The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 8

CIIAKLOTTETDJ EE fl" frill in Ilf mwmiifmnrm I-54 it 3 8 S3 rd MAXIMUM DEVEL GROWTH OF A GREAT ENTERPRISE Pinning its faith to the future development of the piedmont section of the Carolines the Southern Power Company with ps head offices here continues Its policy of broadening out and advancing its network of transmission wires through which to electrify the industries of this thriving country Looking beyond the present and far into coming time with such optimism as successful corporations always employ it has planned for a production of electric power which will eventually amount to an installation of 250000 horse-power With thV water powers immediately under development and already completed it will be able to supply 1' 000 horse-power to run the industries of the piedmont section of the South The Bouthern Power Company is an after-growth of the Catawba Power Company which was organiztd in 1 900 This concern with a limited capital was foimed to develop prominent water bites on the Catawba rivir which appealed to be favorable In the estimation of a number of expert civil engineers connected with It Actual construction work was begun and a considerable sum of money expended in getting matters in shape The result of the eftort of this company with the somewhat meagre capital employed demonstrated first of a11 the fact that It would take a concern of more than ordinary strength to develop the sites on the property acquired but it secondarily resulted in the demonstration that electric power could be distributed over the manufacturing centre of the South For four or five years tho Catawba Power Company lived and maintained its construction work with indifferent success The largir stockholders In this concern saw that results could not bo yielded under such circumstances of limited resources The company then considered the proposition ot acquiring additional water powers and operating a plant on a larger scale The Catawba at Its various stages offered splendid sites for development and the work of the Catawba Power Company had evidenced the possibility of generating electric power and distributing It over a vast territory of manufacturing Interests At that moment the Southern Power Company with an Increased capital of ample financial backing came Into existence This was In June 1903 When this concern was organized It Immediately began work on the station known as Great Falls In the spring of 1907 thia development was completed and from it electrlo power was being distributed over a wide territory to Industries smal and large As soon as this station was completed and Its available power amounting to 40000 horse-power was offered to the trade tho Rocky Creek station two miles farther down the Catawba was started and Ninety-Nine Islands station seven miles from Blacksburg and on the Broad river was also started The financial distress which unfortunately came across the country about this time stopped the work At the Ninety-Nine Islands development It was only a few weeks ago that wprk here was resumed a contract being given Mr Hardaway of Columbus Ga to complete the construction woilcat a cost of $060001) It is expected that this station will be completed within the next twelve months and Its power put on the market In the meantime the work at Rooky Creek has gone on and within a few weeks Us power will be ready to be transmitted to the trade The Bouthern Power Company with Us present developments has a system of transmission lines running for 500 miles and 45 sub-stations It has also In pio-cess of construction now 267 milts of transmission lines and about 15 sub-stations Power Is transmitted over these lines at a high voltage and 1s stepped clown by means of the sub-stations The larger vo'tage can bo used for running the larger industries such as cotton mills anl other plants of such magnitude while ihe smaller and diminished voltage Is utt by smaller Industries and for such purposes as lighting small towns etc The company bids for the trade among the cotton Interests of the piedmont section of the South It has long ago come to the conclusion that the Carollnaa compose the logical centre for this industry in the Bouthern Btates and for that reason Its operations are confined' to this territory At present SO per cent of the pow'er which it develops goes to the cotton mills of this section Tho other 20 pur cent is distributed to tlie smaller industries This goes to show how readily tho mills and larger industries of the Carolinaa are substituting electric for steam power "While the Southern Power Company is especially bidding for business among the larger consumers of power in Its immediate territory it has by no means neglected Its small constituency and It is really through such a patronage that Us advantages are demonstrated to bo so decisive It has just been cited that a wonderful saving was wrought by Contractor A Jones in doing all tho heavy work about the Realty Huildlng which he has just completed Mr Jones when he Blarted operations on this magnificent structure and the finest building of Us kind In the Caro-llnas secured a 20 horse-power motor and lapped the wires which were strung along the street With this 2 0 horse-power engine all the hoisting work was done about the building including the lifting of the heavy steel columns a'l the concrete mixing process was operated by means of this supply of power and all the riveting and in fact all the construction work which could be done with machinery was dene with the power supplied with this electric motor The records show that it cost Mr Jones about $16 a month to do this work while as a matter of fact he could not have hired a man to fire his engine for such a sum had he employed steam power And in addition to a larger expense at this point he would have been forced to purchase his steam machinery' This shows the saving which electric power makes possible to the small consumer and this Is but an evidence to the economy with which It can be used in larger Industries The power which Is being developed and supplied by this concern is especially adapted to small towns which cannot afford to develop plants of their own Where It would tost1 towns and villages a sum beyond their capacity to erect a plant of their own and generate electricity for lighting purposes the Southern Rower Company has made it possible for them to be supplied with power at a very nominal sum by the installation of a sub-station to tiansrnit tho poweii from the trunk lines which extend from the stations 4i various directions It seems reasonable now that the generation of power at the rats furnished by the Southern Power Company will mark a revolution In this entire section A number of farmers have secured connections with the lines of tho concern and are now operating their dairies and other institutions by means of this power at a rate which they can easily afford It will in time be recognized perhaps as a distinct advantage to build along the trunk lines of the company with the end in view -jf securing cheap power of generation These lines now extend from Greensboro on the north to Greenville on the south a distance of a little over 200 miles These two cities are taken as two extremities but the transmission lines link other towns and other directions just as effectually The possibility of a system of trolley lines to be operated along the transmission wdres is not a remote possibility to the minds of those who are aware of tho great things which electricity can accomplish It Is of Interest to people In this section to know that those who are interested in the Bouthern Power Company are Sou tin rn men who realize that the re-sourifu of their native section have not yet been realized or developed They along their specific line have undertaken to demonstrate what can be done They have found here possibilities of this territory becoming the most renowned cotton manufacturing belt in the South or rather continuing to hold this prestige and they are awaiting the developments of the future If this country does not prosper the Bouthern Power Company will have failed of Its mission and its effort will have been expended In a futile cause If the Carolina section prospers and really maintains its name aa a manufacturing centre its captalrs of industries recognizing the superiority of electric over steam power will make of the Bouthern Power Company a success and a distinct force In making this territory what it really was meant to bs 3 3 srf f3 s'j ii 1 7 i 7W -M 7 OUTHERN POW HI I Id AWy a -fcj fv i I 2 Ij sr mymm 5E udm Iftiiim fA -I A tfiS 7 I ojwv J-.