The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-08-21
mr.. BOWERS PROPOSAL
Business Mems Association Votes to
Give Him Chance.
Committee Appointed to Solicit Pa
irons for Gas.
Only Two Plants of The Kind in 0per-
alton at Present.
Western Chemical Company Considers
Moving to Mankaio.
From Thursdays Daily.

Nearly the entire time of the meet
ing of the Business Mems association
last night was taken up with discus.
sion of the lighting question. The light
ing committee that has been at work fol
several weeks presented partial re-
port, to the effect that it has promises OF
almost enough bonds being subscribed
for in case a satisfactory contract foI
lighting the streets of the city can be
secured from the council. 1t also report
ted that it had secured subscriptions for
$4,000 worth of commercial lighting a
year.
The gas plant proposition made by j.
A. Bower, representing the Practical Gas
and Construction company of Chicago,
was talked over, and it was decided not
to do anything more about an electric
plant until it is known what Mr.. Bower
will do. The latter's proposition, in sub
stance, is to erect a combined electric
and gas light plant and to furnish gas
at 81 per thousand feet, in case 500
meters will be taken by consumers, and
in case a portion of the stock will be sub
scribed for in this city, so that local
representation can be had in the COM
pany. His company is to retain the con-
trolling interest. He offers to put up a
bond that he will carry out his PROPOSE
ton, but some of the members of the as
ISOLATION are somewhat incredulous as
to his being able to secure the necessary
capital, belieyeing that moneyed men
from abroad would rather invest where
there is no competition.
Mr.. Bower proposes to manufacture
gas from crude oil and coal, and claims
that more and better gas can be made
from that fuel than by the establish
ed processes in use everywhere by the
old established companies. His company
has such plant in operation at Dead
wood, S. D., and one at Renville, Mimi,
and is now building one at Slayton.
These are the only places where it is
known that similar plants have been
or are being built. The method of af-
fording pressure is not the gravity sys-
tenn. 1t is said that the plants which
the company has put in at Amboy, Ma
della and other places use gasoline as
the basis for making gas, with an air
pressure. Such a system would not do
for large place, but where there is no
other kind of gas to be had the citizens
are able to get along with it.
Mr.. Bower desires to secure a fran
chise from the city, and offers to incor-
porate in it a provision that the plant
may be turned over to a street railway
company OF the city at any time at the
amount that it cost to construct or at
an appraised value He is said to have
five men with him in the city, probably
to assist in soliciting takers of gas.
Mr.. Bower was not present at last
nights meeting, but he has been in the
city for several. days and has talked
with the members individually The as
ISOLATION talked the matter over at some
length, and concluded to give him a
chance to put his plan into execution.
To aid him in obtaining consumers, a
committee of twenty-five or thirty men
was appointed to go out on the street
today and secure signers to a contract to
take gas from the new company if it
should put in a plant.
Mr. Bower estimates the cost of
combined gas and electric lighting plant
at Sl5000O The electric plant would
furnish only arc circuits. 1t the COM
pany was to light the city, the outskirts
would have to be lighted with gasoline
lights, the same as now, as the company
would be unable to furnish incandes-
cents. Where the gas mains ran, the
company would furnish gas lights. 1t is
figured that about one hundred arc
lights would be used in lighting the
streets, but no price has been named