The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-10-12
DALLAS ELECTRIC MERGER
How the Competing Companies We're
Gotten Out Of The Way.
Mr.. BONA USED MS MONEY FREELY,
went Out to Accomplish cerain re-
suit and Was sueeessiuI-Has
Had Public With Him.

Dallas, Texas, October ll.--rhe ahsorp
uon of oil the electric properties ia Dallas
save the Dallas ivc ractorv ,Agnt ana
Power company. BY the papas picctre
VorportlOn company chartered Few days
age In New Jersey has been very inter.
ssung theme Of discussion IA paiias for
several days. The consolidation includes
the pallas Electric Light and Power com
pany, the Standard Light and Power com
pany and the Consolidated ana kap,u
transit street Railway companies. rhe
United Securities company, or stone n
Weoster-they are practically the same-ot
hosion are behind the big deal OF Ss.5uu,.
VVo the capital stock OF the corporation
ana the work that led TO the Capitalization
OF these properties was done by Arthur Il.
Bonita, the held marshal or the United Sc
curities company, who has lived in pallas
for year aud who has no, hesitated 10
make liberal expenditures Of money to at.
tam the purpose for which ne came TO
Dallas
The merger" is inst about the biggest
thing that this part OF the State has ever
known, ana, unless some unexpected acct
dent occurs, II Will grow bigger Mr. Bonita
mas often stated with degree OF pride
that he had S2O0OUU,OOO OF capital beh,nd
MIN and he has demonstrated in Dallas
mat he didn't object TO turning some OF It
When Mr.. Bonita came to Dallas he fouud
the anairs OF the Dallas Electric and the
Standard companies, both owned by the
Onlted Securities, in rather bad shape. Inc
punHc was abusing everything and every
body connected With electricity. Mr.. Bonita
put the Dallas electric plant in superb cen.
ultlon, got the company aud the STANDARD,
700, In the hands Of Federal receivers ana
then went In TO force the owners OF the
big Consolidated Railway company to
sell TO his associates The controlling stock
4 IN the Consolidated had been bought by
he Du Points. Mr. Bonita tried to make
several "hlufTs" effective hut they did not
frighten Mr., Du Pont and Mr.. Bonita saw
That he had to 20 at the business ahead
ct him In earnest He got everything 10
working smoothly and then made petition
to the city council for a street railway
franchise over several Of the leading
streets Main included the Consolidated
Olready had four tracvks and a monopoly
en- Main street, but this did not daunt MI
Bonita. by diplomacy ne got the council
tween the tracks OF the Consolidated on
Main street and also franchises 70 put
down tracks on about ten miles OF sub
urban streets. The Consolidated attorney
promptly sought and obtained an injunction
restraining MIR. Bonita from doing any work
on Main street, and the hearing on this
restraining order was set for October lS
BY way OF parenthesis, II may be written
that MIR. Bonita no longer worries about
Judge Meek's order.
Mr. Bonita, as soon as the commission had
affirmed his suburban franchises, put over
a thousand men to work lie paid gooG
wages he built a splendid track. Money
flowed like water and the weekly pay roll
frequently amounted TO $4,000 TO S20,OOO
Mr.. Bonita soon had all the labor unions
and the larger part OF the general public
on hls side OF the controversy with tue
Consolidated. The Du Points realized this at
last and. after the hitterest and most IN
teresting fight between corporations that
Dallas ever knew, Bonita triumphed As a
sop to the Du Points who had said that
they would never sell to Bontas Interests
n hgurehead bought the Consolidated, pay
ing. II is said. Sl,IOO,OOU therefor MT
Transit and after the owners or the Con.
Solidated had given up tbs night the
merger" was the natural sequence
Bonita and his reutenants have been
square" 10 their dealings In Dallas and,
though they have monopoly now, are OK
mas gone to Boston and nobody here IS
authorized 70 speak for him. but II Is freely
predicted that other electric properties IN
Texas. possibly interurban lines, VIII ne
brought into the combination All wiz
have one general head with Dallas ms head
quarters. Who IS 10 manage this vast In.
terest is not known. Mr.. Bonita Is talking
over that matter In Boston now. lie is, as
was stated. a field marshal" lie may
not want 10 take up permanent quarters
here. His nextin command in Dallas r.
John frost canny son or Bonnie Scot
land. who Is the head OF the Dallas Electric
Light and Power company. The men VINO
made the Dallas electric merger control
the Houston Electric company, II Is said,
as well as electric properties In Shreveport,
Nfo,, go,,arv and other SOuthprn Citipa