Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-09-02
Explains to Public Exact
Status of the Contract
With City---IntendS to
Fully Garry it Out.
To the Citizens of Americus:


AS there has been considerable
criticism as to the contract made by
myself with the City of Americus last
year for pumping the water and
lighting the streets of Americus. and
the constructing of four miles of
street railway and the delay in carry
ing out that contract, I feel that it is
due the whole citizenship of Ameri-
Gus to inform them of the present
status of affairs.
When this contract was made by
me with the City last year, [ had the
assurance of a reliable firm in Phil
adelphia that with a contract from
the city our bonds could be readily
floated and on the strength of this
l secured the present contract with
the Mayor and City Council after
same had been submitted and ap-
proved by the vote of the people.
This contract was made at a time
when everything was prosperous,
when investors were seeking perma-
nent investments.
AS is we'll known to you, we sue
ceed in interesting in the PROPOSE
ton Mr.. A n Walker and associates
who came down and looked over Am
ericus and concluded to take up the
proposition and | closed negotiations
with them On the return of the
party to Philadelphia sufficient funds
were subscribed to fully carry out
the enterprise. Very soon after the
visit of the Philadelphia party the
panic came on and in addition to
this, one of those who subscribed
involved in personal business mat
ters which prevented him from fur
nishing the money as promised to
carry out this enterprise. When Mr.
Walker ascertained that all of the
subscribers could not carry out their
promise he had to enlist other mon
led interests, which he has succeeded
in doing, and there is now interested
in this proposition one of the rich
est men in the city of Philadelphia.
We have just reOrganized our di-
rectOrs and now have among the
directors to fully protect that mOn-
led interest. Mr.. j. NJ. Vogdees, WhO
is the financial agent of Mr.. Jacob 5.
DisstOn and Col. j. l.. Leiper, Mr..
DisstOn's nephew.
Funds have recently been furnish |
ed me to carry on the work of
which we are now do
ing We are putting up our steel |
rafters for the roof and will have |
the roof complete with terra Gotta |
covering within the next fifteen or
twenty days. Our plan is to start |
now as early as practicable to put |
down the street railroad and as there |
will be very little income from the
road until spring, we hope the coun- !
Gil will give us until the early spring |
to complete the street railway.
Myself and associates desire to |
and in this contract it is stated that
unless the street railway is built |
the contract falls. Charges being |
made that it is the purpose OF our |
to construct only a lighting |
plan and pumping plant without the |
street railway are false, as we can
not bind the city to the contract un-
less the street railroad is built.
We are going ahead with our
work to carry out our contract fully |
and all we ask is an extension of
time. We have now spent over
S12,00O.00 on our plant and | ask the |
citizens to go down and inspect the !
plant being built as I know they will |
be surprised at the work that is be-
ing done. This money would not have
been expended had not our company
fully intended to carry out the con-
tract with the city.
| trust we will be allowed this ex-
tension desired. After giving the
matter much time with much personal
expense l will say without fea of
contradiction that if we are not al
lowed to carry out our contract one
of two things will have to occur be-
fore Americus will have a street
railroad. 1t will either have to
make new contract and pay higher
prices for pumping and lighting than
is named in my contract or wait un-
til Americus has twenty-five thou
sand inhabitants.
1t has been rumored that other
people desire to make a contract with
the city but they state that they will
not do so unless they are paid two
cents per thousand gallons more for
pumping than is named in my con-
tract, and secure other concessions
they desire. That is asking the city
to pay for the loss on the street
cars. This my contract does not do.
We agree to pump the water for less
than it is now costing the city and
to give the city an all night light
every night in the year for only ten
dollars an arc light more than is
now being paid for moonlight sched-
ule.
The trouble all the while has been
the street car end. The income may
pay expenses but if a reckless mo-
torman causes an accident and the
company has to pay five or ten thou