The Grit-advocate., 1906-03-23
TELEPHONE NO. 10.
THE PEOPLES FORUM,
Geo. NJ. Braxtan,


Dear Sir: Having noticed your in-
sitation to subscribers to give their
opinions regarding water works and
electric light plants in Julesburg,
would like to say few words in favor
of the enterprise. Although | am not
a voter in town, / may be able TO
show some advantages in having the
two plants operated together.
There will be no opposition, un-
doubtedly. whatever to the water
works proposition as that is neces-
sity to protect property and lower the
insurance rates. Now we take for
granted that the $50, 900. 90 for water
works will carry. which will build
system hard to beat for any town
three times the size of Julesburg Ia
putting in the engine and boiler for
the water system there can be put in u
l2U-horse power engine (Corllss) and
l4O-horse power boiler and build
power house say 3Ox6O with l2-foot
posts, using ceiling instead of plas-
tering on account of the jarring Of
the machinery. This building would
be large enough. By dividing it in
the center, the front part could be US
ed for dynalnos and engines, say 2Ox3J
with side rooms lOXl5: one for Office
and the other for water and electric
supplies. The back room. 2Ox3O feet,
could be used for coal bin and boiler
room, and the other room, l0x30 feet,
for pump room. The back 30x3O feet
should be of brick or cement blocks
with cement floor. The front room,
SOx3O feet should be of lumber, as the
continual jarring of the machinery
might have a tendency to crack the
brick or blocks. BY the town putting
in an engine and boiler of this size
and building of the above dimen-
sions, which they could do at an ad-
ditional cost not to exceed $l,000.0O
over what they would actually need
for the water system, the $500. 90
asked for electric lights would put in
Il 1900 light dynamo. switch board. all
necessary poles, transformers, both
primary and secondary wires, and
labor ready to connect with any house
in town, together with 10-arc lights
Of 1900 candle power each
If an individual party should put in
the electric light plant the town will
have to pay him at least $4,000 per
year for each arc, or 5000 90 per year,
which would pay nearly one-half of
the labor used around a system of this
kind. The water system would re-
4uire the services Of one man continu-
ally. This same man could attend to
the dynamos as we'll as the pump. In
the winter time when very little water
is used the dynamos could be earning
the town a net profit of at least SlO0 90
per month if reasonable rate was
charged for lights, say II cents per
1000 watts, which would make a L.
candle power light cost $l.OS for thir-
ty evenings of four hours. and thirty
mornings of one hour A residence
with six to ten lights on meter ought
not to cost over $3.50 to S3.0O per
month in the winter time and down to
Sl.00 to Sl.50 in the summer. With a
rate of this kind every one would use
the electric light, there being no Oil to
garry home, lamps to clean and fill,
chimneys to buy and no explosions or
fear something will happen to the
children if left alone.
In the summer when the light bill
runs lowest the city can with reason
enable rate expect revenue of 5000. 90
to S25O.0O per month for water which
will be used on lawns and for house
use. Isee by the Madison. Nebraska,
paper that their collections for cleo
tric lights for February were $4,000,
and for water the same month was
$500. During the month of August
their water collections were $205 90
and $4,000 for electric lights. In
this way by the city owning both
plants they have steady income the
year around.
1t would require two men to look
after both plants night and day. One
man can make the run from dark till
midnight. He would be required to
sleep in the Office from midnight till
morning, so in case of fire he could
start the pumps at once. The other
man can make the morning run and
clean up during the day. While the
day man could do any house wiring
Or water piping or repair work and at
the end of each month read the meters
and collect, as we'll as keep the neces-
sary books to enable him to make an
intelligent report to the town board.
In this way there is some one at the
pump house all the time to keep up the
steam necessary in case of fire. 1t
does not require much coal to keep up
steam while not running the engine
Another profit might be made by the
town furnishing steam heat for court
house and school building. by placing
hepower house beeween the BUILDINGS
md piping them.
B. +. ENGELHARDT.
Wall Paper at Lavelle's.