History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its cities, towns, resources, people

              CIYIC ORGANIZATION OF MENASHA. 737
The city has only sufficient engine capacity at present to light streets and municipal buildings, none of the current being sold for commercial purposes. The eighty arc lights are of seven amperes and superior to 2,000 candle power, and are lighted eleven hours per night. The actual cost for fuel to make the current is forty-five gallons for eleven hours, or $1.50 a night for the entire eighty street lamps. The council figure that $25, will cover the cost of a street lamp per year; this figure includes a.large sum for depreciation of plant, carbons, trimming, break¬ age, interest, and a sum sufficient to repair all wires if a sleet storm should break them all up every year. The actual cost of the fuel to run one lamp eleven hours a day for a year is $7.30, so that the other expense is put down at about $18, which is very liberal, the probabilities being that the net cost will be much less than $20." The engineer of the plant is Mr. Simon Reimer, whose salary is $600 per annum. Mr. Reimer is assist¬ ant engineer and lamp trimmer, with a salary of $400 per annum. These two officers in charge run the waterworks and electric light plant.
The public library was organized in the old National Hotel, November 19, 1895, at which Mr. P. Y. Lawson, Jr., was chair¬ man. A committee headed by Mr. P. D. Lake started out to ob¬ tain a subscription of $1,500 to start a library. By the follow¬ ing March the amount was raised and an organization of a Library Board perfected, with the following officers: P. D. Lake, president; Mrs. R. M. Scott, vice-president; Miss Lucy Lee Pleasants, secretary and librarian; Mr. A. B. Dunlap, treasurer, and Mrs. J. R. Bloom, Henry Fitzgibbon, E. D. Smith, P. Y. Lawson and J. L. Fieweger directors. Books were purchased and the library opened twice a week in Adam Tuchscherer block. Salary of librarian was $50 per annum. At the library meeting March 22, 1897, Mr. Fitzgibbon moved, and Mr. Lawson sec¬ onded the motion offering the library to the city, provided the people vote a one mill tax to support it. The library then con¬ tained 1,458 books, and had $322 in the treasury. Three days later the resolution came before a council composed of Mayor Lawson, Aldermen Lenz, Vaughn, Schneider, Voissem, Miner, Strange, Linsdau, AYhipple, all of whom voted to submit the proposition at the April election. There were 655 votes cast on the question, which was carried by a majority of 243. The council thereon accepted the gift and established the free public library.    The first board appointed was:   E.  D.  Smith,   P.   V.