Oregon City courier., July 31, 1908, Page 8, Image 8

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OREGON CITY COURIER FRIDAY, JULY SI, 1908
REASONS FOR FAILURE.
Some of the Municipal Lighting Ex
periments That Have Failed The
Causes and :ho Losses.
Modesto, Cal., purchased Us elec
tric plant In 1S99, but has since shut
down its generating plant and leased
the distributing plant A well Inform'
ed citizen says:
"The city was able to buy power
cheaper than It could generate 1L
Moreover, new boilers were needed.
the city bad provided no renewal fund
and the people disliked the Idea of
bonding. The waterworks also were
leased to private parties."
The mayor of Plttsfield, 111, assigns
the following reason for the sale of the
electric plant formerly owned by that
city: v
"Cheaper to pn the Plttsfield Elec
trie company than to do It ourselves
We ran It ourselves for several years
and bavtf "had It run by contract at
least five years, saving money by con
trading It to outsiders."
The people of East Chicago, Ind
tnougnt tnat tney could save money
by running the electric plant them
selves. They bought It in 1000, but by
1903 it was In the bands of a receiver,
and ns the city was unable to redeem
the plant It was sold" in 1907, together
with a twenty-five year franchise.
The town of Lowell, Ind., purchased
la 1001 for $0,500 the electric light
plant which bad been Installed two
years before. In 1907 the plant was
sold for $2,730, the difference between
this and the purchase price represent
ing a depreciation of 10 per cent a
year. The purchaser installed a new
plant, as the old one was worth only
about $1,500 as Junk. The reasons as
signed for the sulo are that the plunt
was being run at a loss and was lu
very bad condition, while the town
was so heavily bonded that it could not
Install a new plant. A tweuty-flve
year franchiso went with the plant
According to the mayor, the electric
plant at Mentone, Ind, was purchased
In 1899 from a private company for
$2,000 and was Bold In 1903 for $000
because It was a "losing proposition."
Another correspondent assigns "poor
service and lack of management" as
the reason for the return to private
ownership.
The electric plant of Lyons, la. In
stalled In 1889 at a cost of $13,000,
was sold for $5,000 In 1902 when Lyons
was annexed to Clinton because better
service could be obtained from a com
pany. The municipal electric plant of Som
erset, Ky, installed In 1903 at a cost of
$18,000, was sold or leased to a private
company after being in operation about
two years.
In 1903 the city of Langdon, N. D,
purchased the electric plant from its
owners and spent $10,000 lu Improving
It As it could not be made to pay It
was sold in 1900 for $9,000, entailing a
loss of $8,500 In three years, not In
cluding the loss in operating, which
amounted to about $2,000 a year.
The borough of Einaua, Pa, Installed
an electric plant In 1890 and sold It five
years later at about one-third of its
cost The borough clerk states that
the reason for abandoning tho plant
was chiefly lis heavy expense, the
lights costing considerably more than
the borough could get them from a
prlvoto company.
Some years ago the city of Dayton,
Tenn, purchased or leased an electric
plant, but was compelled to retire from
the business because tho expense of
running It was obout three times the
cost of contracting for lights from a
company.
" Kent, Wash, purchased Its electric
plant from a private company In 1892
and sold it ten years luter for about
half what It paid for it The mayor
assigns as tbe reason for selling, "Could
not make it pay."
CHEAPER TO BUY CURRENT.
Many Cities Are Becoming Mere Re
tailers of Electrio Power Generated
by Private Companies,
Among tbe cities which have recent
ly closed down their generating plants
because they found that privute com
panies could supply current more
cheaply than tbe city plants could gen
erate It are New Westminster. 6. 0.;
Millers Falls, Mass.; Moorpsville, N. C;
and Fort William, Ont; Souderton,
Pa, and New Richmond, Wis. In all
these cases the Investment for powei-
house and generating machinery Is al
most a total loss.
In Millers Falls tbe plant had been
In use only four years. The lamps
were of only 1,500 candle power and
burned only 3.53 hours a night, yet tbe
cost, as shown by the annual report
was $75.01 a year, in spite of only 8
per cent being charged off for depreci
ation and there being no allowance for
lost taxes, etc. Kow at a lower cost
the streets are lighted all night on
moonlight schedule.
