Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1897-11-19
WHITNEY on TOP.
Another Change in Boston Gas
Situation.
Recent Financial Coup - Market
Found for Principal Product.

BOSTON. Mass. Nov. lG.-Fiftv-cent ga
Is stealing upon Boston unaware-. Henry
VI. Whitney and his associates. now owning
one gas company here, are negotiatin: Il
spot cash purchase of other local comVa-
nies, and the control Of the remainder. The
deal is sure thing. II will make Henry VI.
Whitney the gas king Of New England. and
for the first time since the granting ut Il
pipeline charter to him hv the Legislature.
three years ago, he will be in u position to
fulfil the remarkable prophecies of cheap
light and fuel with which he then astonished
the state His plans were declared vision
AIRY by men who call themselves practical
because circumstances in the shape Of a lin
tied coke market held him puWerleSs. The
solution Of his difficulties has come within
the past two months in the demonstration
that cheap coke is the lOng-sOught
fuel for locomotives The Consolidat-
eel railroad has been experimenting
with 1000 tons Of coke successfully
securing the requisite heat along with
freedom from smoke and cinders, and the
management OF other railroads are also
placing orders. II the railroads are satisfied
with coke iuel-and Mr.. Whitney has no
doubts on this -rOre--a great market will br
created, and gas will not be the principal
but the minor. product Of Mr.. Whitney,
ovens, and will br sold at minor price.
According 10 his pipeline charter. he is to
deliver this gas To distributing companies AT
20 cents a thousand feet. IT is reasonable
tOcNpect that the cost OF distribution will be-
met If the IA, Is sold to consumers al 80
cents. Mr. Whitney developed Brookllur
and made the West End street Railway
company. For the first time since he
took hold of the stupendOus problem Of
cheap gas for Massachusetts. the way seems
clear TO a third great success. Associated
with him in this tremendous undertaking
are two Of the shrewdeSt gas capitalists in
the country Emerson Mcmillan Of the De-
trOit Milwaukee, Columbus. o.. aud other
companies, and stephen l.. Eikins, Jr.. OF
Philadelphia. the first gas maSnate of that
territory. the promoter uf the recent
astonishing coup by which that city turned
over its plant to his company for $4,000, 900,
and the head OF the syndicate owning the
rights for the manufacture OF water gas
The Elkins people OF Philadelphia are on
the eve too of Introducing the Otto-Hofman
process Of gas-making into that city. in ac-
cordance with Mr. Whtney's teachings, and
OF reaping an immense profit. The standard
OIL magnates. who have controlled Boston'S
gas supply since Mr.. AddirEs retirement from
the Held. have finally met their match In this
new deal. and been forced to subordinate
position. The original pipe line scheme had
no outs about it except the disposition of
the large quantity Of coke left In the retorts
driven of. Within the last three years this
question in a measure has settled itself. BY
public opinion and other critical forces the /
railroads have been forced to seek fuel /
that would do away with the smoke and .
rinder nuisance. Mr.. Whitney recently /
shipped 20OO tons of coke to the New York, /
New Haven 4 Hartford railroad at New |
Haven. and it was given a trial on the loco
motives. The railroad men were pleased. /
The New lOrk Il New England railroad is /
seeking to use this coke in connection with /
its composite ear for suburban traffic. The |
coke supply in recent years has been .
limited on account Of the nanufac- |
ture of water gas. the coke being .
used for fuel under the boilers. /
There are seven gas companies in. Il p~-
ton-Ihe Boston, Broukiiue. EoXbury Dor /
chester. South Boston, Bay State Of Ma-sa-
chusetts and Jamaica Plain. The Whitney |
Interests bought acuntrolHng interest in the /
Jamaica Plain company six weeks ago. That |
was their first stroke. The stocks Of the .
Boston, RoXhury. South Boston and Bay .
State OF Massachusetts are held bv the Bay /
state company of New Jersey. The latter .
formerly was owned by the Bay State Of .
Delaware. The Bay State OF Delaware also !
possessed the Dorchester company. J. Ed !
ward Addicks made a deal. through Thomas |
W. Lawson, 10 buy the Brook |
line company, hut it missed fire. |
and as a result the Bay State of Delaware .
was forced to sell both the Dor /
chester company and the Bay State OF .
New Jersey The latter had issued fret |
and second bonds against which were |
placed the stocks Of these various MasSa- |
chusetts companies. Messrs. Rogers. Moore |
and Rockefeller. the Standard Oil capital |
sts. bought the Dorchester company, also |
the stock of the Bay state Of New Jersey, !
and by controlling the stock of the latter
"a 70, ala
troll the bonds which, in turn. control the |
four Massachusetts companies. The trus-
tees are Messrs. Rogers, Moore and With
ridge. Mr.. hltney problem Of getting con
troll after buying the Jamaica Plain company, |
lay IN getting Il grip on the Dorchester and |
BrookIine companies. Control of them .
would give him control of all because the |
other four are controlled by the trustees.
and these trustees are the owners of the Dor
chester and Brookline companies. The sur
render of all controls would be a part of the |
transfer of the Dorchester and Brookine
companies. The three trustees hold office
for 40 years, and that is the period in which |
Mr.. Whitney willrun things. The Standard .
Oil magnates would have been in very
strong position If they had bought the ia
maica Plain company ahead of Whitney. Mr.
Addicks made his error in not buying the
Brookline company. He could have OBJ
tanned it for a small figure. but he considered |
intlnitesimal the probability of that COM
panys laying pipes in Boston, as its charter
gave it right, He went 70 BrookIvn ana
trod on the toes of the Standard Oil capital
lists. In retaliation they came to Boston
bought the Brookline companv naralleled
Addicks' pipes and drove him ont The
Jamaica Plain company's territory ia
the entering wedge between RrnotIine
and Dorchester, the apex runninc mn
to Roxburv. The Standard oil nen.
pie did not seem to appreciate the
fact that there was ANYBODY in tbe
market for the property until after tha
Whitney syndicate had securad tbe cnn+rni
Mr. Bo,ars Of tho Stopdorl oii ;..,,z.'.' -