4 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE. 
WELL KNOWN SWIMMING INSTRUCTOR AT MANCHESTER. 
Among the recent arrivals, . 
whose advent will arouse consider- 
able interest in and about Manches- 
ter, is Prof. John F. Conroy, a 
well known athlete of Boston, 
where for nine years he filled the 
position of life guard and swimming 
instructor at the L street bath 
house. Prof. Conroy is here for 
the rest of the summer and will 
prove a decided addition at Singing 
Beach, where he will be on hand 
a good deal of the time and will 
make bathing much more safe, 
particularly for those who do not 
know how to swim. He has a 
most excellent record as a life saver 
and has over 130 lives to his credit. 
He is the possessor of four medals 
for bravery, one being presented 
by act of Congress. 
“An all around athlete, he has 
served as instructor in the Muni- 
cipal gymnasiums of Boston and 
also as athletic coach at the Rox- 
bury Latin school, where he was 
fencing master as well. Next year 
he goes to Mercersburg Academy, 
Mercersburg, Penn., where he will 
hold the position of physical instruc- 
tor. While in Manchester he 
will give lessons in swimming and 
life saving, as well as private les- 
sons in all kinds of athletic and 
gymnasium work. 
Prof. Conroy has also been in 
great demand among the artists of 
Boston, who have had him pose 
for them as the type of the perfect 
muscular development in’ man. 
Prof. Dwight, too, has used him as a 
model in his lectures in: the Harvard 
Medical School and told him that the 
development of his figure surpassed that 
of Eugene Sandow who is considered the 
strongest man inthe world. Among the 
REFUSED TO PURCHASE 
the expenses apparently exceeded the 
receipts by $800, but the amount due 
from customers, June 30, was $4,049.- 
86, an increase of $1000 over the pre- 
ceding year, so that it may fairly be said 
that the Company has earned somewhat 
more than its expenses during the past 
year. If the earnings should increase in 
the future as they have done in the past, 
they will very soon pay interest on the 
price at which the Town can buy the 
property. The foregoing figures are 
taken from the reports made by the 
Company to the Gas and Electric Light 
Commissioners. 
‘We found the Company perfectly 
willing to give us any and all information 
pertaining to the. cost of construction, 
prominent artists for whom he has posed 
is Eric Pape, who conducts the well 
known Pape’s School of Art on Massa- 
chusetts avenue, Boston, and who re- 
rides at Gloucester. 
etc., and we submit the following sche- 
dules: 
CONSTRUCTION TO JUNE 30, 1907. 
Real Estate, $ 14,793.76 
Electric Plant, 8,090.00 
‘* Lines, 134,251.10 
Transformers, 6,625.85 
Meters, 3,260.71 
Misc. Equipment, 970.32 
Service Construction, 10,195.00 
$178, 186. 74 
sINCE JuNE 30, 1907, To DATE. 
Mains, $132.78 
Meters, 498.16 
‘Transformers, 926.37 
£55731 
$179,744.05 
““In addition to the foregoing, the 
Company has on its books some $20,000 
charged as additional cost, which repre- 
sents the deficit necessarily arising dur- 
ing the working up of the business to_ its 
present point. “This makes a total just 
under $200,000. 00. 
*“Your committee is informed that the 
property can be purchased for $150,- 
000.00 and that the company will be 
willing to postpone the date of payment 
for two years, without interest, or, if 
the town prefers to pay at an earlier date, 
the company will discount at the rate of 
5 per cent. per annum. 
‘“Considering that the plant was 
built some four years ago, we have in- 
vestigated to some extent the matter of 
depreciation and find under the con- 
ditions that it would necessarily be small, 
owing to it being an under-ground ser- 
vice. The conduits are laid in cement 
and, therefore, are practically indestruct- 
able; the cables are warranted for five 
years; there has been no machinery to 
wear out and the building is of brick and 
fireproof construction. We_ therefore 
feel assured that whatever depreciation 
may have occurred, is more than offset 
by the increased cost of material and 
labor should the plant be constructed to- 
day.’”’ 
The committee recommended: ‘* That 
the town purchase the plant and property 
of the Manchester Electric Company,”’ 
and should the town adopt the fore- 
going recommendation, ‘‘ That the pur- 
chase be made for cash and advantage be 
taken of the discount, which would then 
amount to 10 per cent. off, or a flat price 
of $135,000.00.’ 
FE. P. Stanley said that there were a 
number of prominent property owners 
present, who were not voters in Man- 
chester, and he moved that the courtesy 
of the floor be extended to any citizen 
who desired to speak on the question. 
Voted. 
Major Henry L. Higginson, who has 
been a summer resident for many years, 
reviewed the growth of the town and its 
success, which, he said was due to com- 
petent management. He referred to 
the water system, the condition of the | 
roads, shade trees and low taxation, our 
public library, and everything undertaken 
had been a great success. After the 
town had turned down the electric light 
question five years ago, the matter was 
taken up by the Manchester Electric 
Company with the result that a system 
of lighting has been installedin the town. 
The company lost money the first years, 
but last year it showed a slight gain, and 
the speaker believed no mistake would 
be made if the town accepted the plant. 
The success of a community depended 
on one helping the other, and a town 
should own its own privileges. “That 
was his idea of American towns. 
Continued on page 26 
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