The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1918-07-04

electricity In the town from such a
source as this, comes second, in i'm
portance to the town, only to rail-
road. The railroad we have had for
several years. The electricity, we
have just begun to realize in a vague
way, the value of. We have a line
in here that is second to none any
where. All the power that could ever
possibly be wanted in this town could
be transmitted over these wires just
as easily as the little amount OF cur
rent that will be required to operate
the little one-eighth horsepower motor
that is going to be installed to turn the
generator over here in the telephone
office to do the ringing for Mrs.
Haynes, who has worn her right arm
nearly off turning the crank on the
switchboard. We hope that the time
may come when this will be the means
of bringing some industry of some
value into the town, for electricity Is
being used for power in all kinds of
business and it can be used as we'll
in Harmony as in any place in the
State of Maine.
will say. not that | wish to do too
much boasting for the Harmony I'm
proyement Club, but to illustrate the
fact that we are out ITO do good
where it seems to us that good ought
to be done" that on account OF the
fact that Harmony Grange did not
feel able financially to have this hall
wired at this time, the club has taken
it upon itself to wire the building
throughout, and give it as a present
to the Grange; but the club will not
claim all OF the credit Of that, for Mr.
Quincy, who is in the employ OF the
Central Maine Power Co. here, made
the very kind offer to the club, that If
they would go ahead and do the job
for the Grange he would help them out
by giving his time in doing the work,
and for the labor in wiring the build
ing, and doing the decorating in color
ed lights which you see here tonight,
we are indebted to Mr.. Quincy, for
which the Club and the Grange, and
am sure every one OF us here tonight
are very grateful indeed. We all had
a personal interest In having the work
done because 1t is the only public hall
in town and 1t would have looked as
IL there was something decidedly
wrong II we had all had to continue
using the old kerosene lights here.
After all the effort that the club has
made to accomplish what 1t has, we
would have felt that we had disgraced
ourselves If we had allowed our only
public hall to go without lights. So
much for what we have accomplished
already, but this is only a beginning
of what we would like to be able to
do for the town, and what we think
might be accomplished by the organic
ed effort on the part OF all the citi-
zens OF the town.
Up to the present time no definite
action has been taken relative to other
the opinion OF the members Of the club
that the next important problem to be
undertaken, should be something in
the line OF fire-fghting apparatus.
Just what is the best kind of an ap-
paratus for a town that has no water
system, Is one OF the hard problems to
solve. We regret very much that the
thousands OF dollars that have been
expended in this village for individual
water systems could not have been
Jumped together and put into a public
water supply that would have not only
furnished good supply Of water for
all domestic purposes for the whole
village but would have furnished the
very best kind OF fire protection that
we could possibly have. This one ex-
ample alone proves the advantage of
an organization OF this kind in a small
town, over the individual system where
each one is working only for his own
personal interest Ten thousand dol
lars invested in individual water sys-
TENS in this town would probably give
every family In the village all the
drinking water and washing water
that they would want, but it would be
absolutely worthless as fire protection
You know it is true that most all
small towns have to suffer from one
or two disastrous fires before they are
awakened to the real value OF good
fire protection, and we sincerely wish
that our little village might wake up
to that fact before we have to have
the truth forced upon us by a fire that
would probably clean out the entire
business section of the town II 1t once
got started.
Following right along after this,
comes the question OF other improve
ments such as side walks along the
principal streets, to the school build
ings, the churches, the canning factory
and other places where 1t is necessary
for women and children to be obliged
to walk at all seasons of the year In
all kinds of weather. Also a nice lit
tie public library. athletic grounds and
dozen other things that might be
mentioned that would all help to make
the town a more desirable place to
live in as we'll as more attractive
place to outsiders who might be look
ing for desirable permanent loca-
ton.
Now the one important thing that
we wish you would all center your
minds on for the time being, is the
fact that these things can never be
accomplished by individual work, but
can, only be accomplished thru the
united effort of the whole community.
II there are few that will set back
and throw trigs, and few more that
will neither help nor hinder the pro-
gress OF things, that leaves only few
to do what there is to be done in a
town of this size; and | am going to
say to you that the Harmony Improve
ment Clubs wants, not only the good
wishes OF every citizen of the town, but
II wants the name OF every man, wo-
man and child in the town that is old
enough to help in some little way, on
our list of active members