Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-05-13
A GREAT INDUSTRY.
SIX Hundred Million Dollars Invested In
Electrical Enterprises.

= SIX Hundred Million Dollars Invested ir
Electrical Enterprises.
1t seems somewhat far-fetched to style
electricity, branch of science that in
= wolves so many interests, an industry
and yet we find it so constantly alluded
to in such terms, that 1t seems only nat.
ural for us to apply the cognomen gen
orally to all the various departments OF
the most wonderful result of modern de-
velopment and discovery. In the United
States, electricity has gone ahead of al
most every thing else as n grand addi-
ton to the conveniences with which in
ventive and mechanical ingenuity has
supplied us, and some figures, compiled
from reports recently presented and from
various publications, will doubtless
prove as interesting to our readers as
such statistics usually arc.
About 5000, 600 900 represents the
amount OF capital invested in electrical
branches of industry in the United
! States, and upwards of so per cent. Of
! this enormous sum has been contributed
within the past five years, in spite Of
the fact that the Western Union Tele-
graph Company has announced its sys-
tenn the representative of not less than
$50, 600, 900 during all this period. At
present this mammoth corporation is to
be credited with capital of $50, 600, 600
For the various telegraph companies
not included In the Western Union sys-
tenn, tho telegraph establishments of the
various railway companies, the cable
companies, the electric alarm and mes
sengor call systems and private lines an
addition to this sum Of $40, 600, 900 would
be within the mark. The Americal Bell
Telephone Company has a subscribed
capital of $50 900 600 on which IL pays
good dividends, and under It's system it
licenses other companies whose total
capital reaches an aggregate OF S55, 0o0,-
900. Tho American Telegraph and Tel
ephone Company owning the patents on
tho successful long distance devices,
adds S. 600 900 to this sum, making alto
gothcr 5000 900, 900 invested in telegraph
and telephone companies alone
Next in order we have tho electric
lighting interest, which promises indeed
to exceed those above described, in inn
portance. Together with them We
class the electric power companies,
whose business is still in its infancy,
and the electric railroad companies, OF
which there are about sixty, in operation
In all parts of the country. The electric
lighting companies are Of course tho
most numerous in this division, there
being one at least-often soveral-in
every city, town or village of Importance,
besides the great factories established
by tho Thomson Houston, the Westing-
house. Edison, Brush, Jenney, Mather,
Excelsior, Consolidated, Schuyler and
many other concerns In some OF which
millions OF dollars arc invested 10
would be conservative estimate to
place their combined capt. /, actually
employed, at $500, 900, 900
Here, then, Is grand total OF $780, (
600 900, but we have said nothing of the
of electrical apparatus
and supplies, and they, too, belong in
the business. One concern, making
instruments for telegraph and telephone
for bell work, etc, has fac
tories Of largo size in New York, Chica-
go, London and Antwerp, and there are
others OF almost equal magnitude in
every principal manufacturing center.
Including with these two companies
manufacturing carbons aud storage bat
teries, and the eNtent to which great
machine shops, wiro works, glass and
rubber factories are engaged in the
manufacture of railroad implements and
supplies, 1t will readily be seen THAI
500, 600, 600 would be moderate sum
Tor all these industries TO employ in
connection with electrical work
This brings our total investments UP
to so. o00' 900, an imposing amount to DO
employed in branch of industry that is
based on u science that Is practically less
than half a century old.
Is there another that can make such a
showing2 Salty Valve.