davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
Total operating revenues 2O26O.5
OPERATING EXPENSES
Total of all expenses $10748.20
Net operating revenue =. 9512.36

That is to say the profit of the COM
pany as shown by the official report
filed with the State Railroad Commits
sion, copy of which is now in posses
sion of the city clerk of the city of
Ladysmith, for the year ending the
last day of June was $9512.36.
The report shows that of this profit
$196O.OO was paid out as dividends
and the balance was put in surplus.
The surplus was $7552.36.
There were reported total assets of
$39796.12. The statement shows that
$30OO.00 had been put into betterments
in the way of construction, and equip
ment in the current year.
The report shows there are 469 users
of current, or customers, on the books
of the company.
If all the municipal charges were
subtracted from the operating reve-
nues, there would still be left profit
of $529S.44. The city pays according
to the report, $4213.92. If the rates
are cut to the councils proposal to the
Ladysmith Lighting Company, on the
basis of 20 per cent reduction, the
saving to the people will be $s029.33
and there would be still surplus Of
$2269.11.
And this is profit of almost 6 per
cent on the valuation placed on the
plant on the lighting company's own
report.
On the same basis of profit that is
stated in the report and with the same
number of consumers, if the city
owned it, a dividend could be declared
to each consumer of $20.28. In other
words if the profit reported by the
company were equally divided among
the users of light and power each
would get $20.2S.
The News Budget stated that the
profits of the company were 10 per
cent on capital of $4,000. The
figures were way short. They should
have been 10 per cent on $4,000, or
on the basis of the cost of the plant to
the present company, 23 per cent
profit, on $41 900 which the people are
paying out of their pockets.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
Temperature of Year 1918
Here is what the official DimOcl
thermometer has recorded in 1918:
WANT WATER MAINS

East Park addition has been build
ing up rapidly and the nearest n.y.
-drant is nearly 400 feet from some of
the houses. Hence the petition being
circulated by Frank Stevens and SO
far signed by all of the freeholders of
the section, praying the council to ex-
tend the water mains along Worden-av
to East 9th-St. and across the r. r. to
Fritz-av; then to 18th and on to Lin
doO-av; laterals to be constructed on
10th and 18th streets. 1t will be pre-
sented to the council at the next
meeting
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
NEW PHONE APPARATUS
BOUGHT FOR LADYSMITH

HI. w. Allen, local manager of the
Chippewa Valley Telephone Co, has
received a letter from the secretary
of the company 7. J. Skolsky, that
the equipment for the new telephone
exchange at Ladysmith has been or
,dered and will be installed and in use
on Sept. 1st
While there have been four locations
for the new telephone exchange sub
mitted to the engineer in charge, none
of them has SO far been finally decided
upon.
The equipment is OF the latest and
most improved character and when in
stalled will insure a much improved
service here.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
Rusk Farm Drainage Matter
Occupies Judge and Jury
Four Days
COMMISSIONERS WERE
SUSTAINED BY JURY
Settlement of This Case Has Important
Bearing on All Other Drainage
Matters

