Delaware County, Indiana - Chapter 15: Natural Gas and Public Utilities, 1924

Chapter 15: Natural Gas and Public Utilities

The gradual development of the amazing field of industry which sprang up here following the discovery of natural gas in Delaware county, completely revolutionizing the commercial and industrial processes of the county and particularly of the county seat town, may well be told in a review of the immediate agencies which were established for the furthering of the new industry. The story, officially, is carried on in the miscellaneous records of the county on file in the office of the county recorder, the first formal notation in connection with this development being found on page 536 of Miscellaneous Record B, where are found recorded the articles of association of the Eaton Mining and Gas Company.

This historic company, generally agreed to have been the first in the field in the state of Indiana, was organized on February 26, 1886, by William W. Worthington, Amos N. Foorman, George W. Carter, Benjamin F. Smith, Robert C. Bell, R. M. Carter and Jesse Nixon, who on that day associated themselves under the corporate name of the Eaton Mining and Gas Company "for the purpose of mining and manufacturing and to furnish nature's power for carrying on such business; to sink and maintain shafts and mines for coal and other minerals; to lay and maintain pipes and conduits for carrying gas and oil and for transacting the business incident to the foregoing.' The seven men here named formed the first directorate of the company, whose articles of association were filed for record on May 5, 1886.

In the following July this company acquired a series of leases held by Worthington & Stewart to lands in that region that had been taken ten years before; other leases were taken on Union township lands by the company and the "gas boom" was on. The first individual lease of this character to be recorded is that of Charles A. Smith to the Eaton Mining and Gas Company "'for the purpose and with the exclusive right of drilling and operating for petroleum oil and gas," and covered the east half of the southwest quarter and the fractional west half of the northwest quarter of section 19, township 22, range 11 (147.75 acres). This lease was taken on a basis of a royalty of oneeighth of the oil brought in and $25 for every 500-pound gas well, and $1 a pound "for each additional pound pressure per annum, payable within sixty days after the completion of each well and thereafter yearly." This was but the beginning and gas leases presently began to swamp the recorder's office. It is said that at the height of the excitement the county recorder was "cleaning up" at the rate of $10,- 000 a year in fees, which was doing a much better business than many of the "fevered speculators" were doing.

The next company to organize for development purposes was the Muncie Exploring Company, Elias P. Smith, Spencer P. Brundage, Thomas H. Kirby, Asbury L. Kerwood and William L. Lacy, "to prospect the territory in and about the city of Muncie and in said Delaware county by sinking one or more shaft or shafts, well or wells, for natural gas, petroleum oils, coal, salt water and minerals generally, and when found to secure and use and deal therein for profit and to do all things incident to the general object of mining." This company was organized on September 27, 1886, and its articles of association were filed for record the same day. The next company in the field (November 20, 1886) was the Muncie Natural Gas Company, James Boyce, George Kirby, George W. Spilker, John W. Little and Frederick Klopfer. The New Corner (Gaston) Mining and Gas Company came along on January 15, 1887. This company was incorporated by Mark Powers, Thompson Sharp, Jesse Nixon, John W. McCreery, D. O. Munsey, W. L. Rasoner and Lewis J. Harke. The success of the "New Corner" gas field gave to the old settlement of that name its new and present name of Gaston.

The next company was the Yorktown Natural Gas Company (January 25, 1887), organized by David Campbell, Henry Overmire, William A. Goings, Samuel Parkison and Jacob Erther. Other organizations rapidly entered the field and within the next three years development proceeded with a whirl. Among these companies that got going early in the game were the Anthony Gas Company, the Enterprise Natural Gas and Oil Company, the Cowan Exploring Company, Selma Natural Gas Company, Citizens Natural Gas Company (Eaton), Co-operative Fuel and Gas Light Company, Chesterfield

