Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-10-25
Board of Affairs Hears Evi-
dence and Argument and
Takes Proposition Uu-
der Amusement
TO CANVAS THE
SITUATION TONIGHT
Entire Afternoon Yesterday
Was Occupied With a
Hearing of the Case

The Board OF Affairs at its meet |
ing yesterday afternoon after having
heard the evidence and arguments in |
the proposition to reconsider the
building permit granted the Bluefield
Gas & Fuel company in the west end,
which occupied the time to nearly g.
o'clock, suspended decision in the
matter until 1880 this evening. At
this time the Boardw i'll canvass the !
matter and reach a conclusion as to
whether 1t will or will not rescind
the permit. @f !
''s w. E. Ross attorney for the gas
company introduced A. s. Booker for
the purpose of shopping that the pro-
posed site for the gas plant was in
tended only for manufacturing pur-l
poses. He also introduced evidence
showing that the proposed gas Site
adjoined the discharge, of the west
end sewer, and that the property own
jecting.
He read a number of affidavits from
people living near the Roanoke, Lynch
burg and Bristol gas plants, among
which was the affidavit of ex.Gover-
nor John !. Cox, of Tennessee, whose
resident is nearer the Bristol gas
plant than any residence is to the
Bluefield plant. Governor Cox gave
Mr.. Ross an affidavit that the gas
plant had not proved Objectionable to
his residence, and that the Bristol
plant was not a nuisance, basing his
affidavit upon having lived In about a
square of the Bristol plant for twenty
one years.
He read another affidavit from ].
s. Sherfey who owned a nice home in
less than block OF the Bristol gas
plant. who said that the Bristol plant
was not nuisance and that he had
never been bothered by it. Appended
to his affidavit was the certificate OF
the notary that Mr.. Sherfey was one
of the leading merchants OF Bristol,
and that his stock was said to be the
largest of any clothier in the city
The affidavit of s. NJ. Vance, gener-
al manager of the Bristol Gas & Elec.
trio company was to the effect that
gas plant was not any more of nui-
sance than the average manufactur-
ing plant. and was no more obpec.
tionabIe than an electric plant. The
affidavit Of w. It. Cooper, jeweler, was
to the effect that the owned his own
property and had lived within a hun
dred and fifty feet OF gas plant for
twenty years, and had never found
any objection to IL.
The affidavit of T. J. Burrow was TO
the effect that he had been recorder
of Bristol for sixteen years, that his
Office was within 200 feet OF gas plant;
that he had never been annoyed by
IL, nor had any complaints brought
before him against the gas plant
The affidavit Of A. j. Kohler. sup
erintendent OF the Lynchburg plant
was that coal gas plant would not
be Objectionable to residents $50 feet
distant. and would prove in no way
injurious.
number of affidavits we're read
Aich bVDplt hfthb near tne hOduOke
plant to the effect that they had nev.
er been bothered with the Roanoke
plant.
Col G. OLeary was put on the
stand for the petitioners. He said he
was interested in the Hale Land com.
Pany, and 1t was his opinion that the
erection of gas plant would depre
ciate the value of the property own.
ew by the company in the vicinity.
He said that the gas people had
been offered site on the north side
for $1,000 whereas he understood they
had paid $4,000 for the present site.
His former experience led him to the
conclusion that gas plants do not
operate to increase real estate val.
ues. The witness admitted on cross