| After a hearing that lasted from
Monday afternoon until Thursday
evening jury in the protest against
the work of the Commission in the mat
ter of the Rusk Farm Drainage Dis
trict brought in a verdict sustaining
the commissions action in making the
| assessments.
The jury decided that in all the as
sessments and benefits of the commits
sioners should stand. AS compensa-
tion for two acres owned by Jos. Mares,
the jury assessed value of $780,
This was the case which brought
Judge Wickham to Ladysmith for a
special term of circuit court. 1t was
Of great interest to many for the ques-
tions at issue were the same as in
volved in many drainage projects for
the reclamation of lands in the county
Here in the town of Rusk 100 acres
are to be directly benefited. A jury
was secured after a short period Mon
day. 1t was:
j. f. Frost, ID. f. Moreau, G. w.
Page, A. Rockstad, Ben Stelzman, of
Ladysmith; l.. III. Giddings, Bruce;
Henry Hanson, Thornapple; John G.
Tate, George NJ. John and w. s. Ser.
geant, of Marshall; William Lambert,
True. Ed Stoker, Lawrence.
II. Nj. Thomas appeared for the con-
testants and J. w. Carow for the
Drainage District. Many witnesses
were called and Judge Wickham him
self went into all the various tangles
thoroughly. The witnesses were:
w. s. Manning, j. A. Michaelson, p.
|J. Kassela, +. w. Calkins w. III.
Keith, G. w. Sargent Martin Vratania,
Ira Calkins, Robert Brady, JOS Mares,
p. Goodenough. Warren Moore, Ben
Apker, w. d. Morgan, Frank Il. Stare
and o. A. Sergent in rebuttal
The attorneys closed the case Thurs
day after dinner with their arguments
and the jury was charged by the
court.
Judge Wickham convened the court
at 2 o'clock Monday. Accompanying
him from Eau Claire came A. H. Shoe
maker, court reporter.
1t was an empty court room after the
jurors who were not used in the drain
age case, had been discharged from fur
ther duty.
One default case was heard, that Of
Sam Antonoff VS. Ike Katzh0vitz, i'm
which judgment was recorded for
plaintiff
w. $. Mnaning made his report as
commissioner in the Bruno Lake
Drainage District and report was al
lowed.
In the case of the Northwestern
Creamery Supply Co. vs. Weyerhaeus-
er Cooperative Creamery Company it
was held that the Creamery Co. was
insolvent, and o. A. Sergent was ap-
pointed receiver
The case of Roehrborn VS.. the City
of Ladysmith and the town of Flam-
beau, to settle whether the annexation
of certain portions of the town was
the nOn-appearance of Coe Brothers,
of Barron, who are the plaintiffs at
torneys After this court was adj
journed.
Twenty-nine cases Of default on land
contracts from Sawyer county were
Jumped. Attorney O. J. Falge, acting
for Falge & Stine,, attorneys, was
sworn and on his affidavits, Judge
Wickham ordered foreclosure in each
case.
Judge Wickham and Mr.. Shoemaker
returned to Eau Claire on No. Is
Thursday evening.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
NEW COURT COMMISSIONERS

Glenn Williams, court commission
er, presented his resignation to Judge
Wickham at the special term. The
resignation was accepted and J. w.
Carow appointed to the vacancy. Court
commissioners now are ]. A. Michael
son, w. s. Manning and J. w. Carow.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
Seven Months Operation Shows
Big Money Made by Chi
cago Owners of
Light Plant
MASS MEETING CALLED
FOR SATURDAY NIGHT
Question as to Future Action of COun-
ell Will be Submitted TO Citi-
Zens at that Time

A mass meeting of the citizens OF
Ladysmith will be held at the high
school gymnasium, Saturday, tOnlOr
row, evening, Jan. IL, at 8 o'clock to
discuss the question of taking over the
lighting plant.
w. n. Weeks, who is the superin
tendent of the Grand Rapids, Wis.
municipality owned plant will be pres
ent and answer any question i'm refer.
ence to municipal ownership and plant
operation.
Investigation by the city council
disclOses the fact that the profits OF the
Ladysmith Lighting Company were, ac-
cording to the last report filed with
the State Railroad Commission, suffi-
cient to pay each consumer $50 in diyi-
dends
On the profit which goes to the Chi
cago owners of the plant, is great
enough to pay all the municipal light
ing and power expenses and have
enough left so that the rates could be
cut down to the standard fixed in the
ultimatum of the council to the light
ing company and leave Il good sum in
the treasury besides.
COmpany's Own Report
This report filed in August cover
ing the period from July 1916, to June
80, 1917, is the only document any
where giving any facts as to the light
ing company, so far as accessibility
to the public is concerned. There is
nothing on file at Madison to show
time their report show
that the company has ever spent a
nickel since the Both of June. Up to
that time their report shows that
$4,000 had been expended in better
mentS.
They paid $4,000 for the plant, or
TO be exact, $4,000 for the physical
property and $1,000 for some liquid
assets in the old company.
The Myers interests simply bought
the stock of the company and took over
all there was in sight. Part of the re-
port therefore covers some of the actiy-
tiles of the company under the old
ownership and part of it under the
new As the Myers company took the
plant i'll January, 1917 the report is
about half and half
Big Margin of Profit
Anyhow, one cannot get away from
the fact that the report shows a
profit on operation equal to ten per
cent on capital of $4,000 which is
pretty good when the place cost $40,-
coo No one will shed any tears if the
company did feel the need of new
way to invest money in steam plant,
the reason for which was not that
there was a lack of power in a normal
season. but that if conditions were as
last winter when the weather was
fighting every industry, they would be
prepared to have an auxiliary to help
out. That was good business for if
the water power was off on account
of extraordinary weather conditions,
Continued on Page p
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
SMALL CHIMNEY FIRE

