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About Oregon City courier. (Oregon City, Or.) 1902-1919 | View Entire Issue (July 24, 1908)
OREGON CITY COURIER, FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1908 MUNIC1PA L British Cities Abandon Experi ment After a Short Trial. Every City That Tried to Run Iti Own "Hello" System Got Poor Service and Lost Money.. By WALTER F. BURGESS. The act of parliament of 1S99 permit ting municipalities to borrow money for the purpose of establishing municl pal telephone systems was taken ad vantage of by the corporations of Glas gow, Tunbrldge Wells, Hull, Ports mouth, Brighton and Swansea. The record of each has been one of flnan clal failure. At the outset It was stat ed by practical telephone engineers that the plans and estimates on which the systems were to be built were falla cious and would inevitably lead to dis aster. The municipality of Glasgow, which trades In everything from street cars down to lodging bouses for hoboes, was the first to take advantage of the act Their license was granted In March, 1000, and was valid for a pe rlod of thirteen years. Instead of adopt ing a modern common battery system they decided to install a modification of the old law system, which had already been discarded by telephone companies. Almost Immediately following the open ing the predicted faults became appar ent, and changes in the plant became necessary. So many methods of work ing the telephone were Introduced that the department rapidly became a by word and a reproach, and In July last the plant was sold after being In op eration barely five years at a loss to the taxpayers of $200,000. UDsoiete engineering methods were not confined to Glasgow. At Ports mouth and Swansea the clearing sig nals were operated by push buttons located at the subscribers' stations, while at Brighton and Hull the clear ing signals were given by a momen tary earth contact mado by the rising and falling of the switch hook. The service given by these municipalities was so poor that the increase-of sub scribers, which was at first rapid owing to the cheap rates and the glowing promises of an clDclent service, almost ceased. Official statistics show that the National Telephone company for the year 190D added 10,503 stations in the competitive areas ns against 2,149 sta tions added by the municipalities them selves. Although Glasgow was the lar gest of the municipal systems and con spicuously the worst from a technical point of view, Its financial lossss were not proportionately grenter than either of the other municipalities, which were all small and struggling concerns. For Instance, the balance sheet of tho Brighton municipality shows that the constructional estimates were exceeded by 40 per cent, and the whole concern' was sold Inst August at a loss to the taxpayers of $18,500. Further Investigations of the finan cial statement of the municipalities show that It was their practlco to dis criminate In the taxntlon of tbelr own undertakings and those which were op erated under private control. A fair ex ample of this discriminating policy may be found iu the statement for the fiscal year ending March 81, 1000, of the Brighton municipality. Tho capltnl ex penditure up to this dato on the tele phono system amounted to $217,550. At the rate for that year the undertak ing Bhould have been charged with about $3,707 for taxes, whereas the balance sheet shows that only $200 was actually paid. The Swansea corporation Is the last to discover that tho operation of mu nicipal telephony In practice and the ory Is entirely different, and they have Just decided to cut their losses and sell out As they were the last of the six., juiinlr jDOlltlcs to enter into tho telephone business, their selling out may be referred to as the "swan song" of municipal telephony In Great Brit ain. Immediately they announced their intention the local press was Inundated with letters of protest The mayor was requested to convene a town meet ing to discuss tho proposed sale. At this meeting a number of speeches were made and a deal of enthusiasm displayed. It was resolved that the subscribers to the municipal system should be Invited by circular to agree to pay an Increase on their rate, amounting to $5 per annum for three years, and thus avoid the sale. Considering the loud tnimpetings of the "profitable" results that had been claimed at the existing rates, this pro posal seems to be more than passing strange. The result of this highly original poll Is extremely amusing. The official statistics of the telephone system show that there were 1,487 sub scribers, so. Judging from the enthu siasm displayed at the meeting, one might have anticipated