The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-30
CITY AFFAIRS.
Approval Of the Contract of the Street
Railway Company to Furnish Electric
~Light-The Wilmington Gasiisht Conn
pany to Furnish Gas and Light the Mar

"A CoilISEEHtc - ne DodId VI dQulI
and finance was held last night to con-
slider the contract for lighting the city.
| All the members were in attendance,
viz: Chairman William H. Chadbourn
| and Messrs. H. c. Mcqueen, c. w.
Yates, H. A. DeCover. and John Fl.
| Weber.
Eugene S. Martin, Esq, representing
the Wilmington Gaslight Company.
George Rountree, Esq, President H. A.
Whiting, and Manager NJ. F. III. Gouve
neur, representing the Wilmington
Street Railway Company, n Mayor
s. P. Wright were present.
Chairman Chadbourn stated that un-
der the act creating the board. the
number Of meetings authorized for a
month had been exhausted. but the
board would have a conference and at
the next regular meeting to be held next
Tuesday would approve whatever was
agreed On in the conference touching
the award of the contract for lighting
the city.
Captain John Cowan, the clerk
ledO d COIilIiluIllCdI lOn ITOi1 me DOdTO
Of aldermen, stating the action of that
board in awarding the contract to the
Wilmington Street Railway Company
for lighting the city with electric lights,
and in awarding the contract to the
Wilmington Gaslight Company for
lighting the city with gas.
The clerk was then called on to read
the bids of the respective companies,
upon which the board of aldermen took
action. The bid of the Wilmington Gas
light Company was to furnish IL arc
street lamps at SO each per month, to
light the three markets as now wired.
at $3.50 per month, to furnish gas for
lighting the street lights at 81 per
month for each lamp, to furnish gas for
lighting the alley lamps at $3.50 per
month for each lamp, and to light the
city hall with gas, at $1S.50 per month.
The bid of the Wilmington Street Rail-
way Company, electricity alone), was
to furnish 70 arc street lamps at 81 per
month each, two arc lamps at Front
street market, at $40 per month each,
and incandescent lights at so cents
! each.
Chairman Chadbourn stated that the
question to be considered in connection
with the bids was as to the competency
of the Wilmington Street Railway Com
pany as a bidder.
Mr.. Gouveneur submitted to the
board the proposition that the proposal
of the Street Railway Company to give
bond for the. faithful performance of
the contract settled the matter of the
company's competency.
Mr.. Martin addressed the board and
explained his contention before the
board Of aldermen that the Wilmington
Street Railway Company was not a
competent bidder, as it did not have a
plant ready for carrying out the con-
tract and that it's proposition was to
: begin lighting the city June LIST. He
submitted that the law required the
contract to be awarded annually and
and urged that the custom is to date
the contract from April 1st. h his
company has been lighting the city
since April LIST, and being a competent
bidder should be awarded the contract.
He proposed that the bid of his COM
pany could be revised to meet the
wishes of the board. He spoke of the
| fairness of his company in years gone
in reducing the charges for arc lamps
from $12 to $40 and then to SO, without
being solicited to do so.
Mr.. GOuverneur in esponse to a
question of Chairman Chadbourn said
his company in a day Or two could get
the lights along the street railway line
ready. that in two weeks they could
| have 80 lamps ready, and in two weeks
! more they could be ready to fulfill the
/ contract. He stated that his company
has sufficient dynamo power, and that
the newest arc lamps, such as are used
in Washington would be put up.
George Rountree, Esq, attorney for
the Street Railway Company, read the
law, providing hat the contract for
lighting the city shall be awarded an
nually or at such other time as may
be necessary and spoke at some length
as to the competency Of his company,
LA I u W L OO1lo ain SolIS
out the contract. He submitted to the
board that his company was the lowest
bidder and there could be no other
course but to approve the contract.
After further discussion by the at
torneys, the members of the board
agreed, at its next meeting, to approve
he contract with the Street Railway
Company for furnishing the 73 arc
lights, and to approve the contract with
the Wilmington Gaslight Company for
furnishing the city gas lamps, gas at
the city hall, and for lighting the three
markets.
RESTORED TO HEALTH.
|! If you are suffering with any skin or
| blood disease, rheumatism, Catarrh,