The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-09
HAS ITS ELECTRIC LIGHTS
Woodruff Place Beats the City Several
Points in Both Time and Price.
Place Thoroughly Illuminated at q Cost of
$7215 Per Light, While the City Pays
$S5-Drives to Be Paved.

Woodruff Place is now brilliantly illumi-
mated with electricity, the lights having
been turned on In full for the first time last
night. The effect was beautiful and more
than satisfactory to the residents. There
are twenty-one of the two thousand candle
power arc lights of the Thorn pson- Houston
pattern distributed along the esplanades
of the three drives, seven upon each drive.
They are neatly mounted upon poles.
painted green. which are hardly noticeable
among the dense foliage of the esplanades.
The wires are for the most part overhead.
strung along among the trees. but wherever
it is necessary TO cross the drives they are
in underground condults. The total cost
OF the plant, exclusive Of the lot and build
ing. is g., 800, the dynamo. lamps and wires
costing $500 ready for operation, and
Cald we'll Charter gas engine costing 81. 500.
The power-house, an unpretentious frame
building, painted in the prevailing taste
of Borrioboola. Cha, stands on the rear of
q lot on the East drive. The lot and build
ing together cost $4,000. making total in
vestment of &c. 800.
The cost of running the plant. labor, fuel
and ell. comes somewhat within 81, 200 per
year. Figuring per cent. interest on the
investment. the cost of the lights to the
people of Woodrutf-the plant is run by
the town corporation. not by private con-
TRACTS 81, 615 per year, or ST. 10 per year
per light.
1t is interesting to make few COMPARE
sons between the light deal Of Woodruff
Place, where there Is no politics. and that
control. 1t is one of the first exioms of
commerce and manufacture that cOmmodi-
ties can be produced and sold much cheaper
in large quantities than in small ones. 1t
har fol hat aff al m Uaf
$50 electric lights much cheaper per hight
than Woodruff Place can get It's twenty
one lights. The city. however, has con-
s.aSsed b to pay per P,oo light conner per
ing in interest and everything.
else. pays but s72.15. difference of S12S5
per light. which. with 75Q lights, represents
at least S9.637.50 per year of clean profit
above interest and expenses for the Indian
apOlls Light and Power Company. on its
city contract. But If twenty-one lights
con be furnished at S72l5 per light it is
probable that the cost of operating $50 i'm
teTest included does not run mere, and
possibly much less, than $40 per light On
this basis the city Is paying. or will pay.
81. $50 q year profit to the company. But
the city lights are not yet turned on. 1t
made its contract in March. 1882. after
tooiing away over years time in decid-
The contract provided that the lights were
to he In operation by the autumn of 1892.
but the lights are not yet turned on and
there Is suspicion that they are being with
held In order TO make grand stand play"
for Mayor Sullivan Just before the Demo-
cratic city convention. Woodruff has no
political complications; the trustees set to
work on the light question last February
and pushed 1t through to completion with
out unnecessary delays.
The Woodruff trustees, Messrs. j. X. Hus-
sey, Chauncey Butler and George u. BlnR-
ham. have proceeded rapidly with i'm
provements of late. Last summer all the
sidewalks not already laid with cement
were cemented. and this spring the light
question was taken up and handled with
marked success. At this weeks meeting
declaratory resolutions were adopted for
curblng all the drives and repaying them.
The drives are at present paved with cedar
block upon u gravel foundation. put down
when the place was first laid out, with no
curblng. IL Is the intention to curb both
the sidewalk lawns and esplsnades with
the Parkhnrst or some similar combination
of cement curb ana gutter. The method
of paving however. has not been finally
determined upon. The proposition at pres.
ent IS TO put down the cedar blocks on q
gravel foundation. The chief reason for
this is its cheapness; three or four such pave
ments can be put down for the cost of one
asphalt or brick pavement on concrete
foundation, and as there is no heavy haul
ing In w oodruff it is argued that this Will
do very well. There in considerable oppo-
eltion TO this plan among the residents.
They want the place paved. the sooner the
better, and they like the cedar block fully
as well as asphalt OF brick. if not better.
becaus0 it is noiseless. But the action of
frost upon block pavement with gravel
foundation practically ruins it in two or
three winters by bulglng il here and sink
ing 1t there. They prefer a more sub
stantial foundation. It is not unlikely
that before taking final action upon the
paving resolutions the board will call q
meeting of the property owners and ask
for n general expression of views.