The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-04-09

4
Finances, But Now, it Appears, There Il
/ an End to That Drain-OnIy Fourteen
Hundred Dollars OF the Ten Thousand
Left-what City Clerks Representativ,
Says.
The report that a twenty-five inch
| vein of coal had been struck in the ga:
| wei Yesterday was lie.
What the object was in circulating
such report is hard to determine. but il
was, doubtless, the work Of some practi,
cal joker.
There vii. be practical joker less In
this community some day if he does not
let that gas well alone and allow the peo-
Pie to forget its existence, as they are
mighty anxious TO do. 1t was so unani-
mously the public sentiment that the
gas hole should go into itself and pull
itse.f in after itself that the most per-
verse creature connected with the recent
campo .gn did not have the hardihood to
mention l. in the political discussions.
When the reporter for the Eagle went
10 the we'll yesterday 10 investigate the
repdrted discovery, the whole thing re-
minded him Of a scene in New England
manufacturing town after the inaugura-
ion ot @ Democratic president. There
were no signs Of life anywhere. The
bni!er had no steam in il, and the big
wheel was standing stfll, its big crank
was stuck up in the air and the shed
that encloses the hole was locked. The
fence that protected the yard of the
boiler house was broken in several places
and in every other respec. the surround
inss looked badly deInoralized Not a
living soul stood anywhere near TO tell a
fellow anything about the enterprise. 1t
was evident the hole was still there,
otherwise why have the shed that pro-
tected it from thieves locked up
When anybody wanted to find out any,
thing about city affairs it is cheaper to
go directly to municipal headquarters
and keep asking questions until you
have whatever Information you may
seek. With this belief the reporter for
the Eagle struck out for the city clerks
office which al the time was in charge of
J. I. Dorsey.
Il can tell you anything you want to
know about the WELL" said Dorsey.
How deep is it?'
''It is down a trf1e over 1,600 feet. II
is exactly where it was last October"
Where is the money!"
There is paid out UP TO date ss,54269.
and according to that there is something
like 81, 400 left
why hasn't any progress been made
during the past six mon %
In October you will remember some
tools became fastened in the bottom of
the well. They are still there despite the
efforts on the part of the workmen to
pull them up
Who has got all the money paid out
so far?''
Il can tell you by referring to this
book where every cent of the money has
gone to. You will find that the most OF
it has gone for labor
Has the city been paying out money
since October. and if so how much?"
The city has practically paid out no
money since October You will remem-
Der at that time Madison entered into a
contract with the city TO bore the hole
down to the 1000 feet depth for the re-
mainder of the money in the fund which
at that time was about $1,000
Some money has been paid out, then,
If there is but 81 400 now remaining"
Yes. according to the contract. the
men who made it with the city were to
ge, s65 a month for the use OF the tools
and the city agreed to pay for all repairs.
Three or four hundred dollars have been
paid out in that way. This arrangement.
according to contract, expired on the
first day OF March, and at the present
time the city is not paying out anything
on account of the we'll"
The reporter searched for Mr.. Madison.
one of the contractors. in order 10 learn
from him something about the condition
Of the hole and the probability OF ever
going any farther with ii. but he could
not be found.
The coal hole has caused great deal
Of irreligious discussion during its exist
enca and is not in any better condition
now than it has been.
The city engineer will probably make a
detailed report at the exp.ra ton Of his
term Of Office. or al least when his an
nual report is due, and that will be with
in a few weeks. 1t is hoped that he will
cover the subject thoroughly.