Evening star., 1897-01-16
Charges Made by the Potomac Light
and Power Company.
CERTAIN PUBLICATIONS REFERRED 10
Prospects Of Action by the Senate
and the House.
r Z S HIN g THE WORK

CockFell JOINT reSOlut1On, reported in The
Star yesterday afternoon, has sent an
electric shock of tremendous power through
every one connected with the electric light
companies of the District of Columbia.
No one seems to doubt that the action of
the committee in determining to make a
favorable report on this resolution to the
Senate will be followed by it's passage by
the Senate, and it's adoption by Congress
would result in stopping the work now
under way by the Potomac Electric Power
Company, which is laying seven miles of
underground conduits as means of carry
ing out its contract with the Commission
ers for public lighting.
The consequence is that the Potomac
company is running a race with Congress
to see whether it cannot complete its work
before the national legislature can act on
the joint resolution.
When a Star reporter called at the Office
of the Potomac Electric Power Company
today he found its president, Mr.. o. I.
Crosby, in fighting mood. Mr. Crosby
stated that he proposed to give to the
press of this city certain correspondence
which he had had with Mr.. Mcmillan,
chairman of the Senate committee the
District of Columbia, which he had SUBJ
mitted to the District committee in order
that that body might have full under
standing of the electric lighting contro-
eSted.
Mr. CrOsby's Letter.
In his letter to Senator Mcmillan Mr.
Crosby says:
LAS there have been many statements
Power Company. some appearing in the
public press and some heard on the floor
of the Senate, We beg leave to state thus to
you the principal facts connected with the
origin and growth of that company-frst
adverting to newspaper Misrepresentation
For more than year past the Washing
ton Times, whose utterances were once
given the dignity of hearing on the floor
OF the Senate, has been continuously en-
gagged in the publication of misleading and
often of absolutely false statements. We
now know, as we suspected all along the
motive for such publications. We have in
the last three weeks been informed by Mr.
Goldsmith general manager of the Wash
ngton Times Company. that during the
past session this paper had published
eighteen thousand lines of reading matter
directed against the Potomac Company
such publications having been paid for by
the United States Electric Lighting Com
pany. AT the same time the said general
manager also proposed that the policy of
his paper toward could be at once
changed. provided that we should engage
for the publication of not less than ten
thousand lines of reading matter at 81 per
line during the coming year or session
I'VE append a carefully made record pre-
pared just after the conversations in which
such statements and propositions were
made.
I'VE have not felt inclined to submit to
the cold-blOoded blackmail thus endeayor-
ed to be levied upon us, and we trust that
those who must officially pass upon our in
terests will not in any wise be misled by
such publications.
'1rritated at times by the continual mis-
representa- tons thus given to the public
and which have been repeated to our hurt
on the floor OF the Senate, we have felt in
clined to publish the very statements that
are here submitted to you. The difficulty
of such proceeding is well known to men
engaged in business affairs, and we have
finally concluded to thus lay them before
you. in order that you, yourself, may be-
come acquainted with the facts and per-
haps kindly make them known to others
who have right to know them and whose
opinions will necessarily affect legislative
action.
1.-The Potomac Electric Company, doing
business In and around Georgetown and
having station at the Virginia end of the
Chain bridge, was purchased some time in
the fall of 1895 by Messrs. o. T. Crosby
and Charles A. L!eb. This plant had been
In operation for four or five years, having
ers of the District of Columbia. New dy-
namos were at once purchased and placed
In the station of the Georgetown and Ten
leytown Railway Company, in which
. u,
the old station being abandoned.
1t was their purpose from the beginning
to install large plant to supply power for
all purposes and to make a departure from
anything known in this District in the
matter of supplying railroad companies
with electricity. To that end a piece of
property was secured on the corner of 33d
and K streets and contracts for heavy ma
chinery of approved pattern were made
with the Crainp Ship and Engine Building
Company ard the General Electric Com
pany. Preliminary to these steps contracts
for the supply of electricity had been made
with the Glen Echo Railroad Company, the
Washington and Great Falls Electric Com
paDy. the Washington. Arlington and Falls
Church Railway Company, the Georgetown
and Tenleytown Railway Company and the
Tenleytown and Rockville Railway Com
pany. Some time in November, 1895, con-
tract was made with the lexington Rail-
way Company, contingent Noon the obtain
rent OF permits to connect the railway
piant IN Eckington with otr station in
Georgetown. This brought us in relation
with the Washington Electric Light Com
pany or what is ordinarily known as the
lexington hight plant. owned by Col Trues-
In the station belonging to the lexington
halfway Company. Our contract to close
down this station left the Eckineton lines
without station supply, and as it had been
our intention to extend our lighting busi-
Hess. as well as our power business. we
purchased from Col. Truesdell the Eck,ng
ton plant and have since, by arrangement
with the lexington Railroad Company CON
tinued to operate 1t. 1t is as yet not con-
nected with our plant in the northwest.
the execution of permits obtained for that
purpose having been prevented by iniunc-
tons later to be referred to. The streets
OF lexington are lighted from this plant.
On account of informalities in the or
ganization of the old Potomac COMPANY we
nrst organized company to succeed it
and obtained a charter under the laws Of
the state of Virginia. To this corporation
all the property and rights obtained from
Messrs Crosby and Lieb by the purchase
both of the old Potomac company and the
lexington plant, and all such additions as
they had been able to make to the same
were transferred.
"Early in 1896 q large interest in the new
company was sold to Mr.. F. C. Stevens.
president of the West End Nationai Rank
Of this city. AS stockholders, besides
Messrs. Crosby and Lieb are Messrs Henry
W. and Edwin s. Cramp of Philadelphia
and q few personal friends of Messrs.
Crosby and Lieb, gentlemen interested fn
the electrical business In various WAYS in
New Y@k city. These parties remain those
interested In the company, : the troll BE-,
irg with Messrs. Stevens and. Crosby. Who
reside in this District.
I'm April. 1885. learning that you required
that corporations doing business d this