Fort William, besides Its electric
plant, owns Its waterworks and tele
phone system and until recently was
widely advertised as an example of
successful municipal ownership. Now,
however, expressions of dissatisfaction
are frequently heard, and the town
was glad to modify its experiment by
taking advantage of the saving to be
derived from private enterprise.
The chief burgess of Souderton
writes that the reasons for contracting
for current were the high cost of oper
ating the plant, trouble with engineers
and superintendent and the fact that
tbe plant was too small for the load.
Only a year ago the plant was en
larged, but evidently without sufficient
foresight The change was heartily
Indorsed by the citizens, one of whom
said that the chief trouble was that
"everybody in power wanted to mon
key with the plant"
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Why Sure! You Are Reading This Ad
Are you not? If you read this ad others will read yours if you will place it where it-will be' Been. If you
place your advertisement in some paper that people do not care to read of course you cannot expect results
from your efforts. But if you go to a paper that is aggressive and alive and is brim full of news you are sure
of reaping results from the money you spend. And again you cannot expect to place an ad in any paper and
expect people to come and buy you out the next day. You must give them a dose one week and then double
the dose the next time; give them both doses the next week. If this does not fix them repeat what you have
given before but add a greater amount of vim. When you have done1 all this get in and ADVERTISE
fl Did you ever stop and consider why the Courier leads in advertising? It is easy to see why if you
will stop and consider how much larger a circulation the Courier has than other Clackamas County papers.
And why this larger circulation? Because the management of the Courier is ever on the lookout for new
ideas to give their readers; new features to add that will give a greater variety that will please everybody.
To give the readers of the Courier the news in an unbiased form. These and many more are the reasons why
the Courier has a larger . circulation than other Clackamas County newspapers, and the reason why the
Courier has a great deal more advertising matter than other Clackamas County papers.
(J The Courier's job plant is excelled only by the larger plants of Portland, and is prepared to prjnt any
thing from the finest society stationery to the big wholesaler's catalogue.
IF YOU WANT GOOD PRINTING
r
ffl
ri
a
CALL ON
THE .s OR. EG ON CITY COURIER
S
A PLEA FOR FAIR DEALING.
THE HOME OF GOOD PRINTING
Citi-
INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE.
How
It Provided a Great Need In
Big Publio Department.
Congressman Bennett, who learned
at a meeting of tho welfare depart
ment of tho National Civic federation
of the emergency hospitals lustnlled in
many factories, Introduced a resolu
tion of Inquiry in the bouso of repre
sentatives with reference to facilities
In government buildings in the city of
- Washington for administering first aid
to employees. President Itoosovelt im
mediately nsjjed for reports from
the various departments, and It wm
found that such provision was made In
only one.
An employee of the government, a
compositor in the dopurtmeut of pub
lic printing, whose sympathy was stir
red by tho sight of employees lying on
the floor waiting the arrival of an am
bulance for tbe purposo of carrying
them to a hospital, had til (oil up a
small room in which to cure for such
employees. As there was no appropria
tion for supplies, ho personally paid
for drugs, surgical dressings, band
ages and other necessities.
The public printer reported to Presi
dent Itoosovelt that the arrangoment
bad been very beneficial to tho em
ployees, as somo of the cases wero
very urgent and need Immediate at
tention, that 1,250 cases havo been
treated since this emergency room has
teen Installed and that previously It
was necessary to send out for a physl
clan, and If be wero not at homo the
employee was left lying on tho floor of
tho workroom or toilet room suffering
until one could be located. National
Civic Federation Itevlew.
, Platform on Which All Good
zeni Can Stand Together. .
In Cincinnati there is a Municipal
Voters' league with the following platform;
1. The entire separation of municipal af
fairs from national party politics.
Z. The election ol honest and efficient
men for public office In the city of Cin
cinnati, Irrespective of their party polltlci.
8. The establishment of the merit syi-
tem In all branches of the city govern
ment; the discharge of no employee of
the city government on account ot polit
ical adulations.
4. Opposition to any sinister control by
the great publio service corporations over
the executive and legislative officials of
the city; opposition to the oppression of
uch corporations by the city officials;
absolute fair dealing between the city
and auch corporations.
