676 Chronicles of the Cape Fear Rwer tude which the community owes to those whose name he so worthily bears for their public spirit and commendable enter- prise. For a number of years it was Mr. MacRae’s wish to secure immigrants to be located in the vicinity of Wilmington, and eventually he was able to establish five colonies, with about three hundred people in each. He colonized Italians at St. Helena, Hungarians and Hollanders at Castle Haynes, Poles at Mara- thon, Germans at Newberlin, and Hollanders and Poles at Artesia. Americans and some of other nationalities also have been located at Castle Haynes and at Artesia. This enterprise has now passed beyond the experimental stage and is a pro- nounced success. It is a monument to the sagacity and perse- verance of Mr. MacRae, and, in accomplishing what has been achieved, despite great obstacles, he has the satisfaction of real- izing that he has been a benefactor to his community. Tue Water Power Company. Another of Mr. MacRae’s enterprises has been of the utmost importance. No city can realize its greatest development with- out good public utilities, and it is a matter of record that Wil- mington’s period of greatest progress has been coincident with the organization and development of the Consolidated Railways Light and Power Company, and its successor, the Tide Water Power Company. The first public utility company of this city was the Wilmington Gas Light Company, organized in 1854, Edward Kidder, president, and John MclIlhenny, superintend- ent. Mr. Richard J. Jones was elected treasurer on Friday, November 13, 1868, and today, after nearly half a century in the service of this corporation and its successors, he is the active treasurer of the Tide Water Power Company. During the early years, gas was made from lightwood, and at one time com- manded a price of ten dollars per thousand. In 1888 the Wil- mington Electric Light Company, which had operated a street lighting system with electric are lights for a couple of years, developed such an amount of competitive activity as to bring about its purchase by the Wilmington Gas Light Company. Later, the gas company began to furnish incandescent lighting, but finally terminated its career in 1902, when it was absorbed by the Consolidated Railways Light and Power Company. Among the other public utilities which subsequently formed Peace Restored 677 part of the Tide Water Power Company, was the Wilmington Street Railway Company, organized as a horse-car line in 1887 and purchased in 1892 by Northern capitalists, who changed the motive power from horses to electricity and built the dummy line which has since been a large factor in the growth of the city. This line for handling freight traverses the water front and affords a cheap and efficient delivery direct to the large jobbers and wholesalers. The entire property, after a series of finan- cial troubles, finally failed in 1901, and was disposed of at a receiver’s sale. A third company, built in the period of activity which pre- ceded the Baring Brothers’ [London, Eng.]. failure in 1893, was the Seacoast Railway. This road was designed to connect Wilmington and Wrightsville Sound. It began operations in 1888, with William Latimer as president. In 1902, through the efforts of Mr. Hugh MacRae, these three properties were brought together in an organization called the Consolidated Railways Light and Power Company, later known as the Tide Water Power Company, Hugh MacRae, president; A. B. Skeld- ing, general manager; M. F. H. Gouverneur, W. B. Cooper J. V. Grainger, H. C. McQueen, C. N. Evans, Oscar Pearsall, J urgen Haar, J. G. L. Gieschen, Edouard Ahrens, ©. E. Tay- lor, jr., Junius Davis, George R. French, G. Herbert Smith and C. W. Worth, directors. Owned locally ‘and managed by officials who have long been identified with home interests, this corporation enjoys a public confidence which in itself stinati: tutes a valuable asset. Irom the wrecks of three unsuccessful enterprises has been built a property which, in efficiency and good service, ranks with the best in the country; and in addition it enjoys the distinction of being the only public service corpo- ration in the South whose common stock is entirely held in its home town. All the electric railway, electric light, electric power and gas systems not only in the city of Wilmington but in all New Hanover County are owned and operated by this company, and its success is due chiefly to the enterprise and excellent manage- ment of Hugh MacRae.