The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-27

terday afternoon for a meeting of the
board Of aldermen last night ats o'clock
to consider the award Of contracts for
lighting the streets, market and pub
lie buildings, and for furnishing the
city brick, lime and other materials. In
pursuance of the call. Mayor Wright,
and Aldermen 3. F. Keith, A. J.. Hew-
lett, A. j. Walker, D. j. Benson and II.
G. Twining, assembled at the hall. AL
dermen ]. G. Norwood and E. NJ. Green
failed to put in an appearance, and as
there was no quorum present, the al
dermen named waited anxiOusly for
the two absent aldermen to come in.
They had both been notified and re-
quested to attend the meeting. Mayor
Wright finally sent Aldermen Hewlett
in a buggy to the Fifth ward to bring
Alderman Green to the city hall, if he
could be found and induced to come.
Alderman Hewlett found the stay-a-
at 9:15 p. m.
AS a quorum was thus secured, the
board met and was called to order at
800 p. M, by Mayor Wright. City
Clerk F. B. Rice was at his post.
Mayor Wright stated the object Of the
meeting, and bids for lighting the city
were opened. There were two bids.
one from the Wilmington Gaslight
| Company, whose bid for furnishing
| lights was as follows: Seventy-three
49, 1o~o,- 80 60 10 n ~ nov Yonpfh.
81 each for gas lamps per months; $3.50
per month each for gaslights in the
alleys; $3.50 per month for lighting
the three markets, and $3.50 per thou
and for gas for lighting the city hall
with gas.
The other bid was from the Whining
ton Street Railway Company. Their
bid was as follows: Seventy-three arc
lights at 81 each per month or $6,132
per annum: two arc lights in Front
streetstreet market. at SO each per
month, or $24O per year; incandescent
lights SO cents each. The bid was made
with the statement that the contract
could be entered upon June LIST.
After the bids had been read by the
clerk, Mayor Wright said he noticed
| that there were present representatives
Of both companies, and the board would
no doubt like to hear from them.
Eugene S. Martin. Esq, president of
| the Wilmington Gaslight Company, ad-
dressed the board. He stated that the
city acts required the bids for lighting
the city to be awarded annually to a
responsible and competent bidder. He
went on to say that his company had
been lighting the city for a number Of
years and was prepared to carry out
the contract if awarded to it. The
Street Railway Company, he said, was
not a competent bidder, for it has no
plant now and if awarded the contract
! would have to put in a plant. He SUBJ
mitted to the board that no bid should
be accepted under these circumstances.
He said if the contract was awarded to
the Street Railway Company, they
could not get ready in time to carry
out it's contract, as that company has
no poles or wires UP throughout the
city.
Mr.. M. F. H. G~ouveneur, general
manager Of the Street Railway Com
pany, answered Mr.. Martin by saying
his company would give bond for the
faithful performance of it's contract.
He said his bid was made with the
statement that his company would be
ready by June LIST to light the city but
he would guarantee that they would put
up most of the lights in two weeks, and
in two weeks more would have the en-
tire system of lights in.
Mr.. Martin called attention to the
fact that his company has large CAPT.
tai invesed here, that it's stockholders
all liv here and spend heir money
here, that they pay from II to is of
the city taxes. He also called atten-
ton to the fact hat when electric
lights were first put in by the company
arc lights We're So. then the company
reduced them to $40 and then to SO,
and that without any company here to
compete and compel them to make re-
| ductions. He stated that Wilmington
was getting cheaper lights than any
city he knew of.
Mr.. Heiskell said Mr.. Shedding, of his
company had just returned from Knox
Vile, Tenn, and that city was now be-
ing lighted at 81 per arc lamp.
Alderman Twining said he thought
the home company should be en-
couraged.
Alderman Keith also said he would
like to favor the home company but he
would have to vote for the lowest bid
der. He said that under the gold
standard everything had come down
but lights and they would hav to come
down, too.
Alderman Walker said it must be re-
membered that the Street Railway
Company was also a home enterprise.
Alderman Green wanted to defer ac-