Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1889-03-15

thc gas lrnstee tlian II has in the past,
somebody will suffer in the estimation
ai the people. Nearly $40 900 has been
blown IN and there is very little to show
Ior ~ beyond what n few miles of pipe
WIN pring.. Several prominent citizens,
who have hcen opposed 10 ihe scheme
| rom tho beginning, say some very bit
Yer thinRs OF the city council, and hint
thai sensational developments will come
TO me surface one of thts SO days,
maumee affords n practical illustration
OF the iact that issuing bonds and spend-
ing money do not always mean cheap
gas and plenty Of it.
| OVER IN PERRYsBURa.
There has always been q jealousy be-
tween Maumee and Perrysburg, and
when the latter city heard of the great
venture that Maumee had gone into for
'he purpose OF furnishing cheap gas, the
citizens OF the quiet little burg were
aroused to a spirit of emulation. II
wouldn't do, you know, for Perrysburg
10 i've In back-number age of nom
Indebtedness, when Maumee had, by
Few strokes of the pen, placed itse If in q
rank OF modern cities, by issuing bonds
for nearly one-fourth of its entire as
sessable valuation. So Perrysburg
went and did likewise.
The story can be told very briefly.
The Toledo Natural Gas company piped
Perrysburg, and turned in the gas about
the same time it reached Toledo, and
furnished fuel at the same rates. A
year ago, Perrysburg issued bonds in
the sum of S45, 900, and recently pur
chased the Toledo plant, paying there
for $4,000. From local company
the city leased gas field six miles up
the river, and sunk wells. The city
plant was extended, the entire work
being completed about ten days ago.
or the nine wells that the city put
down, three were worthless. The line
is good one, consisting of four miles
of 6-inch pipe, one mile of 4-inch pipe
and one and half miles of 3inch. The
city plant includes ten or twelve miles
of pipe.
The office OF the trustees is in the
bank, and there met Mr.. Hanson, who
IS the secretary of the board 1t was a
relief to find the bank well heated, but l
was surprised when / discovered the
stove was filed with coal
Mr.. Hanson was very courteous to me,
but not SO urbane in his relations with
the people, and could scarcely blame
him. 1t was the last discount day, and
everybody was rushing in to pay gas
bills. The following is a fair sample of
what l heard
Customer :-"Well, I suppose must
pay my gas bill?"
Mr.. Hanson Yes, unless you take
out your mixer"
Customer well, its pretty hard to
have to pay for something that you
don't get?"
Mr.. Hanson 1--WE have been 40 or
so years learning how to burn wood
and COAL"
Customer :-"Didn't have any coal or
wood, and have nearly frozen to death
all the morning. It's an outrage to
those people who are sick. Besides l
am paying for gas, not coal or wood"
Mr.. Hanson ~ am nearly out of
patience with this continual croaking.
You don't suppose that the trustees can
help it, do you? 1 don't like it very
well, when all this fault finding is made
to me. while the other trustees don't
hear word of it,"
And to another, he added: 'If the
people will only be patient. this cold
snap won't last long, and we will get
the revenue which otherwise would go
to the Toledo company"
asked for an explanation. and was
told that the city had an arrangement
with the Toledo company, by which the
latter should furnish gas, in case the
city supply gave out, and then the
revenues went into the treasury of the
company instead of that of the city.
The other trustees were urging Mr..
Hanson to call on the company for help.
but he was anxious to keep the revenues
for the city, AMI opposed Il. Several of
the customers who called at the office
said that they had been using coal or
wood the greater part of the day. They
were terribly indignant, and were not
at all sparing in their denunciation of
the board of trustees.
Mr.. Hanson said that the bonds were
sold at par or slight premium, and
bore interest at the rate of per cent,
making total of 81, 200 per year. The
running expenses, he said, were light,
the heaviest item beng 5000, which
was paid as salary 10 one man. As the
plant has been in operation less than
two weeks, it is, of course, impossible
to make correct estimate of the ex-
pcnses, hut judging from the experience
of gas companies in other cities, it will
n in
tain a supply, even should the city be
so fortunate as 10 get sufficient gas
from its present field, which Is generally
doubted by the citiz.ns of Prrrysburg.
ABOUT THE PRICES.
The prices charged by the city are
6GS per cent of The gross rates in Toledo.
As the city has about 600 consumers un
its hines, Mr. Hanson estimates the to-
tai revenues at something over $1,000
which would be 81, 200 over and above
the running expenses. AT this rate, il
wonld be possible for the city 10 ruy for
its plant in the course OF fifteen or
twenty years, providing, of course, that
the supply WAS sufficient with the pres
eRL outlay. That it is not sufficient is
apparent 10 every one who is using the
gas.
learned from another source a very
amusing feature in connection with the
city line as showing how the trustees
were outstanding their supply. The
authority is one in which can be placed
the utmost reliability. 1he scheme is
as follows: A pressure of four
ounces is given for breakfast, after
which it is reduced to IL ounces. AT IL,
the pressure is increased to three ounces.
and reduced again in the afternoon to
II ounces. Three ounces are allowed
for supper, and at 10 every night, the
gas is turned off altogether "Lights
out at ten" could not be enforced with
greater success in military camp.
In her endesyor to rival Maumee,
Perrysburg has succeeded beyond her ex-
pectalions-bette even perhaps, than
she wished she had. 1t is true that her
bonds are Outnumbered by Maumee