The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-25
TO STOP THE GAS WASTE
CITIZENS OF ALEXANDRIA WILL Pc
Triton THE GOVERNOR.
Important Step to Arouse Gas-Belt
Cities to Their Danger-GIass
Workers May Compromise.
peclaI q the indianapolis journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
ALEXANDRIA, Ind, Nov. 24.-Citizens of
this city took an important step tonight
in the movement to stop the waste of nat
ural gas by oil men throughout the gas belt.
1t was decided that all cities in the gas belt
should unite and petition Governor Mount
for special session CT the Legislature to
pass the necessary law. A mass meeting
had been advertised for several days. and
tonight a crowd gathered at the opera
house to take action. Those present repre-
sented the best citizens of this city. The
mayor of Alexandria presided and the crowd
was greatly stirred up by the many speech
es. 1t was shown that the waste of gas is
greater than any one not familiar with the
situation ever supposed. In this locality the
little oil boom SO industriously worked dur
ing the past season has been found to be
more of curse to Madison county than
benefit. The numerous wells sunk for oil
produced gas, some in enormous quantities.
While the Standard Oil Company and a few
farmers We're reaping d trifling reward for
the few hundred barrels of oil pumped out
of the wells in d day millions of feet of gas
have gone to waste. In the oil-well vcin-
ity the fambeaux may be seen miles away.
Ii is estimated that enough of natural gt.s
has been shot into the air during the past
season to supply the entire gas belt for
year The oil men care nothing for the
gas and the farmers were able to make
contracts that would yield more ready
money from an oil we'll than they could get
out of their old leases for the gas wells.
Between the two nothing was likely to be
done to stop the criminal waste until the
citizens became alive to the fact that the
gas field was being rapidly drained. The
pressure in the wells is beginning to go
down. This fact, more eloquent than any
argument, has finally aroused the citizens
to the danger. No steps being taken in
other parts of the gas belt, where the peo-
Eple were interested more in oil than in gas,
Alexandria determined to set an example.
The threatened impoverishment of the gas
belt was discussed at to-nights meeting,
together with the best means of stopping
, the waste The fact that the court had re-
fused to enjoin the Standard Oil Company
and the failure of the Supreme Court to
speedily hand down a decision on the con-
stitutionality of the anti-fambeau law was
believed to leave nothing for the people save
an extra session of the Legislature to pass
a law that will protect the natural gas.
The subject has been much discussed al
ready throughout the gas belt, but no formal
action has been taken and it was decided
that mayors of other cities in the gas belt
should be communicated with at once and
induced to call mass meetings to agitate
the question of a petition to the Governor
fer a Special session of the Legislature. Be
fore the meeting adjourned the mayor APP
pointed a. Harlan, w. F. Edwards, j. Z.
Cando and A. K. Otto as committee TO
push the work. Mr.. Harlan will act as chair