Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-03-23
A BIG CONTRACT,
Proposals Asked for Digging Thirty
Five Miles of Ditch
For the Natural Gas Pipe Line---Why the
Maximum Price of Gas was
Placed at Fifteen
Cents.

At q meeting Of the Directors of the
Natural Gas Company of West Virginia,
held in Pittsburg yesterday, it was decided
10 begin the actual work of constructing
the pipe line to this city at once, and with
this end in view advertisements were Or
dered inserted this morning in the Pitts
burg and Wheeling papers, asking pro-
uosaIs for the work of digging the ditch for
the reception Of the p pc. The ditch will
be about thirty-five miles in length, en-
brscing the main line, from q point near
the Michigan well to the head of Twenty
ninth street, in this city, with branch
from Elm Grove along the National road
to the northern end Of the city. AS the
ditch is to be four feet deep By two wide,
there will be something like
SIXTY THOUSAND CUBIC YARDS
of excavation in the Job, and it would be
we'll fer some Of our contractors to give
the matter consideration and prevent, II
possible, the work from going to Pittsburg.
The subject Of the price Of gas, as fixed
in the ordinance adopted by Council Civ
ing TO the Natural Gas Company of West
Virginia the exclusive right to lay its pipes
in the streets and alleys of this city, has
within few days created quite an amount
OF discussion both among our own citizens
and those on the other eide Of the river.
Meeting representative of he Natural Gas
Company OF West Virginia last night, a
REGIsTER reporter called his attention to
THE GOSSIP GOING on,
when be said
"a fifteen cent limit was placed in the
ordinance adopted by the City Council
simplg because that was the them selling
price Of gas q. Pittsburgh; We could not
well go under the figure asked up there.
The price at Pittsburg is now ten cents per
one thousand teet-where metre rates are
chsrged-aud We are willing 10 reduce our
rate to correspond with that, binding our
selves not to exceed that figure in any way
the citizens Of Wheeling may desire. We
will 60 even further than that, and agree
to duplicate any contract made by any
other company on the other side Of the
river, and may be able to give The Wheeling
manufacturers better terms.
II see the Bellsire papers object because
your company hiss the exclusive right to
enter this city.
why, the ordinances adopted 10 over
the river towns are themselves
PRACTICALLY EXCLUSIVE,
as the manufacturers have all signed three
yesr contracts with another company. That
shuts US out very e6ectually, as there is no
use of going to town where the large col
sumers are already under CONTRACT. The
number of probable private consumers ia 80
| limited as TO hardly warrant the laying OF
q pipe across the river.
"Wii! you charge such consumers q
meter rate|
mo we will make q rate Of so much for
a stove or CRATE per month, and the con-
sumner can burn as much gas as he plesses.
Our contracts with householders will be
identical with those in Plttoburg and
| Little Washington"
When will your office be openY
we expec, to have mau in charge by
to morrow or next day, and will then trans,
act business right along. The work OF
laying pipe will begin April 18th, and we
shall push the work with Gil the energy
I possible"