The weekly soliphone. (Paragould, Greene County, Ark.) 1907-1918, 1915-07-23
PARAC0ULD PUBLIC UTILITY
PLANT SOLD FOR 100000
(Trom Fridays Daily Press)


gould's public utility plant thai
supplies electric lights, power ant
ice to the people OF this city, was
Yesterday sold to the Arkansa:
Light & Power Company, with gen
eral offices in Arkadelphia, the
consideration being 100000. The
new owners of the local plant tool
charge of the business this morn
ing, retaining j. O. Shelby as man.
ager, as well as the other employees
who have had charge of the bust
ness for several years.
This deal, involving the transfer
of one of the most valuable utility
plants in the state, has been pend
ing for several months. Eastern
capitalists doing business under the
name of the Missouri Southeast
Utility Company, as we'll as repre-
sentatives of the Arkansas Light &
Power Company, have been con-
Quoting negotiations with the own
ers of the local plant with a view
to purchasing the property. The
Missouri Southeastern Company
had an option on the plant expir-
ing July /. while the Arkansas
Company had an option good until
July Is. The Missouri Company,
composed of New York and Boston
capitalists, failed to exercise the
terms of their option within the
specified time, and since July l.,
the negotiations have been carried
on with the Arkansas Company
The Missouri Company has acquir-
ed the Blytheville and Piggott
plants in Northeast Arkansas, and
the Sikeston, Charlottesville and
other plants in Southeast Missouri
The Arkansas Light & Power
Company owns plants at Arkadel-
phia, Camden, Magnolia, Ell Dora
do, Malvern, Fordyce, Mariana and
Newport. H. G. Couch of Arka-
delphia, is president; j. H. Meek, a
banker of Fordyce, is vice presi-
dent; J. L. Longino of Arkadelphia,
is the chief engineer and the sec
rotary of the company; D. E. Smith
Of Philadelphia, is the attorney.
These gentlemen with J. G. Clark,
an Arkadelphia banker, and John
w. Lee, a hardware merchant of
Malvern, compose the board of di-
rectors. Mr.. Lee is also president
of the Arkansas Retail Hardware
Dealers Association. AID Bertig,
president of the Crystal Ice Com
pany prior to the sale of the plant,
has been placed on the board OF
by the new management
in order that he may act in an ad-
visory capacity to the new own
ers.
Mr.. Couch stated this morning
this was the largest deal his COM
pany has made since it began buy
ing up utility plants in the live
cities of the state. He said he had
visited Paragould more than a
year ago and was most favorably
impressed with the progress this
city has been making and regarded
it as one of the fastest grown g
municipalities in the state. When
he was here on the occasion of his
previous visit the streets had not
been paved. He said this improve
ment had almost bodily lifted the
city out of the class of other cities
of similar size and placed it in a
position all to itself,
IF we had not had faith in the
future of Paragould we certainly
would not have invested 100000
in a public utility here" he said.
"We are not looking for dead towns
and we certainly did not find one
in Paragould. We are Arkansas
men, most of us born in this state.
We boost Arkansas and Arkansas
cities. Our policy here will be a
constructive one. 1t is our pur-
pose to make the Paragould light,
power and ice plant one of the
most efficient in the state. We
shall give the people the maximum
service for the minimum price con-
sistent with sound business princi-
pies. The time has long since
passed when public utility corpor-
ations, even though not hampered
with competition, can succeed by
giving the people poor service, by
charging exorbitant prices or by
failing to show spirit of cooper
alton not only in matters concern
ing their particulars business but
in all things calculated to advance
the interests of the community
The people of Paragould will fine
In the Arkansas Light & Power
Company a vital, constructive force