that the mu nicipality could count upon an increase of revenue amounting to at least $7,000 per annum from the proposed canvass. In the circular sent out it was stated that no reply would be construed as a refusal to pay. Now for the result: rotal number of subscriber! circular ized oo Agreed to Increase rate 247 Refused to pay 169 Agreed conditionally 67 Did not reply 437 It will be noticed that out of 1,487 subscribers after four years of active development there were only 900 who could be circularized on a question of payment, and out of this number 75 per cent would not pay a beggarly $5 per annum even for sentimental con sideration. Surely no outside criti cism can so pointedly indicate the ut ter feebleness of municipal telephony m ureat Britain. Stanley Bros. Rough Riders. One or the best attractions ever seen at oar ball games is to be pnt on Sunday, July 20th, when the Oregon Oity Grays are to play the Camas team ; following this game the Stan ley Bros., the famons roogli riders fr m Montana, will give a two hours' exhibition of the most famons and daring bronco and exhibition riding with the largest band of hardest buck ing horses ever gathered together. Their program will include the sensa tional and during Russian Drag from horseback, pick up, rope spinning Roman hypodroite, and two hours' continuous performance of exciting and blood-thrilling sport with fear less horses by fearless riders. Many outside horses will be brought in and ridden by the boys free of charge They will also be assisted by local riders of considerable importance. HOW MOLLY SAVED PLEASANTVJLLE Summons. In the Circuit Court of the State of Ore gon for Clackamas County. u. v. uunort, rnuutitr Vs. Jennie H. Gilbert, Dofedant. To Jennie H, Gilbert, defendant : In the name of the Stato of Oreeon you are nerony required to appear and aiiBwer the complaint filed against you in tne above entitled suit and court on or before the expiration of six weeks from and after the first pub lication of this summons, to-wit: the 7th day of September, 1008, and if you fail go to uppear and answor said complaint, for want thoreof the plain tiff will apply to the oourt for the re- ior prayed for in this complaint, to- wit : for a decree against yon dissolv ing the bonds of matrimony now ex- isting between you and plaintiff on tne ground 01 uesortion and cruel and linuman treatment. xr.is summons is published pnrsuant to an order duly nmiie aim encored in tne above entit d suit on the 2!ind dav of July. iuo, oy noil, urant xi. Diuiick ndge of the County Court for Ul ckanias County, State of Oregon. The date of the first publication nureor is tne h-hii flay or July, 1008. JNWWTUJN MeUOY, Attorney for Plaintiff. Address, Room 715. Oreconinn mug. rortiunu, ure. Boy's Life Saved. My little boy, four years j)ld had a suvore actacK or oyseutery. We had wo pnysinians; uotn or tnem gave mm up. we tnon gave luni Chamber Iain's Colio, Ohohira and Diarrhoea Remedy which cored him and believe that saved his life. William H. Strol ing, Carbon Hill, Ala. There is no doubt but this remedy saves tho lives of many children every year. Give it with castor oil according to the plain printed directions and a oure is oor tain. For sale by Hnutloy Bros., Or egon City and Molnllu. Child Cut Whh Scissors. While playing, Sundav. with ft nuir of scissors tho 18-moutl's-old daughter of Mr and Mri, Geo. Elv of thin it was painfully cut, falling on the scis sors, cuting severe gusli in her noBo. Dr. Somiuor was summoned and t.hp ohild is getting along very well. Mountain View. We failed to send In our communication last week ns we were at Chautauqua like every one else In the berg. Improvements still go on. . Ed Gottberg has bought Mr. Koran's blacksmith shop and Is making his shop Into a dwelling house. F. M. Amen, of Klngsley, Oregon, was here last week and bought the house and lot In this place belonging to J. Pierce and daughter Retta. P. D. Curran spent a few days of lust week here among relatives and friends. He is quite poorly lately. Frank Balid and wife of Maple Lane have bought Mr. Reymond's property on Molulla avenue, and took possession last week. ' Mrs. Jackson's sister Mrs. La Itay, of Estacada, has moved Into Mrs. Hoha's house on Division street. Mesrs. Chester Elliott, Austin Nickels and others, made a pleasure trip to the mountains lust week. Ernest Brand Is soojinnlng In Ihe moun tains this week. J. M. Gillette and O. W. Dlckeison wi-nt to the cattle ranch on the Molulla, lust Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Weed, of Se attle, were visiting relatives and friends here last week. Grandma Clark attended camp meeting at Canby and returned home luat week. Mrs. Glllett