The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-04-03
NATURAL GAS IN THE EAST.
immense Fortunes Made Some
Facts and Figures

The other day a Plain Dealer repre-
sentative walked up Fulton Street in
the city of Pittsburg, and, standing on
the cliffs, looked down upon the great
black city. Lights glimmered every
where ike stars in the armament.
These were street lamps. Then the
large yellow flames that belched forth
from many chimneys could be seen like
larger stars. There were milky ways of
electric lights, too; but outshining them
all were several great flames like suns or
moons in this armament. These were
fires from the gas wells. They repre-
scented millions of feet of gas going 10
waste every twenty-four hours. why
cannot this gas be conveyed in pipes to
others cities2" asked l.
1T wouldn't be to the interest OF
I Pittsbnrg to do it." was the answer.
This natural gas is going 10 m Ike
Pittsburg the greatest western city, if
not the greatest city in the world"
continued the Pittsburger, as he looked
down upon he earth. and, like Satan,
seemed to imagine that be owned it all.
There was much truth in his statement
that Pittsburg has great future. Ma
tural gas makes her a rival of Cleveland
but not so dangerous a rival as it would
at first seem.
spent nearly a week looking over the
ground. breathing perpetual odor and
sensation of gas. This natural gas has
created q degree of excit ment in and
about Pittsburg akin 70 the craze that
the discovery Of oil caused and some
what resembling the gold fever. AL
ready several men have been made i'm
mensely rich by this gas discovery.
Hundreds of business men are fiocking
in from neighboring cities 10 investigate |
the matter. Among the recent visitors |
was a representative of the Cleveland |
rolling mill company, one of the Stand |
ard oil cOmpany's authorities who con-
tracte d Tor furnishing natural gas 70 all |
the cOmpany's rehnerics on the Allie
gheny River, and the president OF the
Hyde Park gas company near Chicago.
The history of the discovery and util-
ization of natural gas, its effect on the
industries OF Pittsburg and plans for
conveying il TO Cleveland and other
cities Will furnish the topic for a series
of interesting articles i this journal.
II is not the purpose OF this article,
however. TO enter into the details. The II
natural gas supply OF this country is at
present confined 10 a very limited area,
and indeed more than nine-tenths of il
comes from what is known as the Muir
rysyille district. few miles out of Pitts
burg. | didn't find il the sterile region
so common 10 oil producing sections.
Indeed the gas does not come from the
heart OF oil districts but from the bord-
ers of such regions. There were pleas
ant farms all about the gas fields. b1t
their owners are not now deeply inter
ested in agriculture. Most of them
have leased their farms at so much an
acre 10 the great gas monopoly, and
nearly every one OF them expects to
make his independent fortune out OF
natural gas. These land owners organ
lied themselves into companies early in
the natural gas era, and these COM
panies formed themselves into pools
with the intention of surrounding Pitts
burg so that no natural gas could get
into the city without their consent. /
For once the lard owner had the ad-
vantage of the rich capitalist-or
thought that, he had. Every farmer
felt rich as CrOesus, but the bright
dream was dispelled. Keen Pittsburg
capitalists took the matter in hand, and
witted the land owner. The natural
gas business is to-day nearly all IN the
hands of one large company, known as
the Philadelphia company, and while
the rural gas owners have profited from
their possessions the fortunes are being
made by the urban capitalists. The
Philadelphia company is stocked at
s. 900 600, and none of the stock can
now be purchased on the general mar
ket, it being the purpose of the Phila-
delphia company to sell the remaining
stock only TO Pittsburg manufacturers
whose patronageis desired. The Phila-
delphia company will next month pay a
dividend of one per cent, and the Off
GERS are confident that they can main
tain dividend rate of one per cent.
month.
as this article is more in the nature
OF an introduction il will be well to re
lieve a degree OF anxiety on the part of
business men by stating that one of the
leading engineers of Pittsburg declares
that natural gas may be conveyed from
Pitisburg to Cleveland at a much less
outlay of money than il would at first
be deemed possible. In Pittsburg the
cost of natural gas as fuel in iron man
ufacture is FROM fifteen to twenty-five
cents per ton cheaper than coal, aud
the expense for fuel in domestic use is
about equal to the cost ~ coal in Pitts
burg. 1t does not 80 present enter into
the lightning problem. for no process
has yet been discovered of making the
vapOr give out bright light. 1t gives
the dingy, yellow flame of gas in a
street lamp on q foggy night, and the
heat Is intense. The product of each
well is somewhat different from that of
every other well. and apparently widely
different from The natural gas found in
Cleveland.