Omaha daily bee., 1882-09-20
DEMANDING DAMAGES.
The Consolidated Tank Line
Feels Itself LlbelG6.
A Salt Therefore Commenced
Against Groneweg 81
&choenSgen,
Tho Causes I ending Thereto

THE BEE has from time to time
given to the public quito fully and III
detail the facts concerning tho late
connection concerning the inspection
OF oils sold here for illuminating pur-
poses. In response to u petition of
citizens, the city council appointed, as
the law requires in such cases, an oil
inspector, the chosen Il being w.
r. Bachelor, a young man of no ex-
p~erienco in the business, and as seen
by his record, a young man rather
lacking in Judgment. For sometime
before Groneweg & Schoentgen, one
of the grocery houses here, had been
charging that the OF! sold by the Con-
solidated Tank Line company was not
up to the legal teet. B&tchelor's first
days work was to test the oil in one
of the company's tanks, and her test
a barrel Of Gronewew & Schoentgen's
oil. He then proceeded to sign a
card condemning the Tank company's
oil, and putting up Groenewig g.
Schoentgen's. This card was publish.
ed in the papers aid otherN Use circu.
lated through the country. This seems
to be the chief aus of complaint. AS
THE BEE has already said it was very
i'll. advised for any official to thus lend
himself and his position to such an
advertisement, even if the matter sent
forth therein was true, but the Tank
Line company insists that it was IN
true. A charge was preferred against
the company in the court, by Mr..
Bachelor, but before the csse was
reached the oil inspector, seemingly
sick of the whole business had re-
signed. Those who were
so hot to prosecute the
company failed to appear. The COM
pany's representatives remained wait
ing in court, anxious to have the mat
ter fully heard, and prepared to refute
the charge. They had samples of the
oil condemned by the inspector and
were prepared to show in court that
1t was fully up to the required test.
They had inspectors and experts as
witnesses also to show that their oil
was all that was required, but of
course the case was dismissed for lack
of prosecution, without any oppor-
tunity to go into these matters and
show them up before the public.
There the matter has rested until
now. Mr.. Templeton, the chief OF
the fire department, has been ap.
pointed inspector to fill the vacancy
caused by MIR. Bachelors resignation,
but he has not qualified and probably
will not, and The curtain has doubt
less dropped on the last scene of the
official features of the farce.
The Consolidated Tank Line com.
pany now takes its turn at the ag.
gressive side of the affair. 1t has com.
menced an action against Groneweg q
Schoentgen claiming $40, 600 dam.
ages for the alleged libel, it being
claimed that they have circulated
Mr.. Bachelors statement by the
press and by circulars, thereby hurt.
ing the company's reputation, and
that they have also by their statesmen
misrepresented the quality of the com
pany's oil.
The company has secured as it's at.
torneys in pressing the suit, Hon.
John d.. Howe, of Omaha, and M. p.
Brewer, of this city. 1t is the purpose
to prove the falsity Of the
assertion that the company's
oil does not come up to test
Evidence will be produced to show
that all the compsny's oil sold here il
not only inspected by the company
experts at Cleveland, but by the of
fclals at Hannibal, Mo-, before being
shipped here, and that this same oil
has been tested time and again her,
by experts, and in every case proved
fully up to what the law requires. II
view of these facts the company deem
the circulation of contrary assertion
hbelous and damaging, and hence gu,
those whom they consider the chic
offenders for $50, 900.
One of tests made of the Tanl
Line company's oil was made al TIL.
BEE office by Prof, McGorranix, o
Cleveland. IL was made in the presenc
of MIR. Bachelor, the ex-oil inspector
Mr.. Templeton, the new inspector
Alderman Newell, and others, and b
this test the oil showed nearly l6I
degrees, ten more than required b
law. This test was but one Of sey
eral, and it is claimed by the compan
that they are willing at all times t
submit to tests, properly made b
experienced officers or experts.