The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-07-24
THE OIL CAR SITUATION
No Suits Have Yet Been Filed Against
Railroad Companies
PLANS OF THE GUM.cAUBO COMPANY
Expect to Begin Work on tho Factory
in Houston Next Month--Seeretsry
Chidress Resigned.


ment of the wrangle between the Consum.
Southern Pacific, made few days since.
II is likely that some kind Of truce is !
stili pending. or else she Consumers have
gone ahead and instructed their attorneys |
TO file suit ngalrst the railroad for failure |
to furnish the cars. Certain II Is that the
car situation is not improving as was OK. |
pected at this time. II was thought by |
the oil companies that the railroads would |
eventually get all their tanks filed and |
then they would get a chance themselves |
and would make some good commercial |
shipments that would net them large |
sum for dividend purposes, but the rush
for fuel oil for their locomotives Is stin |
on and they are not yet next" From |
all outward appearances, the Consumers |
OIL and Pipe Line company is prepared TO |
fight, and light hard, and the case VIII /
be one OF the most interesting to the oil !
trade ever known In fact, II will be in. |
teresting to all commercial firms and indi- |
viduals for the question OF the extremes |
to which the railroads and tho freight !
shippers may go in any line Of business is |
yet a mcoted one and every attorney can /
give an entirely different opinion on the |
subject The oil trnde, however wants
cars, not lawsuits. and II the railroads will |
kindly accommodate them In that particular |
they will let the talk about sneing 20 to
the past as history. There has been no
featuring institutions throughout the State
are clomoring for fuel oil, now that .hey |
have changed from coal.
~
There is another reason for the failure
OF the companies to get the oil on how.
ever, that is almost as great In proportion
to It's effects as the lack Of cars, and that
is the trouble In securing oil. Those CON
Germs that have the facilities for shipping
are in most cases bound up with regular
contracts to large consumers, and they are
now having plenty TO do to keep these
customers supplied, whereas before they
could handle their regular lines and do
pipe line work for others MS we'll And
that Is not all They shipped so much oil
last month and the early part OF this that
the stocks were actually reduced and the
oil Is harder to get as natural result.
There can be but one effect of this trouble
In securing oil. and that is an increase In
the price and that 40 cents viii be Asked
and taken In the next few weeks Is now
almost a certainty.
Secretary A. D. Childress Of the Beau
mont oil exchange and board OF trade, who
has been here with that body since May
/, 1901. rendered his resignation and 1t will
become effective Monday. He did this for
the purpose of accepting the position OF
assistant cashier OF the Citizens N0tlonHl
bank Of this city. which was voluntarily
teudcred him, and with the probability, In
fnct almost the certainly, of being made
cashier on January !, when Mr. Murphy
term expires. MIR. Marphy has been away
a great deal and VIII not return to Beau
mont, making 1t necessary for the bank TO
have some one hcre to carry all the re.
sponsibility and work of the cashier and
MIR Childress was the man selected. The
directors will meet tonight for the purpose
of electing Mr.. Childress' successor ana
them. He was nm exceptionally Wen quail
fed man for the place.
~
The Missouri, Kansas and Texas OIL
company and the Beatty Oil company are
preparing to erect pumping outfits at their
four wells on Spindle Top. They nave not
announced the kind OF outhts they will
use, but IL is probable that the walking
beam will be the kind
49,
Houston's lucky star was IN the ascend
ency when the Gum-Carbo company de.
cIded to locate its factory In Houston in
stead Of In Beaumont. When a Post re-
porter dropped into the office Of Mr.. Tom
c. Swope, the president of the COMPANY,
| this morning, that gentleman asked, What
| do You think Of this for home made rub
| Der ball?" and bounced small bail several
feet into the air. Mr. swope explained
that this was a gum-caroo bail aud con
tanned between 3 and 10 per cent of pure
rubber. 1t was made by hand in the Office
by Mr.. r. E. Humphreys, the secretary Of
the company, for the purpose OF showing
| the elasticity which small percentage OF
rubber would give to gum-carbo. The ball
had not been yucanized or finished but
was soft and pIiabe, and bounded beau-
|
| show even more elasticity upon yulcaniza-
ton. A sheet Of olIcloth was exhibited
which was as soft and pliaDie as the cioth
| must have been before the enamel was
| placed upon 1t. II dlneIed wonderfully
from the old olcoth IN tnis feature ana
| the most severe test failed TO crack IL or
| cause IL to peel. The enamel winch the
| company will make for locomotives, blcy-
| ces etc. was shown on piece OF I'm,
! and when the tin was beat or twisted as
much as could be desired, the enamel
! showed no signs OF cracking This enamel
| will not crack or peel under heat OF 80
degrees and after II has been heated ana
| allowed to cool again, one can Dend lhe
material and the enamel sun does not
! crack.
The company expects to begin work on Its
! factory In Houston next month, ana II Las
| practically insured market lof everything
| ii will turn out. When asked why the fac.
| tory was located at Houston instend or
beaumont MIR Swope snld there were stY-
eroi reasons for IL, prominent among which
was the question OF freight rutes the
company will use a considerable amount OF
cotton seed oil and Houston is cotton
seed oil center. The rate on cotton cotton seed 20
| beaumont than the rate on Beaumont OF
from Beaumont TO Houston, hnh II would
| therefore be material advantage 10 locate
in Houston because OF the freight rates
! alone. -
fifteen acres and the plant VIII cost be
| tween 500 600 and $4,000. Plans Tor the
buildings are now being drawn by Houston
architect.
The we'll brought In by Il. l.. Cox Co.
ON block 81 was in keeping with the state
u,enf In The Post about ten days since 70
the effect that the pressure is Increasing
in many parts OF the hill This well was
baiIed three times; that is, the hailer was
sent down three times when the well began
gushing with considerable force: II merely
goes 10 show the peculiar aud changing CON
| dItions there and IS proof that the pres
sure has actually been Increasing for three
| weeks past, though It Is possible that this
! Ia NOT general throughout the entire pro