The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-15
MR. DRIVER TURNS OFF GAS
TRIES TO FORCE A SETTLEMENT
OF HIS CLAIMS.
Controversy With the Old Salt Lake
& Ogden Gas & Electric Light
Company-Service Not Affected.

H. L. Driver. of the National Gas
company, who has a judgment against
the old Salt Lake & Ogden company,
took a novel means yesterday to bring
about a settlement
Under proper authority he set about
having the valves shut off, and for a
time it was thought that the supply
of gas last night might be very small if
not entirely closed. Apparently, how
ever, no effect was produced. The gas
was supplied as usual with no diminu-
alton of pressure.
Manager Campbell, of the Union
Light & Power company, stated to the
Herald last evening that while Mr.
Driver was trying to compel the Salt
Lake & Ogden company to settle, the
new company was not interested in the
controversy, and the service now given
would not be affected thereby in any
way
Attempts were made by Mr.. Driver
to turn off the gas at different places
in the city, but the principal point of
contention was the valve on a leading
main at Third South and West Tenn
pie. Some time in the morning Mr..
Driver and his men turned the gas off
at that point, affecting the supply in
the southern portion of the city. At
o'clock in the afternoon Manager
Campbell, of the Union Light & Power
company, succeeded in turning the gas
on, and from that hour both sides had
men at the main in an effort to hold
control. There was no disturbance,
however, and the men opposed each
other in a friendly jostling to secure
the ground large crowd was at
tracted in the evening, increasing later
on until Policeman SiegfuS notified
Chief Pratt, who went down in the
patrol with a half dozen officers. The
presence of the police was for the pur-
pose of preventing disturbance and
not determining the right of possession
of the property. This was the infor-
nation given by Chief Pratt to Mr..
Driver, when the latter pulled out
document which he said was a sheriff.
deed for the property. Engineer Hey
wood, of the Union company. was
standing bareheaded on the iron lid
of the gas main and with his men was
Withstanding successfully the efforts
of Drivers men to get possession. The
ATTITUDE of the men reminded one of
the lineup of football players when
the pig skin israt the point of a touch.
down. Mr.. Driver asserted very en-
his rights to the property,
which were quietly denied by Manager
Campbell, who expressed his intention
OF keeping the gas turned on. Both
parties finally retired, each leaving two
men to guard their respective inter
ests. Mr.. Campbell stated to Chief
Pratt that the act of turning the gas
off might imperil the lives of many
and as a measure of public
safety, the chief gave orders to arrest
anyone who should be found so doing.
Oscar MOyle, attorney for the Union
people, stated that Mr.. Driver and his
men would probably be arrested this
for their interference.
Regarding the status of the litiga-
ton, Manager Campbell stated that
Driver held a second mortgage against
the old Salt Lake & Ogden Gas and
Electric Light company, whose pro-
perty was fOreclosed on fir, + mort
gage by the Union Light & Power COM
pany, Driver obtained a judgement for
some $4,000 against the old company
and claims that it covers personal pro- |
perry. notably, the gas mains. over
which the new company did not obtain |
ownership. He also claims to have a |
sheriff's deed for the gas mains.