Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-01-04

# be gas" + * + + ]. .s a I. + + + + + + + +
 The above was the statement made to the Graphic last night by F. H. Young, local manager of the Arkan- was finished last night about eight o'clock, and it was then given try out to ascertain whether it could stand the pressure. The message from Little Rock gave the result of the trial.
 Had the line held after the "tie in" there would have been gas today. The pressure would have been weak, how ever, and could have been had for domestic use only The first message MT. Young received spoke hopefully of the auxiliary line holding the pres sure, and the announcement would have been made by four blasts of the "wild cat" whistle at intervals of a few minutes each.
 Now that the auxiliary line has proved to be unable to meet the sit uation, there must be devised some other way to connect the towns on this side of the break with gas. Weather conditions might be such that the break itself can be mended shortly. However, the gas company will make no forecasts now. They have been hopeful until the "blow out" of the line last night. Now they frankly sav they don't know when the gas will be on.
 Petition Starts at Shops.
 That the patience of the patrons of the camnanv has been strained to the last point is evidenced by the action now bein~ taken by the men at the rai'road shops here.
 Most of the railroad men. in com mon with people in other walks of life. are natrops of the gas company. Thev have installed pas ranges and hnaters in their homes. and now that there is no fuel to supply these. it is natural that they should have grievance coming.
 It will mean quite an outlay 10 them to cast aside gas stoves and purchase heaters and ranees for either coal or wood A great many railroad people by reason If their occupation. are un- T. stoves means practically that much money wasted.
 But the railroad people are not alone in this matter. There is a ma- jority of the citizenship of the city who feel as they do. but most peonle have contented themselves by think ing something should be done frr the relief of the public. It is different with these people. They have taken the initiative. and are trying to see if they cannot prevail upon the au- thorities that be, to remedy the evil. That something should be done is admitted by all. Just what can be done is not determined.
 The suggestion made of the Graphic that the company is due it's patrons to provide against just such "acts of providence" as now besets us by the installation of emergency reservoirs, seems to have been the inspiration of the present movement put on foot which is taking concrete form, and the signatures to the prayer now being circulated will be limited to perhaps. only to vthe number of people ap- preached.
 Petition Starts at Shops.
 The form is which the shop men are taking action is petition to the Mayor of the city and the members of the council which was initiated yes- terday at the Cotton Belt shops by employees. of the shops, in which the city council is asked to force the gas company to devise some methods 70 furnish consumers heat. The peti tion does not specify any method by which this will be done, but suggests the establishing of reservoir here, or some other adequate means of giv ing the consumers the proper service. The petition was started yesterday morning and practically every man in the Cotton Belt shops who used gas signed it. J. E. Scott, who is manager of the telegraph office at the shops, stated last night that when the peti- ton was brought to him for his sigma ture, there were at least fifty names on it, and that 1t had just started, which indicates that before it reaches the council, it will be extremely long with signatures. MT. Scott continued stating that he would venture to say that every, citizen in that part of the city who used gas would be signer and no doubt, every citizen of the town. .s tContinued an pa&e lxel