Newspaper article:Page 1 of Wayne County Democrat,published in Wooster, Ohio on Friday, December 6th, 1912 - Wayne County Democrat December 6 1912
- Article title
- Movement to Line Both Sides of Streets With Electric: Would Make Most Beautiful Effect and Would Cost No More Than Old Way
- Newspaper title
- Wayne County Democrat
- Date of publication
- 1912/12/06
- Section
- Front page
- Page number
- 1
- Organization
- Industry
- Finance and Insurance > Banks and Credit Unions
- Accommodation and Food Services > Food Services and Drinking Places
- Retail > Building Material / Garden Equipment and Supplies
- Retail > Gasoline Stations
- Information > Motion Picture and Sound Recording
"Movement to Line Both Sides of Streets With Electric Lights: Would Make Most Beautiful Effect and Would Cost No More Than Old Way.
Wooster Man, Who Visited Warren This Week Enthusiastic Over Electric Street Lighting In That City-- Most Merchants Would Be Willing to Pay for Lamps On Both Sides of Two Principal Business Streets if City Would Furnish the "Juice"
Wooster men, who have occasion to visit various cities in Ohio and other states find that a great change is being made all over the country in street lighting.
The arc lights are passing out of use everywhere and are being replaced by post lights, such as those recently installed in Wooster in front of the Alhambra Theater, the Citizen's National Bank and Wallace Smith's Restaurant.
The placing of these lights in Wooster has started a movement here to ____ them adopted bu the city on the principal business streets. A row of them along both sides of Liberty _______________ streets would make a great _________ in Wooster.
The ________ give more illumination than the arc lights because there are more of _______ and the effect is much prettier. They also make the sidewalks exceptionally well lighted.
Wooster business men, as a rule, are not heartily in favor of placing these lights in front of their stores and footing the bill for the light each month.
Many of them however, are willing to pay for the lights if the city would pay the actual cost of the current. This is the way the lights are installed in the majority of cities where they are adopted, and Wooster merchants will probably take the matter up early in the new year, brining it to the attention of city council in the form of a petition.
A certain percentage of merchants will go ahead, as the few pioneers have done, and put these lights in front of their stores. Different companies will compete for business here, and more than one company will sell lights. The result will be that they will not be uniform.
Another thing to be taken into consideration is that the lights will not be placed at any special place. There may be half a dozen in one block and none in the next. If the city would take hold fo the matter this could largely be overcome. Only one company's product would be purchased, and the lights would be put up at regular intervals making it possible to do away with the arc lights in the business section of the city.
A Wooster man, who had occasion to visit Warren this week, reports that there is a fine object lesson in these lights in that city where they have recently been adopted. Many other Ohio cities have adopted the plan, and all of them are satisfied with it.
Right now, it seems, would be the proper time for city council to take charge of the matter if any uniformity in the kind of light and the manner of placing them is to be secured.
Right along this line, it is proper to write of the number of intermittent electric signs that are being placed in Wooster. The Wooster Hardware Company's sign, up to the present time, is by far the most elaborate.
The [I. O. O. F. Lodge (Wooster, Ohio)|I. O. O. F. Lodge]] has purchased a new sign, and one was installed in front of the Smith Restaurant this week. The Palace Restaurant is another business place that boasts of a fine new sign. The Lyric and Alhambra theatres both new, have splendid lighting effects.
While the city's business men are going to this expense to keep up to the times, it would seem altogether proper for the city government to show the same tendency in the matter of street lighting. Merchants, as far as can be learned, would be willing to pay for the lights if the city will foot the bills after they are installed."