Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-02-14
A Reply to rlr. Howard's Open Letter.

In answer to your question as to why
do not give some figures besides my
own, must say that if you do not be-
long to that class of men of whom the
"Good Book' says, "Eyes they have
but they see not, ears have they but
they hear not" or words to that effect,
you surely can not in sincerity ask such
question as this. I can not answer
this question better than to refer you
to the CAMERON COUNTY PRESS of Dec.
18th, 1900, where you will find at top of
first column on first page an article
fairly bristling with figures, none of
which were mine, but were furnished
by the officials of the towns mentioned.
This article, signed and contributed by
your humble servant, was over one-half
column in length, and how it escaped
your vision is truly wonderful. These
figures showed cost of electric street
lights in sixteen small towns about the
size of Emporium, and all those towns
own their own plants and sell incan-
descents to private consumers. l did
not give Mr.. SIMPSONS figures for the
reason that they refer to private COM
pany and I did not care to fill the pages
of the PRESS with statistics ofa second
hand, watered plant, built and watered
to unload on the borough. There is no
proposition before the house, my dear
Sir, to put in any such a company or
such plant in Emporium. You may
examine the original letters if you
choose.
Really, my friend, you must pardon
me if am not able to see any connec.
tion between the fact of your having
attended night school at Williamsport
and my assertion that $50 per year is
ample remuneration for keeping the
accounts of the light plant. This work,
of course, should be done by the bor-
ough treasurer, and so little onerous
will be the task that very much doubt
Mr. Lloyd's acceptance of more than
$50 per year even if it were offered him.
AS to the $50. 90 per year for repairs;
am informed by the General Manager
OF the Williamsport Electrical Con-
struction Co., that one dollar per year
per arc is fair allowance for repairs.
have noted the figures published by
Council, as you request. My! Josiah
but this is terrible! You have struck
an average, and say you have deducted
all income for lights sold to the people.
Do you not realize how misleading this
statement is although literally correct?
''The letter killeth." Do you not know
that of these four plants only one,
Watsontown, sells any lights? Do you
not know that of these four towns only
two own their own plants? Do you
not at once recognize the futility of fig
uring an average on four such dissim-
liar plants and then publishing this
average as the probable cost of plant
built on a plan perfected during the
past two years, and said by all electri-
clans to run at an expense of less than
two-thirds that of any standard 1000 c.
p. arc ever built? Could you add the
cost of two saw mills to the cost of two
hub factories and by finding the aver
age cost determine the expense of put
ting furniture factory in operation?
Averages in electric light affairs are
always misleading and usually utterly
worthless. Ask any electrician as to
this.
have no reason to doubt the correct
ness of figures published by council,
but l do object most strenuously to the
unwarranted use you make of them.
Titusville is fully four times as large as
Emporium in population and in area
With, as consequence, four times as
many poles and wires to put up. We
will say, however, that Emporium go
arc plant should cost one-half as much
to run as the 12O arc plant in Titusville.
We shall receive at least $4,000 per
year for incandesceuts bringing the
cost down to 81 1850 per year. We shall
use enclosed arcs which cost three
eighths less than standard archs, leav-
ing $S43 75-cost of our borough lights
according to this statement.
Now turn to Watsontown. According
to your own figures Watsontown has
33 arcs and 1, 400 0incandescents; it costs
$3.50 per month to operate the plant,
arcs costing $48 each per year after
deducting incandescents. Why not
follow these figures to their 10 gical
conclusion: Cost $3.50 per month is
$3,10S per year. 33 arcs at S48 is 81, ,584
cost of arcs. 3,10S less 81, ,584 is 81 ,524
cost per year of 1,400 ineandescents,
hence Watsontown sells 16 C. p. lights
at about nine cents per month each.
These lights at our price of 25c per
month each would bring in S4,2O0.OO
per year. and SO far from the arcs cost
ing $4S each Watsontown would get
her street lights free and put $1,092
each year in her treasury. If you wish
to reduce the number of incan descents
to about the number proposed in EN-
porium for comparison you must at the
same time reduce the SO, 10S per year
expenses, as the plant is three times as
large as our proposed plant solely by
reason of the ], 400 incandescents.
More figures for me, did you say,
Mr.. Howard? Fetch 'em along, fetch
'em along, and shall do my best to