Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-05
ANOTHER RIVAL.
A New Company Gets Contract
for City Lighting
The MessaIonskee Electrical 10. Un-
derbids the W. & F. R. & |. Go.
This and Other Matters Disposed Of at Cry
Government Meeting. .tt

again. At least this is the way IL
looked from the rear of the alder
mems room at the city government
meeting. last evening. AS the lightlhs
matter took up the most of the time OF
the meeting and as ii was the most I'M
portant thing disposed of we Will take
it up first. fa...
1t will of course be remembered now
the contest was waged between the
Union Gas & Electric Co. and the
company above named and how the
rates for electric power suffered on &C
counts of the competition of the rival
companies. The affair ended in the
purchase of the L. G. & +. Co. by the
w. 4 + X. & l.. G. This company
claimed that the rates charged during
the competition were not at living
basis and a short time ago instituted a
new basis of charges which advanced
the totals somewhat over those under
the rule of competition. 1t looked as
if the company at last had control OF
the electrical business OF the city
There was apparently no other loca-
ton for another lighting plant and IL
one was instituted it would have to be
run by steam.
But there was an other opportunity
and it has been improved. Messrs. II.
ID. Eaton and w. 5. Wyman. the latter
formerly general manager of the Wa
terville Il Fairfield Railway and Light
Co. or as ii is known locally, the "old
company" have been working quietly
for some time. They have been pur-
chasing land and acquiring water
privileges in the neighboring town of
Oakland on the Messalonskce. the
same stream that feeds the recently
purchased plant of the old company.
They haven't been saying much about
the matter but have been saving wood
Just the same When Mr.. Wyman re-
signed the matter leaked out and a
few in the city were cognizant Of the
situation.
The last purchase by these gentle
men was a valuable one and affords an
opportunity of building a so foot dam
which is higher than that built by Mr..
Chase and as ii will be feed by the
same sources it will furnish as good or
even better power than that secured
by the Union Gas & Electric co. which
is considered one of the best plants in
the State. OF course its distance from
the city will add somewhat to the cost
of transmitting the power but not
enough to materially effect the prices.
The new company. therefore. as soon
as it gets its plant in working order
will he competent Of becoming dan
gerous rival of the old company.
1t had been whispered about here
vi thor, would no
thing interesting in the lighting dues-
ton at the June meeting of the city
government 1t had been understood
that the negotiations between the
committee appointed to make a new
contract with the company We're not
moving along smoothly. and that the
committee was not disposed to accept
tn" rates offered by the company.
There was. therefore. a good attend
ancc. including several rcpres sntatives
of the old company and Messrs. Eaton
and Wyman Of the new company.
The matter was brought up by the
inti oduction Of the report of the COM
mittee on lights. This was the bomb
shell. The committee recommended
that a contract be made by the city
for the lighting of the streets and pub
lie buildings with the Messalonskee
Electrical co. This was the first time
the name of this company had been
brought before the public. Still almost
everybody knew who was meant.
G. X. Boutelle then took the floor in
defense of the old company. He began
by stating that he appeared in
double capacity. that of a payer of
H. ;n1
tive of the Waterviile & Fairfield Rail
way & Light co. He stated that his
company was now furnishing the city
with - so-called 1000 candle power arc
lamps. and that they We're burned
practically all night. He enumerated
the electrical property owned by the
city including lamps, poles. wire and
generators. the whole being worth in
his estimation. $4,000. He quoted the
prices paid by seven other cities in the
State using practically the same sys
TEN. showing that the average price
paid per light was SSH. Giving the
city credit for a little better than Il 10
per cent. return on the capital invest
ed in electrical property. and after that
shaving the price somewhat, the com
pany had offered to furnish the lights
at the rate of $45.
After Mr.. Boutellc's remarks there
was some discussion and then the re-
port of the committee recommending
that the city make n contract with the
Mesa lOnskee Co. was accepted, but
there was no apparent disposition to
so further with the matter just then
The meeting. therefore. pa ssed on to
other matters, taking up the lighting
matter later.
The next step with the question was
the introduction Of the proposition of
the McSSa lOnSkec Co, and the contract
which ii offered to make with the city.
This latter document was a long one
in the legal phra seology but in sub
stance was something like this: The
company will furnish dynamos so that
the city can complete its contract with
the old company. furnishing power to
run them. On the completion of the
contract these arc to he returned to
The company and the city will pay the
company s400 for the use Of them.
Arc lights will be furnished at the
rate of S36 and incandescents 81 for n
term of five years. If the company de-
cides to use the alternating current the
oro sent lamps will be changed and new
ones furnished the city. the company
% have the old ones and the city the
lew
All connections will be made with