The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-03-07
MORE LIGHT
ON THE ELECTRIC LIGHT QUESTION

crested reader OF the articles publlsheo !
Il your valuable paper upon the sub &
ect of the Electric Light Plant, and
that fair statement of the
of the Council Herewith,
nd the facts as they exist, are due the
,eople, together with my personal
opinion as a taxpayer and citizen, of
you the following:
In the winter of 1887 brought the
subject of electric light before thu
Council. 1t was duly discussed and
appointed TO examine into /
the matter. A chart was prepared, /
through the kindness of MIR q. h. Lee, !
locating the streets of the village and |
arcs thereupon, 27 in number, covering |
the territory then lighted by gas. ln
due time the committee made Its re
port, when the subject was again taken
under discussion, If my memory serves
me right it was at this meeting of the
council that the Ravenna Gas Light
and Coke Co through Mr.. II. d. Sey-
mour, its agent, made its first appear
ance as an opposer OF the project. AT
this meeting Mr.. Seymour Sid that
the K. Il l. & C Co. had made a thor
lighting the streets with electricity and
that it could not be done with ~ arcs,
or any other number; that the large
number of shade trees and the peculiar
Law of the streets made 1t utterly im-
possible, and there was no use talking
about it, and that the gas company
would not consider the question fur
ther. At that meeting L was instruct
ed by the Council 10 correspond with
parties from out of town upon the sub
ject. did so, and among others Mr.
stafford, of the Cleveland Electric
Light Co., representing the Thom pson
Houston Co. AT the next meeting of
Council the question came up again
Mr.. Seym was present aud opposed
| the project as strenuously as he did at
the first. By this time. nJwever, the
| Council as n body took kindly to the
subject and, is was apparent, favored
the idea. In the course Of discussion
| q member remarked that " we did not
wish to do anything that would injure
the II. q. l. q q. Co )" and at tnat
time l said To Mr Sey mour, and it was
n, quiesced i'll by this entire COu Gil
that we wished the gas company would
take hold of the matter, anu If they
would do 30 and m AXE Us q bid to light
the streets, even AZ their bid was some
higher than the bids of ioreign com
panies, We would discriminate in theil
favor anu give them the contract, or
the ground that they were citizens ant
taxpayers, and We preferred to patron
iZe home eiDstitutions, but Mr. Sey moul
said it could not be done aud he wOulC
have nothing To do with 1t. Abuu
this time Mr.. Lee procured an assign
meni of franchise granted to Mr.
Swan some years ago, and with Mr.
Stafford, attemp pied TO organize a stocl
company of CIT Gems to erect q plant
failing however. After making severa
trips to Ravenna, snu eacn time ell
countering the opposition of the ga
company, MIR Stafford huaily appeared
before the Council and said 10 tina
body that If the village would give hin
q contract 10 light the streets. lie woulC
erect a plant WI hin 81 days, and show
the people that it was possible to ligh
the streets with electrici' y The Coun
Gil did not do SO aG that time, however
but had some farther correspondence,
with Mr.. Stafford upon the subject ant
finally invited him To be presentat the
next meeting of the Council. J dne 4th
1855. He did attend, and go did MIR
seymour, with his usual opposition
and asked for q five years contract
which We said we would not make
We offered him q one year cUntrac
which he could not consider, uut saI'
If we would enter into three veal,
contract he would give us the privlles,
to purchase the plant at its ct price
Mr.. Stafford said that was tile brst 1 j;
could do, and Councii author z7,I nI'
to draw up and sigll contTaU. Mar
seymour lhere1pon asked to' Il del AS
in making the contract, and said til,
Il. u. IL. q T.. 60. wUuli III .ke tn,
village a proposition. Mf. ot"ffort
insisted that he would not Came t
Ravenna again, and dHelt AT som,
length upon the unfairness of MIR
Seymour. Some M 4lt'ers of CCunci
still Wishing to favor the gas com tany
asked that the contract should lot q
Into effect until Jau. l, 1859. and t.
continue the lighting of the streets
with gas until that time, q period of
months, which was finally agreed
upon, and n contract, in duplicate, wa
drawn, sig led by myself and the clerk
aud sent the following day to Mr.Staf
and returned one To me, which read
as follows:
CONTRACT.
This contract, made this day, by and betwee
the Thompson Houston electric light compan,
its successor and assigns party of the first par
and the Incorporated Village OF Ravenna, part
Of the second part. is as follows:
The party OF the first part hereby agree t
erect within the said Incorporated village of Ri
VIENNA, good, substantial electric light plan
ami have the same in good running order b
The first day OF January, a. d. 1889. and to fun
nish lights TO said second party, under the fo
towing conditions:
Said lights to be arc lights of two thou
sand candle power each. and are to be locate
In said village under the supervision of the stree
committee OF said second party and in compl
ance with the ordinance granting the franchis
to said first party Said lights are to be eiecte
upon poles or suspended across the streets
I said village, as the said street committee ma
prefer. and IN manner as il may desire. Sal
lights are to burn on moon schedule and fror
early dusk until Ia o'clock. midnight and i
case OF dark or cloudy nights during the moor
the Mayor or the chairman of the committee O
lights OF said village shall have power to an
may order the SAID electric lights to be burne
as upon other nights, and in case of any viola
ton OF this part of this said agreement on th
part of the party OF the first part. then the part
of the second part is thereby released from sal
agreement, or may continue the said agreemer
and collect damages from said party OF the fir
part, as said second party may elect.
In consideration OF the agreements on the pa
of the party of the FIRST part herein containec
the party of the second part herein agree to tax
thirty (3o) two thousand candle power arc ligh
and agree to pay therefor the sum of sevent,
two (7a) dollars each per annum, payabl
monthly with the privilege Of increasing, at tn
same rate per annum. the said number, at an
time during the existence OF this agreement
Il is further agreed by and between said pa
ties that when the lights are burned upon dar
or cloudy nights during the moon. as they ma
be by order from the Mayor or chairman of Ii
committee upon lights. as heretofore mentioned
no additional charge shall be made by, nc
compensation paid to said first party.
1t is further agreed, that said second part
may have the privilege to purchase said plar
, 1889, at the cost price Of said plant
This agreement, or contract, is for the perio
of three years from the first day of January, 1885,
Ravenna, Ohio, June Z, 1883.