has found two gold pins lately. Born, July 0th, -008, to Mis. Mabel Os mond, a son, Mrs. Laura Billiard and daughter' Gladys, spent Friday of last week on the West Side visiting her brother Ed nnd wife. They have a big 32-pound hoy. Miss Edith Billiard Is visiting with her cousins at Carus. Miss Edna Gard, of Claikes Is attend ing the Summer Normal at the Barclay and boarding with Aunt Maggie Harring ton. Mrs. Fisher and her sister, Mis. George Wluldron, have gone to the hot springs near The Dalles. Mr. Fisher boards with Mr. Glllett and family. Miss Irene Olnnle, of Hlllsboro, Is vis iting with her cousins, Lillian Gillette nnd Pearl and Ruby Francis. Deafness Caunol Be Cured by local applications, as thev cannot, reach the diseased portion of the ear. Tliore is only one was to cure deafness, and that is by constitutional reme dies. Deafness is causod by an in flamed condition of the eustachian tnbe.. When this tube is inflamed you have a rumbling sound or imper fect hearing, and when it is entirely uiuseu, ueaiuess is tne result, and un less the inflammation can be taken out and this tnbe restored to its normal oondition, hearing will be destroyed forever; nine cases ont of ten are caused by catarrh, which is nothing out an mnameu condition or the mu cous snrfaceR. We will give one hundrod dollars for any case of deafness (cansnd by ca tarrh) that cannot be cured by Hall's Catarrh Cure. Send for circulars free. F. J. ORKNEY & CO., Toledo, O. Sold by druggists, 75o. Take Hall's 1'amily Pills for oonsti- pntiou. By ARTHUR H. GRANT. Pleasantvllle had waked up. The cen ter of a rich farming district, It bad grown so quietly that It hadn't realized that ft had outgrown its short dresses, o to speak, until Henry Graham, the enterprising manager of the Pioneer Electric company in Mllldale, eight miles away, asked for a franchise and a contract to light its streets with electricity, which he proposed to trans mit from his recently enlarged Mllldale plant , Pleasantvllle was divided between a sense of shame at having so long been content with oil lighted streets and delight at the prospect of having Its beautiful elm shaded streets as at tractive In the evening as they were by day. The city' fathers had dis cussed" the project, and a final vote was to be taken at the council meeting on Thursday evening. Graham had made the proposition that was fair to Pleas antvllle and yet would give a good profit to the stockholders and was con gratulating himself on having done a good stroke of business, for a prac tically unanimous vote was assured, when, as usual, the unexpected hap pened. On Wednesday afternoon trouble alighted from the westbound express In the person of Hiram Stlckney, a Btoutlsh, middle aged man of the "glad hand" type, but with little wrin Wes around his eyes, which, to the wise, were danger signals of a more sinister character than was revealed by the Jolly smile with which he greet ed the clerk of the City hotel: "'Lectric light contract let yet?" he asked of that rather sleepy function rj "No, but It will be tomorrow night." "Maybe so and maybe not," replied Stickney ns he followed the bellboy to his room. Twenty-four hours was all he need ed to make his "maybe riot" come true, for as the representative of the Slicker Manufacturing company he had become expert as a franchise killer and as a builder of municipal plants. A week later he and the mayor were seated side by side on the platform of the largest ball in town. The final vote of the council haft been postponed, nd Stlckney was that night to show of Mr. Henry O'Mallv. Sunt, nf 17. S Bureau of Fisheries, and Mr. T. Hnl- livnn, Hydraulic Enaiueer for P. H L. & P. Co.. of this citv went to Clna. adoro Monday to look over the ground for the fish hatchery, and investigate me water soppiy ror tne many basins. CLACKAMAS HEALTH RESORT v ."V I? .1- 1 ,-Vl ."T2 Jr " r V J ' 'ill -J J LiN.jPUI IMP : 1 Li OPEN FOR THE SEASON WITH A FULL CREW MODERN RUSSIAN BATHS Baths Fridays, Saturdays and by Request From Oregon Qtyyi miles ; From Gladstone 2 miles ; From Portland J 2 miles the people of Pleasantvllle how nar rowly they had escaped the wiles of the shrewd Graham nnd how much better it would be for them to have a lighting plant of their own. "We huve with us tonight," began the mayor, "a gentleman who has made a special study of the lighting problems of cities like Pleasantvllle, and whose coming to us at this junc ture seems to me little short of provi dential, lie will tell you tonight what he has previously told your represen tatives In the council, and 1 have no doubt that you will agree with us that It was wise to postpone action on the proposed lighting franchise. I