LEON'S INCANDESCENT LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THURSDAY
EVENING.
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                  THE TOWN BRILLIANTLY ILLUMINATED

As announced last week the electric light was turned on for the first
time last Thursday evening.  For several days previous MESSRS. SHREINER
and BLOOMER, the men sent here on the part of the Edison Company had
been working almost day and night in order to get everything in order,
and it was not until late in the afternoon that all the machinery was in
place and properly adjusted.  However, at twenty minutes to seven, just
as darkness was coming on, the street wires were put in connection with
the dynamo, and instantly the streets were brilliantly illuninated.  The
effect was much better than the people had expected.  Main Street, with
large lights hanging directly over the center of the street every block
from Third to Nineteenth Street, presented a gorgeous appearance.  It
had more of the appearance of some large and brilliantly lighted hall
than of a public street.  Leon is now certainly one of the best lighted
towns in Iowa.  At least we have seen no town, or city either, in Iowa,
which is better lighted.  There was a large crowd on the street to see
the lights turned on for the first time, many of them being from the
country, and every one of them were highly pleased with the lights.

The lights in the stores and dwellings were not turned on until Friday
evening as the burners had not been put in, but on that evening they
were turned on and now nearly all the business houses and quite a number
of the dwellings are lighted by electricity.

As to the cost of the plant we have obtained the following figures from
MAYOR ALBAUGH.  The original contract price of the dynamo, wires, lamps,
etc. purchased from the Edison Company was $4,404.48.  Extra wire for
dwellings and two extra street lamps have cost $296.00, so that the
total amount to be paid the Edison Company is $4,700.48.  The engine and
boiler cost $2,4l0.80.
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