Board Of Trade Takes Hand In Boom

In the meantime the Muncie business men took instant cognizance of the importance of this development and on February 24, 1887, the Muncie Board of Trade was organized for "the promotion of any and all undertakings calculated to advance the interests, improvement and general welfare of the city of Muncie; the support of any literary or scientific undertaking; the maintenance of a library; the social enjoyment of members and their friends and the transaction of all business connected with or pertinent to any of said objects." It was pointed out in Art. 4 of this board's articles of association that "the capital stock of this corporation shall be the value of its membership." The names subscribed to these articles of association (a roster that will grow in interest with the passing of the years) were James Boyce, Webster S. Richey, W. L. Lacey, George Kirby, J. A. Heinsohn, J. C. Greisheimer, F. I. Wachtell, Thomas McKillip, Carl Spilker, T. F. Rose, Samuel A. Wilson, J. E. Burson, Charles E. A. Adamson, W. M. Marsh, John M. Kirby, Joseph A. Goddard, Fred W. Heath, F, Leon, James N. Templer, John F. Sanders, Charles W. F. Neely, Allen A. Wilkinson, John R. McMahon, J. W. Perkins, J. R. Meeks, S. M. Highlands, Charles N. Wilcoxon, J. H. Smith, J. W. Ream, Edward Tuhey, C. P. Franklin, C. H. Anthony, John F. Wildman, B. F. Britton, W. L. Little, John M. Bloss, E. P. Smith, Thad. A. Neely, Joshua Truitt, W. P. Jenkins, A. L. Johnson and Frank Ellis.

The Eaton well, brought in on the first of October, 1886, was the realization of a suspicion aroused ten years before in that community when drilling for traces of coal or other ore disclosed at a depth of 600 feet an inflammable, ill smelling gas which produced a flame about two feet in height. When the Ohio gas fields were opened this Eaton gas was recalled and the test well was drilled in that same locality. Trenton rock was reached at a depth of 890 feet and upon penetrating this to a depth of thirty-two feet a "gusher" was brought in that started things going in this county. The first well at Muncie was brought in a mile east of the city on the following November 11 (1886) and steps at once were taken to control the flow for commercial purposes. By the first of June following, besides the initial well at Eaton, there were seven producing wells in the Muncie field and one at Albany, while operations were under way seeking similar development at New Corner (Gaston), Selma, Yorktown and Cowan. The "boom" was on.

How Muncie Emerged From Darkness

The subject of a gas plant or "works" for Muncie began to receive serious discussion as early as in the middle '60s and gradually became one of considerable interest to a growing number of town "boomers." In the issue of his newspaper (the News) for January 10, 1877, N. F. Ethell commented thus on the subject:

"A long and exhaustive communication in last week's Times on the subject of gas goes into details in regard to this ever-discussed question by our citizens and gives some very sensible and philosophical points. The citizens should make some demonstration, we think, in regard to gas and let the council know their feelings about it. The construction of gas works could be done at very low figures now and, as the correspondent says, would give employment to men 'who must either find employment here or go elsewhere, leaving our store rooms and dwellings vacant.' Let the council take immediate action and give us gas or a let-up on its discussion." In the succeeding issue of the paper the News announced that "'on last Thursday night the common council by a vote of 9 to 1 passed the gas ordinance and we are now to change our dark ways to streams of light." encountered in the maturity of a project that had been discussed for years, and it was not until in the fall of 1879 that gas service actually was inaugurated in the city. The first movement in this direction was that inaugurated by the old board of town trustees as early as in the spring of 1862, when an ordinance was passed (May 28, 1862) granting a franchise to a Marion (Ohio) firm to erect a gas plant at Muncie "for the use of said town and the inhabitants thereof," the town agreeing "'to use gas posts and lamps on the streets, lanes, alleys and other public grounds aforesaid, to the number of twentyfive." By the terms of this ordinance the town would have been required to pay $38 a thousand feet for gas, provided it furnish its own street lamp posts and fixtures, otherwise "then the town shall pay for all gas consumed for such public purposes at a rate equal ta the price paid by the citizens for private purposes." Section 4 of this very one-sided arrangement provided that "the inhabitants of said town shall be furnished with gas for private purposes at a rate not exceding $4 per thousand cubic feet, subject to the rules and usages regulating gas companies in the cities and towns of the United States." The contracting firm under the terms of this ordinance was to have the plant in operation on or before August 1, 1863. Perhaps the people woke up to the fact that they were going to pay quite dearly for the luxury of gas. At least nothing came of this plan.

