Evening journal., 1888-09-06
INDIANA GAS WELLS.
Clarence w. Pyle Writes of the Gas
Wells and Their Mode OF Operation.
f,4,.,., Cos


Cheap Gas.
BY letter 70 EVENING JOURNAL
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Sept 3-As
promised to write you soon again, ! win
make one of the subjects Of this letter
Natural gas, which has been intro
duced here. Natural gas has given
indianapolis a great boom. Wells were
drilled several years ago in all parts Of
the city but at first without success
The FIRST well that gave forth gas was
struck on the farm of John Wainwright
at Noblesville, twenty-five miles north
of this city. The gas came out with tire
mendons force and in paving quantities
The Standard Oil Company bought the
well and leased all the country round
about that gave evidence of gas The
company began laying l6inch main to
this city TO bring the natural gas hero.
This could not but lesson the dividends
Of the stockholders Of the gas companies.
Through their iniiue nee an ordinance was
passed in the City Council to the effect
that should the gas companies begin cut
ting rates and the rates became as low as
cents per 600 feet, that said rate
could not be raised again for three wears.
This evidently had the desired effect on
the Standard Oil Company for operations
were stopped and the entire plant wells
and material at Noblesville were brought
up by the president Of the gas company
here for 500, 600,
After lapse Of few months and the
storm Of indignation over such trans
action had abated, the president of the
gas company again went before City
Council and said 1--WE have been under
considerable expense and we wish
to have the ordinance fixing the
rate for three years repealed The
town people became very indignant over
such transaction, and an investigation
was ordered by the City Council and as
already stated the fact was developed
that the company here bought out the
Standard Company for $780, 600. In the
mean time, one or two other companies
had organized for drilling purposes and
were operating just few miles from
town. They met with great success
One or two wells were drilled by private
parties at Broadripple, that gave forth
tremendous volume of gas. These par
ties came into to town before a commit
tee appointed for the purpose, and an
agreement was entered into to form a
gas trust and the citizens were to raise
! $500, 900 to pipe the city. The trust was
organized and now has about 80, 600
stockholders, all residents and consumers
Of this city, and is in a very nourishing
condition. 1t has pipes all over the city,
| supplying gas to private residences
| for heating, cooking and Illuminating pur-
poses ut cost of less than one quarter of
what they formally paid for coal
| Factories that formerly used from two TO
| FIVE tons Of coal per day are now supplied
,rFttb a a 1E m E0 &c do
| The steam pressure is kept uniform, thus
adding greatly to the length of the life
of the boiler.
AS soon as the gas trust gets all the
plant paid for, gas will be supplied to its
customers at actual cost, l. e., its actual
expense of keeping the plant in repair
Consequently indianapolis is better fixed
than any other city in the Union for
cheap fuel and gas. The gas has a very
peculiar odor and can be very easily
detected should q leakage occur.
The town is alive in the campaign inter
est and there are more fife and drum
corps to the square inch than any other
| town ! ever saw They are out drilling
every night II is my misfortune
to visit here in the absence of General
! Harrison
My brother and | have been having
| great times on our wheels travelling all
over the surrounding country over pixies
and roads that far supercede the cause
way and without one cent Of toll being
charged
These roads extend for miles and miles
in either direction and would make the
Kenneth turnpike company blush with
shame to think they charge the boys toll
on such miserable roads as they term
turnpike Yesterday afternoon brother
and | were out riding on one of the back
roads when we arrived at a stream
known as the White river, which we
were obliged to ford, their being no
bridge in sight. Brother being in ad-
vance started to ford the stream on his
bicycle when within ten feet of the other
side he struck a rolling stone and fell off
He waded to the shore which proved to
be small island in the middle of the
White river and remounting tried to
finish the ride through the rolling water.
But this time he fell off in the middle Of
the stream and was obliged to foot it the
balance of the way to the shore After
he reached the shore he saw foot bridge
way down the stream which he gave me
the privilege Of crossing that or trying
his experience / quite naturally pre-
ferred the dryer way | found the bridge
very narrow and difficult to cross aud
George was watching very intentiyely for
me to take dive in, to say nothing of the
kind offer Of quarter by some urchins
who very anxious for me to take tumble
/ concluded to try and stick to the board,
which succeeded in doing and reached
the other side in safety much to the cha
grin of my brother and the boys.
Republicans are going TO have an cleo
tion here this November; they even go
SO far as to carry sun umbrellas made Of
red, white and blue material.
G. w. PYLE.