The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-06-18
A SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISES
The Romance OF Small Electric
Lighting Plant In Small
Town.

Those who travel across the EN-
pire state by night and chance to lool
out of the car window while passing
a certain rural village of about 8
thousand souls will be astonished tt
see the place ablaze with electric
lights. The fact that so small vii.
lage, located SO far from any city
or large town, is nightly illuminated
with electricity, including the few
streets, the stores and shops and
nearly every one of the country
homes, is a continual source of sur
prise and wonder to the traveller.
Now this is the story of how that
particular village obtained its electric
lights, even as it was told to me, to
satisfy my idle curiosity.
A certain young man there was
who became very much interested In
electricity, although he worked every
day In one Of the stores In this VII
lage. This was several years ago and
the young man am telling you about
had just graduated from the village
High school where the small labora-
tory had given him his first ideas Of
electrical machinery. He read and
studied everything he could find on
the subject Of electricity whenever
he could find the time to read books.
It SO happened that about the time
that he was deep In the subject Of
Electric lighting plants for small cities
and villages he became OF age and a
small sum OF money left him by a
thoughtful grandparent, was placed
at his disposal. This, added to what
ne had saved since he began selling
papers and working at odd jobs, gave
him almost $4,000, quite sum Of
money for young man of twenty -one
in SO small q community.
With this money placed to his cred
1t In the bank the young man went
straight to three pf the best known
and Wealthiest men OF the village and
unfolded the scheme which had been
framing itself in his mind for years.
It was nothing more or less than a
plan to establish an electric light
plant for the village.
or course these old men. who walk
ed nightly home in the dark when
the oil lights were not lighted or fol-
lowed the tiny beacons when they
were, pooh-poohed the idea from the
start
why, such a plant would not pay,
they echoed. IF one had fine water
power maybe we could do it butwith
coal; with coal! why, it is ridiculous,
preposterous.
Then the young man collected and
brought to them whole pages of facts
and figures and carefully explained
every detail of his experiment. Now
am willing to risk four thousand
dollars, all have in the world, In this
venture, for believe it will be sue
cess" said he. IF you doubt these
figures let me send to the General
Electric company at Schenectady for
an engineer, it will cost us nothing,
and he will verify all that | have
shown you.
One of the merchants snorted some
thing about "a fool and his money"
and left the room. The two Others
more to favor the young man than
anything else, because they had long
known his family, consented to talk
with the engineer.
In a few days the engineer came
and made thorough inspection Of
the village. He found out that coal
could be had for about $3.50 ton;
he went over the young mans figures
and pronounced them correct except
in one or two places, where he had
actually been too high; he interview
ed the President of the village and
the members of the Board and got
their consent for street lighting; talk
ed with the merchants and the house,
holders, then pronounced the venture
good one and advised the men to
go In with the boy and build the
plant.
After due consideration and inves-
tigation they agreed to form a COM
pany. place one of the men in as pres
ident, the young man as business
manager, and turn the sum of s1O.-
600 over to him with which to build
and establish local electric lighting
plant.
M. Il 4. + F.