In 1865 the town began to operate under a city charter and two years afterward another movement was started to get a gas plant, but the council declined to pass the necessary ordinance. That was in 1867. The subject would not down, however, and intermittent discussion kept the project alive. In 1872 the judiciary committee of the common council investigated the expediency of the city taking hold of the gas question and operating the utility as a municipal plant and a report was made favoring the plan, but this report was laid on the table. In the meantime the people continued to clamor for some better system of lighting than that provided by the old oil lamps and one and another proposition had been made by outside concerns to erect a gas "works." In the spring of 1874 the council appointed a committee of three to canvass the situation again, on the proposition that the proposed plant should be municipally owned. This action was taken in accordance with a resolution of council which declared "That, whereas . . . a very general expression has been obtained upon the subject of gas works on some of the plans proposed; and, whereas 251 citizens have expressed their opinion that the city should own the same, and 140 citizens that the same should be owned in part by the city and in part by the company, thirty-five expressing themselves as opposed to the project in any form," etc.

After Fifteen Years Of Discussion

As in former projects, nothing came of this. It appears that the council was not ready to assume the responsibilities of municipal ownership, nor was it willing to grant a valuable franchise to an outside concern on what generally appeared to be somewhat exacting, if not wholly exorbitant terms. Then three years later (in 1877) came the action above referred to, the council finally passing a gas ordinance by a vote of 9 to 1. But nothing came of this save further discussion and further delay, and it was not until in July, 1879, that a contract finally was entered into by and between the city and the firm of Miller & Kuhn, of McKeesport, Pa., for the erection and maintenance by this firm, "at their own expense, complete coal-gas works in the city of Muncie, Ind. . . . and furnish good coal-gas of not less than sixteen-candle power, for the following rates, towit: $1.65 per one thousand cubic feet for all gas used for city purposes; $2 per one thousand cubic feet to the citizens of said city, with ten per cent discount if the bills are paid when presented," etc. The difference in price between this contract and the one submitted in 1862 ($3 and $4) will be noted. The discussion had been in progress for more than fifteen years.

Under the provisions of this contract this firm, which on June 24, 1885, was reorganized and incorporated as the Muncie Gas Company (James S. Kuhn, S. M. Highlands and W. S. Kuhn), was required to have the gas plant in operation by the following November 1 (1879). So expeditiously was the work carried on, however, that the plant was ready for use two weeks before that time, as witness the following from the Muncie Times of October 23, 1879: "Last Saturday evening, October 18, 1879, at half past 6 o'clock, the illumination by the Muncie Gas Works took place. The 'gas tree' erected at the southeast corner of the public square consisted of a gas pipe standing perpendicular to a height of about fifteen feet, and from it protruded numerous prongs, arms, limbs and various unique contrivances. A large star adorned the top of the pipe, and immediately under it were the words 'Muncie Gas Company.' The evening being very blustery, the wind blew out the lights occasionally and, while it was not the success it might have been, it was a beautiful scene. The streets were crowded to witness the burning of the first gas from the new gas works, and Messrs. Miller & Kuhn start out under auspicuous circumstances, there being sixty consumers on that evening." The gas "works" which thus started "under auspicious circumstances" nearly forty-five years ago is still doing business at the old stand, having expanded meantime to meet the gradually increasing demands created by changing standards and methods, and is now (following one merger and another) carrying on its operations under the cor- _ porate name of the Central Indiana Gas Company, supplying coal gas not only to the people of the city of Muncie but to several of the neighboring towns in this part of the state and as well, until recently, maintained a supply of natural gas for the people of Muncie, this latter commodity being piped from the West Virginia fields following the failure of the local field.

Competition In The Field

During the days of the height of the natural gas "boom" here the old coal-gas "works" encountered, of course, some exceedingly vigorous competition and for years was kept going with just sufficient force to maintain its franchise. The first franchise for the construction and maintenance of a plant for the distribution of natural gas in the city of Muncie was granted by the common council to the Muncie Natural Gas Company, by the terms of an ordinance passed on December 7, 1886. Competition quickly developed and by a further ordinance passed on December 2, 1887, the Co-operative Fuel and Gas Light Company was granted the right to lay pipes '"'for the supply of gas to its members." Two weeks later, December 16 of that same year, James Boyce was given a franchise to lay pipes and furnish gas. On March 16, 1888, a similar grant was given the Heat, Light and Power Company of Muncie, James Boyce, president. Then on February 26, 1889, the Central Co-operative Fuel and Gas Light Company was granted a franchise, and on the following April 19 the Citizens Co-operative Natural Gas Company was let in. On August 15, 1890, a franchise was granted the Avondale Natural Gas Company; January 26, 1891, the Peoples Co-operative Gas Company, and on July 27, 1891, the Economy Co-operative Natural Gas Company. Other franchises were granted as the exigencies of competition and elimination controlled or required, and until the local field was exhausted.

