PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS IN NEW YORK 447 



plan pursued has been to keep the nearest wells for winter sup- 

 ply, but various causes come in to modify this practice. Every 

 well is expected to give at least one month's service in a year. 



The gas is used exclusively for domestic purposes and is all 

 sold by meter at the rate of 25 cents a thousand feet. There are 

 approximately 250 residences depending on the line for fuel and 

 in many cases for artificial light also. The supply has been from 

 the first adequate and satisfactory, barring the severest mornings 

 of the winter, when the pipes are liable to be overtaxed for a 

 few hours. Gas has displaced other fuel in town largely. The 

 price of wood has fallen from f 2 to f 1.25 a cord; 



There are four regulators on the system, set at the four cardinal 

 points. The north regulator receives the gas of four wells; the 

 south and the east regulators each receive the gas of two wells; 

 the west regulator takes the gas from all the western wells which 

 include the most productive of the series. 



The amount of gas consumed in each of the winter months is 

 about 4,000,000 cubic feet or an average of 133,333 cubic feet a 

 day. There are about 300 meters in use. The amount of gas 

 paid for from Aug. 1, 1895, to Aug. 1, 1896, was 25,000,000 cubic 

 feet. This gas was all supplied by the first 11 wells. For the 

 year 1896-97, the amount of gas used was 35,000,000 cubic feet. 



The price of the gas, 25 cents a thousand, is certainly much 

 below its intrinsic value. It is cheaper, all things considered, 

 than wood at f 1.25 a cord, but the people had no reason to com- 

 plain when they were obliged to pay $2 a cord and be at the ex- 

 pense of cutting it besides. Counted on this basis, the price 

 should be 35 cents a thousand. 



Mr Charles Tollner, the founder of the Pulaski plant, died in 

 the summer of 1897. He has invested between f 50,000 andf 60,000 

 in this business. Some of his heirs declare that the investment 

 from a financial point of view was a mistake. The gross income, 

 it is true, is a little more than 10f o on the money invested. But 

 new wells are required to maintain the supply, and supervision, 

 rentals, repairs and other necessary expenses leave nothing to 

 be returned to the Tollner estate. If the price of the gas were 

 increased 50^ or 100^ there would be a possibility of some return 

 as interest on the money invested, but even then it would be 

 necessary to face the fact that the cost of maintaining the plant 



