The news & observer., 1897-02-13
Electric .ty Is Now 70 be U.s. d
Exclusively.
FOR LIGHTING THE STREETS
CONTRACT TO BE GIVEN OUT
on MONDAY.
SEVENTY ARC LIGHTS LOCATED
The Miserable Gas Lights Now IN Use
Cost the City Nearly $4,000 Dur
ing the Past Year The
New Contract.


4ovn in the United States to its size and
;n,nortance" said Mayor Russ yesterday,
eve have simply got to make some Inn
,,ro,an,ent in the matter. Expenses must
NO curtailed in other directions, If neces-
ssrv 1t is an important matter. Aside
from the absolute necessity of better
l;obts for the safety and convenience of
the city there is nothing that so impresses
a stranger in regard to a city As ITS
LIGHTS. Not only are there too few cleo
trie lights in Raleigh, but they arc not
properly placed and too near the ground.
Are lights ought to be at least thirty feet
from the ground Ours are only about
twenty. If they were ten feet higher
they would do much better.
81 am IN favor" he continued, of do
ing away with gas entirely and sutst1tut-
ing electricity, if our financial condition
will permit it. Seventy-fve or eighty
arc lights, properly located, would give
rs ten times the quantity of light we
are now giving, and it would certainly be
more in keeping with the progress the
citv is making. And it is making pro-
gress-there have not been less than 300
fine residences built her during the last
two years.
The members of the Light committee
anpointed by the Board of Aldermen
talked very much in the same strain.
They all say the lights are bad-could
hardly he worse-and that something
must be done to improve them.
81 think we have an exceedingly poor
ly lighted town" said Chairman Bon-
shall. II am in favor of curtailing ex-
penses in every other direction in order
to improve the lights, and the streets. Of
course this remark does not mean to ap-
ply to the fire department, but to all 9th
ers it does The Light committee has
fifty per cent more on lights than has
heretofore been expended, and for that
expenditure the town ought to be light
ed in a first-class manner. We will not
be satisfied with anything else. Propo-
sails have been sent out for bids for fur
nishing the city with 20 arc lights of
1,2O0 candle power each These bids will
be opened Monday and the contract
HI xf FL haTfa III
reasonable"
These are the plans, and they mean a
great deal to Raleigh very great deal.
1t means that a new era OF progress and
prosperity is dawning for the city-that
she is arousing from her sleep of conserva-
tism and shaking off her let-well-enough-
alone policy that has so long kept her
in the background and made her the
laughing stock of the State. The muddy
street and gas-light era has passed; it is
a day of asphalt and electricity.
Within the past two years the princi-
pal streets of Raleigh have undergone q
complete transfornation-in all except
Highland the work OF improvement
is every day being pushed forward Now
for the lights
They have already been located A
committee composed of Aldermen Bou-
shall, Hoover, Mills, Drewry and Baker
has the matter in charge, Pursuant to
instructions from the Board OF Aldermen
Monday night, this committee met Thurs
day afternoon and indicated to all who
contemplate bidding, just where they
want these 10 lights placed. This was
done in order that prospective bidders
might know just how many poles and
how much wire would be required
To properly furnish these lights to
the city, it will not only he necessary to
put in poles and wire and lamps, but TO
put in an entirely new plant of large
capacity. This being so, several outside
companies have signifed their intention
of coming in as competitors with the two
local companies here for the contract
All this must be completed by May |,
when the present contract expires.
After that date Raleigh will be lighted
As IL ought TO he, or rather as 1T ought 20
have been FIVE years ago. Every might
all night long from early twilight tiH
full dawn-it will have sc arc Lights, OF
1.2OO candle power flooding its streets
with their rays The city will run 10
of these, the railroads will furnish 8 and
the State a. They will be at least thirty
feet from the ground instead Of almost
upon it, as they are now. 1t as hoped also
that they will be kept IN better order.
They are to be kept burning all night
instead of half the night, as the three
iightning-bug was lights now furnished
by the Raleigh Gas Company do.
These new plans mean another thing.
They mean that the Gas Company can
no longer enjoy monopoly OF the light
ing business and feast and ratten on the
city. There is competition i'm electricity,
and if the Board OF Aldermen don't make
a good contract for the next five years,
it's n0body's fault but their own Out
side companies can and will come in and
bid az given an opportunity. In the gas
business this is not possible.
The people have for a hong tame been
restless under this high-priced, park-ai-
ley, lightning bug system OF paying $1.5O
ser 1000 cubic feet for gas, and then hav-
rns no lights. Perhaps If WAS fsh~ best