The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-06-27
T0-DAYS ELECTION.
Some Diverse Vows on the Elec-
trio Light Ordinance.
DON'T STAND IN YOUR own LIGHT"
Some Hard Work Being Done
Against Better Street Lighting and
for a Bonanza for the Electrical
company---Light on the Question.

At scyen o'clock this morning the
polls will open and by six this evening
tho question Of the ratification Of the
electric light ordinance will be decided
by the qualified voters of the city.
There has been a good deal said pro
and con on the subject, and yesterday
mon opposed to electric lights unless
bought from the Wheeling Electrical
Company were working as hard and
spending money as freely as though the
election Of President were at stake.
Opponents Of tho ordinance have
raised money somewhere TO pay workers
ut the polls to labor for tho defeat OF the
loan to-day. Yesterday mon, most OF
them interested in the electrical com.
pany, were going about employing men
on salary ior tho purpose.
A South Side advocate OF decent street
lights has a large blue print OF the
plan Of lighting the city displayed at his
front door, with tho words placarded
on it: Don't stand in your own light"
This became sort OF battle cry with
the friends OF better lights.
paper is the resolution on the subject
Of tho loan adopted by the Council. A
member OF the Electric Light Commits
sion recently received the following
letter, which explains itself:
DEAR StR:-We have your favor Of
the 27th inst, in which you desire that
we should give you, either for publica.
ton or for personal use, an estimate on
the cost OF operation OF an electric light
plant of 400 lights Of 2, 00Q candle power
cach. You desire that the figures
should be exact regarding the wages OF
linen necessary, specifying the amount
for each man, and rating coal at cost
OF three cents per bushel.
In answer to the foregoing inquiries
we can state from our experience during
the past ten years in the electric light
ing business, and in the construction
and operation OF the largest plants in
the United States operated under the.
Wood system. We would say, how
ever, that there is marked difference
in the cost OF operation of the various
systems Of electric lighting, but the
facts are not generally known, for the
reason that in systems where the cost
of operation is exceedingly high, the
first cost OF the plant is exceedingly
low, and the purchasers usually conceal
from tho public the cost OF operation
for reasons best known to themselves;
but when probable purchasers go into
the investigation for the purchase OF a
plant as large as 400 lights, and costing
us much money, it is business policy to
enter into the closest investigation. re-
garding the questions you have asked.
We have been informed that the
Wheeling Electrical Company has
stated in the public press that tho OPP
Grafton OF this plant will cost S30,0 900 per
wear. 10 answer the company's repre-
sentative on this point we might refer
to paper published and addressed to
the honorable Mayor and Council ofthe
city of Wheeling, w. Va, recently in
which they state that they are willing
TO purchase q plant oil electric light to
cost from $4,000 to 100000, and rent
the same to the city at \ cost OF SO 81
per lamp per year, and in accordance
with their own statement we would OBJ
serve that they are willing to do bust
ness on an investment OF 100000, upon
profit OF 81 IS per light per year.
Without going into the merits or de-
merits OF their position, it is evident
there is large sized bug in the state
meat, which the following-the cost OF
operation OF a plant-would clearly
show the Wheeling Electrical Company.
Perhaps they desire to have the public
appreciate their wonderful sense of
philanthropy.
Wewilltake, to begin, the cost oflabor
upon plant OF the Fort Wayne Wood
apparatus, and ifitweredesired would
be willing to guarantee to the city our
figures would be correct.
One electrician. per ycor-........... ......st? 200
Six trimmer, SljcncE per month";. 500
Ono lincmNn, Sos per mont ............" $50
One dynamo man, S6S per month";. $50
One hOlper, So per nth."."......... $40
one chief engineer, Sfj pc: month. 800
One helper, Sl5 per rno1th........... 90
Two ilremcn, So ehch..................... $50
Total cost OF ..................--s 5000
2o2 900 pRirS OF carbonS At Sl2 per Mms3,GE
s2,l93 bushels coal at cents per
21JI
OIL anti ..............................." 10
Globes, estimated At."".................." $50
.....'..'''...slO,8JS