The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-30
GAS BELT IS AROUSED
DETERMINED, IF POSSIBLE. TO STOP
WAITE OF PRECIOUS FUEL.
<
Important Action Taken by Mayors of
Indiana Cities at Their Meeting
in Alexandria Yesterday.
INJUNCTION TO BE ASKED
ATTORNEY GENERAL REQUESTED TO
GIVE HIS ASSISTANCE.
No Petition for Special Session of Leg
islature at Present - Decision
That Upholds State Law.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
ALEXANDRIA, Ind, Nov. 29.-'I think
every one here has plenty of nerve if they
were not afraid-that is, if they were not
afraid of the consequences"
Thus Spoke Billy Edwards, lawyer,
councilman and enthusiastic promoter of
the gas meeting here to-day in the course
of an impassioned address to the assem-
bled mayors of the gas belt in favor of
asking for an extra session of the Legisla-
ture. The crowd laughed heartily, and
when Mr. Edwards saw the point he also
laughed. In the opinion of many of the
mayors present. however, he had hit the
nail on the head. Gas is wasting in this
vicinity at the rate of 25, OO0,O 900 feet per day
from the oil wells, and though the Alexan-
drians have talked much about having the
Legislature called, nobody has thought it
worth while to put up a bond and get a
temporary restraining order. When the
manufacturers association asked for an in
junction in the name of the Lippincott glass
works, in order to avoid the risk of a bond
it did not ask a temporary restraining or
der, and the case has been dragging in the
courts since last spring.
When the Citizens Street-railroad Com
pany at Indianapolis wanted to stop the
3-cent-fare law it put up its bond and got a
temporary restraining order, and has since
permitted the city to walk the floor"
When the Indianapolis Gas Company
wanted to head off the cheap gas ordinance
it did likewise, and it was intimated by sew
eral at the meeting here to-day that the
waste of gas could be shut off this way in
twenty-four hours.
Yes, but who will put up the bond?" was
asked, and there is the sticking point.
A SERIOUS SITUATION.
About the seriousness of the situation
here and the necessity of prompt action
there can be no mistake. Right within the
city limits of Alexandria, on land owned by
Bert Carver, are half a dozen wells letting
go enough gas every day to supply the
city of Indianapolis. Three miles to the
northeast are nineteen wells in a bunch,
every one of which is wasting an enormous
amount of gas Gas Inspector Leach esti-
mates the daily waste at 25, ,O0G, eco feet,
which, at cents per thousand, is worth
$125,000 per day. Not only this, but the
effect on the. field is alarming In the last
four months the pressure at Alexandria has
gone down sixty pounds, and it cannot
stand many drops like that. From this
same rock comes the supply of Indianap-
oils, Anderson, Marion and many other
cities.
Two of the three possible remedies have
been tried. Under the quas-criminal stat
ute forbidding the waste of gas the state
gas inspector has filed in Madison county
with the prosecutor information in thirty
different cases. The first of these, filed last
April, was against the Northern Lima Oil
Company, but the state could not get serv-
ice on it. Then in May one was filed against
the Ohio Oil Company, the drilling corpora
tion of the Standard. 1t was not tried un-
til September, when the oil company filed
a demurrer and it was overruled. The oil
company then filed an answer and the
prosecutor filed a demurrer to the answer
Argument on this was heard last Wednes-
day, and yesterday morning the court sus-
tanned the demurrer to the answer The
oil company now has a year in which to
appeal the case, and by the time the year
is up the oil and gas may both be sapped
from the territory The complaints have
been filed In the other twenty-nine cases.
In the meantime the Manufacturers AS
sociation began the injunction PROCEEDINGS
of Lippincott against the Ohio Oil Com
pany. 1t put up no bond and did not ask
for temporary restraining order. Later
the question was argued and taken under
advisement for the summer. About two
weeks ago the court denied the injunction
on the ground that there was an adequate
remedy in law. This case has not yet been
to the Supreme Court. Judge Ell
lott to-day advised that this case be ap-
peaied with all possible speed
The third remedy, giving the owner of
adjoining property the right to go and plug
a well that is wasting gas or OIL has not
been tried, because none of the attorneys
has much faith in it.
This was the situation when the meeting
was held to-day, with the primary purpose
OF petitioning for special session of the
Legislature. The meeting did not decide to
petition for the extra session, but to first
exhaust every remedy at hand before ask
ing help from the rest of the State There
were present Judge Byron X. Elliott, of In
Mayor Cromer, of Muncie May
or Dunlap, of Anderson; Mayor Won Beh-
rem, of Marion Mayor McIIenry, of Wa
bash; Mayor Mckee, of Logansport; Mayor
Ostrander, of Richmond; Mayor Hyatt, of
Fairmount; Mayor Shannon, of Alexan-
lria; Mayor Finch, of Elwood; Mayor
kinsley, of Hartford City, and numerous
citizens and newspaper men from the gas
belt. The visitors were first driven TO the
oil wells, where they witnessed the enor-
nous waste of the precious fuel with their
own eyes and at o'clock the meeting gath
cred in the parlor Of the Brandon House.
Ex-senator Harland presided and briefly
stated that they had gathered for the pur-
pose of discussing the situation and deter
mining what was best to be done. Walter
<. Landis, editor of the Marion Chronicle.
was elected secretary of the meeting.
Mayor Cromer said the visiting mayors
lad called meetings in their home cities and
should be able to tell their people just what
steps had been taken TO take advantage of
he laws on the statute books and what the
results had been.
j. j. Netterville, of Anderson, also urged
his point, and Inspector Leach explained
what steps had been taken as told above
He declared that if there was anything
more he could do he stood ready TO do It
Mr.. Cromer asked if any stems
had been taken to plug the wells under the
lct of 1893. There had been none. Mr.. Lip
pincott explained that they had peen adj
vised against it. Mr.. Kelly, president of
he Kelly ak works. said he had stood
ready to plug the wells if any responsible