have the pleasure of introducing to you Mr. nirnm Stlckney of the Slicker Manu facturing company." Stlckney had not been idle during his week in town. He had the history of rieasantville down as fine as the oldest Inhabitant. He knew all Its am bltlons, Its Jealousies -of neighboring towns, the range of trade of its mer chants, and had taken the gauge of almost every man of any prominence, He began, therefore, by skillfully play ing upon all the strings of local pride nnd envy nnd ambition until, when he reached the climax of his Introductory remarks, be had his audience Just where he wanted it. - "Get your current from Mllldale? Send your money to build up your rival? Become a mere appendage to another city? How long before you would find your customers following the wires over to Mllldale, nnd saying, 'If rieasantville has to get Its current from there, why should not we got our goods from there?' Whore would your political lenders staud In the county conventions when the Mllldalers would refer to them ns representatives of one of our suburbs?' No! Pleasant vllle must not mortgage its future In any such way. It Is strong enough and brave enough to stand on Its own feet. And It cnu do it" here he was inter rupted by a perfect storm of applause "and It can do it, and save moiTey in the bargain." Then he plunged Into the details of 1 munlclpnl lighting plant. Pollers, dy namos, transformers, were described as already the property of the thriving little town, until the audience saw the completed pluut nnd felt that sense of proprietorship which Is dear to every tight thinking American. "And the entire plant can be Installed In four months, nnd at a cost which will not exceed $10,000 In fact, my company has authorized me to make a coutract with you for a trifle less than that sum, If It can bo signed within two weeks; as this Is the dull season In the year of our business." When he snt down, mopping his ra ttier bald forehead for the oil latips In the hall were helping out the tern-1 perature of an August night the may or rose again nnd stated that although Mr. Stickney had covered the grouud very thoroughly, an opportunity would be given to any citizens to question blm. Lnter a vote would be taken In order that the council might know the wishes of its constituents. The city engineer, whose training nnd experience were limited to land surveying and setting the grades for the streets and sewers, felt that his position required him to show that he was not dazed by all the technical terms which had been used. Address ing the mayor, he said: "Mr. Stlckney has told us that the capacity of this plant would be 100 kilowatts. I would like to ask him whether that 'is its" maximum or minimum capacity." This question was actually asked under the clrcum stances described; In fact, the main points of the story are a matter history In a prairie city. Stlckney never cracked a smile he replied: "The question is well put, A hundred kilowatts Is the normal capacity, but the plant can carry the overload for half an hour or so twenty-five additional kilowatts." While some other questions were be ing asked by prominent ..citizens, anx lous. to maintain their prestige, Molly Zimmerman was whispering earnestly to her brother. Molly was a high school girl, who had been studying electricity the winter before. With a few others, she had gone over to Mllldale to fee now wis mysterious current was gen eratcd, and Graham, proud of his up to date plant, had shown the little party through It, explaining to. them the varl ous pieces of machinery wiih which it was filled. Molly's bright eyes had noticed the hooded dynamo at one side, and It was in answer to her question that he explained about the duplication of parts for use In case of a break down. "And now we have seen the whole plan," said Molly as they were thanking Graham In the office. "Oh, no," laughed he, "only one part. The other part is the one that wanders all over the town, lights the streets. carries the current to the stores and houses nnd distributes the surplus pow er to the factories." And so, as Stlckney talked,- he was speaking to one auditor, at least, be fore whom there rose up a picture of a really up to date plant, and who was bright enough to see the discrepancies between his $10,000 outfit and what was really needed to light her city. Perhaps if it had been somebody else's brother instead of her own who was seated beside her, she might have persuaded him to ask the questions which she was too shy to ask for her self. But Tom Zimmerman was more intent upon listening to what the presi dent of the Pleasantvllle bank (whom Stickney had primed on the subject of bonds) was saying, than on the