The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-01-19
The Electric Light Company
Serves Notice on The City
To Pay Its Bills by
Noon Today.
Failing In This, 1t Will Consider
The Contract Broken
and Void.
Mayor Weaver Makes a Lengthy
and Caustic Reply The Lights
Turned Off.


evening:
To the City Of Mdnkato, and to the mayor
and common council, of SAID city:
Said city of Mankato being in de-
fault ia the payment Of the sum OF
81 .OS9I2. due the MankatO Gas &
Electric Light Co.. for furnishing
lights to said city through the months
of November and December, 1898,
under and by virtue of that Ger ain
contract and agreement, entered into
between said city of Mankato and
said Mankato Gas & Electric Light
Go. dated Oct. IL, 1890 Now please
to take notice that if all sums now
due and unpaid from said city of
Mankato to said Mankato Gas &
: Electric Light Co, for furnishing
lights to said cityuf MaDkato, under
said contract are not paid in full on
or before II o'clock noon, of the 18th
day of January, 1894, said MankatO
Gas & Electric Light Co. will treat
said contract to furnish lights to said
city. herein before mentioned, as
abandoned by said city, and will in all
respects rescind and revoke the same
for non performance thereof on the
Dated and signed this 18th day of
jan, A. d. 1894.
MANKATO CASA ELECTRIC LIGHT Co.
By JOHN F. MEAGHER, Pres.
r. E. BROWN, Sec,y.
Mayor Weaver this forenoon served
the following reply upon President
Meagher, of the company.
MANKATo, Jan. 13, '94 10 JAN.
HON. j. +. MEAGHER,
Pres MdnkatO Gas d. LEU. Light Co.
My Dear Sir: l beg to acknowledge
receipt last evening, at 1880, of the
cancellation of contract, at II O'Clock
noon, today, in case your company is
not paid in full prior TO that hour the
amounts claimed as due, ST. ,OS9. II, for
Nov. and Dec. bills for lighting. By
this action you assume, and stand in
the position before the public, of at
tempting to compel payment OF a
QueStio able amount by threats, which
is strange for the best business men
in the city to do. John +. Meagher,
Lester Patterson and r. ID. Hubbard,
the owners of this plant, and actors
in this exhibition, have ever been con-
sidered men Of unQueStioned fairness.
You haye your remedy in courts,
and if you are correct in your position,
and demand is established before the
court, you would get your pay; hence,
am al loss to see why such action
should be taken.
If you ore furnishing the city
the power 1900 and 30 cdndle), why
should you be unwilling to demon
strate it to the public? The city has
offered to stand One-half The expense
of this test, your company to pay the
other half. If the test shows aUe are
wrong, zee will pay all the expense and
your money, with apology. We offered
then, and do now offer, to pay a good
part Of both bills, leaving balance for
adjustment, and if there is anything
unfair in this don't know it,
My action in this matter is taken
with no motive of animOSity. | am
simply undertaking to correct SEEM
ing wrong to the city, in whose inter-
est solely am | at work.
The test | caused to be made was a
comparative one, and practically cor
rect. 1t resulted in our finding about
eleven-twentieths of the power given
by other good 1000 candle lamps
Two meetings Of the city lighting
committee were held jointly with the
Ell. l. Co., with no result. The bills
were allowed by the council, and in
my judgment, the same thing would
occur monthly In future; hence my
desire for an adjustment now.
You say we do not know what candle
power we are given, and cannot find
out, which is strange, indeed, as ev-
cry electrician consulted by me says
the power eau be established very
closely and will stand in court.
: You will not agree to any such test
though one Of your company openly
expressed himself, at first, as anxious
a test should be made. He has evil
IDENTIFY changed his mind.
{ Now you serve notice upon me, at
1870 last evening, to pay every dollar yOat
sag is due prior to II O'clock noon. TO-
day, or you will cancel the contract,
thus giving us no time to even call the
council together simply as case of
squeeze"
The people will be surprised at this
action. Your demand, as unreasOn-
able as ShylOck's for the pound OF
flesh, must be met or
You claim thatyOur company stands
branned as robbers: yet when you can
be set right before the people, if you
are right. you refuse the remedy.
Have called the council together fol
this or Monday evening, and they
will carefully consider this new phase
of the situation.
Jno. f. .Meegher, Lester Patterson
r. d. Hubbard and r. e. brown will
have to assume responsibility for theil
action, if it is taken, as threatened
to cancel the contract.
If you are not willing to await the
action of the council at it's special Ses
sion, as named, you will have to ACT
your pleasure, as l now see NJ
reason for changing my position re
gardin payments.
Very Truly Yours,
EDGAR WEAVER, Mayor.
Mr.. Meagher was seen by FREE
PRESS reporter this afternoon anC
stated that the arc and incandescen1
electric lights were turned off at moor
and that they will not be turned or
again until the matter is fixed up. He