Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-11-17
WheeIing,s Achievements.


al" gives the history of one of the
most interesting experiments in the
municipal ownership of gas that has
been made in this country.
LET me explain how our enterpris-
ing city has solved the gas problem
and put itself far in advance of New
York, so far as gas is concerned. We
have population of only 5000, but
the gas companies do not own the
town. We have the only city in the
United States, I believe, that pays
nothing for gas-absolutely nothing
and makes money by supplying it to
its citizens at rs cents a thousand feet.
"New Workers should visit Wheeling
and learn how the thing is done. In
twenty-five years the taxpayers of
Wheeling have received 81, SOC, 600 pro-
fit from the municipal ownership of
the system of gas plants, but besides
this should be mentioned the superior
illuminating quality of the gas, which
cannot be expressed by thousands of
dollars.
Cup to 1871 private company had
the monopoly of our gas supply. The
hills around the town were full of coal,
and land and labor cheap, yet we paid
$3.50 thousand for bad gas. A big
price was charged for each street
lamp, lighted only when the almanac
predicted cloudy sky.
"As the almanac was generally
wrong, we were most of the time in to-
tai darkness out of doors. We were at
the mercy of seventeenth century gas
ideas, which cost us three prices.
Zone day the city woke up, bought
out the gas plant, which was more or
less wreck, abandoned the almanac
system of determining when to light
the lamps, and gave us brilliant il
Elimination ali night, every night in
the week, regardless of expense, moon
or a1manacs. The plant cost $40, 900.
Gas was reduced at once from $3.5O to
$500 thousand. The light was so
per cent. better, the streets were bril-
liant every night, moon or no moon,
and the taxpayers went about rejoic-
ing at the change.
PAID PROM THE START.
"There was no burden on the city
treasury Or the taxpayers after the
original purchase of the gas plant, for
there were sufficient immediate re-
turns from the sale of gas to meet the
cost of every improvement. From
three to dozen street lamps suddenly
appeared where only one lamp glim-
mered and sp1uttered before. In a
few years the city reduced gas to So.
1t almost paralyzed the town. Pres
entity the price was again put down to
$1.50, and some people thought the
millennium was at hand. From the
first day that the city took charge of
the gas works they were turning out
an improved gas at a profit and the
money thus made was used for pay
ments upon city loans. This is some.
thing for your heavily burdened New
Workers to think about. But it does
not tell all the story of our reform.
SIN 1888 gas was again reduced tc
81 thousand, with Is per cent. off for
payment within ten days. This
practically reduced gas to rs cents a
thousand feet. But there is more yet
| RI tho wo1darfrf etoey II :. -. ,
dream, but cold business. From the
profit of manufacturing improved gas
at reduced prices, we enlarged, rebuilt
and modernized the plant. We prompt
1y paid all dues on city loans. We
burned Sic, 900 worth of gas annually
for public purposes, and yet, in 1891
we had surplus wholly derived from
the profits of gas large enough to pay
SAC, 900 on total expenditure of $12O,
600 for new city electric light plant
designed to relieve the gas works from
supplying street lamps. Today the
electric plant is run on the earnings
of our municipal gas. This extensive
plant has a capacity of $50 arc light:
of 1000 candle power each. It ha.
400 horse power engines, Cor1iss type
and all the machinery is in duplica
ton.
SEvENTY-FIvE CENT GAS.
"Now our revised gas plant is up t.
date in every way. It is five times a.
large as when the city first bought it
and proportionate improvements have
been made in putting down mains
house connections, meters, and al
other adjuncts, the city making money
ON an increasing ratio while it has re
duced gas from $3.50 to IS cents. re
peat with increased emphasis that
during all these years, the city ha.
not only lighted its streets with ga.
and electricity free of cost, but larg,
sums of money have been paid out OF
account of city loans from the profit.
in municipal gas.
''It does not require any public dem
onstration to convince the people o.
Wheeling of. the blessings of gas re
form. Gas companies cannot do bust
ness in our city, though the field i.
wide open to them and there are ne
restrictions.
81 will say in conclusion, that W,
are now experimenting on a new sys