The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-05-24
FULLY I,400 HAVE
SIGNED CONTRACTS
Monday a Record Breaking
Day for CiTculators
OVER 200 NAMES TAKEN
Prominent WichitanS Talk on
Gas Proposition.

Nearly 1,4oo people have signed their
names to the gas contracts. Several more
men will be sent out today with contracts,
and it is hoped to have everyone who will
- use fuel or light in any form to sign
them within the next ten days. Much
faster progress has been made in secur-
ing the assistance of the. citizens OF
Wichita than was expected when the
movement was at first begun.
Two hundred or more people agreed
yesterday to use gas and signified their
intentions by placing their names on the
contracts. That is the best record that
has been made up to date in getting
slgners, and today will no doubt be a still
greater one for the gas contracts.
The capital for the enterprise is Sc
cured and as soon as the people here
demonstrate 10 the promoters that they
sre going to use their production for
fuel and other purposes and sign the con-
tracts they will go ahead with installing
the piping system. Mr.. Lamson, one
ST the promoters, is rated at more than
100000 himself not considering that
the other gentlemen who are also in the
company are millionaires. The money will
be furnished from their interests in Chi
cago.
In talking with reporter for The Eagle
yesterday Mr.. Watson, of the Watson
Mills, said:
r-ro md yf1x- nv
reasoning for moment. could possibly
refuse to sign the gas contracts. L have
figured that if l can save more than half
of my fuel bill l am not going to stand
back and let the opportunity go by. AS
soon as the gas is piped to Wichita l will
put in either a gas engine or have an
attachment put to my steam engine A
gas engine of 200 10 $50 horse power can
be supplied with gas at cost of 42l2 cents
per hour l now have to pay for my
fuel $4,000 Figuring gas at 421a cents
per hour it would cost me only about
5000. Is that anything worth consider
ing TO me? 1t is TO anyone, and it is to
me. / am going to do all l can to see
this movement through. 1t is TO my in
terest, and it is to every man, no matter
pose than in his home.''
All of the bankers were consulted yes
terday, and not one of them said that they
would not further the plan. L. S. Nafts-
ger said:
Wichita must have natural gas If
the business interests here would be kept
up to and advanced ahead of its present
standard the gas proposition will have
to be considered This is the time to
strike while the iron is hot and the chance
is ours The case is plain that if a
man refuses to sign he does not consider
that the future of the city stands for
much. Wichita. has a great future and
when gas is pped in she will grow into
the greatest city in the West If we would
have a vigorous healthy. steady growth
we must have something substantial to
push us on. l think that everything de-
pends on natural gas, and there is no
better time to seal the opportunity than
at present
Business men all over the city are
equally as enthusiastic. and it is the
general verdict that when gas is piped in
that a solid boom will be started that will
not cease until Wichita is a city of 5000
people. Nothing is impossible fo- the
city. She has nothing 90 lose and every
thing To gain.
Today there will be more men sent cat
with contracts. The success of yaSte.r
days work has given the work a neY
and stronger impetus and those in whose
hands the contracts have been placed are
faithfully and unrelentgly working for
the achievement of the movement. f. T.
Allen and q. w. Smith. who had the work
in charge. and today 7. V. Healy. who
has q record when 1t comes to going out
among the people with a petition. will
take charge of the work Several others
besides those men will also have con-
tracts which will he presented to the
citizenship of Wichita within> the next
few days. Those who have not vet been
approached by a man bearing an armful
of gas contracts may expect to be at
tackled at any hour for the committee in
tends To make things hot until the affair
IS completed and everyone in the city will
have signed their names agreeing to use
gas as fuel.
Mr. Healy said last night that there
was do doubt but that the thing was as
sured. Wichita Will get the gas and
there is no question about the matter.
The men who have hold Of the proposition
are influential men. financially and other
wise. We are going TO get the signers
and you can say for me that we are not
going 10 be very long about IL. l think
that when the people have thought the
matter over they will not hesitate in sign
ing the contracts and will only be too
glad to have the chance"