The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-22
THE GAS CONTROVERSY
1t Is Assuming a Very interest
ing Phase.
DRIVER MAKES REPLY TO THE
ELECTRIC COMPANY.
Take Natural Gas From His
Company and Denies That There
Is Not an Ample Suppiy-Talik
With Manager Haywood.

The controversy between the Ameri-
can Natural Gas company and the Salt
Lake & Ogden Gas & Electric Light
company was intensified yesterday by
the sending of a letter by H. L. Driver
to the latter company in reply to sew
eral statements in the Salt Lake COM
pany's notice to gas consumers, pub
lished elsewhere. The communication
explains itself and is as follows:
Salt Lake City. Utah. Nov. q:
Salt Lake & Ogden Gas & Electric Light
Company, Salt Lake City titan:
Yours OF November IL, 1885, addressed
TO II. L. Driver & Co., duly received on
the 18th inst, in which you say: For
some time past the supply Oh gas from
Your wells has been very Drecarious.
supply failed absolutely. since which
time there nave been partial failures; the
pressure has not been constant nor has
sufficient gas passed TO meet our de-
mands."
Then notifying us that from and after
the lst day OF December next that you
would cease TO take gas from us, and
that our contract with the Salt Lake &
Ogden Gas & Electric Light company
would be terminated on that date. e
be- to say that il is not true that the
s--oly of gas has at any time been very
or otherwise precariouS from our WeiIs,
or that from November 10 November
~, or at any other time, or at all times,
the supply absolutely or otherwise failed,
ca that since then there has not been a
constant pressure, or that sufficient gas
has not passed to meet your demands.
On the contrary, we allege that at all
the time mentioned in your notice, our
wells have been dischar-ing and there
has been turned into the pipe line be-
longing to you, connecting with said
wells, at said wells, each a hours during
the dates mentioned in your notice, and
at all times, much more than sufficient
gas to supply all customers taking gas
from you in Salt Lake City and else
where: that if there has been any def
cheney OF gas to supply your customers,
1t was and is your fault in not keeping
your pipe lines in proper condition and
free from leaks, and rot the fault of our
selves. We assert that we have per-
formed all the conditions of said con-
tract, imposed therein upon us, and shall
except and hereby demand that you keep
and perform all conditions therein specI-
fed TO BE Kept and performed by you
We therefore protest against your re-
fusal to take gas from US under said
contract, or the termination thereof by
you, as such action on your part would
cause us irreparable injury. Respect
fully, DRIVER & co.
Manager Hayward of the Salt Lake
and Ogden Gas and Electric Light
company, was seen by a Herald re-
porter, at his residence, last night,
and questioned regarding the letter of
Mr.. Driver anent the alleged failure of
the natural gas wells.
Mr.. Hayward was extremely 10th to
give any information concerning the
matter, saying that his obligations to
the company he represents prevented
him from entering into a public dis
cusSion. Upon being asked as 10
whether or not the statements of Mr.
Driver were true, he said: The Salt
Lake and Ogden Gas and Electric
Light company has thoroughly tested
the capacity of the natural gas wells
and the company is thoroughly salts
fed that the supply is too precarious
to depend upon, despite the assertions
of anyone to the contrary, and under
no circumstances will the company be
inveigled into giving the wells another
trial. This is our answer to the num-
bers of complaints made that we have
not given the wells a fair trial. You
may state in the most emphatic man.
ner that we will use natural gas no
more.
1T requires "a hours to obtain a sup
ply of coal gas and the company can
not run the risk of again leaving its
patrons in Salt Lake without fuel.
We have known for some time
that we would eventually have Ia
abandon the wells, but we expected
they would hold out awhile longer. The
very first cold snap the wells proved
unreliable and in justice to the con-
sumers of gas in this city I reiterate
that we cannot take a second risk.
While I will not say SO authori-
tatively, yet l believe in a com
paratively short time we will be in a
position to furnish coal gas as cheaplv
as we have furnished natural gas.
This, however, is merely problematical
and is by no means certainty"