C. A greater, better and more beautiful
olty; a olty government free from graft
and favoritism In letting of contracts;
Improvement of streets at prices not
greater than those paid by other cities;
a system for their preservation in good
repair and to prevent their indiscriminate
opening; for' the elimination without un
necessary delay of all grade crossings;
the rehabilitation and efficient mainte
nance of our city Institutions.
6. A generous treatment of the publio
schools of the city and Insistence upon
the most efficient methods of education.
7. An untainted registration and an hon
est election,
8. The Indorsement by this association
of such candidates only as will subscribe
to the principles stated above and aa will
pledge that their official action shall not
be nominated or controlled by any pollt
Icaltiosa or organization.
This is a step In the right direction.
If generally adopted and heartily sup
ported such a movement would elimi
nate tho causes of friction between the
public and tbe companies which serve
It and would make needless any agita
tion for municipal ownership. It
should be welcomed by corporations
who are now persistently bled by tbe
political middlemen who act as self
constituted brokers for franchises and
other privileges.
Local Happenings
is visifing
Not a Paying Business.
Iu December, lt)05, the city of South
Pittsburg, Teuu., purchased for $3,000
the electric plant, on which $0,000 had
been expended. In November, 1007,
the city resold the plant, taking its pay
in lighting. A disinterested citizen
writes as follows:
"After about two years' operation of
tho plant by tho city It was demon
strated that the project was not pay
lug, and, In fact, the actual expense of
operation could not be met; hence the
uuilu reason for selling, and, too, the
plant was fa ?cy poor condition even
after the city had expended nbout
$1,000 for repairs, and no more money
could bo raised by the corporation for
additional repairs."
Municipal Electricity a Burden.
In l!)i tho vllluge of Hampshire, 111
installed dynamos and a distributing
system at a cost of $'i.O00. This has
Just been sold for $.'1,000. in the ordl
nance providing for the sale It Is set
forth Unit the plant "has become un
protllnhlo to and a burden upon said
village."
TEAZEL ORKKK
I no lame liero now lisvo plenty to
do, as blackberries are ripe and pretty
plentiful. All are mixioas to can
gome of them.
A lre crowd went to Wilhoit last
Sunday.
Francis Qui rm brought out from Ore
gon'Cifv another fine loud of ico fur
for Kolibing Bros. one. dav last week.
Mr. Dave Vox expects to stsn in a
few dnys for Hot Springs. His gon-in-lnw,
Oeorgo Dart, and wife will
stay with Mrs. Fox and ran business
while he is gone,
Fire Ended These Experiments.
The electric light plant Installed In
1902 by tho city of Rockvllle, Md., was
destroyed by 6r la 1004 and was not
rebuilt Thero was Insurance and
tho city lost $10,000.
When tho municipal electric light
plant of Murcellne, Mo., Installed nt a
cost of $8,000, was burned It was not
rebuilt because the people realized
tb ut it did not pay.
Tho mayor of Bradford, O., writes:
"Wo operated electric plant under
lease. It burned In December, 1892,
and has been lu litigation since. A
plant Is now being constructed by a
private corporation to furnish street
aud commercial lights."
A Vanishing Profit.
Durllngtou, Vt., has been elnlmlug a
good round profit from its electric
rMunt. llecently, however, n firm of
expert accountants was employed to
Investigate tho linunoes and reported a
loss In something like over three years
of RKIK. Kven this does not allow
for lost taxes, rent of site. Insurance,
provision for duinnges, etc., while de
predation of machinery Is estimated at
oulr 6 per cent.
Miss Florence tlmce
friends iu Seattle.
. Miss Nellie Nisbetli of Portland is
visiting at the horn? of Mrs. Q. W.
liraco.
WANTED Thorouhgly capable and
experienced girl for .JiouBe work.
(Jail nt Courier office.
Mr. aud Mrs. J. W. Loder will leave
Monday morning for two weeks' va
cation at Cannon Heneh.
Mrs. Junie Currin, of Seattle, is
visiting at the home of Mrs. J. M.
Hamilton on High street.
J. J. Cooke is planning to leave this
city August Oth with his family for a
two weeks' outing in the mountains.
Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Cross and Mr.
nud Mrs. O. 11. Dye attended the clos
ing 6 exercises at Cliemawa school
Ve(lneilny. . .
'Miss Grace Smith has just returned
from Mt. Hood, whero she has been
spending her vacation. She reports
plenty of snow and fun.
J A tine drove of 200 steers were driv
en tlironu'li this oitv Wednesday from
eastern Oregon, eiiroute to Smith
Moat Conipanyjn Portland.
LOST -Small package containing
'collar and hoie, iu postoffiee, Xhurs
;, dny, July 23. Finder please leave
j'at Oregon City Courier office.
'Mr. and Mrs. Tom Miller, acompnu
ied by Mrs. Miller's sister, Mrs. Shep
herd, departed Wednesday for New
port to remain during the campiug
seaHon.;
1 A grass and brush fire swept from
Oswego to the hills on the west side
Wednesdny, eating np some timber on
the way, but causing no great amount
of'diimngo. !ij
! S. J. Sohworin," of Oiuciuuatti,
Ohio, with his family, who'' reoently
dime to Oregon City, lms""rooeived
sliimnent of his household goods and
isjlomioiled on Jackson street.
1 Oioaon CLtv Courier for one yexr,
mid bountiful oil p-iintim'. all foa
$2.00. Send in your subscriptions"1 at
mice. Over 200 lmiutiliKS to select
from.
TMisfl Emma Quinu, local operator of
tho Paoiflo states Telephone voui
nauv, who with her nephew has been
visiting relatives in California,
returned to her duties bore.
The wearing nf the solo of ones shoe
is ahvavs troublesome feature in
footwear. rA Uno new slice ot vanouB
stvles lias recently beim put upon the
market, rue toio oi wnieu is kuiumu
teed to outwear the upper, doing away
with Imlf-soleing. It is a shoe with
out an equal and one winch every
working man needs. It is the K. f.
Smith & SonB shoe of Chicago, aud
Oregon City people may be able to in
spect its good qualities at John Ad
ams', Masouio Tomple.
Notice to Contractors.
Sealed bids will be received by the
street committee of the oo 'ncil of Or
egon City, for the construction of a
conorote culvert and sidewalk from
Center street to the head of 7th street
steps, according to the plans and
specifications thereof at the office of
J. U. Campbell. The bids will be
filod in tho office of tho city recorder
not later than 4 o'clock p.m., Aug.
5, 1908. A certified check for 10 por
cent of the bid must accompany each
bid, to be forfeited to the city of Ore
gon City in case the succecssfol bid
der refuses to enter into contract and
fiivo bond for the faithful preformauce
thereof within 10 days from the date
of opening the bids. The committee
reserves the right to reject any or all
bids.
It A. KNAPP,
Chairman Street Committee.
rr. B. Fairclongh and John B. Fuir-
olongh, accompanied by Frank Lorenz
and D. O. and Jospeh Koss, left Mon
day for the Ogle Mountain mines,
having uncovered a ledge of base ore
while cutting a tunnel.
. Over Thirty-Five Years.
Iu 18 1 2 there was a great deal of
diarrhoea, dysentery aud oholera in
fantum. It was at this time that
Chamberlain's Colin, Cholera and
Diarrhoea Keniedy was first brooglit
into uso. It proved more sunoeseful
tlmn any other remedy or treatment,
aud has for thirty-five years main
tained that record. From a small be
ginning its sale and nso has extended
to every part of the United States aud
to many foreign countries. Nine
druggists ont of ten will recommend
it when their opinion is asked, al
though they have other medicines that
pay them a greater profit. It can nl
ways be depended npou, even ill the
most severe and dangerous cases. For
sale by Fuutley Bros., Oregon City
aud M hdla.
Handy With Beer Bottles.
Joe Beardsley, who struck Officer
Porter of Portland on the head with a
beer bottle while resisting arrest, was
arrested in this city at midnight Sat
urday night by Officers Shaw and
Cooke. The man' was found in the
Cob Wab saloou, and when searched a
32 calibre reolver was found in his
possession. Heardsley was arrested
iu this city June 3 on charge of
drunkenness and sentenced to ten
days, but was released nn bis promise
to leave town. June 12 he was ar
rested by Officer Porter in Portland
for being in the same condition, but
he escaped after striking the officer ot
the law with a beer bottle. He also
took the patrolman's gun, and fired
two shots in the air.
