The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-02-26
UTILITY COMPANY
SPRINGS SURPRISE
Manager Walsh of Peoples Gas and
Electric Co, Burlington, Would
Distribute Power From
keokuk Dam.
HAS CONTRACT, HE SAYS
Tells Burlington Council He Will be
Able to Give It to Individual
Users There as Cheap
~ as Anyone.

BURLINGTON, Iowa, Feb. 26.-The
question OF granting the new Burling-
ton Power company a franchise to sell
and use electrical energy, derived from
the Keokuk power plant, took a sensa-
tional turn in the meeting of the city
council Saturday afternoon, when
Manager Charles H Walsh, of the
Peoples Gas & Electric company, de-
clared his company had practically Sc
cured contract with the Stone G
Webster company for handling in Bur-
lington the energy derived from the
Keokuk dam: that if given the exclu
sive right his company would furnish
power to individuals and manufacture
ers at as low a rate as could be OBJ
tanned from the Keokuk company, anc
that his company would put up a
surety bond of 100000 or as much
more as the city desired, amply guar
anteeing the people of Burlington as
cheap and good a rate for electrical
power as could be obtained from Keo-
kuk or elsewhere. The company would
pay into the city treasurer certain
per cent of the receipts from power
users.
Mr.. Walsh further stated that he
had just returned from business trip
Ito washington and New York, where
he had been in conference with east
ern financiers looking to the extension
of the Rock Island Southern into Bur
lington from Monmouth, and that he
could state viii, assurance that new
wagon and railroad bridge to carry the
interurban over the Mississippi into
Burlington would be built by his com.
Ipany. He said that now that the
drainage project was assured in Illi-
nois, across from Burlington, the COM
ing of the interurban was, in his opin-
ion, matter of certainty, and that a
bridge was Just as sure. He pointed
out certain defects in the proposed
ordinance OF the Burlington Powei
company, hici, in his mind, would
make ii undesirable and suggested TO
the promoters of the new company
that they Join forces with his COM
pany in ass iring the building of a
DrlQSe aCFcSS Liz TlNeT iiltO Dui Ston.
He declared that such bridge would
double The population of Burlington
( in few years.
AS a result of Mr.. Walsh's state,
ment, and in order to give the solicit
tor a chance 10 revise the proposed or
dinance, the council adjourned with
out action.
Mr. Walsh's statement came at a
climax in the consideration of the pro-
posed ordinance for franchise to the
Burlington Power company at the
Injecting of the council Saturday ar
lternoon. City Solicitor Poor, who had
studied the proposed ordinance, gave
an opinion, in which he pointed out a
number OF apparent weaknesses in it.
4 Mayor Cross and the counclmen
demand certain things in the provi-
sions of the new company's franchise,
w. f. Blake appearing for the Power
company, said that that company
could not, with profit. put their wires
beneath the soil. Mayor Cross pointed
out in that case the city council could
not grant the franchise as 1t violated
the city laws.
Mr.. Walsh then submitted PROPOSE
ton which he said would back UP
bond for 100000 or larger amount II
, the council saws 60