When it became apparent that the supply of gas was dwindling rapidly to the vanishing point it became necessary for the city (October 22, 1900) to pass an ordinance "to prohibit persons, companies and corporations engaged in selling, delivering or furnishing natural gas to the citizens and inhabitants of the city of Muncie from charging, exacting, demanding, requesting or receiving excessive prices therefor and from stopping the supply of natural gas because of a failure to pay excessive prices therefor, and to compel such persons, companies and corporations to furnish gas to persons entitled thereto upon proper demand and tender of payment therefor," a regulation that will recall in the minds of many some disagreeable memories of the days when the scramble for an adequate supply of natural gas, when the local fields had been drained, was assuming the proportions of a rather serious proposition. This was the beginning of the end of a convenience which had meant much to Muncie for more than a decade and which had started the city on the highway to the development which elevated it from its condition in the '80s to the position it had come to occupy as one of the chief cities of Indiana.

The Coming Of The Waterworks Plant

About the time the long discussion of the gas "works" question -in Muncie culminated in definite action, a vigorous demand was set up for the establishment of a municipal waterworks system. By that time Muncie was a city of something more than 5,000 population and its people properly believed that the place had definitely emerged from what some still jocularly referred to as its old "backwoods" state. Other Indiana towns were taking on "modern improvements" and the go-ahead element in Muncie were not going to see their town left behind in the running.

That was about the year 1880, when a new form of public spirit was beginning to be manifested along all lines of endeavor hereabout. Much new building then was going on. The old was giving way to the new, and many were beginning prophetically to sense the coming of the dawn of an era of general reconstruction and, development. To these a waterworks plant properly was regarded as an essential to continued progress. It is apparent that the first thought was one of municipal ownership of the proposed waterworks plant and the initial discussion of the subject hinged on that proposition. To this, however, there was much opposition. Many felt that the city was in no proper financial position to assume the obligation that thus would be incurred. Others felt that the time was not opportune. Despite numerous visible evidences of material growth and development, they felt that the "times" were at a standstill. Among these latter was Editor Ethell, who in a review of the waterworks proposition, allied with the general business outlook, in January, 1882, pointed out that "'a*good. system of waterworks will, some day, be a good thing for Muncie - if Muncie shall ever become a city of any size. But will that time ever come? Is there any prospect of our increasing in size - of growing large enough to justify the establishment of waterworks at enormous expense? Just now there is but little doubt that we are standing still, if not, in fact, retrograding. There are today a dozen empty, yawning business houses on our two principal streets, and a number of dwelling houses in various parts of our city wanting tenants. Some of our citizens are leaving us for more energetic and thriving towns, and some of our manufacturers are 'going West' to points where they can obtain assistance, and have a chance to grow. The outlook is not very cheering for an increase of population or of business, and if we do not grow we won't feel the needs of waterworks." This is but an extract from a lengthy editorial on the subject, the whole tenor of which was one of discouragement of the municipalization plan.

Evidently this ''back-pedaling'"' proved effective for the time, for nothing definite was done along that line until two years later, when on April 14, 1884, the council passed a waterworks ordinance and thought that it had cleared the decks for action. Stern opposition arose and the discussion was carried on vigorously until this municipalization plan was talked to death and on January 19, 1885, the council repealed the ordinance and passed a new one empowering the mayor and city clerk to sign a contract with a concern that meanwhile had been making overtures for entrance into the city with a privately owned waterworks system, and thus was created the Muncie Waterworks Company, which ever since has been directing the affairs of this important public utility. The contract entered into with this company provided that at any time after twenty years from the completion of the plant the city was to have the right to purchase, but there has been no recent thought of any such action.