Fire which burned fiercely for few
minutes in the chimney of the house
of John Lover on Fritz-av called the
forenoon. 1t did not require much
work to put out the blaze and the loss
was nothing.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
RALPH DRUM SENDS PHOTO

Speaking Of the country around
Waco, Ralph Drum writes that it is
as hard as concrete and there is no wa
ter In the river. He says he found a
bull frog five years old that does not
know how to swim. Lieut.. Drum has
sent new photograph to several of
his Ladysmith friends and he looks the
outstanding soldier in every way.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
LIGHTING COMPANY'S AN
NUAL REPORT SHOWS
IMMENSE PROFIT

These figures are from the annual
report of the Laaysmith Lighting
Company, filed with the State Rail
road Commission for the year ending
June 30, 1917. The report is signed
by r. T.. BOisen. superintendent.
The report shows that the officers
of the company are L. E. Myers pres
ident L. n. Boisen. president and
secretary, and W. Fl. Z. Weston, treas
l1rpl
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
NEW NAVY RECRUITS

Postmaster Manning has two more
recruits for the navy. As soon as he
has few more, Recruiting Officer
Helmer will come to make examina-
ti0nS.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
WOMEN SUFFRAGE WINS IN
NATIONAL CONGRESS

The Constitutional amendment for
women suffrage passed the House of
Representatives by bare two-thirds
vote necessary, Thursday, the vote 274
aye. 1876 noes. The bill now goes to the
senate. Southern Democrats almost
solidly opposed the law. Republicans
generally gave it support.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
BASKETBALL TONIGHT

Rice Lake basketball team will play
Ladysmith highschool team at the
highschool gym tonight The Rice Lake
team is one of the best in Upper Wis
cOnsin.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
WALTER CORBET PROMOTED

Pretty good record for the boy. Wal
ter Corbet, who went with the second
bunch to Great Lakes Naval Training
Station, has been promoted to be Mas
ter at Arms and has 81 men under him
in the camp. The wages are $48 a
month. Corbet has been in camp 80
days.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
MISS BLIZZARD
IN LADYSMITH
Beautiful Weather Here But
Railroad Schedules Badly
Mixed Up
500 TRAINS DO NOT
GET OUT OF CHICAGO
Fierce Storm i'm Central West Leaves
No Breath of Cold or Snow
Up Here

| 500 trains north and south lost all
| respect fors the time table Monday,
owing to the storm in Chicago and as
| far north as Stevens Point. Train Is,
went as far as Spencer Sunday night
and came back. The ScoOt was on
| time from Owen in the afternoon. Then
No X was abandoned and a second
section of No. 901 was made up at
Owen to carry the north bound passen-
gers connecting with No. 3 out of Chi
cago and arrived in Ladysmith Mon
day night at 10 80.
Tuesday all trains were delayed in
both directions but by Thursday nor
NAL conditions had been established.
East and west traffic was not greatly
delayed
Ladysmith got none of the storm
Sunday that tied everything up in Chi
cago and Milwaukee. The snow began
to raise Cain generally at Rugby juno
ton and from there on south.
Storm Swept Chicago
The storm which delayed the trains
swept Chicago off the map for nearly
two days Sunday and Monday. Trains
were stopped and traffic in the city was.
practically at stand still. Milwaukee
was little better off. In Chicago there
was 40 mile an hour gale and that
drifted the snow in some places to Is
feet high. 1t was not excessively cold
but the snow caused great suffering and
few deaths. The storm extended from
Southern Minnesota and Kansas City
east across Illinois and Southern Wis
consin and into the east as far as Pitts
burg.
This was the last act in weather
drama that has been played since the
week of Christmas and has broken rec
ords for cold and snow the country
over. 1t has been many years since New
York has seen such cold weather. The
thermometer has been as low as II be-
low zero and all of New England and
South as far as the Virginias has had
colder weather than in 40 years. Even
in Florida the temperature has been
away below normal. In Tennessee and
ANOItu SHOW ldS 1dIleu W d COLI
siderable depth and even in the very
heart of the coal regions of the south
there has been great suffering on ac-
count of the lack of fuel
Darkies Frozen Up
In such times it is impossible to get
any work done and the southern darkey
hugs the lightwood fire and refuses to
bulge from the cabin.
About the only place on the map that
has any weather that was at all COM
Portable and normal in the past week
has been in the section around Lady
smith. Here has been the ideal winter
climate, with snow enough to make
sleighing and a temperature that has
not caused any suffering. Then too
there has been no fuel famine Good
provision of wood and enough coal to
care for all demands has made everyone
comfortable. In fact the winter in La
dysmith is SO far about as near perfect
as one would make to order.
Temperature of Year 1918
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
DRAFT LISTING
NEARS THE END
Exemption Board Has Put 267
Into Class One LiSt-De-
pendent Wives Ex-
empt 285

