The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-07-25
rnE GAS HEATING COMPANY,

Nearly everything had been disposed oil
and nothing had been heard from that newly
incorporated, much praised and much abused
0 ucern, the Wheeling Natural Gas He,tinl
Company. About 0 O'Clock Dr.. Jepson rose
and stating that be did not appear as an ad'
yocate OF the ordinance he was about to pre-
sent, bespoke for 1t consideration.
The ordinance was read once by Clerk
Bowers. Its provisions, briefly stated, ar
these: That subject to Restrictions and con
diuons there Is granted to the company the
exclusive right for the period Of year,
to lSy and maintain pipes Ia and under the
streets aud alltys OF that part Of the city
that lies north Of Wheeling creek, for the
purpose OF convey ng natural gas to be used
for heating purposes only. It is a condition
that the company shall, within four month";
after the or nance is adopted, proceed
In good faith u sink a well
for the purpose OF discovering
gas. All pipes laid and other work done
shall be at the company's expense and TO the
81 tisfaction OF the Board Of Pablo Works
1t Is condition that before the company
shall do any work 1t shall give bond to the
city with two or more sureties 10 be ap-
proved by Council In the penal sum Of
dollars, conditioned that It shall pay any
damage or loss the city or any individual
may sustain by reason OF the coDpany's
negligence or failure to do anything required
OF It by the ordinance. The fifth section
provides that the city will, so far as it may
have power, enact proper bylaws or ordi-
Rances declaring under proper penalties that
It shall be unlawful 10 modest or steal the
company's property. The company 10 not
10 BE- entitled 10 the rights Of the ordinance
until 1t shall file q paper announcing Its sal.
isfaction and compliance with the
Scarcely had the Clerk finished reading
before Mr.. Gavin moved To reject the ordi'
nance aud was as quickly followed by Mr..
Pickett, who seconded II.
These motions II must be confessed ap.
peared to paralyze q majority OF the mem
bers. DR.. Jepson was Justly ~indignantin his
remarks. he was asionished-surprlsed u
think that gentlemen representing the inter
ests Of the city In the capacity that they did
should make such motions. An ordinance
affecting as many interests as this one, aud
after being read once hastily to be thus
killed-it was a shame. He was not on the
floor as m advocate OF the measure; he would
not vote for 1t in It's present shape; but the
Councilman must certainly be forgetting
their obligations TO their constituents to take
action OF this nature. He called on them "a
consider It as men-it was evident that SOM
I uAu USuld pItHhltu W AUOA ~ buG OIuluhuNS
| with prejudice. What might be the outcome
OF this ordinance? fuel might be given to the
poor that In comparison with the rates they
now paid would afford them many q luxury
they could not now have, II might give e
the city fuel which IN account OF itS cheap
ness would encourage manufacturers tc
locate here. They might possibly do al inf
mite amount Of damage by %summarily kick
ing the D out. Who were these men that
were asking for this ordnance Were they
not good citizens, were they not responsible
for all they said and die, wiuld they Know
inRly attempt ! oipjurs or interfere with the
oily? They deserys consideration.
ton was that they bad already sra tod the
Gas Trustees the privilege. He withdrew his
motion.
MI. Haberhtld moved to refer TO the Com.
mittee on Ordinances, and made an uncalled
for stack IN Dr.. Jepeon's remarks, OF which
the Doctor, ~ was eminenuy proper, took no
notice, merely seconding the motion to
refer.
Mr.. Stanley referred to the fact that one
paper In the city had strongly advocated the
matter, another had opposed II; one had
shown Its benefits, another the great injury
It would work; the papers each formed pub
lilo opinion TO a certain degree. Natural gas
was talked OF everywhere, His idea was 10
refer the mIttsr TO q special committee for q
thorough discussion and report, and that the
ordinance be published once In each daily
paper.
Importance and the ordinance was referred
to the ordinance comm ttee.