Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-23
National Gas and Electric Light,
Heat, and Power Company.
IGNORANCE OF THE INcoRPoRAToRs
How a Company Can Be Formed ami
Floated by the Use of the Names of
Prominent MenCWho Like to Do Their
Friends IA FavOr-Seme Interviews
of Inter est on q Very Important Sub
tect-GaseOus Gas Companies-Afraid
of the Lobbyists.

| fortunes quickly and fell over each other
| in pell nell rush to invest their savings
| in schemes set forth with roseate pros
pectuses, it became the custom OF the pro-
| moters Of such enterprises to form stock
| companies and secure the names of prom
inent men as the incorporators thereon.
| Lord This and Baron That, Earl Who, and
Sir Which were called upon by suaVe ana
respectful individuals who begged the hon
| or of their names as sponsors Tor the rata
CONAN Improvement Company QimteO or
the Universal Association of Mahogany
| Fellers or the Tea Chest Cooperative or
| ganization or anything else that sounded
| we'll and would attract the attention by
! the novelty of its aspirations and the re-
mote territory in which it proposed 10
| carry OH its operations. The originators
of such affairs found the work OF securing
| illustrious incorporates as easy as the SUI.
seQuent quilting OF the pubic by means
| of the Influence the high sounded titles
| had upon it, and it was not long before
| the same system was transferred ~ tiie
speculative territory on this side OF the
| water
1t fiourished by transportation and now
| 1t even waves it's outrageous boughS over
| Washington itself.
Luxuriant in Washington.
| For several years past numerous COM
panies have been organized for the purpose
| of doing lots Of remarkable things In the
| National Capital anC doing them better
! than even the oldest inha bitant had any
| idea Of Among these have been the gas
companies. They have sprung up like mush-
rooms, and been as numerous as the leaves
| Of Vallambrosa. They have been incorpo-
lated with list of names oVerWhelmlnS III
their combined representation OF CONNER
| cial probity, and they have gone to Con-
gress with vivid hopes and an eye on the
! gas company which has for so many years
abundantly covered the territory or the DIS
| trict out to the candle and Oil lamp line.
| Most of them have died in the committee
rooms because upon investigation 1t mas
| been found that the incorporators men-
| toned as being responsible for the schemes
| were merely accommodation indorsers. so
| to speak, while the real promoters or the
companies were gentlemen from HerklIner,
| or Boggs Center, or Snohom1sh, VINO were
| we'll aware that the great corporation al
| ready In existence had lots OF money, ana
| detested trouble, and might be willing to
| buy I'D a company in case Congress chose
| to authorize it's existence.
Gus. Gus Gas Companies.
| Many times in the recent past PROPOSE
| items have been made to Congress. all look
| ing toward giving the public cheaper gas
| CT perfectly dazzling Illuminating power.
| It happened that inquiry into one OF the
measures proposed developed the TACT that
| 1t was really intended as a means to com
| promise with the Washington Gas Light
romnanv II died a-bornin'. Its fate did
not deter the formation OF new company,
practically by the same people, hoWever'
and the National Gas and Electric Light,
Heat and Power Company was brought
| into being. A bill was quietly introduced
| in the House by Representative Livingston,
| of Georgia. providing for the incorporation
| of the company, and naming j. Wesley
| Bovee. F. r B. Sands. Chester A. Snow,
Anthony Pollok. Charles c, Bryan. George
w. Harvey. John F. Chamberii;;, John w.
| nov I Skqrett
| Kim, and George b. Cowlam as incorpor-
| ators. 1t proposed to furnish gas 10 the
| private consumer at IS cents per LOO feet,
and to the government at % cents per l,ooO
| feet said gas to be of - candle power, and
| the incorporators were pledged to enter
| into a bond in the sum of 100000, to be APP
| proved by the District Commissioners con-
ditioned upon the faithful terms In their
| charter The first thing known on the part
| of the public of this bill was when Repre-
/ sentative Babcock, from the District COM
| mittee to which it had been referred, re-
| ported it back to the House on Wednesday,
with glowing report in its favor. Nothing
| was too good for the new company, and
| several saps at the company now in exist
ence resounded from the document. Natur-
ally some curiosity was aroused regarding
! the plans and scope of an association SO
| highly and rapidly fiattered by the House
| District Committee, and a Post reporter
| went out yesterday with visiting list in
| his overcoat pocket.
| IncorpOrntors in Fog.
Mr.. George W. Harvey was the first In
corporator called upon.
| TELL me something about the proposed
| National Gas and Electric Light, Heat
and Power Company" requested the
! visitor.
Mr.. Harvey scanned his oyster counter
and then looked at the inquirer.
| II don't know anything about II, was
| his astonishing response.
..Why, you are named In the bill IA
| yorably reported to the House and au-
| tborizing the company's existence as one
| of its incorporators," said the reporter.
| Eyes. 1 know am" returned Mr.. Har-
| vey, but 1 don't know how my name was
used. 1 certainly know nothing about It,.
upon Immediately afterward.
| ~ don't knaw anything about the COM
pany," was his answer to the interroga-
| tories propounded. My name used? Oh,
| yes; 1 suppose somebody must have asked
me to let 1t be used in that connection,
but really 1 don't remember ANYTHING
about it. No. have no financial interest
in the company
| A Clevv is Struck.
DR.. J. Wesley Bovee was the next on
| the list.
II reckon you had better see Congress
man Tim Campbell about it," he re-
| marked HE and Representative Living
ston. I believe, have that bill in charge.
| T think the real parties behind the COM
pany are moneyed men of New York and
."rhen the Washingtonians mentioned
| are really used as figureheads?
| ~ suppose some OF them are, admitted
the doctor, automatically. THE fact is, l
have given the matter no attention what
| ever since the so-called dollar gas Dill was
objected to. by the Commissioner because ,s.e
of the tearing up Of the streets that would
follow the creation of new company;
But this company proposes to give BOND
| for the proper performance of its work,
and there should be no objection to that.
But. really, have given the subject no
30 you, know Messrs. Childers Muir
| doch. McKim, and Cowlam, some OF your
associate ineorporators?" inquired the re-
| porter. .,o r,oos,,ro If
| their ACQUAINTANCE, but thought Mr. Chi
| ders was at present in the city. and that
| he represented Baltimore people In his
| Connection with the company.
| do YOU know If any of the Washington
incorporators are financially Interested In
| the company?
II cannot tell whether they are or not. l
| believe I have heard that Mr.. Bryan and
| Mr.. Pollok are interested In such a way,
| h,,t ~ 10 merely hearSay, and my memory