When the Exemption Board got
through with it's work on Tuesday
evening and adjourned until Thurs
day, it had passed on 654 question
naires of registrants. When they got
to the court house on Thursday they
found over 200 more waiting for them.
Of the total number passed on, 267
were placed in Class No. l, which
means that they will be called in the
order of their number for service in
any draft that may be made hereafter.
Class 2, has only p. This is the
class wherein the wife is not mainly
dependent on her husband for support
and also takes in the skilled farm and
industrial laborer.
In Glass 3. are placed some en-
ployes of the nation, state and city,
who are deemed to be necessary high
ly trained mechanical or technical ex-
pert and assistant or associate mana
gers of industrial enterprises neces-
sary. Here the board has placed 81
names.
In class are placed the married
men whose wives are dependent upon
them solely for support, as well as the
managers of agricultural and neces-
sary industrial enterprises. They are
by far the largest number and exemp-
ton in nearly every case has been
made on the ground of dependent
family. There are 2S5 in this class.
Glass 5 is for alien enemies, legisla
tive, executive and judicial officers,
ministers, students for the ministry.
persons in the army or navy of the U.
S., resident alien who claims eXemp-
ton. disabled persons, persons totally
unfit morally to be soldiers, and Ii
censed pilots except sky.
There are an even 80 of these so far.
The list is expected to be larger in the
alien enemy class.
Another Weeks Job
The board expects to be at the job
for another week and to have a report
ready for the government long before
there is call for the next quota I'M
der draft.
In number Of cases the board has
called for testimony and listened for
further reasons for exemption than the
ones set forth in the QUESTIONABLE. In
one case the answers were materially
changed on account OF the palpable
effort to get exemption through state
ments that were clearly untrue.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
OUR PEACE TERMS
In an Address to Congress, Presi-
dent Wilson Gives Definiteness
to War Aims of United States

III all duQfeSS 10 congress JueSuay
resident Wilson presented definite
rogram for world peace, containing
lie following necessary elements
|. Open covenants of peace without
private International understand,
ings.
}. Absolute freedom of the seas i'm
peace or war except as they may
be closed by international action.
}. Removal of all economic barriers
and establishments of equality of
trade conditions among nations
cOnsenting to peace and assOcia-
ting themselves for it's mainten-
ance.
/. Guarantees for the reduction of
national armaments to the lowest
point consistent with domestic
safety.
!. Impartial adjustment of all c0l0n-
ial claims based upon the princi-
pie that the peoples concerned
have equal rights with the inter-
est Vi tic SOtcTiuHtil.
!. Evacuation of all Russian terri
tory and opportunity for Russia's
political development.
I. Evacuation of Belgium without
any attempt to limit her sover-
eighty.
!. All French territory to be freed
and restored and reparatiOn for
the taking of Alsace-Lorraine.
|. Readjustment of Italy's frontiers
along clearly recognizable lines of
nationality.
. Freest opportunity for autono-
nous development of the peoples
of Austria-Hungary.
Evacuation of ROumania, Serbia
and Montenegro, with access to
the sea for Serbia, and interna-
tiOnal guarantees of economic
and political independence and
territory integrity of the Balkan
states.
Secure sovereignty for Turkeys
portion of the Ottoman empire,
but with other natiOnalities under
Turkish rule assured security of
life and opportunity for autn0n-
nous development, with the Dar-
dane)les permanently opened to
all nations.
Establishment of an Independent
Polish state, including territories
inhabited by indisputably Polish
populations, with free access to
the sea and political and econ
omic independence and territorial
integrity guaranteed by interna-
tiOnal covenant.
General association of nations
under specific covenants for mu-
tual guarantees of political inde-
pendence and territorial integrity
to large and small states alike.
For such arrangements and coven-
ts," said the President, in conclu-
N. I'VE are willing to fight and con-
ue to fight until they are achieved
[ only because we WISH the right TO
avail and desire a just and stable
ace."
Such a program, he said removed
ief provocations for war.
The moral climax of this, the cul-
mating and final war for human
erty, has come" said the President
ending his address, land they
eople of the United States) are
Idly to put their own strength, their
n highest purpose, their own integ-
Y and devotion to the test"
rhe war aims set forth by Lloyd
orge, British premier will be found
another column.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
City Plant on the Right Side of
Ledger for Six Months
Past
VALUE OF PLANT ALSO
is MUCH INCREASED
Mere Revenues and Less Expense
Marks Half Yearly Report of
Supt. BOvee

