Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-03-28
OHIO GAS TOWNS.
WHAT PROMINENT BUSINESS NBN THINK
OF THIN
Compared With Wheeling as Desirable Business and
Manufacturing Locshons-Soid Founda-
ton Versus Boom.

cOntem plated removal 10 III Oulo kao to"H
has been revived by the return Of the com
mittee, Messrs. Rolf and Cassell, Of the
Board Of Directors, who we're sent out TO
examine into the claims and prospects Of
the boom towns. REGISTER reporters
have talked 10 Numerous business men
about the matter, and about all Of them
agree that they cannot see the policy in
such a firm as the Central leaving sub
s;antial business and manufacturing city
such 81 Wheeling Is, and such "a she he's a
national reputation for being, to 20 to q
small town where there is apparently
plenty Of natural gas, but nothing much
else.
A prominent member of the Chamber OF
Commerce, who doesn't care to have bis
name mentioned, said:
II cannot see how the Genital Company
could afford to remove their extensive
plant to such a small town as Lancaster,
or any Of the places mentioned. For my
part I cannot see where the advantage is
to be derived from ina
BUSINESS POINT OF VIEW.
The Central has gained wealth in this
community and has prestige for her
ware that, in my opinion, would, to Ger
tain extent, be lost were the establishment
to be removed. Then again, cannot IN
derstand how town Of 5000 or 10 900
inhabitants could afford to donate $780,
600 70 secure a glass house, besides giving
free gas and free land. think that the
Centrals Board of Directors will come to
tbs conclusion to remain in the city before
long
Mr.. A. @. Egerler aid: "For my part l
do not imsgine the Central will move. OF
course they are doing right in investigating
the inducements held out to them by the
Ohio and Indiana gas towns, and if they
were assured they could make it pay 10 re-
move the works, no doubt they would do
so. But let me tell you, the members Of
the Board Of Directors Of the Central Com
pany are all too conservative men to Jump
At anything wildly. Before they deter
mine TO remove the works they will have
positive assurance that they will make
money by the transaction. They will see
the two dollars for the one first, you may
depend
1T is simply absurd to attempt to COM
pare any of those little OHIO towns with
Wheeling from = business point OF view.
They have nothing to recommend them
out plenty OF material gas, and that is
VERY UNCERTAIN QUANTITY.
Here is Wheeling with a reputation al
most world wide AS one OF the most pros
porous manufacturing cities in the United
States, and solid financially. over thee
are some little towns which were hardly
ever heard Of until they struck natural
gss. Wheeling's business prosperity is
based on a solid foundation; the Ohio gas
towns have no foundation at all in COM
parisOn.
''The whole secret of the matter is the
glass trade is dull There is an over pro-
ductiOn. IL ia q positive fact that the de-
mand Tor glassware for the psst couple Of
years has been heavier than ever before,
which was greatly due 10 so much glass
ware being used in advertising purposes.
That is row dying out and the demand has
fallen of. Like nails there is bound 10 be
an over production Of glassware, because
so many factories have been erected. II
the Ohio gas towns have any advantage
over Wheeling in the way of producing
-lassware, I would Just like TO know Why
he
ELEVEN FACTORIES AT FINDLAY SHUT
DOWN
only the other day? Ofcourse the concern
,hat can make ware the cheapest and best
is the one that will capture trade. Why
then aren't the Findlay works running if
IL is q mere matter Of cheapuesa in prOduc-
tom"
Said Mr.. Geo. Wise.
a. do not place much confidence IN the
claims of these Ohio gas towns, width their
free pas, free lands and bonuses. Why, there
il little place called North Baltimore. l
understand they have offered the Central
fee gas and land and $50 600 bonus. Say
the town has population OF 1000, and /
90 not think it hss more, II would repre-
sent over SD for each man, woman and
child. From what / can learn most OF the
manufacturers who depended on the offers
of these towns to remove their works or
build new concerns, cot pretty badly left
when il came 20 a matter Oisettlement. The
only man I certainly know did come
ont sll right vas Mr. Beatty, of Steuben-
VILE. who got free land and yes, and S5O,-
600 from Tifiio. lie got his. l know q
great many workmen are returning from
Ohio and Indiana, and that is on evidence
that things are not " hat they are cracked
M to be. l understand also that several
Bellaire manufacturers who left for Fin
dlay are thinking very seriously Of return
ing to their first love. am a director in
a Bellaire glass works, and my vote will
never be cast % remove the works to one
of the boom towns. They have reached
their limit and will now settle down to
their normal level. Why,
TAKE THE MATTER OF LABOR,
for instance. When would such an extern
sive establishment as the Central secure
enough boys and girls to run their factory?
And if they could get enough, something
many Of the factories over there now, have
been unable 10 do, they would have TO
learn the business. which would entail the
less of q good deal o. time aud expense.
Secretary Howard Hszlett, Of the Cham
Der Of Commerce. said:
my opinion Is that when the Central
thoroughly investigates the claims and
propositions Of the Ohio and Indiana gas
towns they will come to the conclusion TO
remain in Wheeling Theye is no more
comparison between Wheeling and those
places. fcOm a business point Of view, than
there Is in tho size of THEN population.
For my part. unless an extraordinary oner
were made. cannot see the adyisablllty
of any frm making such move. Ot
course II any one was assured that for one
dollar two wouli be forthcoming, he
would be foolish not 10 take advantage OF
the opportunity"
Mr.. b. Horkheimer said:
OF course every man knows his own
business best, bat I have been watching
the records Of those Ohio gas towns and l
think they are relying good deal on talk
Z, induce manufacturers to come TO them.
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