The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-18
Claim They Do Not Re-
quire Further Rights.
And Say They Mean to DO BUSH
ness in Portland.


Board of Aldermen was called for yester'
day afternoon to consider the petition Of
the Portland Light and Power company
to erect poles and wires on a great many
of the streets of the city.
1t was anticipated that this petition
would be fought by the Consolidated
Electric Light company and the Portland
Electric Light company but yesterday
there were no attorneys present represent
ing either company and only William Nj.
Bradley, ESQ, the attorney for the
potitioning company appeared. AS soon
as the meeting was called to order MIR.
Bradley addressed the board.
He said that the petitioners would re-
quest permission to withdraw their petit
ton as they had found that they had all
the rights they cared for at present and
would not ask for hearing On this mat
ter at present. He said that at some lat
ter period they might ask for the location
of more poles but at this time they had
the right to erect all the poles they re-
luired.
Alderman Moulton then moved that
the petitioners be given leave to with
draw in accordance with their request
and it was SO voted.
In connection with this matter Mr..
Bradley presented the following commun'
ioation which WAS read to the board by
the mayor
To the Mayor and Aldermen of the City
of Portland:
Portland Light and Power company
hereby gives notice of its intention to
erect and maintain poles and wires in the
city of Portland in accordance with per-
mission heretofore duly granted therefor
by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen
under orders of said board read and
passed November 9TH. 1887, and December
5, 1887.
Portland Light and Power company.
By Henry p. Cox, President.
An Investigation of the records shows
Der 5th. 1887, recorded on page 143 of the
city clerks records in that year was
passed the following order;
Ordered, That permission be and hereby
is granted to the Portland Light an d
Power company to erect and maintai n
poles and wires for electric lights and
power, in accordance with its petition
(see page l41) on which hearing was
had before the Mayor and Aldermen De-
cember 5, 1887, subject to the following
restrictions:
Said poles to be from 80 to 20 feet in
height as the city eleotri cian may deter
mine and from six to eight inches in
diameter at the top, to be of cedar or
chestnut, to be reasonably straight and
all pnles over 10 feet high to be stepped
A 70 I., F.,vr Fad for l,nU -
the city wires. All wires next TO poles to
be at least thirty inches apart and all
circuits where the police signal telegraph
wires run to be retained on the same
poles All work and material to be sat-
isfaotory to the city electrician.
According to the petition which is re-
ferred to in this order, the following
streets are named. Pearl, east side from
Fore to Congress; Plum, east side from
Fore to Middle; Cross, west side from
Fore to Middle; Center, west side from
Fore to Congress; Grove, east side from
No. ia to Congress; Bramhall, west side
from Congress to Brackett; Bracket,
south side from Bramhall to Arsenl !;
Green, west side from Portland to Con
gress; Portland, south side from Grove
to Green; Hanover. west side from Ken
neoec TO Cumberland; Elm, west side
from Kennebec to Congress; Free. south
side from Middle to High. To ne 15U
feet apart and 35 to 70 feet high.
Just what this withdrawal of the petit
ton of the Portland Light and Power
company means the aldermen were I'M
able to decide. They were OF the impres
sion that it was a graceful way Of with
drawing petition which had been pre-
sented before the granting of the petition
of the Portland Electric Light company,
as a sort of ''bluff. " 1t was openly
stated by some of the aldermen yesterday
afternoon that in their opinion the Con-
solidated company was the instigator of
the petition which was withdrawn at
yesterdays meeting.
A PRESS reporter saw Mr.. Bradley
yesterday afternoon and asked him what
is the purpose of the petitioning COM
pany. Mr.. Bradley said that the com
pany meant to do business as Iar as he
knew AT the time the order granting
them pole rights was passed in 1887 some
of the poles were located on Kennebec
and Commercial streets. These poles had
never been sold to the Consolidated or
any other company to his knowledge. The
right to place wires on them had been
granted the Western Union telegraph
company he thought but they had never
been transferred to that company. He
said that when the charter of the Port
land Light and Power company was
bought the rights under that charter
were also acquired by the present com
pany. He said that the Consolidated
Electric Light company had nothing to
do with the present company. When
asked when the new company would
commence to erect its poles and string Its
wires Mr.. Bradley said he did not know.
He said that the company intended to
utilize the power on the Presumpscot