Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-12-24


little Company with a capital stock OF
! Si75, 900 making $1,000 in mouth,
while the West Virginia Company, with
a capital stock OF million, made moth
! ing. and as business men, they did u {
propose 10 submit 10 10, and az the same
[ time give the city gas equal 70 $4,000
year. The Fort Pitt Company had been
/ 70 ade 70 make money, and the West Nir-
ginia Natural Gas Company could be put
on the same basis. Forbearsnce had
ceased 20 be a virtue. This Company
couldn't stand IL any longer, and IL
would not stand IL any longer. The
limit OF endurance had been reached.
Mr.. Pollock would like 10 ask 8
question. What proportion Of your gas
has the city OF Wheeling used?
Mr.. Bnchannon-Ic can't say that.
Mr.. Heard can answer that-not
in cubic feet. but in dollars and cents.
| have estimated that the city gets one
fifth of our income. We completed
two wells last summer, and yet our sup
ply of gas is less to-day than ever be-
fore. Last year | became satitied that
we must make big cut in high press
ure delivery to supply our domestic
consumers, and we cut off all manufac-
lures and boilers. Later we cut off the
water works. 1t is physcnl impossi-
bility TO supply the water works and
the domestic consumers, and II is a
financial impossibilty to supply IL and
make any money. Even II we had good
gas territory as close as West Alexander
we couldn't do it.
Mr.. Hearn-How does the pressure
now, compare with the pressure in
1887?
Mr.. Heard-In 1887 the average pres
sure was $40 pounds. Now IL Is 200
pounds, with twenty-five wells. while In
1857 we had but eleven wellS-a little
over half as much gas, with twice as
many wells. The pressure on the pipes
shows a corresponding dimnution. 1t
has come TO that pass when we must
do something. We must get money for
! all our product, or go out OF business.
! We must get enough money out OF TINS
business to pay decently fair dividends,
! for our stockholders will not go down
in their pockets for any more money.
Mr.. Pollack-If we could get the gas
you waste along the line, we would be
satisfied. Out at Fulton | saw eight or
ten lights burning all day.
Mr.. Buckanon-That seems to be one
of the necessary evils OF the natural gas
business. II you would go along the
line of the Philadelphia Gas Company,
you would see it twenty times as bad.
Mr.. Heard can explain that. AT
West Alexander, we had TO furnish
lights, and at Fulton, they pay usa very
decent price. We would rather not let
them have those lights, but we cannot
help ourselves. We try TO stop waste
all we can, and last summer / suppose
we spent So, 600 in calking our line.
Mr.. Caldwell What would be the
effect of continuance OF this strain?
Mr.. Heard-It would utterly demor-
alize US.
Mr.. Caldwell-And what would be the
sequence of that ? Would you quit?
MIR. Heard-We would have TO. We
have had some experience in that line.
When the last cold snap caught us un-
awares, we lost customers. The amount
of gas the water works consumes would
supply the whole Island.
Mr.. Jones-We have not got full
supply for eighteen months. We have
been burning about $500 worth OF coal
per month right along.
Mr.. Heard-Because we had not the
gas to give you.
Mr.. Hall-Something has been said
here about the city of Wheeling acting
I'm bad faith. | take some pride in the
city of Wheeling, and | would like TO
know Just wherein the city has broken
| faith. | would like TO have the ordi-
nance read.
The Soicitor-It isn't here.
Mr.. Hearn-And when you read 1t,
YOU also ought to read the so called as
| size ordinance.
Mr.. Hall-Read it all. / don't see
where the bad faith comes in. The
| West Virginia Company agreed to the
manufacturers Of the city coming In,
and in addition, the West Virginia Com
pany could not supply enough gas for
the manufacturers.
The history Of the trouble and litiga-
tion and threatened litigation, between
! the city and the Natural Gas Company
was gone over in detail, pro and con, by
| the gentlemen, during which Mr.. Cald-
well said the so called 'asslze" ordln-
ance was an officia! act OF bad faith, and
Of reputation of bargain previous
| ly made by the city.
/ Mr.. Riley finally said he didn't think
| this was the proper place TO discuss
| legal matters. 1t could lead to nothing.
| The proper thing would be Tor the
! Company TO make some proposition, In
| order that the Commission might have
something tangible before 1t. In reply
10 this Mr.. Heard suggested that SUBJ
Committee be appointed, one an ac-
| countant. and one who knew some
thing about gas, II possible, and TO such
| b-Committee the Company would
| fully set forth the whole situation.
The Company would show that body
through its books. its Office, it's gas
! fields, and do anything else that would
| throw light on the subject, and verify
the claims or the Company.
DIR. Campbell thought that would be
superfuous. The Company could as
well do that before the full body. The
matter had been fully explained al
| ready.
Mr.. Heard-We will say now that we
can no longer supply the water works,
the crematory, the gas works and the
one-half Of the public building, for
the reason that we can no longer sup
ply the goods or stand the financial
drain. As for the school houses and
the engine houses, we will endeayor 10
! supply them this winter, but we have
| no idea that we can supply them any
longer than that.
| Mr.. Riley-Why can't you supply the
water works, etc, when the CRATES, the
schools, the public building and other
/ places are shut OF, in summer?
Mr.. Heard-We can't do it, because
we NUT have some money for that gas,
/ il we must make both ends meet. We
! uust get new consumers for that Gas,