Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-07-21
MUNICIPAL GAS PLANT.
Proposition Of City and
County Gas 90.


Control the Price Of Gas for Light and
fuci-A Public Benefit
"well.directed efforts achieve all
things. There 10 no greater truism
than the above quotation, and II may
be verified daily right In Chicago.
One Of the best examples that can be
cited Is the success attending the Of.
forts Of the new City and County Gas
Company In their struggle for proper
recognition before the municipal au.
thorities Of this city. Owing to the
monopolistic gas combine existing
here the City and County Gas Com
pany have been met by numerous
undetermined methods Of opposition,
and the Officers OF this independent
company are now determined to make
q fight for the people, and not be
cOerced into obscurity by q bloated
monopoly. The President Of this
COMPANY, Mr., II. c. Rev, Is
the wsll.known inventor Of a
procew Of cheap carbureted
water gas made from bituminous
coal. This process has proved to be
a most valuable acquisition to
science, and for some time past the
people OF Cicero have been benefited
owing to Mr.. Rew's having cstab.
lished there the Cicero Gas Company,
and supplied both fuel and illumin.
at,ng gas at a nominal cost. Mr..
Rev has now demonstrated his proc.
ess to be a practical success. and he
has determined to give the citizens
Of Chicago the same opportunity OF
cheap light aud fuel, notwithstand.
ing the onslaughts Of the trust
against him. He asks nothing from
the city Of Chicago or the council
but what he IL willing to pay for.
The original idea was to pay to the
city 33a per cent. Of the capital
stock for the privilege Of laying the
mains Negotiations now, however,
are Ia progress, and q proposition
will be most likely modified to
read 20 per cent to 60 to the city for
the right to lay the mains; % per
cent. to the citizens Is bonus for
money to build the work. This will
insure to the city and citizens 81 per
cent. Of the stock Of the company, u
controlling interest, and the price Of
gas will be regulated by tho citizens,
taxpayers and gas consumers, creat-
ing what has long since been needed
% gas plant controlled BY and for
the city. The 10000, 900 stock (s25
per share) will be issued by the City
and County Gas Company for the pur.
chase Of the rights to lay mains and
the sole and exclusive rights to use
the Row processes and apparatus for
the manufacture OF gas.
These combined rights have very
large intrinsic value; $50. 900, 900
would really not be an excessive esti.
mate Of their value. Four per sent.
bonds will be issued and sold to raise
the money to build the w0rks-at
least 90, 900, 900 will he Of small de.
nomination.
The taxpayers and citizens Of the
West Side fully appreciate the won.
derful boon this company will be to
them, and they are Endorsing the Of.
forts of the City and County Gas
Company In q most substantial way.
For Instance: The representatives of
the company have been circulating q
petition favorIng Q franchise for the
company, and -, 500 signatures have
already boon secured. In addition
to this, contracts In which tho clti.
xens agree to use the gas Of the com.
pany, as soon as the franchise can be
secured and connections all made,
have to date received 2l,600 sigma.
lures, making total Of $4,000 In
dorsers so far to these papers. The
most imposing part of 1t Is the fact
that among the sIgners are 500 Of
the largest business houses, en-
ploying several thousand men. These
firms should be o power In favor OF
the granting of q franchise to the
City and County Gas Com.
pauy, as their support is indie
alive OF dissatisfaction with
the present system OF operation
by the trust. Mr.. A. w. Ketcham,
5ll Ashland Block, who has charge Of
the canvassers, In speaking OF the re-
suit OF the canvass 80 far, said: u
estimated when We first started our
men out to solicit that about So pei
cent. OF tho residents would be In
favor Of the new company and Is pei
cent. opposed to 1t. But / find on
investigation that 90 per cent OF the
people called on are In full accord
with the idea, and are willing and
ready to support It, Even now there
Is an active movement toward pur'
chasing some OF our securities. and II