The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-11
Two Companies After Natural
Gas Franchise in Topeka.
Continental Oil g. Gas Co. Will
Bean Applicant.
HOFFMAN INTERESTED.
Wealthy Enterprise Miller
Stakeholder in the Concern.
Is Capitalized for $1,OOO,OOO
and Owns Wells.

A rush appears to be on to secure the
privilege of furnishing Topeka with
natural gas through mains laid from
the southern Kansas oil fields. COM
municaticn was received Friday from c.
b. Hoffman, a wealthy miller and CO.
operative society man of Enterprise, adj
vising Mayor Bergundthal that the Con-
ttnental Oil & Gas company was about
to apply for a franchise similar to the
one asked for by S. B. Rohrer and y.
b. Burdge.
AS far as can be ascertained from the
directorate of the new company and
from an interview with J. H. Curran,
Ats vice president, the proposition to be
offered by the Continental concern is
about as good as that of the two pro-
motors who have already gotten to the
front with their application. The presi-
dent of the Continental company is w
II. HosstOtt of Kansas City, Kansas,
who is president of the Kansas & Okla
homa OH and Gas company, a success
full concern operating in the Chanute
field. A director is John Jontz, preSl-
dent of the National bank of Abilene,
while W. L. Sterl, a clothing merchant,
and A. f.. Rice, a lumber dealer of Abb
lene, are also on the directorate G. b.
Hoffman is worth $500, 600 and is known
ness man.
John H. Curran stated this morning
in reference TO the plans of the Cont
mental company: while L personally
have had practically nothing to do with
the affairs of our company l am ia
miliar with its plans in regard to the
franchise that will be asked for The
Continental company was organized
under the laws of Arizona several
months ago and more recently under
h. Of 20 &c init a
a million dollars. We have 5000 acres
of oil and gas lands leased in the Cha-
mute fields and have eight oil wells IN
operati ton. In this we have decidedly the
advantage of the people who have al
ready applied for a franchise as they
must buy their gas from outside parties
THE proposition of asking for fran
chise to pipe gas to Topeka was
brought up by Mr.. Hosstott only week
ago but has been endorsed by the other
directors and officers. Our franchise or
dinance will be ready to present to the
council next Monday night. On &C
count of the fact that we have gas wells
in operation and are prepared to open
more on short notice we will be able 10
offer Topeka gas al low figures
Evidently the city council will be con-
fronted with a necessity OF choosing pc
tween two propositions for furnishing
natural gas to Topeka. both OF which
appear desirable. Mr. Burdge and MI.
Rohrer have not disclosed the details of
their plans but admit that they have no
company formed as yet. They state
that their proposition has the backing
of capital and of men experienced in
similar operations in other states They
decline to give names.
Whether the Continental company,
when it comes forward with its applica-
ton for a franchise, will agree to put
up a bonus for the fulfillment of its
contract, which Mr.. Rohrer and Mr..
Burdge decline to do, is not known. In
the franchise recommended by the ways
and means committee of the city coun-
Gil last night no cash or other guarantee
for fulfllment of contract will be re-
quired. The bond feature was pretty
thoroughly canvassed in the committee
meeting Friday night Should the COM
pany put up a guarantee bond the city
could recover only the amount of dam
age it had sustained from a failure OF
the gas people to carry out their con-
tract. If the gas company did nothing
the city would sustain no damage and
could probably make no recovery N.
B. Burdge and S. B. Rohrer refused to
agree to put up a cash bonus OF good
faith. Mr.. Rohrer said:
IF we make a failure of this enter
prise we will have lost enough in the
expense we have already incurred, with
out the addition of money deposit
such as we are asked to put up. The
building of such a gas line is an untr1ed
proposition and may not be practicable
here. We can agree to no such provls-
ion in our franchise"
The only important change in the
terms of the franchise agreed upon IN
the committee Friday night, from that
originally presented by the gas line pro-
moters was in the section relating TO
the time of expiration in the event of
the failure of the company to build As
originally drafted the section provided
that the ordinance should be invalid if
the company failed to begin work with
in two years, unless prevented by
strikes, riots and bona fide legal pro-
ceedings Mayor Bergundthal objected.