The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-21
indianapolis Light and Power Company
Organized with 100000 Capital.
Brush and Marmon-P Perry Interests Consoli.
dated, with Henry Schnull, Frank Maus,
and other Local Capitalists Interested.
New Concern Will Take the Municipal
Contract Recently Entered Into.
Bids for Pennsylvania Street Asphalt-South-
Street Contract Awarded-Talbott-
Avenue Improvement.
ELECTRIC CONSOLIDATION.

ELEOxDlC
Brush and Marmon-Perry Interests Com
bine-Local Capital Interested.
The filing of articles of incorporation of
the Indianapolis Light and Power Com
pany with the Secretary of State and the
county recorder. early yesterday after
noon, was the first ~lntimation of the big
gest deal in the electric-light business ever
made in this city. The negotiations have
been pending for several months. but SO Sc
cretly were they Conducted. in view of GER
tain contingencies. that the secret did not
get out. The incorporators of the new con-
Germ are Daniel w. Marmon. Charles G.
Perry. William r. Evans. Henry Schnull.
Frank A. Maus. John Caven and Clarence
Wulsin, of this city. and b. +. Sunny. of
Chicago. The capital stock 10 5000. 900 and
the purpose of the new company Is to do
all kinds of electric lighting in this city.
MIR. Sunny. the only incorporation not q
resident of this city. is q representative OF
the Thompson-H Houston Electric-light Com
pany. The organization of the Indianap-
oils Light and Power Company means o
consolidation OF the Marmon q Perry and
Brush company interests in this city and
the bringing in Of outside loo al capital.
The contract recently swar ded to the
Brush company for furnishing $50 arc
lights for q term of ten years will be as
sumed by the new company at the contract
price. which was ss5 q light. Almost one
month of the six months in which the
plant was to be completed has elapsed. and
in that time the Brush company has been
delayed somewhat IN its work by bad
weather, yet the representatives of the
new company say they will have the p liant
in operation in the required time.
Hereafter there will be no such firms as
the Marmon & Perry Lighting C ON pany
OF the indianapolis Brush Light and Power
Company s0@ Power The com nnd,apapoIIs Light deh
troll all the electric lighting done
in the city. OF course. the fact that
the city contract is to be transferred to the
new company shows that some kind of q
deal has been made with the parent Brush
company. which has controlled the Indian
epolls Brush companies operations here.
but just what it was the persons concerned
decline to say. President Caven. of the
Brush company. owns some stock In the
sents his interest IN the Lew company.
What arrangements the local capitalists
made to induce the Brush company to give
M its foothOld in this city can only be
kuCSoCQ NV duo IN h0J 10 tAht ~ hoo ~
thrown up the sponge. The commercial
lighting in this city 10 n valuable invest
ment. and wonld not be given up by any
company unless q great inducement was
offered.
Yesterday afternoon q Journal reporter
called at President Caven's Office, and
found him in consultation with Mr.. c. &.
Perry. of the MarmOn IL Perry Company.
When asked about the deal President
Caven was very evasive. He did not deny
that a deal of some kind was on, but he
said things were not in shape. and would
not be tor u day or two for him to talk. He
would not admit that q new company had
been organized. or that the interests Of
Marmon II Perry and the local Brush
company had been consolidated, but said
it would make no difference to the city who
lighted IL If the contract was carried out in
all its details.
you can say this much" said he; that
as fine a plant as there is In the world will
be built In this city. and will furnish the
city $50 arc lights"
MIR. Perry. who was seen a few minutes
later. was not so uncommunicative. I'VE
have lone one of the best things that has
ever been done for Indianapolis. We have
organized a company composed of Indian
aDolis business men. who own all the stock,
to take charge of the city lighting. 1t will
ne the only corporation outside the Con-
sinners Gas Trust. the stock of which will
be owned entirely by local people"
What connection Will the Brush COM
pany have with this new companyf"
None whatever. The stock will all be
owned here"
"Yes. but In order to get the city contract
from the Brush company You must have
had some agreement with itf
Yes. of course, we have an agreement by
which we get the city oOntr act, which is
the cheapest that any city in the country
has. MIR. Caven owned some stock in the
Brush company which he puts in the new
company. 1t Is entirely q local affair, and
will be a great thing for the city"
where will the .p,ower-house for the
new plant be locatedf"
lon kentucky avenue, on the ground
bought by the Brush company. The firm
of Marmon ~ Perry owns the ground where
our plant is located. and We will still re-
tain it,"
How long have the negotiations been
pendIngf'
For some time. The consummation of
the deal was DELAYED somewhat by the low
price at which the city contract was
awarded"
The gentlemen named as incorporators
are all well-known business men in whom
the people have confidence. The o~rganiza-
ton OF the new company was promoted by
working OIL it for some time. A meeting of
the stockholders will be held at the Deni-
son House this evening to consider i'm
portant matters.
pany Is duly organized with the OK pecta-
ton of assuming the contract to light the
city, 1t Is apparent that some understand
ing has been reached with the Board of
Public Works. City Attorney Bailey was
seen last evening and said ir would be
necessary for the city to agree In writing
TO the transfer of the contract from one
company to another before it could be
legally done. Mr.. Perry, when asked il
the city authorities had been consulted,
said they had not to his knowledge.
It seems TO be the general impression that
the Brush company has parted with it's in
terest IN the lighting plant here for a good
round sum. AT one time it was the policy
of the Brush company 10 own the control
ling interest in the lighting plants of vari-
Gus cities. as it was the policy of the
Thompson-Housto company to control
both light and electric street-gailroad
plants. but in the past few years it has
been letting 90 and devoting its energies
TO the manufacture of electrical appli-
ances. This is probably the reason 1t has
consented TO allow Its interests here to be