Morris tribune., 1914-08-07
FUTURE GROWTH
OF OF. POWER co.
IN EARLY STAGES OF DE-
VELOPMENT.
Every Pound of Water in the
Otter Tail River will be Made
to Work Over and Over Plan
of Financing at Home to be
Continued as Long as Possible.

Fergus Falls Journal AS nearly
four hundred people have invested in
the stock of the Otter Tail Power
Company, and many others have it
under consideration some of the facts
in regard to the. growth and aims and
purposes of the company will he read
with interest. When Messrs. Wright
& Barrows built the dam at Dayton
they did it with their own money and
did not expect to invite the public to
invest in the company. No sooner.
however, was the dam at Dayton
completed than the towns around be-
gan to clamor for light and power,
and it became necessary to build trans
mission lines and to build distributing
plants in the villages and towns with
which connections we're to be made.
When additional funds we're required
instead of following the usual
method of going to the banking
eenters of the east for funds the
COMPANY adopted the policy of raising
the funds necessary for the develop
ment of the system here at home, and
among the people who were using the
current. This policy has been carried
out thus far, and up to the present
time practically every dollar of the
capital which has gone into the system
has been contributed by people living
in the cities and villages which it
serves or bv former residents who
seem to have faith in their former
home and have sent back funds for
investment.
When a market was found for the
power created at Dayton Hollow it
became necessary to develop more
power and the Hoot Lake project was
inaugurated. That is now completed
and the company is connecting up ten
new towns with the system to provide
a market for the power which the
Hoot Lake project has created. The
company has other powers to develop
and it is the intention to continue to
towns until every pound of water
flowing through the Otter Tail river
is made to work over and over again
in furnishing light and power for the
towns around Fergus Falls in every
direction. Already more than three
quarters of million dollars have been
invseted in the development of this
plant. and it is still in its early
stages 1t is furnishing a great op-
portunity for the people of this Sec
tion to put their money into an enter.
prise where they can get reasonable
rate Of interest and sure return.
When one contemplates the thousands
of dollars which have been sent out
of this part of Minnesota to be in
vested in mines and oil wells and
various schemes which have never
returned either interest or principal,
he can realize the great advanta ge
it is to the person who has money
which he wants to invest to have
a proposition like that presented by
the Otter Tail Power Company
where he can place his money.
When one makes an Investment
there are certain features which shoulC
be looked into which form the rea
test of the desirability of the invest
ment. For instance, there is ques
tion of market for the product. Th'
Otter Tail Power Company is peVe
at loss for a market. Every timt
it secures a customer, that custome
is permanent. Every day he is goinl
to use some current, either for lights
Tor ironing. for power or for SOM
other purpose. Towns in every direc
tion are clamoring to have the line
extended and TO supplant the temper
ary and unsatisfactory systems whic
they now have. On the question o
market no manufacturing industr
could have a surer demand than th
Otter Tail Power company has fo
its product.
1t has no competition. The price
which it makes are so much lowe
than current can be created in an
other way that it is going to have il
field without competition for year
to come. There is no other watt
power within a hundred miles WhiC
can create enough power to in an
way interfere with the Otter Ia
Power Company, and if there 1as
could not undersell it. The compar
is now on paying basis. as hi
been practically from the start Whe
ever lines are carried to an ADD ION