The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-02-01

into the business they need not
bother about getting a franchise.
Mr.. White has told me he has stated
to various persons woo have signed
our petition that il Mr.. Hitchcock
or the citizens he represents desire
to 90 into the electric lighting bust
ness we would sell them our electric
plant. | back that statement as fol-
lows: The Mitchell Gas Co will sell
Mr.. A. E. Hitchcock, and the cit
liens he refers to, its electric light
ing property and assigns its lighting
contracts and franchise-the price to
be paid to be determined by three
electrical construction engineers Of
reputation based upon the cost to
duplicate the property. We to select
one appraiser, MIR. Hitchcock u and
The two selected TO chose the third.
The agreed value Of two of the APP
praisers to be final. The price to be
paid in cash at the time of transfer
Of property which shall be free and
clear of any and all incumbrance.
Abstracts Of title to be furnished
showing merchantible title within
30 days after appraisers agreement
is furnished both parties. The pur-
chasing parties agreeing in writing
that they ale buying for their own
use to be operated by them in good
faith and not for the purpose Of get
ting the property away from tile
Mitchell Gas Co, to deliver to 9th
ers. This offer is made to Mr.. A. e.
Hitchcock and the citizens he refers
to, only. 1 state this because the
plant is not for sale, except to them
ana this only on the condition that
the offer be accepted in writing as
here made without qualification,
signed by the citizens he refers to
not later than Feb. first, by leaving
the same at our office with Mr..
White. The public may think this
short time for acceptance but it
may not be generally know, that MIR.
A. e. Hitchcock has had the subject
up for consideration within the past
three months. This offer is made in
a spirit OF willingness that the gen.
tlemen may spend their money if
they choose in serving the public and
THAT it is not necessary to assall the
property interests OF others.
MANY reasons may be given why they
do not want to, but one thing that
they and the public know, they can
buy no di tferent copper wire tllan we
bought and is in the
plant. Dynamos are made of no
d different or better copper than ours.
Boilers no better, engines, no differ
emf in material, poles no different,
meters and transformers and in fact
all material now in the plant is
the same. The statement
10y Mr.. Hitchcock that the "Mitch-
ell Gas Co. seeks the franchise not
for honest investment and perman-
ent business but for profit upon mere
and speculation in wat
cred Stock" is unqualitiedly not
true. Mr. Hitchcock and others of
following have made this state
so many times without contra
diction | suppose they concluded it
be true, and he makes bold to say
so. So much for the vital question
he puts it.
Mr.. Hitchcock may not be salts
Ho,1 IN l,y,0vp chat 0,,n ;lono l~ ~-
agree with his, but we are running
our business by our own ideas and
the privilege Of stating the
fact as it is. Suppose, for the sake
argument some one should by
chance wish to buy an electric light
plant. Will Mr.. Hitchcock say it
would not be necessary to have the
money to do 1T with and is 1T not
also reasonable to presume any one
enough money to buy the
plant would know enough to conduct
the property for the best interests
)t all concerneu? Talk is cheap but
it takes money 10 buy electric light
The aching point with our oppo-
rents seems to be that because
Mitchell is not large enough to sup
port two plants, therefore the exist
.ng property should be contscated or
made valueless for them to enter the
ield. Either this or personal spite.
am satisfied that the latter has
much to do with the case, for the
leason that MI. Hitchcock has stated
20 at least two prominent citizens
If Mitchell that if it was anyone else
King he would have no objec-
ions TO offer. and in one case he
;tatea he considered the franchise all
light and a good one for the city.
Until the franchise came DIP l did
lot know that Brother Hitchcock
1eld any i'll feeling toward me. Per-
however, DO not concern
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