The Saint Paul globe., 1901-08-13
MAKES STRONG PLEA
STEAM COBFPANY7 ASKS COUN-
GIL FOR FRANCHISE
LOCAL MEN ARE INTERESTED
Council Decides3to Withhold the Or
dinance for Legal Inspection
City Must BE Adequately
Fortified.

The American District Steam Company
OF Lockport, N. Y, is responsible for the
creation of the Northern Manufacturing
company, corporation having local Of
ncers now making an effort to secure
from the council a franchise for the con-
duit transmission of steam for heating
and power purposes The Lockport COM
pany Is capitalized at ST. 200, 900, and claims
To nave plants in successful operation in
many cities in the East.
Ihls information, withheld for unknown
reasons up to the present time, was fur
nasneo yesterday at a meeting of the as
semoly committee on streets, it being
dlVuiged when the ordinance granting to
the company the desired franchise came
up for consideration,
Henry G.. Eddy introduced by F. M.
Catl1n, legal representative for the COM
pany, explained to the committee the de-
slres OF the LockpoTt company to enter
ST Paul. and how local capitalists had
been interested
his company, he said, was primarily a
contracting company, steam heating be-
ing their line, but when a city was found
like ST Paul. without heating facilities,
tne Lockport concern furnished the cash
necessary to start the enterprise. The
local company, which is composed of
+. IL Moulton, of Minneapolis, and w.
A Hammond and w w. Rhodes, of ST.
Paul, he explained, was capitalized at
$oOO,OV, OF which 100000 was paid In. OF
the stock the Lockport company held a
controlling interest. In Colorado Springs
his company owns successful plant, he
informed the committee. while at Scran-
ton and P1ttsburg, Pa, and Lockport, N
y, plants have been in operation for
some years, and have the approval of
consumers.
GO TO WORK AT ONCE.
In answer to a question put bv.a mem
Der, Mr.. Eddy said that the company was
ready to go to work as soon as the fran
ch1se was granted, and would promise to
spend at least so per cent of the cost of
the plant In St. Paul. The laying of a
mile OF main, which the ordinance pro-
vided for, Mr.. Eddy explained would
meet the demands of the business dis
trict, and when this was completed the
residence districts would be supplied
both Mr.. Eddy and Attorney Catlin
spoke at length, the latter gentleman in
forming the committee that the company
did not intend to do electric lighting This
Impression, he said, had wrongly gone
forth, and he believed was responsible
Tor the defeat of the ordinance the first
time 1t was presented. The word condui s
IN the ordinance, he thought, caused this
| erroneous report. The conduits, he ex-
planned, were for the transmission of
| steam, being necessary in order TO pre-
| vent loss of heat.
The members did not think the ordf-
nance sufficiently strong to properly pro-
tect the city's interests, and accordingly
referred it to the corporation attorney
| and the city engineer to supply safe
guards, one of them a $4,000 bond, the
money to revert to the city in case the
enterprise failed.
The tearing up of the paved streets and
the chance removal of liability from the
paving companies also came up and the
legal department was instructed to fur
nish an opinion on this point.