The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-01-25

no lights or water in their houses
will adopt my nomenclature or not,
they may use stronger expression
when they ascertain the Commits
sloners houses, store, including
my house and others, are lighted
at 66 cents on the dollar.
Mr.. Davis states it is necessary
to pump all night, therefore it
costs but little to run the mean
descent plant. I hardly think the
facts will bear this out. BY pump
ing from 5 o'clock, p. m, until 1
o'clock, a. M, at the capacity of
the we'll would be $4,000 gallons,
this would give over 1000 gallons
to every tap, when statistics show
80 gallons is n fair average per day
tor a family of five persons. Even
II the statement is correct, no one
will deny that it wears out machi-
merry to run it, and certainly it
takes more coal to operate the
plant.
Now as to my charge of extrav-
agance: Sometime since the coun-
Gil had a meeting and invited the
commissioners to be present. We
all attended; the proposition was
tor the Council and Commissioners
to employ Mr.. jim Boyd and each
pay one-half of his salary | stat
ed that Mr.. Boyd a a splendid
workman and | had employed him
and would again do SO when |
could use him, but that the Com
mlssioners were absolutely unable
to pay even one half of his salary,
he not being al electrician. | also
stated that we had already en-
pioyed an electrician and machi-
INST who would soon take charge,
and that we were only able to en-
pioy three men to operate the
plant and that we ought to get
them for about $4,000 per month
or less, to wit: an electrician and
machinist for $50 90 or $4,000 per
month, n lineman for $3.50 or
$1,000 per month, n fireman for
$1,000 per month. My idea was
to let Mr.. Jackson go as soon as
MIR. FAIR came. Mr.. Jackson not
being n machinist, however, he is
II of best mel we have ever had
but we could not afford to pay
$4,000 per month to trim the lights.
also stated to the council if they
would pay the interest on the
bonds $1,000 that the Commits
sloners could pay operating ex-
penses and take care of the sink
ing fund in time. This was not an
eXtravagant figure as we have forty
arc lights at $4,000 each which
would be 100000 when they pav
at Greenville $4,000 for each arc
light. The council declined to
employ Mr.. Boyd. Sometime af-
forwards, during my absence at
tending the Supreme Court, Mr..
Davis and Mr.. Wilkes without no.
tlce to me employed Mr.. Boyd at
$4,000 per month, also raised Mr..
Henderson's salary from $500 to
$500 per month, kept Mr.. Jack
son at $4,000 per month, and Mr..
Farr at 5000, making $4,000 per
month for salaries, when ] had
1T $500 before Christmas. | am
told they employ more labor to
operate this plant than is employ
cd to run the one in Augusta
Last summer Mr.. Castoe did not
complete his contract and left with
the Commissioners the money we
owed HIM for extra cXca walton, rs
q forfeit if he failed to complete
this work. We notified him time
and again to do the work which
he failed to do We, including
MIR. Wilkes, notified him If the
work was not done by n certain
time the money would be forfeited.
We did so forfeit it on October IS,
81, because we considered we had
been greatly damaged by his non
compliance. About the time |
sent my resignation in he came
here. | told him the status
He asked who the Commissioners
we're. The next day he called at
my Office in great glco = stated
they had paid him. | think he
has the same opinion of the town
as the thurman.
These are some Of the 8
which caused me to resign. The
position is hard one to fiji, how
ever if | could consistently have
done so / would have remained ON
the Board until my time expired.
e~ndcavorlng to do what | could
for the best interest of our good
people. If the system had been a
success as / knew under proper
management they would have
been | would have done no more
than my duty. If they had failed
| would justly have been consurcd.
But hope the public will rcmcm-
Der 1T was not in my power to APP
point the Commissioners - nor
could Out-votc two.
| hope the people will thor.
oughly post themselves on this
matter and | trust expenses will
be cut down to a reasonable figure
in which event | know we
all will be glad we have water and
lights.
Respectfully,
N. b. DIAL.