, 1897-11-22

To the Editor of The Republican.
On Friday last | noticed an article in
your paper of that date. which purports
to be a report of an interview with Mr..
Arnold in relation to business pros
poets and other information obtained
by him during his late visit to Colora-
do. Among other statements contain
ed therein. | find the following: In
Fort Collins the streets are lighted by
10 arc lamps of 1000 candle power. The
city pays for this 81 800 per year, about
one-half what is paid in Laramie"
This statement assuredly needs quail
f1cation and correction. If it means
what it says. it is not true. If it means
that the conditions at Fort Collins are
the same as at Laramie. it is not true.
II 1t means that the streets of Fort
Collins are lighted all night as they are
at Laramie. it is not true. If It means
that the rates at Fort Collins are lower
than they are at Laramie. II Is not true.
II it means to compare the prices
charged for arc lights in Fort Collins
with the prices charged for i%ncandes-
cent lamps in Laramie. it furnishes alb
solutely no criterion whatever for MAX
ing any comparison. and if it means to
compare the prices charged for arc
lamps in Fort Collins with the prices
heretofore charged for arc lamps in
Laramie. or with the prices which our
electric light company has agreed to
furnish the same to the city under the
new contract, then the statement. or
rather the natural inference that the
prices in Fort Collins are about one
half what is paid in Laramie, is not
true.
AS a matter OF fact Fort Collins has
only II arc lamps. instead of 10. In
stead of paying 81 500 for 10 arc lamps.
they pay 5000 for II lamps. Instead
OF having their streets lighted all night.
as they are at Laramie. they are light
ed until midnight only. and instead of
the prices being about one-half what is
paid in Laramie. their prices are nearly
double what is paid in Laramie. that is
W Shs nv late I'l ramp lDUT, WHICH
is the basis of computation. is nearly
double the rate in Laramie.
On the tenth day of the present
month l wrote to the manager Of the
electric light plant at Fort Collins for
information in relation to these mat
tiers, and in reply thereto he informed
me that his company furnishes the city
OF Fort Collins with II arc lamps only.
at $40 each per month. and that the
lamps burn until midnight only.
1t appears. therefore. that Fort Col
Inns pays so per month, or $120 per
year for each of its arc lamps until mid
night only. Our electric light
has agreed to furnish the city with arc
lamps all night for $3.50 each per
month. or $50 per year This is prac-
tically the same price that our electric
light company has been furnishing arc
lamps to private parties for. Now. with
this data as a basis of computation. it
becomes a very easy matter to ascertain
Just how the rates in Fort Collins COM
pare with the rates in Laramie. I find
by referring to the official tables that
lamps burning until midnight only will
average 1925 hours per year. and that
lamps burning all night will average
1000 hours per year. Hence. II we d.
vide the price per year by the number
of hours each lamp burns per year. the
result will represent the cost per lamp
hour. Therefore If we divide $12O by
1925, we have 6h cents. or the cost per
lamp hour in Firt Collins, and II we di-
vide $50 by 1000 we have 3& cents, or
the cost per lamp hour in Laramie. In
other words the rate at Fort Collins for
arc lamps is nearly double what 1t is at
Laramie.