Palo Alto Live Oak 1899 September 8

              <8ato afioc(aiwij&o&s
VOL.  VI.    NO. 20
PALO ALTO, CAL., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1899.
WHOLE NO. 150
COMMUNICATION.
Mr. Lewis Discusses ihe Problem of Munici-
 pal Lighting.	
To tbe Editor of tho Live Oak.
Sill:—Will you kindly permit me
through tho columns of -your paper-to
speak of tint electric light proposition ot
this town.
Everyone roull_08 thut electric lights
are something of a luxury and that iu
no town do a majority of tho people
use it. Tho initial cost of wiring u
house and paying for a meter is prohibitive to many, and, of course, tho
regular expense for current Is greater
than for korosoue, when labor Is not
considered. Therefore to employ town
funds for constructing and running un
electric light plant miy lie a very
different thing from spending thut
money on streets, water works, schools
and such improvements us ull sluire In,
With our tuxes ulreudy high wo are
attempting to put In an .leu.ri. plunt
which roulil not possibly pay, uud
which for years will be only u burden
to tax payors uud renters. So far ss
I cue lourn, Pnlo Alto will be the smull-
est town in the United States attempt -
ing to furnish its own electricity by
steam.
The experience of Suntu Clara Li constantly cited by the advocates of our
local plants, and I propose to examine
the statements In the recently published reports of Suntu Clara uud apply
the results to our own town.
Santa Clara has Its own water works
and an electric lighting plunt—both
models of their kind—und operates
thuiii as far as possible as one plant.
Two men, termed an engineer and electrician, operate the joiut plunt by
dividing the time und labor between
them, one usually running in the duy
time, the other at night. The total
expense for operating lust year was
$.—15.78. This was divided somewhat
arbitrarily in tho annual report Into
KI3-3.1I for the water works und
$1802.62 for the electric lights. I suy
arbitrarily, liecnuso the accounts huve
not boon kept separately: and the
figures show a tendency to minimize
the cost of the lights at the expense of
the water, thus making the cost of the
water high when compared with the
results in Palo Alto and Redwood.
But accepting these figures exactly
as tbey stand, we find the operating expense of the 4(1 afe lights was * 18ti_.ii_
a year. This,however,included nothing
for Interest, depreciation, taxes or collecting (there was'no ooi-inerciul lighting), and no oharge is made for wuter.
The lights burn a total of ■ 14_ hours
during the year, or an average of 3
hours and 6 minutes a day, which is
much less than moonlight schedule.
It appears that this proved unsatisfactory, for the President of tho Board
of Trustees recommends In his report
that this be increased to what he culls
"the moonlight cloudless schedule "
As it waa, tho average monthly cost for
operating each arc light was $3.37 for
the three hours sorvlce. We must remember also that this rate for operating
is for direct current system, and thut incandescent lighting Is more expenslvo.
In order to make these figures apply
to Palo Alto, we must add 33. percent
to the cost ef fuel, for slabs cost $2.40 a
cord in SantaClara delivered and. I be-
lieve, $3.20 here. Next we must add the
wages of un electrician. In a report
made by M r. C. E. Moore to a special
committee appointed to Investigate the
cost of Installing an incandescent lighting system In Santa Clara, It is stated
that to their present cost for labor
must be added the salary of an addi-
tioiml electrician, which is placed at $85
per month. The same would. be
necessary hero. In order to ascertain
the cost of lights for the usual 8 hour
service from sundown to midnight.' wo
have below increased the estimate on
certain charges'as fuel, oil aud such
Incidentals as are doubled by running
double the time, and huve allowed
other charges to remain the same.
These figures are much below the
estimates given tn the above mentioned
report.
To the operating expenses wo have
added 15 per cent of the original Investment ($12,000) for interest, depreciation and tuxes, an unusually low rate,
together with $20 u mouth for bookkeeping and collecting, und $±5(1 per
mouth Tor water.
Operating ex|iense,3 hrservice$1882 82
Fuel for additional service 504 30
Extra cost of fuel in Palo Alto 330 20
Electrician at $85 per mouth 1020 00
Extra oil and supplies -        177 27
Int., depreciation und taxes 1800 00
Water for boiler - -       30 00
Collecting und bookkeeping 240 00
Total cost for (I hour service     $51(50 30
At. monthly cost 48 urcs $4'.>5 811
" .    " "   each are 10 88
"        •* " each It, e p.lamp   I  19
Cost ot each light until 10:30 89}
Thus using the rates for operating in Santa Clara, with" very
conservative estimates for interest, depreciation, taxes, collecting, etc.., the
actual cost of four hundred and fourteen 18 c. p. lights running until midnight would lie $1.19 each and those
running until 10:30 would be .891 each.
Were tbe business to increase to such
un extent that there wero an average
of 828 lights running continuously the
cost of each one would be 81 cents a
month 6 hr. service. Hut 414 lights running continuously represents the average use of about 1000 lamps—all that
I _lo Alto/Hi likely to have for some
time, uud more If the customers are
charged the actual cost   for tho lights.
We could show, If space would permit, that these estimates are lower
than will actually be attained, and wo
ask the reader to preserve these figures
for future comparison.
Tho question was recently raised In
SantaClara with its 30110 inhabitants
whether or not It would be advisable
tu install an incandescent lighting system, and a s|>ccial committer.appointed
to investigate the subject, reported
that it would not pay.
Tho town will soon vote on the question of municipal gas.and it is expected
by men prominent iu municipal affairs
that the gas will lie introduced and thu
present electric plant closed dowu.
I called your attention somo time
ago to the fact that in the municipal
plant of Alameda the arc lamps cost
nearly $7.50 per month moonlight
schedule. At present there Is an active campaign In favor of the plan of
returning to private ownership. Thu
town has applied to the Standard Electric Company for current.