Twemy-Flve Cents Js the Price ol Peace.
The terrible itching and smarting
incident to certain skin diseases, is
almost instantly allayed by applyiug
Chamberlain's Salve. For sale by
Huntley Bros., Oregon City and Mo-allln.
Sale of Lots.
Notice is hereby given that on Sat
urday, July 25th, 1908, at 10 o'clock
a. m., at the front door of the county
court boose in Oregon City, Oregi u,
I will sell at public auction to the
highest bidder for cash, lots 5 and (5
of block 164 in Oregon City.
Dated July lath, 1908.
E. O. TRULLINGER,
7-24 Executrix.
FOR SALE-
has
Fish Dynamiters Arrested.
Tito Oregon City Hod and Gun Club
'ast week received information that
some men in tho vicinity of Molalla
had been using explosives for the pur
pose of getting fish cot of the Molalla
river. Attorney O. D. Ebv or "this
city, on behalf of the club filed com
plaint Fridnv in the jnstice court
ohargiug O. 1). Smith, Jack Linehnrt
and li. O. Clayton with the offense.
Sheriff Beatie arrested the trio and
they were given a hearing Monday be
fore Justice Sampson.
"Safety pin" Route.
O. S. Haines, who is serving a six
mouths' sentence in tho county jail.
would have succeeded in taking his
fe Wednesday attornooii hurt he not
been discovered by an inmate.
Ihiines was doll'ermely sticking a
safety pin in an artery in Ins wrist
mil had already succeeiien in draw
ing about a qmut of blood.
Deafness Cannot Be Cured
by local applications, as thoy cannot
resell the diseased portion of the ear.
There is only one was to enre deafness,
and that is by const itntional reme
dies. Pout'irss is caused by an in
tlamed condition of the eustachian
tube.. When this tube is inflamed
you have a rumbling sound or imper
fect hearing, and when it is entirely
closed, deafness is tho result, and ph
less the inflammation can bo taken out
mid this tubo restored to its normal
condition, hearing will bo destroyed
forever; nine cases out of ten are
caused by catarrh, wl.Mi is nothing
lint . u inflamed condition of tee mu
cous suifrtces.
We will give one hundred dollars for
nuy case of deafness (caused by ca
tarrh! that cannot be cored by Hall's
Catarrh Cure. Send for circulars
'V. J. CHENEY & CO., Toledo, O.
Sob! hr drairinsts. 7fC
'Take Hall's Family
nation.
The Bigger the Basket
of groceries we send you the
"greater your satisfaction, the
larger number" of articles you
order the greater will be your
appreciation of the all-round
Excellence of our Groceries
We do not make a specialty
of one good article, trusting
its good quality will make up
for deficiencies in other lines
Every thing we sell is the best
we can get.
SPECIAL-this week only: a
5c2 box of toilet soap free
with each pound of tea or
coffee.
SEELEY'S
UTo Peoples' Store
Main Street OREGON CITY
idem Bungalow
IN PORTLAND
f
5
t ;
SI
Just Completed All modern improvements 7 Rooms, Hot and Cold
Water, Electric Lights and Bath. On one or two Lots.
ROSE CITY PARK
Portland's Fast Growing Addition. On the Main Street to New Driving
Park. Terms. 1
EASTHAM, SMITH & CO.
OREGON CITY, - ...
OREGON
I f
P !) to.' ct n-iti-
The discrim
farmer keeps a supply of
LINIMENT
For spavin, curb, splinh sweeny, capped hock, founder, strained
tendons, wind puffs and all lameness in horses -For
thrush, foot rot and garget on cattle and sheep -For
hog distemper, hog cholera thumps and scours in hogs
For diarrhoea, canker and roup in poultry -
AT ALL DEALERS - - - PRICE 25 t. 50 $ I.QO
Send for free book on Howes. Cole, Hogi end Poulrry- -Address Dr.Eorl S.Sloan, Boston. Mass.