Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1911-01-27

ANNUAL 4 EXPENSE $65. 900

Deaieyed This City Will Be
Best Tighten City IN
he Northwest.
What may he said toabe the mont
important step taken IN the history
|pf Watertown was c0nsnmated Mon.
day evening when a contract for the
lighting of the straets OF the place
Was entered into BY and between tbs:
city and the Ferris Brothers and which
settles the question Of the kind, means
and manner Of electric lighting here
for the next ten years.
BY the terms Of the contract the
electric light company agrees to fur
tnish 20sarc lights OF 1900 candle power
at q cost Of 800 per light for the bust.
ness portion Of the city and 150 eighty.
candle power lights at $40 per lamp
to be hung IN the resident section.
The company agrees TO supply orna-
montM posts, reiiecsors and other
| necessary accessories and to patrol
and keep them IN good condition at
their own expense. Another feature
lof the contract is thst ali street lights
shall be lighted from dusk to dawn
leach night in the year during the life
Iof said contract The life of the con.
tract begins May /, 1911 and is to be
in force for q period Of 10 years, at
an annual expense to the city Of sc, 500.
rs snal Lights Of tile same Hra
rata expense can be secured by the
| city at any time.
Prior to convening in regular session
the members Of the city council met
in the rooms of the Business Mems
Union with Mr.. Ferris to ascertain If
an agreement could be reached as to
differences which have heretofore ex-
listed between them, Mr.. Frris making
concessions satisfactory to the council
1t was nearly 10 o'clock before the
members assembled in regular session.
There. was one feature of the occa-
sion which ELECTED some remarks, be-
ing the small number of spectators
present at time when a question of
such Importance to the citizens OF this
city was taken into consideration. Be-
sides the newspaper men there were
five persons present including Mr. Fer
ris to listen to the action of the mem
bers of the city council. rs III
Contract Consummated.
The first action of the alderman up
on conyening was to take ordinance
No. 232 from the table and place il
upon the second reading, and later in
the evening the passing of a resolu.
ton which placed the ordinance on
its final passage and the consumma-
ton of the contract with the Ferris
Brothers for a period of 10 years. BY
his action all future conferences,
sIecial meetings and time consumed
in investigating various kinds of cleo
trical devices is eliminated from the.
luture labors of the members of the
city council. .sa !,
Mayors Remarks.
Previous to the final vote on the
proposition Mayor Martin made few
remarks in extenuation Of the contem-
plated action by saying: THE council
has devoted the most conscientious
work in its efforts to secure for the
city the best lights at the least cost
of any question that has enlisted It's
attention since have been in Office.
There has been a misunderstanding as
to what the Ferris Brothers required
in the matter OF meters, motors, etc,
but these were satisfactorially settled.
Again, some people had suggested that
we wait and take more time In the 1
matter. We have consulted experts
in the business and they say the Fer
ris Brothers are giving us a good con
tract. It tirst the council was inclin-
ed to consider cluster lights prefer
able, but upon investigation it was
made clear that such lights were more 1
for ornament than light, ana it was
the purpose OF the members to get the
best light for the least money in exis-
tence. Upon investigation it was dis
covered that in the cluster lights the
shades diminished the light over so
per cent.
The mayor said that he had hoped