Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1909-10-01
The City Council Passes an Ordinance Grant
ing Ferris Bros. an Electric Light Franchise
for Twenty Years. The New Company
will buy the Kirlin-G Gray Plant.
The City Council Had Lengthy Discussion
on the Subject Of Installing an Automatic
Telephone System in WatertoWn. Also
Takes up the Matter Of a Paid Fire Depart
ment.

At an adjourned meeting of the city
council Tuesday afternoon new fran
chise was granted Ferris Bros. for an
electric lighting plant in Watertown.
Ferris Bros. are a company who have
several large electric lighting plants in
eight or ten different cities and they
have purchased the Kirlin-Gray cleo
trio lighting plant in Watertown and
closed the deal when the city passed a
franchise which was acceptable to
them. The new franchise was passed
Tuesday afternoon and the new company
will take possession of the plant and
the business in very short time. They
expect to rebuild and enlarge the plant
as soon as possible
In an effort to secure franchise
from the city for the operation of an
electric lighting system in the city,
which franchise will warrant them in
purchasing the Kirlin-Gray plant,
Robert Ferris Of Yankton, Thomas
Ferris of Usage, Ia, and James Fer
sris of Franklin, Ind. three Of the four.
brothers who own and control the
Ferris Brothers Electric Light com
pany which operates plants In eight
OF the large cities of the northwest,
have been in the city for. the past
three days, and today have been con-
ferring with the city council. 1t is
expected that the new franchise will
either be passed or rejected late this
afternoon.
In the party is William and Charles
Edwards, bankers Of Yankton, who are
interested in the transfer Of the prop
erty. Judge Cummings of Chicago,
the financial representative is also
here.
"A provision desired by Ferris Bro
thers makes it possible for the com.
pany to charge a minimum rae OF
81 for each residence, and the same
amount for each horsepower of any
motor in use, caused a great deal OF
discussion. The council thought that
there ought to be no minimum rate
at all. An agreement was finally
reached where the company could col
lect so cents from every house wheth.
er light was used or not. II the con
sumer notifies the company that the
lights will not be used for a certain
length Of time, the minimum rate car
not be charged.
The company has had the franchise
in the hands Of the council for two
weeks. Mr.. Ferris this morning stat
ed that.it was very similar to fran
chises granted in the east. The nev
rate is to be figured in kiloWatts, tha
+ is upon the actual amount of curren
used, whereas under the present fran
chise,. the average charge per kilowat
was Is cents, while under the new
the maximum charge will be tha
I amount.
EssSs3 ..xs.--s~
That the Dakota Central Telephon
company is ready and willing to equi
the local exchange with the automati
system at an y time the citizens
the city are ready, but at such tim b N
as the system is changed the price
would be materially raised was th
report which Nayor;J W Martin, las 4
evening al the regular meeting of th
city council, submitted to the aide
s. men.
Mayor Martin said that il the sy
TEN should be changed business tel
phones would cost 1915, and sS.5
a lower rate being made providing Il
bills were paid before the fifteenth ]
each month Residence phones; mo-
than one on a line. will cost s1.50, az
s1..25. where the bills are paid befo
the middle OF the month On sing
line residence phones, the price "
be So. and 81 z
John D. Johnson, local manage
speaking OF the char sc and prizes
said that these were the prices viii