Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-08-10
A LARGE ELECTRIC CONCERN,
Two Electric Lighting Companies of ~
Louis Consoiidste--Aspbsits Yer
sus Wood.

Sr. LOUIS, Aug. S.-For severa,
months there have been rumors point.
ing to the consolidation of the NJ ,ici-
pal and Missouri Electric Lig ting
companies of this city, and 1t now APP
pears that the amalgamation has been
completed, and that both companies
will in future be known as the Edison
Lighting company of St. Louis. The
Municipal company has been before
the local public for about four years,
IL obtained the contract for long
term for lighting the streets OF St
Louis with are lights ut about $50 "a
wear light, subject TO discounts and
deductions The company proceeded
to build what is still the largest are
lighting plant in the world, ana
started in on their contract with con
siderable energy, II was soon found,
however, that the price being so much
lower than that pa d elsewhere there
was little or no profit in the trunsac-
ton, aud for the asst two years the
company practically declined to erect
! additional lights when called upon,
IL has, however made ,onsidcrab
money out of ats commercial business.
The Missouri company has the iarg-
est incandescent central staff n IN
America and has very profitable
business, chiefly Of n commercial cha
actcr. The consolidation will be an
advantage to those having in charge
the st, Louis festivities MS there will
be u ldi lional facilities OF securing an
abundance of power, The trial illumi
natl N for the 1873 season takes place
| Saturday, Aug. t., with awards OF
81, co. electric lights in tn Splay and
| OF even larger number OF gas lights
| There will be set and pyrotechnic
| pieces illustrative OF the discovery OF
| America and OF the ,ountry's prosper
| Gus and peaceful career
II is proposed TO add To the attrac-
! tons of Forest park, the second lnt sc /
municipal park in Anne lea, n large
| lake, which will Ire suitable for boat
! ing and other purposes There is am
| pie room in the park for this lake and
| the ground Is SO rolling in pla cs that
comparative little expense will be in.
CURED in it's construction, II is pro-
posed to pipe til" water from the
Mcrrimac river near It's source and
| thus have exceptionally coui aud clear
water in the lake. 1t has been sug'
| gestcd that the work house prisoners
could be used To do the bulk OF the
excavating and u public subscription
is likely To be raised To pay unavCida-
| BILE expenses.
An interesting controversy il going
on as to the relative merits OF
| asphalt and wood FOR paving
| purposes. The first wood pave
ment laid in st Louis a few years ago
proved II complete failure, but the i'm
| proved WOO pavemcnts laid within
the last three or four years have been
very popular and appear to be wear
| ing wei. The present street commits
| sioncr favors asphalt, and the enor-
nous travel on the streets running
east and west paved with this material
shows its gret popularity. During
the spring and summer two main
thOroughfares have been relaid with
lake asphalt and the quantity OF
| traffic they have drawn from parallel
| streets has been n matter OF general
| comment One of the theaters Is by
permission OF the authorities laying "A
layer OF asphalt over the granite
blocks along the two fronts adjoining,
and The experiment is watched with
much interest. II il is success tho
granite in front Of several of the pub
lie buildings will be similarly coated.
The Real Estate Exchange reports
an immense increase In the number of
parties with small sums Of money who
are anxious 10 lay IL on real estate.
Several thousand dollars are being
withdrawn daily from safe deposit
vaults and invested in first mortgages
on real estate and the effect on the
market is marked. The holders Of
property are not sacrificing and are
very confident as 10 the outcome, AT
an auction sale OF suburban sub
division this week tho prices realized
averaged more than so per cent above
the highest prices paid at private sale
in the subdivision, and there was
quite spirited competition among the
bidders, most of whom purchased
small home Sits.