The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-16
SALE OF GAS FRANCHISE
Believed That Excelsior Company Has
Bought One in Force.


Has the Home Heat & Light COM
pany, which possesses the natural gas
franchise in the city Of Topeka, dis
posed of its interests to the Excelsior
Coke & Gas company? 1t certainly
looks very much like it.
The Home Heat & Light company
was organized shortly after the Con-
tinental Oil & Gas company sold its
franchise to the interests represented
by H. FL. Helm The company was
organized under the laws of Kansas
with c. H. Pattison and H. H. Helm
of Kansas City as the principal back
ers. Helm is interested in the Kansas
Natural Gas company and the Home
Heat & Light company was to act as
the distributing com pany for Topeka
for the natural gas which the former
company expect TO pump to Topeka.
The Kansas Natural Gas company has
a system of bringing its pipe lines up
to a city and then selling its product
to another locally organized company
in that city.
The Kansas Natural Gas company
takes their pay from a certain per-
centage of the gross receipts taken
in by the local company. The Home
Heat & Light company organized upon
the basis of ownership of the fran
chise of the Continental Oil & Gas
company, having purchased the same
for $2,500. The franchise was to have
expired with the first of March pro-
vided that no active construction work
should have been done. That work,
however, has been done and the fran
chise still remains in existence The
company put on a force of men eX-
cavating for the placing of gas mains
on Seward avenue in Oakland Three
blocks of this excavation has been
completed and further work has
ceased: it is claimed because the
mains have not yet arrived
All this while the Home Heat and
Light company have been making an
effort to purchase the Excelsior Coke
and Gas company's plant, or at least
making a ssembIance of such an effort.
But A. N Brady, owner of the gas COM
pany. is somewhat of an obdurate per-
sonage and has steadfastly- refused to
dispose of his interests. Moreover Brady
has wealth and lots of it and can stand
the game of freeze out as well as the
next one. This factor has made the
Home Heat and Light company cautious
in the extreme and they have not pan
dered to the idea that they were at
tempting to force Brady to their own
measures. 1t wouldn't have been ad-
visable from two standpoints, especially
the standpoint of trying to sell out their
own advanta geous position and making
capital of it. If they tried to force
measures Brady would have fought to
the last ditch and refused to compro-
mise on a sale or any other terms. The 4
wisdom of pIatitudes is apparent.
The Kansas Natural Gas company
never makes terms but with one COM
pany for the disposal Of its gas in any
city, the Home Heat and Light COM
pany secured that privilege and right
The Excelsior Coke and Gas company
through c. K. Holiday state that they
Will not sell out and do not contemplate
doing so. They further state that they
Will furnish the city with natural gas
by October 1st and will have a gas en-
gineer in the city to go over the Situa-
ton two days hence. They state that
1xrc se, mir
of affairs between them and the Home
Heat and Light company and that their
relationship is of the pleasantest. To
lend further color to the feeling that
some sale is about to be made or has
been made the Home Heat and Light
company has not asked for a new fran
chise They presented such a franchise
to the city council to take the place
of the Continental Oil and Gas fran
chise as fitting in with their needs and
wishes more closely. At first they at |
tempted to push the passage of this I
franchise through the council but of
late they have been extremely lax about |
seeing it passed and it remains still I
dead in the hands of the streets and |
walks committee. To show partially the |
character of the Home Heat and Light |
company. Mr.. Pattison said recently: I |
am a promoter pure and simple. Pro- |
bably that doesn't sound exactly nice |
b,t that is what I am nevertheless"