Smyrna times., 1892-06-01
Natural Gas.
TRIP OF THE EDITORS TO MARION,
INDIANA.


TRIP OF THE EDITORS TO MARION,
INDIANA.
The trip of the Peninsula editors,
seventeen in number, as the guests of
the Inter.Sta Trust Company, to
Marion, Indiana, last week was a most
enjoyable affair, not only for the infor-
nation afforded in visiting the region
where nature furnishes them natural
gas on tap so abundantly for light, heat
and motor power, but in the social
pleasure such an outing furnished the
knights of the quill" having Pull
man Vestibule Car to themselves, and
everything desired to eat, drink, smoke
&C., without cost. Take it in every
way, it was one of the best trips the
editors have ever had. There was not
one who did not return thoroughly
impressed with the advantages of the
gas belt for at least the great manufac-
tories requiring an immense amount |
of heat and therefore of fuel.
The time to leave Philadelphia was |
IL so o'clock, Tuesday, Oath, return
ing, reaching the same place at Z
o'clock, Friday evening. Geo. l..
Mason, the genial President of the
company, assisted by Robert Boone,
| Secretary of the Standard Hub and
Block Company, received and con-
| Quoted the editors to the car in wait
ing. Pulling out on time, we were
soon flying by the beautiful towns that
line the Pennsylvania road settled
mostly by men who have their busi-
ness in Philadelphia, then through the
fertile regions of Lancaster county, on
by Harrisburg and the Susquehanna
and Juniata rivers to the mountainous
regions, with their wild and impressive
scenery, reaching Altoona after dark,
and Pittsburg about midnight. Save
the coke aud iron furnaces with their
red glare of light, there was nothing to
see until we were ushered into day
light again in Ohio. Passing Colum-
bus, Newark, Piqua, Urbana 81, we
entered Indiana, the land in both these
states being almost dead level,
soaked in water by excessive rains,
reaching Marion near noon, after IA
continuous ride of "A hours and over
700 miles. But it was not our ride to,
but the place of our destination, that
= was TO claim our attention, and hence
after say ing that we were comfortably
quartered at the York Inn" except
some of the younger members who
preferred to keep their sleeping apart
: ments in the car which had been side
| tracked there, the remainder of that
p. day and until the evening of the next
t day was spent in sight seeing in "wOn-
t drOus gas land"
. In the oil regions about Pittsburg
c where natural gas was first discovered
D and appropriated, it is hilly, but in
= Indiana, where the blow is much
}. stronger, it is as fiat as a pancake. 1t
n is often low, with a tendency to swamp
= mess, reminding one of the land about
e Georgetown, Sussex county. The out
r lying portions of Marion where they
r. are locating the great rolling mills
e glass factories, smelling works, cracker
l factories &C., is of this character
l. while old Marion aud much of
is the new is on elevated and rolling
lands.
e SEEING THE SIGHTS.
:, IL Directly after dinner comfortabl!
3 seated in five landeaus we started II
procession to take in the objects of in
- terest of the city. Marion in its gen
~ eral situation, that is, iu its large plan
- for the future, is quite suggestive o
n the appellation given to Washington
- "a city of magnificent distances.
7 Marion, until four years ago was
20 town of only some 5000 inhabitant
70 dating back for half century from it,
- early settlement, built on ridge run
~ ming from north to south, which nov
I'M covers an extent of some six mile:
- The land which the Interstate Trus
- Company owns is off from the tow
M proper to the west, nearly a thOusan
- acres-and some two or more miles
30 the York Inn, their headquarters. Th
81 land is in a strip about a half mil
rOr wide. Their object is to get the IA
~ tories on the outer limits and the Otht
- places of business and residences o
''0 the more elevated lands leading to IL
.,, central part of the city. They eXpe
~ to have large part of it sold and bui
,Ia up in year or two, and are likely
A'0 do it, for Messrs Mason, Wiley al
Butler are hustlers. Where the Ii
,os and several Of these large business e
-. Establishments now stand was one ye
ago u field out in the country.
Natural gas seems to be eveTywheI
70 and all that is necessary to obtain it
to drill we'll. This varies from fe
o. hundred to over 1000 feet, but the ave
age depth for a fine fowls 900 feet.
es- was observed in driving through &
eld country that many farmers have SUI
1t a well, and have a burning fambe
of flame to light up their premises,
son some cases one on either side of the
Did, dwelling.
tch The first place visited was the We
the terman Natural Gas Iron Company e,
large establishment employing
lrO- hands. This was rolling mill vi
les. numerous pudding fires in operate
use but from the numerous chimneys Cal
Der a white stream, but no smoke, nor "
ped there the least appearance of Stag, c
the der, coal or ashes about the establis
ment. Every fire was from natu
hat gas, the heat regulated by simply tn
lOTt ing a screw. These works if they
in not gas would consume 40 tons of c.
the every day besides being pestered W
and surplus ashes, Stag, smoke, and all
ces, other things arising from the use
was coal.
iere The next place was a large glass
10 tory where from 100 to 200 people
IS to employed, largely boys and gi
Glass factories require great deal
ting heat. In natural gas they have it
ana any quantity, and without cost,
in being an outstanding business offer
manufacturers.
clca' Then we were taken down thro
.CeI the old part of the town, over spleu
J9gTI, vitrifed brick pAvements, past u Ia
ms and beautiful courthouse and 81
V,1u Jail, on the western end Of the {
Vne Here was window plate mannfact
; ehu; bottle manufactures, pulp manu-
5Oou tory, a straw paper manufactOry, a
i. stuff mandatory, Studebaker's wa
wing material manutactOry, and III
others, all driven with gas free as
roau air we breathe.
tbe One of the most interesting obj
ro. visited this afternoon was the /
aatIy School, more like the Smyrna Pu
School building than anything we
seen, especially in the interior ARA
ment, but about three times as la
An ascension up seven flights of S
ware brought Us TO the top, where be'
took full view of the city aud its surrou
} ap- ings was had. This building
Bryn erected at cost of $685. 900 and is
hurs- of the most attractive in the place.
These happened to be there at the tim'
,ond. dismissal, each department filing
and into the hall and thence to the 81