half au dible whispers of his curly headed sis ter. Right behind them sat Dr. Grey, who had known Molly all her life. The doc tor did not know anything about elec tric light plants, but he knew that Mol ly hnd a wise little head, and when he overheard one of her urgent whispers, he leaned forward and half playfully asked: "Are you trying to get a spokesman, Molly?" "Oh, Dr. Grey! Please ask him why he has not said anything about trans mission lines, and poles, nnd street lamps, and meters, and what we would do If the one dynamo should break down !" "Easy, easy, little girl," said the doc tor. "Remember, I am in the Infant class (for Molly taught that at Sunday school), and 'tell me the story gently, ns to a little child.' " Molly blushed, but after a few min utes of whispering the doctor rose and asked one by one, though hardly In their logical order, the questions that Molly had suggested. Tho doctor's first question, "Does the estimate Include meters for commer cial lighting?" was parried by the glib answer: "Oh, the customers would buy their own meters." "Yes, but how much would the me ters cost?" . The wrinkles overpowered the smile on Hiram Stlckney's face, as he real ized by the doctor's quiet way that he was no longer dealing with make be lieve questions, but with the real desire for knowledge of a man who was ac customed to look beneath the surface of things. Admission after admission was forced from him, until the trutll tood revealed that his "complete plant" was only a generating plant, with no provision for distribution, and poorly equipped one at that. He was a game fighter, however, and did not leave town until after the next council, meeting, when franchise and contract were both voted without dissent. He hnd done the town one service, however, for the franchise included a proviso that tho name of the company Bhould be changed to the Milldale and rieasantville Electric Light company. None of Stlckney's unfavorable predic tions was fulfilled, for Pleasantvllle has grown at the expense of some of Its rivals who had no Molly Zimmer man to save them from smooth con tract agents and whose tax rates have grown faslcr than their industries. Molly's share In the affair was soon generally known, for Dr. Grey was proud of the fact that the quick wit of one of "his girls" had been of such service to the city, and two years aft erward, when Molly became Mrs. Hen ry Graham, the present that she prized most highly was an electric chafing dish, for the card that accompanied it was Inscribed, "To the Girl Who Saved rieasantville, From Her Spokesman." ABANDON DfcUGS and get well why should a sick person take a dose of medicine to make him well when that same person, if well, would be afraid to take that same medi cine lest it would make him sick? Branch Office 405 rth Street Back of Barber Shop Oregon City Ore. DR.UCLESS AND KNIFELESS SPECIALISTS Drs. Lavalley & Farming C HIR.O-SPINOLIGISTS SCIENTIFIC DRUGLESS CURE OF DISEASE MAIN OFFICE 20?AliskyBIdg. 3rd & Morrison Sts. Portland, Oregon Results are Quick and Permanent. Succeeds Where Everything Else has Failed If Sick and have tried Everything and have received no relief, we court your strictest investigation. Consultation and Examination Free. NEWPORT -YAQUINA BAY- Oregon's Matchless Summer Resort The Place to Co for Perfect Rest and Every Conceivable Form of , Healthful and Delightful Recreation ITS FACILITIES ARE COMPLETE Best of food and an abundance of it. Fresh water from springs. All modern necessities, such as telegraph, telephone, markets freshly provided every day. Fuel in abundance. Cottages part ly furnished or unfurnished to be had cheaply. Strict municipal sanitary regulations. NEWPORT is reached by way of the Southern Pacific to Albany or Corvallis, thence Corvallis & Eestern R. R. Train service daily and the trip a pleasure throughout. RATE FROM OREGON CITY Season Six Months Ticket $6.00 Saturday to Monday Ticket 3.00 Our elaborate new Summer Book gives a concise descrip - tion of Newport, including a list of hotels, their capacity and rates. Call on, telephone or write E. T. FIELDS, Local Agent, Oregon Cfty, Ore. Wm. McMurray General Passenger Agent, Portland, Oregon. Children Interested.in Fair. Prizes of $3, $2, and 1 are to he ottered to the school children of (this county for best letters to any friends in Clackamas, Marion, and Washing ton counties showing why these rionds should be interested in the coming Clackamas county fair. The letters are to be written to County upt. Gary, on or before Ana. 15, who will grade them and forward them to the parties for whom thev are utendod. Ace of papas will be con sidered, which will give pnpils iu arious grades an