Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-04-18

Second bind myself 10 furnlsn nstura'
gas to your city for uss to any or all o.
your city buildings located along the route
of my pipe line free Of charge. =.
Third hereby bind myself to furnish
natural gas to consum 9rs at fifteen cents
per thousand cubic feet. -.
Fourth-Ihereby bind myself to furnish
manufacturers said gas at fifteen cents pei
thousand cubic feet-or at ten per cent less
than their coal bills-at their option.
Any failure on my plrt to comply with
the within mentioned ter ms and conditions
will cause the grants AMI powers, from the
city of Wheeling now made to me, null and
void.
Respectfully yours,
C. d.. ROBBINS,
Burgettstown, Washington Co., Pa.
WHEELING, April II, 1885.
The ordinance granting to the Natura
Gas Company of West Virginia the right to
lay its pipe through the streets, alleys and
grounds of the city, was then taken up on
its second reading for amendment.
In section 3, Mr.. Peterson offered an
amendment, inserting the words ITO per
sons or property in line 8, and the words
and shall pay all costs resulting from any
suit or suits against the said city on accoun,
of its construction maintenance or operation
OF said pipe lines" at the end of the sec
ton.
Mr.. Hearne objected 10 the amendment
He thought it could serve 70 good purpose
the section was already broad and explicit
and the only evident obje;. of the amend,
ment was to kill the bill.
Mr.. Peterson defended the amendment
as being pertinent and nee ssary to the last
degree.
The amendment was agreed to.
When the fifth section had been read, Mr.,
Cruise offered the following at the end o.
the section: "And the said company is tt
furnish gas to Wheeling manufacturers a
as cheap a rate as that paid by Pittsburg
manufacturers"
Messrs. Caldwell and Jones criticized the
amendment as not being definite enough
and Mr.. Cruise defended it. Mr.. Caldwell
saw difficulty in arriving at the price paid BY
Pittsburg manufacturers, as no three con
sumers there were paying the same price.
After some discussion Of the question
Mr.. Jaeger moved to postpone further &C
ton for two weeks, and to refer the propo
sition of Mr.. Robbins and the pending or
dinance back to the Committee on Ordi
nances. Mr.. Brockunier, Of the Manufsc
turer's Gas Company, would Slso appear be
fore the committee, and that body coulC
then hear all the interested parties and Sc
lect the best Of the propositions.
Mr.. Hearne said he thought the purpose
and object of the motion, and he thought HI
understood the purpose and objec
of some amendments made. HI
had heard Mr.. B~rockunier's name
mentioned. At the last meeting o.
Council, he had set beside Mr.. Jaeger anC
had told him to invite Mr.. Brockunier t
come to his Office, and he would incorporate
in the ordinance any reasonable proposition
they might ask, and he further stated thai
Mr.. B~rockunier and his friends conld &c
all the stock they wanted. To that yer!
polite invitation, Mr.. Brockuniar made NJ
response. Failing to get Mr.. Brockunier tt
come and see him, he had gone to that gen
tleman's works, and had been told Mr.
Brockunier was out of town. He then wen
to another incorporation of the company
Mr.. Leighton, and asked him why he op
posed the Natural Gas Company, and h;
had refused to give his reasons. He hsC
been told that the projectors Of the neWcom
pany had but one purpose, and that was tt
knife the Natural Gas Company a
they had already knitted o similar
organization, aid why? Because Thu
Brockunier crowd owned two or three little
wells up the river. 1t had been alleged
that our manufacturers were not identified
with this Natural Gas Company. Who. h
said, was N. B. Scott, Thomas OBrien, F
j. Hearne, A. ]. Sweeney, snda long list o.
others who were interested in the company
he represented. He referred to the pres
ence of Mr.. Robbins and asked who hsC
ever heard Of him. He was the representa-
tive of the Niagara Oil Company, which
owned two wells near Hickory, Pa, He hat
visited Hickory and had examined their
wells. and when he returned home he had
taken down his map and looked at the stu
alton. he found that Hickory was thirty
three miles from Wheeling ID eighteen
miles from Pittsburg. ThLt company
could take gas into Pittsbur at Sll,0 OC
a mile, but here they were tai ting of turn
ing their backs upon the great city o
Pittsburg and coming to Wishing, thirty
three miles away. 1t looked to him a
though Mr.. Robbins was tr ing to get in
somebody's way, that be might be bough
out. That was the wsyi it 10 Iked to him
Mr.. Robbins was not here in the interests Of
the coal men Or the Brockunier crowd, but h
was here In the interests of hi nself.
Mr.. Jaeger answered Mr.. Hesrne. Tn,
/; Brockunier crowd had not bought gas her,
are because Council would give Mr.. Brock
unier solitary concession. Mr.. Rrockunie
had applied twice to Council, but had beer
refused any encouragement. II the Natura
Gas Company was honest, it coult
not object to a delay of ten days
Mr.. Peterson followed Mr.. Jaeger. II,
said the city was now passing through
crisis in Its career. Natural gas was
matter Of necessity to our city, and tn
quicker we got il, the better we would be Of
as q community.
Mr.. Jaeger moved that Mr.. Robbins b
heard. Amended so as to include Capt
Bachelor, and adopted.
Mr.. Robbins came forward and said:
"MR. PRESIDENT AMI GESTLENES:-
have very little &c say. You have my busi
ness proposition before You. In reference
to the remark Of Mr.. Hearn that the Magyar
Oil Company had been compelled to sell tn
MeGuigan well because it was bankrupt,
desire to say the assertion Is false. tn
Niagara Oil Company never drilled q vel
in Buffalo, as Mr.. Hearn has stated. III
company never had, q claim presented to i
which was not paid. As | have befor
stated, my proposition is before Council Il
o business ike way, and l am ready to ful
fllit"