Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1905-09-23
NEW ENGLAND MILLS.

Power for Many Industries.
When Niagara falls was first tapped
to furnish electric light and power for
all sorts Of purposes many miles
around, it was a revelation to the
world of the possibilities in the prac-
tical application of the new force, and
80 strongly did it appeal to the prac-
teal not to say the greedy side of So
ciety, that there has been great diff
Guilty in preventing the destruction of
the cataract as one Of natures won
ders, and making it simply a source
of power for the benefit of a monopoly.
But while there has been danger that
proper bounds might be broken, and
while that danger will doubtless exist
as long as legislatures are mercenary,
the history of electrical operations at
Niagara has furnished great and sug
gestive object lesson for the rest of
the country, says the Boston Tran
script. If a great water power can
serve such wide expanse of populous
territory as the figures show could
be done In this case, then smaller
streams with sufficient descent can
render a similar service to more linn
stronger tendency than has ever been
manifested before to develop that idea
even in the most obscure quarters.
Another great power center has now
been established In Pennsylvania,
where the falls of the SusQuehanna
River, near York, have been put In
shape 10 meet the needs of q wide
stretch Of country at a cost OF 2,OOO,-
COO. The electricity generated at this
point will be distributed 30 a large
number Of towns and cities, of which
Philadelphia will very likely be one.
Another large plant at Spier Falls on
the upper Hudson has been established
and is serving a large and widely scat
tered population In all those respects
that the larger developments Of our
modern civilization demand.
But even the great plants are not SO
significant of the vast expansion of the
water power of the country as the
multiplicity of smaller plants actual
and projected in places that have ap-
parently become decadent, but need
only the touch of this new force to
awaken them to new life There are
hundreds of streams in New England,
and we have in mind several such In
Massachusetts and Connecticut that
fifty years ago furnished power for all
sorts of small but prosperous manu-
factories-woolen mills, paper mills,
cutlery works, and so forth. In the
last two or three decades these enter
prises have gone by the board, swal-
lowed up In the absorptions of their
business by the large centers. But
which seem to be congested by the ser.
vice we are considering.
The central purpose Of almost all
invention is the increase or multipli-
cation of power and the development
of electrical force and its practical ap-
pucation performs that office for the
streams of New England. Once their
power at a given point was only sufi-
cient to run a single mill and that fire.
quently not very large; but now work.
ing through electric engines they can
light the streets OF towns, propel their
cars and supply power for almost any
number and variety of industries that
may be desired. AS water power is
cheaper than steam power, many a
venture that would otherwise be un.
promising can now be made profitable
and new leases Of life be brought to
sections long threatened with atrophy
and abandonment.