Telephone Companies Are Warring At Beatrice   

Special Dispatch to the World Herald

Beatrice, Nebraska, June 7. --  A lively telephone war is on between the Nebraska Telephone Company and the Beatrice Home Independent Company.

Several days ago the Home people planted posts in holes dug by the opposition workmen and ran their wires for nearly a mile over what has been disputed territory.

Yesterday the Bell lineman tore down the wires and threw out the poles and now Manager McNiell of the Independent Company threatens to take the matter into court.

There is bitter competition here between the two companies.

Omaha World Herald - June 8, 1905

Heat and Light Plant   

Beatrice Has Granted Franchise

Special Dispatch to the World Herald

Beatrice, Nebraska, May 24. --  P. M. Wickstrum, who was recently granted a franchise for operating and maintaining an electric light power and steam heating plant in Beatrice, today bought several lots on South Fourth, and will at once commence the erection of the plant.

Mr. Wickstrum means business, and in several months we will have one of the finest power and heating plants in the state.

 Omaha World Herald - May 25, 1902

Half Million Light Plant For Beatrice 

Close Contract for Sale of $50,000 Worth For Ten Years 

Will Supply Many Cities

Special Dispatch to the World Herald

Beatrice, Nebraska, September 19. --  C.B. Dempster of this city, president of the BEatrice Power Company, which is developing the hydro-electric project near Barneston, Nebraska, has announced closing a contract for the sale of the Nebraska Gas & Electric  Company for $50,000 worth of electric current annually for ten years, a total of a half million dollars.

B. H. Conlee, nanager of the Nebraska Gas & Electric Company's interests here, at the same time announced completion of arrangements for erecting an auxilary plant in Beatrice to require an investment of $500,000.

Plans practically perfected forecast the building of a network of electrical transmission lines supplying many Nebraska cities.  The Beatrice Power Company reserves sufficient current to supply the small towns in southern and eastern Gage County.  A new steam generatin gauxiliary plant to be build here will have a capacity of 5,000 kilowats.

Officrs of Company

Officers of the BEatrice Power Company are:

C. B. Dempster, president

H. Fishback, vice president

F. D. Kees, treasurer

Georg Steinmeyer, secretary and superintendent

These officers with J. H. Steinmeyer and Clyde Dempster are directors.

Rufus E. Lee, president of the Nebraska Gas & Electric Company, has had much to do with the negoitations now successfully terminated.  The company soon will have wires running from Barneston to Elm Creek and as far north as Norfolk.  Connections already have been made with the Central Power Company at Grand Island.

All of the material for a twenty four mile transmission line from Barneston to BEatrice to supplant the present Beatrice-Holmesvill line has been ordered by the electric company.  "A 33,000 volt line will be strung at a cost of $50,000, we hope," said C. B. Dempster.  "The expectations is that the juice will be put on the line by Christmas."

Construction of the transmission lines to the towns to be srved by the Beatrice Power Company, itself, is expected to start immediately.

Manage B. H. conlee anticipates that the big station to be built here will have progressed far enough in construction to be used next spring.  The investment at that time, he says, will be $200,000, but constuction work will be continued until $500,000 has been expended.

Make City Pivotal Point

This will make Beatrice a pivotal point in the rapidly widenin gterritory served by the company.

The contemplated Barneston Plant will normally develope 3,000,000 kilowatt hours a yer.  All the machinery has reached Barneston and expert engineers have said the plant will be one of the finest of its kind in the entire west. One big unit be be in reserve to take the place of another in case of accident.

Utilization of the Barneston water power is a feature that assures this section of the state continued electric current regardless of conditions in the coal industry.

In the vision of President Dempster it means much for the indurtrial progress of Nebraska for it will permit the installation of numerous entrprises that might not locate where power other than from an assured source is avaiable.

The World Herald, Omaha, Wednesday, September 20, 1922

Beatrice Corn Cob Gas Company Wants in Omaha    

Advices From Gage County Metropolis That it Will Seek a Franchise 

University of Nebraska Chemist Looks Over Plant and Expresses Pleasure

Special Dispatch to the World Herald

Beatrice, Nebraska, August 9. --  Nicholson of the University of Nebraska, one of the foremost chemists of the country, paid a visit last night to the plant of the gas company here where gas is being made from corn cobs and straw and he pronounced the process truly wonderful and a scientific revelation.

He saw the gas tested and declared it the purest gas in the world.  He declared the process by which the impurities, such as sulphur and ammonia are taken out of the gas to be a most surprising device.

The professor was admitted into the inner workings of the plant and had the process explained to him by the company's chemist.  The doctor said: 

"From the point of view of the consumer I should prefer the gas made by the new process to coal gas.  From the point of view of the producer the new process presents a decided advantage in that the raw materials are very cheap,. and from a scientific standpoint the cobs and straw are better as raw materials because they do not contain sulphur and other materials from which gas is usually produced." 

The by product from the distillation of cobs is almost pure coke and the professor pronounced this a material of great value and efficiency in the reduction of copper ore.  Dr. Nicholson is also a metallurgist and leaves today for Goldfield, Nevada, where he will make experiments in the interest of a mining company by which he is professionally retained. 

The new gas company is preparing to enter on a campaign for a franchise in the Omaha or many make arrangements with the present company for the use of the new process.

Evening World Herald:  Omaha, Saturday, August 10, 1907