A recent investigation into the cost
of lighting Redwood shows that the
30 arc lights cost the town last year
NORMS    H. SMITH.
Sudden Death of a Pioneer  In  Palo Alto.
Wednesday morning at nine o'clock
while helping lay a sidewalk on Lytton
avenue Norris ti. Smith dropped dead
of heart failure, peceased was a California pioneer of 1849, living for many
years in Siskiyou county where be was
a member of tbe board of supervisors.
lie came to Palo Alto two sears ago
and built a residence on Lytton avenue
and Marguerite street and became a
director In the Palo Alto Mutual Building and Loan Association.
Rev. D..Charles Gardner conducted
the funeral rites of the Episcopal
church at tho residence yesterday and
this morning the remains were taken
to Woodbridge near Stockton for
burial. Norris Smith endeared himself to all his acquaintances by his
kindly nature and noble qualities and
their sympathies are extended to the
widow in her bereavement.
August Library Report.
The following is the monthly financial statement of tho Palo Alto Free
Public Library:
RECEIPTS.
Cash on hand - - $11 31
Woman's ('lull - - 5 00
Monthly subscriptions       - 23 110
Subscriptions puid - -    15 00
Fines, etc. - - '        -        2 95
Total
EXPENDITURES.
Rent
Librarian
Janitor ...
Incidental exiioiises
Electric light
Cards -
New books
$59 28
$19 00
18 00
3 00
1 45
2 50
1 'XI
3 15
Total • - - $48 10
Cash on hand - • $9 Hi
Numlier ol books issued • 795
Number of cards iu force Aug. 31     411
Jane A. Denton.
the sale of real estate heretofore authorized until the question of bis removal is determined in court.
Tbe petition alleges conspiracy on
the part of the guardian to defraud the
estate of bis ward, which consist* of
lots 33 and 34 of block 4 In Palo Alto'
occupied by tbe Parkinson Lumber A
Hardware Co.
The petitioners recite that on No-,—
vember 15, 1893, six months before she
was adjudged Insane, Rose DeCourcy
mortgaged the property referred to,
to B. Parkinson for $400 payable three
years from date at 10 per cent interest
and on the same day leased tbe property to the Parkinson Lumber A Hardware Co. for three years, at a rental of
$40 a year to be applied in payment of
interest on the B. Parkinson note; in
tho lease it was stipulated tbat if the
lessor did not pay the note at maturity,
the lessee was to have an option of an
extension of tbe same for three year-
more at the same rate. Tbat thereafter Greer in dereliction of his duties
as guardian and in mismanagement of*
the estate neglected to pay off the
mortgage and tbe lumber company
secured a three years extension of the
lease at $40 a year, when the reasonable rental value was $240 a year.
It is further alleged that on June 30,
1899, he petitioned tbe Superior Court
for an order to sell the property, procuring the publication of the notice of
application to sell in a San Jose paper
so that it might escape their observation and thus prevent their opposition
to sell. That he stated the value of
the pro|ierty to be $1400 wbeu he well
knew it to be worth $2500 and that
told been appraised at that amount.
They state Dually that he has railed
in his duties in all respects to tbe injury of his ward's estate and'tbat be
bas proven himself unsuitable to manage tbe same. They pray for bis removal and for tbe appointment of Julia
Ramos in his stead.
The Library.
(Continue--. KK-iuii Pago).
It is gratifying to note tbe Interest
that is being taken in the public library
and active work baa been commenced
already toward putting it on a firmer
basis and increasing its usefulness.
The library has found a new friend and
worker in tho person of Professor
Mary Roberts Smith, who may be
depended upon to lend a helping hand
wherever it is needful for tbe success
of enterprises depending upon public
spirit. She has arranged to give a
benefit song recital on the campus early
in November.
The town trustees have premised to
conti ibute not less than $10 u month
from tbe town funds and more if it can
be spared. They will also give free
lights when the electric light plunt is
finished. 	
Serious Charges.
Bus.n1 upon the petition of Francisca
(.ueviedo, the mother, and Julia Ramus
the sister of Rose DeCourcy, filed by
their attorney G. G. Wigie, Judge
Hyluud lust Friday made an order directing Robert L. Greer to appear _e-
fore him on September 15, at 10 a. in.,
to show cause why he should not be
removed from tbe guardianship of tbe
person and estate of the said Rose DeCourcy, an Insane person. He is also
Instructed not to accept any bids for
a well
We have receive- a letter from a
correspondent in Palo Alto, who requests that without mentioning his
name, "we correct an error in regard to
young Crittenden, in last week's paper.
He says that Crittenden's parents do
not live near West Side and his sister
is not a teacher in the suntu Clara
high school. The Live Oak did not
make either of these statements, but
what it did say was based upon Crittenden's sworn testimony and also tbe
statements of a very prominent Santa
Clara man. Should the correspondent
be right in his facts, the yoeng man's
parents died when he was a child, and
the people .referred to as bis relatives
are simply people who have befriended
him.
Castilleja Hall opened for the full
semester last Monday with a fair attendance. Mrs. A. L. Peck is principal and teachur of history and English;
Miss E. G. Hill, Latin and Greek; Miss
Florence Dunbar, French; Miss I. I..
Peck, German; Miss Harlean James,
mathematics. Miss Annabel Skinner,
gymnastics.
Don J. Campbell one of Palo Alto's
volunteer soldiers who latetv returned
from tbe Philippines, came down yesterday afternoon and will remain until
Sunday. He expects to be musterea:
out ou tbe twenty-first. The fire lade
will give bim a reception and banquet.