The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-05-21
Portage Lake News
1t Ought to Interest
Residents of Ham
cock.
How Marquette Public Affairs
Are Conducted By the Jacobs Adj
ministration-LateP Portage
Lake News.

Lake News.
The following account, taken from the
Marquette Mining journal OF Saturday,
will prove good reading iustnow for some
residents OF Hancock
"A visit to the new works at the city's |
electric lighting plant just now will re-
veal condition OF things shamefully dis |
creditable to the Jacobs administration,
and provocate of profanity on the part
OF the visitor, il he happens to be tax
lpayer.
The new dam, in the construction oil
which large amount OF money has been
expended, is a complete wreck, and will
have to be almost wholly, il not entirely,
pulled down and rebuilt. A rumor that
it had given way under the pressure OIL
the water upon it during a recent rise IN
the river obtained currencv in the city
during the week, and the Mining journal
sought to obtain some information re-
garding it's condition from members OF
the board in charge OF the work. But
the members OF that board have not
been much in evidence latterly, 80 re-
porter visited the station yesterday after
noon and saw for himself what had hap
Dened.
"The dam is complete and conspicu-
GUS wreck. All the filling back OF the
front timbers has been washed away and
| the timbers which held the front OF the
dam in place and sustained the filling are
broken and twisted out OF shape.
| Through the open space between these
the water pours to the bottom. and hnds
its way 10 the natural bed OF the stream
without any obstruction save what is
mt In ia way by the mass oil timbers put
together under the direction OF an opin-
donated and incompetent board, in the
fond hut foolish belief that it was build.
ing a dam that would hold the waters OF
Dead river and furnish power Tor the new
water wheel (already purchased) to drive
the big DYNAMO (already contracted ior)
which ia to furnish the city with addition
| nj light and power to meet all demands
and which would stand for all time as Q
monument to the administration o
Mayor Jacobs and the wisdom oil tint
men to whom he entrusted an important
public work 49, 10
tween SIC, 900 and 49, 900 to put Tn
new work at the lighting station wner
. it was supposed to be at the time III
the contract for the new electrician ma
cbinery for the plant was contracted ioi
The dam is practically gone; the suDsid
q ary dam below the main dam. put IN I
9 drive the river into the new course pre-
! vided for it. ia gone, and an extensive
0 and extensive, system OF cribbing TO col
. troll the water there will have to be pu
in Work on this is now under wa.
It ia oulte safe to say that not less tina
ak 600 will have to be expended on u
dam and this crib work before the ne
mower can be utilized, and all this
work that the board supposed was don
and done to stay, when it asked the col
mon council for the last appropriation
N $40 600 TO buy the electrical machine
D. reonired for utilization OF the power
"a ex nected to develop with the new wat
70 wheel. :.
% .Wben the present board asked I
20 common council for authority to und'
Is take improving the upper power on I
10 citv's Dead river property, q year az
- estimated the entire cost thereon,
o,rd;no the new water wheel, mt not oN
= SiO 400 With this amount the me
har Of the hoard who acted as its Zig
ming calculator and spokesman, Jan |,
n Pendill, assured the council thaI al
n, tiopal power, to the amount OF SVo q.
would be developed and rendered aV'
able for supplying light and power IN
city. Distrusting the estimate, ana De
donbtiul OF the soundness oil Mr. rendl
3. ;ndgment, the council at first declined
authorize the expenditure. Ma.
iacobs then brought his influence to
On the council, with the result th
Greatly to the surprise OF the people
tho city and as greatly to the gratii
M ZION nj the board, the council at a SUI
onent meeting, when the matter
snrnno on il without notice. voted
Enhting hoard the authority asked
VII On the projected Improvement
M "nantiv begun. the accrued earning'
tho LIGHTING plant, some $500, b
on e inaupurate the improven
snom which so much was expected.
h. "V III ia nroper to explain here that
on'hers Of the lighting board, Mr.. j.
Mack and Mr.. ID. W. Powell, are Dusl
on ~ good Judgment and prac
Inowledee. and it was largely pecaus
NJ oonfidence OF the council in theil
uu .no nd sound sense that 1t wa
I'LL Srsoad IN recede from its original dec
authorize the expenditure OF
anu The other members oil the D
ooa Tames Pendill and Sidney Ad
M the mayor being memoeI W .d'1 ),
UN his Office. The two nrs' I ha" r,;,o
hers of the board were III ,ne m'ao !.
4 the MAYOR, Mr.. Pendill ana MI. AZ
. Constituting a working maIor,ty'
. "Rut on MIR. Pendill and the m %,
"a above all others, rests the respo s,','
"a CO.. the costly and deplorable D'u,
VI tbot have marked the record vi
. h sd in almost everything IL mas
r. coward improving the upper pow
Nd river. Pendill furnished tne
- a,as and plans and the mayo,
\ null, and the other members VI
- p ud were in a great measure pow.
wa oo aac,,re adoption OF their ideas.
IN 70 those OF the mayor ana MS
MI prese o, the board from being CT
mn lu. . n The prosecution OF the work.
WIN ous N ~ ' 80 waste too much space
VA w, wv , .o with which the peoI
NM taiiIns q re already sufficiently
mn Marquv no stated, briefly, tina
Y@ lar, ~ may which Mr.. Pendill as
. mp.aa;l could be completed for
NWM tne cou oost about $22, 900 wheI
bK1l f yy sa 40 900 for the purcna
Nl the electrical machinery ."ed Tor
lAl ultimate utilization was S nut reluct
ITNlI the council also voted, p s1,,r ,e had
lNw3 and after considerable prs Ss,arm;n;r
ANEs brought to bear it, tne ,; ae, at tha
NWM gument with the counc .,no heen 3,
NMN be,ng that, 500, 900 having gould U,e1 h
H)W cd in obtaining power ~ ,.v ut the
0EN business policy not to inves, rsn ede
NWN t;onai SIC, 900 asked ior 10 3
Yl investment available lot rsre" IN n
- wi, Who wanted power and l ign anp,
VIZ. .syo sooner was this last spp'