Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-04-04
Why Tater Works Wur Not Pay.
McM1NNv111.r. Anril |. 1901.

y
vite investigation on the water works
and electric light question, and ask
the question, "Why they will not
pay?" I offer the following reasons
why they will not pay in McMinn>
vile.
lst, The town is too small.
End, Our people are too much scat
tered.
3rd, We have an abundance of
cheaper, and much better water. Our
people are well supplied with good
cisterns, wells, and good never-fail-
ing springs. Hence would not drink
or cook with river water, even if were
free; for in our liver is found dead
horses, cattle, hogs, dogs, cats, etc,
etc, making it impure and unheal-
thy.
4th, The cost is acknowledged to
be 10000, and might exceed that, so
the interest could not be less than
81, 200 per annum.
Twenty thousand dollars gone from
this town forever.
One might say we will get it back
in insurance saved, while the truth
is we would not save the interest of
81, 200 per annum. And even if we
could make money for those insuring,
it would be unjust; for majority Of
our tax payers do moi insure. Think
of taxing the poor people and
widows, who get no benefit whatever
from these water works; to supply
the rich on Main Street with water,
and make his insurance light. Moth.
ing so unjust could pay in the end.
This water could not be carried to
half of our people,; they are so much
scattered. Those who want the wa
ter and think it would pay, should
prove their faith by getting up a
stock company If they had such
company and their plants in opera
ton today, they could not sell their
stock in this town or any other for
80 cents in the dollar.
9Th, The power 10 run those water
works and dynam0s must emanate
from a steam engine. The cost Of
coal, fireman, engineer, etc, etc,
would not be less than $1,000 This
sum, with your interest on your $780,
600, would make the sum of $500
per aunum. Then comes the cost of
repairing engine and pumps, also
pipes, and cost of armatures burned
out; for when a dynamo is run by an
engine this will occur, and this every
man knows who knows anything on
this subject. Think of the expert
ence in your own town and the UNI
certainty OF lights from steam en-
CINE. The water power is giving us
a steady and a reliable light, and
cheap. Why try the steam power
again?
So we conclude that in twenty
years,in place of us being out of debt,
with two good plants on hand, we
would be in debt over $4,000. And
have on our hands an old worn out
engine and dynamos, and bursted
pipes. This would be the case with
good luck. But with bad attention,
with the old adage, "What is every
ones business is no ones business"
then in this case in less than one
year the engine is blown up, corpora
ton sued for the loss of some mans
life, pumps and dynamos blown into
small particles. If not this, your ar
natures burned out two or three
times each year, at cost Of $500 or
or $500 each time, and our town in
darkness. Would you not envy the
Mayor and Aldermen on account of
praises in this event. You may look
for these things. They do occur.
What of electric lights paying?
This is 40 longer question. 1t has
been demonstrated in this town.
Judge Smallman, Judge Magness,
S. l.. Colville, w. V. Whitson, VIM.
HOuchin, VIM. Biles, D. B. Carson,
w. II. Ross and Jesse Walling, and
others Of our very best business men,
and l doubt if Jay Gould could beat
them making money on equal foot
ing in McMinnville, They cannot
be surpassed here; this is certain.
They invested $4,000. The result
was majority sold their stock gladly
at half the principal, with no interest,
in less than one year. The company
lost over 1000 in this way. The
stockholders who did not sell, have
never got one cent, and it is not GER
tair that they ever will.
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