equal chanoe. Help for Those Who Have Stomach Trouble- After doctoring for abont tweve years for a bad stomach trouble, and spending nearly five hnudred dollars for medicine and doctor's fees, I par chased my wife one box of Chamber lain's Stomach and .Liver Tablets, which did her so mnch good that she continued to nse them and they have done her more good than all of the modicine I bought before. Sam n el Boyer, Folsom, Iowa. This medioine is for sale by Hontler Bros., Oregon City and Molalla. Samples free. We wish to call the attention of the public to the full pae advertisement of L. Adams on the back uage of this issue. Mr. Aditms is patting np his store iu great slinpe for iui immense nalo and has beeu spending three days in preparing the great bargains he has to offer to the people of Olackamas county. rublicity of management by private Individuals can be trusted to accom plish better results than the privacy of tnamiivim r.t by public officials. Else irlci'l v o-i.i. Automobile will meet all Tele- rrwnrro it rv phone Calls. Phone Farmers 26 A. fcRIlKSON, PfOp. C. D. D.C. Latourette ATTY'S AT LAW Commercial, Real Estate and Probate out Specialties. Office In Commercial Bank Building, Oregon City, Oregon, Oregon City Courier for one year, and beautiful oil painting, all for $3.00. Send in vour subscriptions at once. Over 200 paintings to select from. Often The Kidneys Are Weakened by Over-Work. Unhealthy Kidneys Make Impure Blood, It used to be considered that only urinary and bladder troubles were to be traced to the kidneys, but now modern science proves that nearly all diseases have their beginning in the disorder of these most important organs. The kidneys filter and purify the blood that is their work. Therefore, when vourkidneysare weak or out of order, you can understand how quickly your entire body is affected and how every organ seems to fail to do its duty. If you are sick or " feel badly," begin taking the great kidney remedy, Dr. Kilmer's Swamp-Root, because as soon as vour kidneys are well they will help all'the other organs to health. A trial will convince anyone. If you are sick you can make no mis take' by first doctoring your kidneys. The mild and the extraordinary effect of Dr. Kilmer's Swamp-Root, the great kidney remedy, is soon realized. It stands the highest for its wonderful cures of the most distressing cases, and is sold on its merits by all fcC druciristsin fiftv-cent and one-dollar size Hijrj ooities. ou may Have a sample bottle Homoof Smuap-Root by mail free, also a pamphlet telling yo how to find out if you have kidney 01 bladder trouble. "Mention this paper when writing tn Dr. Kilmer & Co.. Bin?- hainton, N. Y, Don't make any mistake, I but remember the name, Swamp-Root, Dr. Kilmer's Swwin-Koot. and the ad dress, biinjnamlou, S" Y . on ;iv 0.ittl Stereoptlcon Lecture. Dr. C. A. Woody gave a Btereopti- ' con exhibition Sunday evening in the Baptist church, representing foreign immigration in all its phases, show ing the immigrant as he leaves his native land, then in the steerage of the passenger vessel, his arrival at Ellis Island and his life in the crowd ed centers of our large cities. The lecture was well attended. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned will receive sealed propos als for the construction of a four-room addition to the Eastham School Build ing In Oregon City, Oregon, on or be fore Friday, July 31, at 6 o'clock p. m. Plans and specifications may be seen at the office of the undersigned, in Ore gon City, Oregon. E. E. Brodle, Clerk of School District No. C2, Clackamas County, Oregon. Summer Rates to Yaqulna and New port. Round trip tickets to Yaqulna and Newport are now on sale at Southern Pacific depot at rate of $G.OO, good to' return within six months from date of sale, which closes October 15th. Round trip tickets good going on Sat urdays and returning the following Monday, $3.00. Call on or address E. T. Fields, Agent, Oregon City. Oregon City Courier for one year, aud beautiful oil painting, all for 12.00. Send in your subscriptions at once. Over 200 paintings to select from. George C. Brownell ATT'Y AT LAW OREGON CITY, , OREGON Study Lav; in a recognized institution of learn ing. Such a one is tht Department of Law of the University of Oregon. It9 graduates succeed and many of them are now prominent members of the Bench and Bar. Faculty of seven teen instructors. Students have ac cess to a library of 10,000 volumes. Next term opens about September 21st, 1908. Free catalogue on "appli cation. Address WALTER. H. EVANS. Secy. Gil Corbett Bldg. Portland, Ore FaiYMaimiCfii Cures all Kidney and Bladder Diseases Guaranteed HOWELL & JONES, Reliable Druggists.' 1
