Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-10-20
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20.
NEW LIGHT PLANT.
A Deal Made Whereby Mr.. Childs
Disposes Of the Electric
Light Plant.

On the Sth day OF OCTOBER, Cnas.
L. Smith secured from The Childs
Grain aud Milling ComI any an OPP
ton on it's electric light plaut, and
on the evening OF Oct. l4th sold the
plant to Mr.. Harry f. O'Neill of
Omaha, Neb. Mr.. O'Neill is one of
the solid business men of Nebras.
ka, and belongs to the same class
of capitalists which control the des-
tines OF the Baxter Mining Compa-
ny, viz: Is. T. Mccarthy, X. W. Bal
ley and Judge Irving Baxter, all OF
Omaha. These three latter gentle
men are putting a large lot of mon
ey into our miniig district They
have about 600 acres of leases and
are doing lot of development
work. They are the same men who
have built up and developed pros
porous towns aud communities in
Iowa. Nebraska and Missouri. Mr..
Mccarthy il was who built large
packing house in the vicinity of ST.
Joe, Mo, and which resulted in the
building up of South ST. Joe, which
now has a population of 1900 PEG.
pie.
Mr.. Mccarthy interested with HIM
Judge Baxter and DR.. Bailey, and
came down here to start things go
ing in our new mining district.
How we'll they are succeeding IS
best shown by the fact that they
have interested miners in their
lea seq aud today there are not less
than thirty.tive shafts going down,
everyone Of which will strike pay
ore, and plenty OF it, because the
ground has been thoroughly pros
pected by drilling.
Believing in a great future TOR
Baxter Springs and her new mining
district, Mr. Mccarthy came here
with his associates aud invested a
great deal of money. And they will
inve st more. AS Mr.. Mccarthy him.
self Gays: Eve are investing a great
deal of money here: and if we do
not get our money back it will be
our own fault" His statement
means this: The town and district
must boom TO make their invest
ment profitable. They know it, con-
sequently they will cause the boom.
All they need is the moral support
of the people here.
Mr. Mccarthy believing this to
be good place for investment, and
knowing that our electric light sys-
tenn is not the best, sent for his
friend. Mr.. O'Neill, to come down
and secure the option which Mr.
Smith held on the light plant. Mr..
O'Neill came. The town was in.
spected, the mining situation was
investigated, the big power plant at
Lowell visited. The result was that
the option was transferred to Mr..
O'Neiil, and the prospects are that
Baxter Springs will have one of the
best light plants in the state of
Kansas. The power will be secured
from the Spring River Power Com.
pauy.
There are some Objectionable fea-
lures in the present franchise, how
ever, and we presume Mr.. O'Neill
will ask for new franchise, and If
il lie granted improvements will be
made which will give our city a
lighting plant second to none. The
service will be better in every way.
All lights will be put on a meter
basis, and the present very unsatis.
factory fiat rate system will be
done away with. We trust the coun.
Gil will see it's way clear to treat the
new company right.
And now q word az 70 VINO ano
what Mr. O'Neill 10. He comes to
US recommended by Mr.. Mccarthy
and DIR. Bailey of the Baxter Min
ing Company. That is good enough
for us; but we investigated further.
Mr.. O'Neill is president of The Oska-
loosa Traction and Light Co. of o.
kaloosa, Iowa; he is also a director
of The Ottumwa Traction and Light
Company of Ottumwa, Iowa; also
vice president of The Custer Ma.
tional Bank of Broken Bow, Neb.
He is a resident of Omaha, where
the law firm of which he is a men,
Der, enjoys a large and lucrative
practice. Mr.. O'Neill 10 q pusher.
AZ such we welcome him and his
associates to our city. He is, with
Mccarthy and Bailey, among the