Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-01-05
CONDOR COMPANY BUYS
LOCAL ELECTRIC PLANT
G. p. N. W. l.. 8 p. Co. Sell Sheir
Electric Business But Retain
Their Water Plant.

Inc contest, Whlch began year ago
for the control Of the electric light
and power supply for Grants Pass,
terminated lats Saturday when DR.. O.
r. Ray, manager Of the Condor Water
Power Company, bought for his com
pany the electric plant and street
lighting franchise belonging to the
Grants Pass New Water, Light g.
Power Company. The price paid was
not made public but was probably
about $50. 600.
The Grants Pass company retain their
pumping and ice plants and their fran.
chise for supplying the city with
water X. W. Clarke will continue to
act as manager for the company with
his Office, Ms heretofore, on West +
street. Carl Gentner, who has hereto
fore been city electrician and super
intendeDt Of the light, pump and ice
plants, will continue iD the employ OF
the company and will have charge of
the two latter plants. The company
is now installing a new pump that
will have a capacity Of l.500, 900 gal
Ions of water each "a hours. With the
old pump now in, the company will
be able to pump to the reservoir over
2,500, 600 gallons of water each -
hours. Extensive betterments to the
distributing system is planned for this
year, it being the purpose Of the com
pany to give Grants Pass a water SER
vice equal to the best had by any city
10 the Northwest.
Sunday the electricians Of both com
panies were employed in changing the
conn, ctions from the old to the new
system and that night Grants Pass,
which had heretofore been getting
electric current from both stations,
was entirely lighted from the Condor
station at Gold Ray. Mr. Clarke will
be the Grants Pass manager for the
Condor company and all business for
this city pertaining 10 electric light
and power will DO attended to at his
office on Il street. @. l.. Clevenger,
who has been city electrician for the
Condor company, will continue TO
hold that position. Jay Booth, who
has been lineman with the old com
pany, will now be with the Condor
Company as one Of their crew OF line
men. The Condor company will retain
the electric generators as they are at
the Water company's plant and by an
arrangement with the latter have them
in readiness TO put in operation on
short notice should the long distance
service be interrupted. so as to not
leave the city in darkness by reason
Of an accident.
DIR. Ray stated that il would be the
endesyor OF the Condor Comrany to
give Grants Pass n first class electric
light and power service. Patrons
could havetheir choice Of taking light
by either the fat or the meter rate,
and there wonld be no,change in rates
with a rate Of 10 cents per kilowatt tc
private users aud /. 40 per month for 80
@. j. incandescent street lights and
SO 80 per month for 1000 G. p. arc
street lights DR.. Ray claims that no
town In Oregon IL getting cheaper
light service than is Grants Pass. The
contract for street lighting is assumed
by the Condor company. Grants Pas.
now has eiRhty.three 80 @. p. incan.
descent street lights and ten 2OOO c p.
arc street lights, and the Southern
Pacific has an arc light on the depot
grounds Geo. S, Calhoun aud several
other business men lave arc or incan-
descent lights IL front Of their places
of business, and the Condor company
has n big electric sign IN front Of their
transformer station. With all these
city and private gifts Grants Pass is
able to make the claim good OF having
the best lighted streets of any town of
similar size in Oregon.