Evening journal., 1897-01-06
GREAT FIGHT ON LIGHT.
City Council Chamber Crowded
With Citizens.


With Citizens.
SEVERAL STIRRING SPEECHES /
TREASURER KING, OF THE ELEC- /
TRIO RAILWAY COMPANY, SAYS
NEW CASTLE HAS BEEN ASLEEP |
IN ONERUT. AND 1T is TIMENOW /
TO AWAKE
City Council chamber was crowded I
TO overlooking last evening when the
five members who We're to sit upon the
question Of lighting the city marched
In, headed by President Morrison. The
various committees reported progress.
Reports from City Treasurer Ferris
were read. showing receipts of s240 for
city taxes for 1896, and OF $202 for
city and school on account of 1896 and
'95. City Clerk Eckles read a COM
munication from Superintendent II. l..
Holiday agreeing to meet and confer
with Council at the earliest possible
day.
BID FROM THE WILMINGTON CITY
ELECTRIC COMPANY
- AAtAlIdiu van lIuiuUt Ol lut W IL
mington City Electric Company, adj
dressed Council and stated that he had
IN his pocket an estimate for lighting
the city of New Castle by electricity,
and urged that his proposal receive
most careful consideration on the basis
Of value for value we will give you
a service, both public and commercial
lin stores and hOuses-that is exceed
ed by none on this coast We are a big
concern and have given the city Of
! Wilmington such general satisfaction
that the Street and Sewer Department
has seen iit 20 almost double our con-
tract this year
NEW PLOT OF THE CITY
City Surveyor w. A. KINNEY ap-
peared before Council with three big
charts OF the new streets that are TO
be opened with the advent OF the new
electric railway. He exempified the
maps which he has prepared from
timet0 instructions from pre-
vious Councils. Mr. KINNEY saidth all
these old charts are his. but since they
were made the centre-ston had been
altered by grade. He did not expect so
live forever Ii was time, therefore that
either he or some other good surveyor
should make complete plot of the city
and have this data. under the law. re-
corded in the recorders Office in viii
mingtOn.
THE OLD GAS COMPANY.
In order to wait upon President
shaw. Of the New Castle Gas Company.
10 hear him on the question of lighting
the city, Mr. Pagan moved that Council
take recess until 9 o'clock, and this
was so ordered.
President Shaw appeared before
Council at $40 o'clock He stated that
the gas company had lighted the city
at loss for the past year, and that
5 the town is very well lighted and he
expected that, from an implied agree
ment he had a year ago, the gas com
. pany should not be interfered with
Now. as one month had been paid foi
i'm the second year. that virtually made
the contract good for the full year The
gas company was also represented by
John II. Rodney.
Messrs. Pagan and Harrington re-
piled to this The gas company's con
tract expired on the first day of No
vember, 1896 and the city owed moi
one cent nor one obligation to the New
Castle Gas Company. 1T has come to a
point now, said Mr. Pagan, where this
town must have the most powerful
light Obtainable for the money AnC
good light would not only be a benefit
TO those who are here, but would brinl
other people and business here.
Attorney John RI. Rodney stated tha
New Castle was much better Lighted
!. than neighboring towns and far better
than the outlying streets OF Whining
ton, where incandescent lights wer,
used And the payment Of one months
4 allowance might stand against the cit.
as formal acceptance Of another year.
contract
Mr.. Pagan answered him by submit
ting an opinion from Attorney Genera
Cooper to the effect that the contract
with the gas company were worthless
THE NEW TROLLEY COMPANY
TreasurerC. p. King. Of the Wilmington
New Castle Electric Railway Company
was the last speaker, lie declared tha
there was absolutely no denying tw
facts. () That the town of New Cas-
tie was miserably lighted; and -
that arc lights were Incompatible {
gas lights and he did net propose {
argue either point. The trouble wa
that New Castle has been twenty-fv
years in finding out how electric light
surpassed gas on every point.
THE Wilmington and New CAST
tlelllc railway mas hfOuBnJ CONSIDER
able money into the town and propose
to bring much more and to also brin
.s thousands Of people into the town
is. therefore, to the new company's il
terest to give this town the yer
strongest and best lightthatcan be gci
Grated Applause frequently inte
rupted him.
p AT the conclusion of this addres
| Council adjourned until next Frida
evening TO open bids and award the COZ
tracts for lighting
new CASTLE NEWS NOTES.