
the superintendent of Gas, who expressed
doubt IS TO the committees authority In
such matters, deferred action for the present
No CHANGE YET Mr.. l.. w. Corbet, who
IL l.. NlNnd Lott at