The I4adysmith Water Works, owned
by the city, is now being operated at
profit.
The report of the superintendent
shows this to be fact.
AS the city grows and the plant be-
comes more organized it will increase
if the same ratio is maintained.
That the city will eventually have
figure on the right side of the ledger
that will provide hydrant rentals and
fire protection without a cent of cost
to the taxpayers. seems to be plain.
1t has been the habit of some citi-
zens to state without full knowledge
that the water works was liability
and not an asset The fact is that the
city has been adding to the plant to
keep up with the growth of the muni-
cipality and it is only now that things
have begun to settle down to anything
like normal conditions.
What Report Shows
The report shows that for the last
six months from July 1st to Dec 80,
the gross revenue from operation was
$3274.17 and the total operating ex-
penses. $194O.74. The difference was a
profit ON operation of $1333.43. To get
the net revenue, there is also to be de-
Quoted the interest on the water
bonds for the six months of $3.50 This
leaves balance for the taxpayers of
$3S3. 40
In the year there has been added to
the value of the plant extensions in
which is included material and labor
to the amount of $1312O7, and the
painting Of the tank of $536.S5. The
cost of the plant at the beginning of
Continued on page s.
Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-11
OPERATING REVENUES

Commercial Lighting earnings-$14186.6l
Municipal contract lighting
earnings ... -. 3O13.92
Commercial power earnings 10000
Municipal power earnings. 10000
New-York tribune., 1918-04-21
u. S. Engineers Prepare Way
For Victory by Our Soldiers
Build Immense Cities of Warehouses, Hundreds Miles of
Trackage Install Forests of Crane Level and Rebuild Vii
lagos, That Fighting Lines May Move Swiftly on the Foe

exactly six times the amount of sup
plies per man that would be required
for civilians at home. The soldier eats
more, he wears out more-and he
shoots off millions of tons of steel and
explosive. So if there are to be two
million men in the army in France they
will need just as much in weight and
bulk as all the inhabitants of New York
City, Chicago, PhilaaeIphia and Boston
and Pittsburgh-the food, equipment,
houses, furniture and travelling accom-
modahons of city or nation of 12,O00,-
GOO men, and the engineers are pre-
pairing for the day when such an army
will be here, and preparing in such a
manner that there will be no delays,
no break-downs, no stoppage, in that
vast supply
New-York tribune., 1918-04-21
Cranes Resemble
A Huge Forest

In these docks and yards are several
of the sixty cranes which were ordered
IN America several months ago, and
winch are now some of the reasons why
this port will be the biggest and best
equipped in France. From a distance
these cranes, with the old ones of be-
fore the war, resemble a huge forest
OF waving, swaying giant trees, and
the putting and creaking and Changing
form deafening chorus of American
lndustry-the sound of the great wind
blowing through their branches.
In the harbor the dredging is con-
tlnuous. The two years accumulation
of mud and debris which was hinder
ing large ships has been cleared bv
the American engineers. All along the
docks there are some minor works 90
ing on.
AS we left them, we motored along
the new railroad lines connecting with
the great yards the engineers arc
building for the direct supply of the
American army. We passed a group
OF surveyors and men putting in a new
switch. The captain got out of the car
and looked over the job.
YES" he said, that's so. Right
through Through that brick house.
You go right through"
1t was little red house on the out
skirts, the hearth and palace of some
french workman, and it had to go. be-
cause the engineers cannot alter rail-
ROADS Tor sentimental reasons. But
they can and did pay for that red brick