The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-09-14
Mr.. Williamson was likewise minded.

contained bids.
"Yes," said he, "two bids"
Mr.. Hull got up to say that when he lef
he supposed the light question would b,
settled at the next meeting. If another prop
J osition was considered now two Of the alder
men could delay consideration for month
by Directing. Why not take the matter W
like men. He was gas man, owning ga.
stock, and preferred gas, but if the council
wanted electric light let them settle the
question by finding out what kind of ligh
was wanted and then advertise for bids anC
have time for bids to close. It was mani
testify unfair to allow bids to come in ate,
bids had been opened. The council should
take this thing up like men and dispose Of
liz.
u. Mr.. Maher offered as substitute to the
motion to adopt the report that the papers
be read. He said that one Of the papers
looked like report but prepared by others
and Mr.. Fox and himself had merely signed
their names to it,
! Mr.. Dinneen then delivered a short ad-
dress on The merits of the different lighting
systems.
Mayor Sherwood then requested the clerk
to read the papers.
Oae proved to be an offer from the Illinois
Valley Electric Light & Power Co., using
the Heisler system, to place twenty five arc
and one hundred and fifty incandesent
lights upon the streets for FIVE years at IS, 900
per year, arc lights to be increased at eighty
or incandescents at twenty dollars per lamp.
Another proposition, from the Ottawa Gas
Light and Coke Co, offered the present gas
system at eighty dollars per post to run
until midnight, either for the balance Of the
year or for another year from date. If this
was accepted the company would, as fur
Their inducement, give ten per cent off for all
gas used in the engine house and jail.
The paper which Messsrs Maher and Fox
had intended to submit as report was then
read and proved to be Recommendation
that the bid of the Heisler people be accept
ed as it was "the lowest and best submitted"
Col. Hspeman handed the clerk paper,
which proved to be an offer from his
company that il given contract to light the
streets, they would sell the plant to the city
at original cost when the city wanted to buy
it.
Mr.. Taylor asked concerning water power,
but the Col. said that that question could be
best considered at the time Of sale. His
company had offered fifty arc lights for
S4, 200, to run oil night Additional lights
to be charged at the same rate.
The Mayor then stated that>the consider.
alton of the report of Aug 9th was still be-
fore the house.
Mr.. Armstrong objected to the report as
it shut out everyone but arc light men
"Then vote it down." said the Mayor.
Mr.. Armstrong repeated his protest, say
ing, that 81. 5l4.90 of the lighting appropri-
alton had already been used up, leaving but
$1,000 for the balance of the year, and did
not want his hands tied. II bids were sub
mitted for all varieties of light the city
could do something, but if the arc bids
should be too high the city's hands would be
tied.
Mr. Alshuler could not see the sense in
"talking like Armstrong" The gentleman
was arguing about something that he didn't
know anything about. 1t was time to kick |
on arc-lght bids when the bids would come
in Just now the question was do we or
do we not want arc lights" The gentleman
could vote either way.
Mr.. Porter wanted arc lights. If the Heis-
ter company could give the city arc lights,
and their bid was the lowest, all right, but
he could not and would not countenance an
plant for street Lighting.
Mr. Dnneen---" Can we get the arc light
now? III vote for arc lights if we can get to
them. II we can't want the other system"
The vote resulted in victory for arc
light by an overwhelming majority, all Of
the councilmen voting for the arc excepting
Nlessrs. Maher and Fox, who refused to
vote.
Mr.. Alshuler moved that the city clerk or
the gas committee be instructed to adver.
tise for bids for an eighty light arc plant
and also to embody in the advertisement
clause providing for the purchase of the
plant by the city at the end of one or two
years.
Mr.. Dinneen thought that the motion
should be so worded as to admit Of other
bids besides those Of arc light.
Mr.. Msher wanted the propositions,
which had been read, disposed of, and NOV.
ID that the offer Of the Hesler light owners
% accepted and that the city attorney be in
,tructed to draw ur a contract with the
company for five years.
The Mayor decided the motion out of or
Ter and Mr.. Maher then subsidized under
protest. Ii
Mr.. Taylor said that in advertising for
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