The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-12-24
FREE GAS NO LONGER.
Ultimatum of tho Natural Gas
Company of West Virginia.
THE COMPANY CAN'T AFFORD IT..
Tho Joint Committee Appointed by
Council Talks With Representatives
OF the Natural Gas Company..-Thc
Company's Claims.

The natural gas company has de-
livercd its ultimatum: No gas for the
city water works, crcmatory, gas works
and city buildings, and gas for the
engine and school houses for this winter
only.
When the joint session OF the water
and Gas boards and tho committee on
health convened last night, there was
Mt first no quorum present, bat as Mr.
Heard, general manager, and Mr.
buchanan, OF the board OF directors OF
the company, had come down from
Pittsburgh, it was thought better to
commence the discussion OF the subject
referred to tho joint committee, and
trust 10 luck for quorum to uccumu-
late later In addition To the members
oil the company already mentioned, the
coapanys counsel, Mcssrs. Alfred and
George b. Caldwell and W. II. Hearne,
were present.
As Mr.. Buchanan was thoroughly ac-
quainted with the company's history
and affairs, Mr.. Heard called on him for
statement OF the company's position.
Mr.. Buchanan began by reviewing the
history OF the Natural Gas Company of
West Virginia, and told how. some
years ago, a Wheeling gentleman had
met Captain Vandegrift, OF Pittsburgh,
who was at the front in all matters per-
tanning to oil and gas, and suggested to
the captain that
AN EXCLUSIVE PRIVILEGE
might be obtained TO furnish natural
gas 10 Wheeling.
The company came to Wheeling, cx-
pecting to get an exclusive franchise,
but did not get what it had been led to
expect from promises made by the city
OF Wheeling. For alter having granted
an exclusive franchise, the city OF
Wheeling gave the Manufacturers Com
pany the privilege Of bringing gas to the
city. Even though the Natural Gas
Company OF Virginia thought it
was unadvisablc to invest money in 4
community which had thus acted in
bad iaith, it nevertheless built the line
and delivered gas to the city, amid
much rejoicing. In the years 1856 and
1857 the company drilled eleven wells,
OF which only one is still producing gas !;
in 1855 five wells, three OF which are
still in use, were drilled; in 1889 the
product OF the same number was turned
into tho company's mains; in 1890 six
were drilled and in 1891 seven. Twelve
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twenty-five still delivering an uncertain
quantity OF gas. Twelve dry holes hav-
ing been drilled, made total of forty
Elk wells. at an average expense Of
$1,000 each. In pipo lines from the
wells, additional to those first contem-
plated, over Sl75,000 had been invested.
Owing to the company not getting all
exclusive franchise in Wheeling, it
never attempted to place stock, and one
of the stockholders absolutely refused
to invest his money, and his stock was
distributed among the other stock
holders. All tho money the company
has made was made by fortunate in
vestment in oil territory, and not from
the sale OF gas. but the city has re-
ccivcd from the company" Mr.. Buch-
anan continued, upwards OF $4,000,
being the value OF natural gas
GIVEN FREE TO TIE CITY,"
The city, Mr.. Buchanan claimed,
was not able to 90 into court in the
matter, as she was on record as having
claimed that the contract with the COM
pany was not valid contract.
As statement OF fact, and not rs q
threat, Mr.. Buchanan stated that his
company was prepared to abandon fur
nishing gas to Wheeling.
At the time the line was building,
Mr.. Buchanan went on, the company
7 had asked its contractor and paid him
money to discharge his Italian lnborers
and to employ citizons OF Wheeling in
their place.
Mr.. Pollock asked what percentage OF
gas the city was getting. Mr. Heard
answered that in dollars and cents the
city had been getting 20 per cent OF the
company's gross receipts. Mr.. Heard
mentioned any number of establish
mcnts which had formerly gotten gas
from the company, md which were now
cut of. Itwasimpossible, he continued,
to keep on furnishing gas to the city
and keep tho domestic supply. Tho
question was asked rs to the present
pressure OF gas. Mr.. Heard answered
that the pressure from the twenty-five
wells now in use was l25 pounds, while
it was formerly 400 pounds. In Elm
Grove, he said, it was now thirty pounds,
whereas it used to be 100 to 100 grounds.
Mr.. Pollock asked if the waste by the
burning OF gas in the lamps day and
night! at Fulton and Triadelphia could
I not be avoided Mr.. Heard answered
that it was impossible to stop it,
though the company was doing its best
10 do SO. III answer to a question Mr..
Z Heard stated thut the amount OF gus
tho water works consumed
WOULD SUPPLY TIE ISLAND.
In regard to the charge of bad faith,
brought against the city, M. Hall, Of
tho water board, denied it, and said
that tho ordinance specified particular
" that tho manufacturers OF the city
n should have the privilege OF piping gas
to their own factories. Mr.. Hearne
claimed the Wheeling Natural Gas
Company, a competitor of the West
Virginia Company, owned the stock OF
thc manufacturers Company, and that
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