The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-03-13
INSIDE HISTORY
OF GAS COMPANY
In Complaint Filed in Court
Today-L Lost $4,000
the Last Year.

Some inside information in regard
to the operation of the Richmond Nat
ural Gas company, which in July, 1910,
went out of business, is contained in
the third and fourth paragraphs of a
complaint which was filed in the
Wayne circuit court on Monday by
counsel for w. G. Hooven, trustee,
against Aaron and Hannah Woolard Of
jefferson township, demand $1,000.
During the last year the natural gas
company operated, it is alleged in the
complaint, the company lost $4,000,
which loss. however. is alleged to be
only a drop in the bucket in compari-
son with the earnings of the company
in it's palmy days. In order to get gas
to the city, the company spent money
right and left. figuratively speaking,
it being shown in the complaint that
100000 was expended in piping gas
to this city from the gas fields. the
nearest wells being about twenty miles
distant and the farthest over fifty
! miles away. In acquiring leases to
farms on which the company drilled
for gas, it expended $500 900 the COM
plant shows.
Gas Flow Gave Out.
| In 1888 gas was discovered and the
local company at once began to ex-
/ plot the field for the benefit of Rich
mond residents. 1t was forced to aban-
don the business in 1910 because the
gas flow gave out and the company
could not even discover small pockets
of sufficient productiveness to warrant
continuance in the business. That
which could be obtained cost so much
to supply Richmond customers that, it
4 is averred, the company lost $4,000
in the last year it operated. On July
! 10. 1910 at a meeting of the stock
holders of the company. w. C. Hooven
and others offered $120,OO0 for the
holdings OF the company which offer
was accepted with little dissent on the
part of the stockholders.
| In piping the gas to Richmond from
Henry county and other more distant
| fields. the company, as far back as
1883. began to acquire a right of way,
it alleges. This right of way extended
| through farms between the city and
the gas fields
Owners of farms through which the
mains were run, were contracted with
a part of the payment Being free use
of natural gas. In the suit to which
this information applies. the farm in
Jefferson township. now owned by
Aaron and Hannah Woolard, was the
possession of John c. Nicholson or
| September 81. 1883. when the com
pany's representative and Nicholson
entered into an agreement to permi,
the extension Of the mains through
his farm.
! WIN the Eicholsons sold the farm
! to the Woolards, the complainant al
leges in his suit that the contract be
tween the company and Nicholsons be
came vested in the 'Woolards. The
latter looks at the question different
ly. it is alleged in the complaint, TO,
they refused to permit the agents O.
". C. Hooven. the trustee of the prop
erty, to remove the mains which are
eight-inch, heavy iron piping, from the
farm, claiming possession OF thi:
property. When the first attempt
was made in December. the Woolards
had a number of "Hunkies'' arrested
on the charge Of trespass This
terminal case is still pending in the
lcircuit court Again on February IL
the complainant alleges his agents en-
deavored to remove the mains under
the terms of the contract. but the,
were ordered from the place by the
Woolards. The palintiff demands 81
500 damages from the Woolards fol
1.-THE property,