Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-03-25
THE GAS TOWNS.
NESSRS ROLF AND OASSELL RETURNS FROM
A TOUR
OF Ohio and Indiana Talk With COL. Roll ABOUT
The Tnp-Tbs Trades Assembly Meeting
Other Matters ofIndarial Interest


Col. August Rolf and Mr.. Peter Cassell,
members of the Board OF Directors OF the
Central Glass Works, returned yesterday
from their trip through the Ohio and Indl'
ana towns, whittier they we're sent to IN
vestigate the claims OF the places as suit
able locations for manufacturing purposes
with view of the possible removal OF the
Central Company's extensive gorka to
ore of them. The gentlemen were gore
about a week, during which time they Wis
tied some half dozen towns, principal
among which were KokOmo, Ind, North
Baltimore and Lancaster, Ohio.
A REGISTER reporter met Col. Rolf yes
terdsy and asked him how he liked the
look of things in the places visited.
well" said the Col, " there is plenty
Of gas ont that way and the peopls certain
" mean to secure as many manufacturing
establishments IS possible, and they are
LEAVING NOTHING UNDONE
in the way of inducements to get them. "
what town we're you especially
pleased With?'
Probably Lancaster BtuIck me more
favorlbly an any other Ii Is q Hour
ishipg city of about 5000 inhabitants and
the PEOPLE mean business from the word
20. They have beautiful location and
more gas than l ever saw before. They
haven't q drop OF oil and are not bothered
-. ,.rsfL o,1f in hair
wells. Every one Of the wells IA dry and
the gas comes ont with such force that you
cannot carry on any fort OF conversation
within o stones throw of the well, and the
noise is deafeniDg for quarter OF mile
around il.
"They have q Board OF Trade a. Lam
caster aud il die not take them more than
ten minutes to cill it together TO show ua
around, something that Wheeling would
have a hard time doing, ! am sorry to
say
did they make you any proposltlons!'
cat Lancaster they offered TO give Us
eight acres OF very fine land in the corpo-
ration and furnish us with all the gas We
could use free. while large donations Of
money were mentioned in connection.
They ssid they would put well down
right close TO the factory and assured rs
we would have
ALL THE GAS WE WANTED,
and more too, and to make this certain
they would connect cur factory With the
other wells in CASE cur oFn should happen
70 20 back on ia These people have
plenty Of money aud they are determined
to secure manufactures, cost what it may.
I am sstisfied they would, in addition TO
land and gas, give Us between $50, 900 and
500 600, or perhaps the latter amount, to
secure our location there"
They did not make this offer, bat
asked us for q proposition, which we Of
course could net make, ss we had no gu
thcnty to do So"
Would az Offer such as you mention be
inducement enough to remove the Cen
trap
81 think il wo1ld take something near
that figure to move cur works. OF course
there are a lot Of small factories which
could afford to give no their location and
90 20 one Of the towns for much less than
we could, because they do not leave much
behind"
what did you think of other toTns?"
well, Koknmo is very lively little
place and they have a number Of factories
located there, one OF which IS an extensive
plate glass establishment, which, however,
will nat be in operation for st least four
months. There is az least half million
dollars invested in this plant. This town
is not so large as Lancaster, but they are
COMING To THE FRONT.
''North Baltimore is p small placa, bat
they even talked Of $50, 000 free gas and
free land 20 get Us there. This amount
would not induce US to remove, in my
opinion.
"Lqucasier hes eplerdid railroad fscili
ties. and the location they offered us liss
right between two linss Of railroad, while
there ia a creek near by. The town Is not
fer from the Hooking Valley so that coal
would be plenty in case of necessity, but
judging from the gas wells there l do not
think they will have use for coal anyways
saoa. I am certain our company would
give one hundred thousand dollars for
the gas well we saw in that
city if we had it located clOe to
our factory The taxes Of Lancaster, too,
il another consideration. They have no
debt, the streets are fine and in good con-
dition, they have three school houses
haaGsOmer than any in Wheeling, nud have
Just built gas works which will soon be
paid for, so taxes will b. going down in
stead OF mp
"Wheu will The Boayd Of Directors Of
the Central hold meeting 10 hear your
report?"
at co-lt ea- 7 have mi eean A. Scott
yet There is just This about the whole
matter, though: Glass manufacturers and
other manufacturers, if they want to pros
per, must be abe 10 enter the markets
with their
GOODS AT AS LOW PRICES
rs their competitors, and while not a DiTec
tor or stakeholder Of the Central wants to
see the factory removed, still they will be
compelled to take some action II sufficient
inGucement is offered them
There ia one sure ding that Wheeling
should discover before it is too late, and
that is, if she does moi take some steps to
hold her manufactures she is very likely
to lose some OF them ut least. aud if no
effort is to be made to induce Others 10 come
they will not come of their own accord.
No one would regret more tran TO see a
single manufsctory removed from Wheel
ing and no one would like better TO see
new ones come, but there il no doubt Of the
fact that il her citizens make no efforts to
push the city forward, the ultimate result
will be a lOss Of her great manufacturing
prestige My sincere hope is that Wheel
ing Will ~ AIKEN and make the effort before
il ID too late"