A Concise Review Of The Situation

As seems to have been the custom in former days in the inauguration of any new public work in Muncie, there was much opposition to this waterworks contract of January, 1885, and so vigorously was some of this opposition expressed that Theodore F. Rose, one of the local members of the new waterworks company and a man well conversant with the whole situation, was prompted to write a letter to the News (May 9, 1885) giving a review of the situation, which letter so well covers the ground from a historical viewpoint that it is here reproduced, as follows:

The common council began to agitate earnestly the subject of waterworks as early as the summer of 1881, before any of the members of the late council were elected. That council employed a competent engineer, Frank Doran, of Richmond, Ind., and on the 6th day of December, 1881, he furnished a complete plan and specification, with costs for "waterworks amply sufficient to meet the requirements of the city until it has a population of 20,000." This was a plan for the works to be erected by the city and is substantially the same in size and, capacity as the franchise granted to the company now erecting the works, except the pumping house, which will be located east instead of west of the city.

The subject of waterworks was discussed from time to time, by the council and city papers, until the adoption of the constitutional amendment prohibiting cities from incurring indebtedness in excess of 2 per cent of the taxable property. Our city tax duplicate at that time showed a value of about $2,000,000, which made the plan impossible.

During the summer of 1883 J. D. Cook, of Toledo, Ohio, whose eminent qualifications and abilities as a waterworks engineer will not be questioned, was employed to prepare plans, specifications, estimates and costs of waterworks for our city. All who have taken the trouble to examine the information furnished by Mr. Cook will not say the council acted unadvisedly. On the 17th day of January, 1884, the plans were submitted and shortly afterward the council passed an ordinance establishing waterworks for the city of Muncie, to be erected by private parties and directed the city to advertise for bidders. There were filed with the waterworks committee four propositions for the erection of the works.

The proposition finally accepted, after some changes, was presented some four or five months prior to its passage, and I can say in justification of the committee and the council a candid and careful consideration of the terms and requirements of the contract were discussed from time to time and fully understood by all. The proposition accepted was the best proposed, all who have examined will admit.

We learn from the records the expense of maintaining the present fire department will average over $5,000 per year, not including new fire cisterns every year or so, with the cost of an occasional fire engine thrown in. An estimate by the secretary of the fire insurance board states that there is $2,500,000 worth of property insured annually in this city; with an efficient waterworks the rate of insurance will doubtless be reduced so as to save to the citizens from $3,000 to $4,000 annually. Then, as a financial problem, has not the city council acted for the best interests of the city, to say nothing about the free use of water for public buildings and schools, flushing of streets and sewers, the increased fire protection, sanitary facilities, encouragement to manufactories, and beautifying our city by clean streets, green lawns, graceful fountains and beautiful flowers, all of which have @ money value in the sale of property and the comforts of home.

The articles of association of the Muncie Waterworks Company were filed for record in the office of the recorder of Delaware county on March 24, 1885, organization of this company, according to these articles, having been effected on March 6 of that year. The capital stock of this company was fixed at $100,000, divided into shares of $50 each, and the stock was taken by James S. Kuhn, William S. Kuhn and James S. Scott, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Abbott L. Johnson, Samuel A. Wilson, Theodore F. Rose and Samuel M. Highlands, of Muncie, in nearly equal proportions, all taking $15,000 each with the exception of Scott, who took $10,000. The company lost no time in constructing the plant. An official test was made on July 28 and the plant was accepted as fulfilling the terms of the contract by the city in the following October. This company ever since has been operating the waterworks plant at Muncie, the present president of the company being J. C. Adams; Clayton E. Stewart, vice president and superintendent of the plant.

The water supply of the city of Muncie comes from a system of deep wells supplemented by water from White river, which is filtered and chlorinated. The plant has a pumping capacity of 3,000,000 gallons daily, with a normal pressure of 40 pounds and a fire pressure of 120 pounds. By successive extensions since its establishment nearly forty years ago the waterworks plant has kept pace with the development of the city and is pronounced adequate to all present needs.

Coming Of The Street Railway To Muncie

When the gas "boom" came on in the late '80s Muncie awoke to the realization that street cars soon would be necessary to take care of the growing traffic in the city. Early in the eventful spring of 1887 agitation toward this end resulted in the organization of the Muncie City Railway Company and on May 26 of that year the city council passed an ordinance granting to A. M. Campbell, W. W. Ball, L. W. Robertson and others operating under that corporate name the right to construct a street railway line in the city, cars to be in operation by August 1, 1888, their franchise to run for twenty-five years. Nothing definite came of this proposition and presently a reorganization of the company was effected and the council granted an. extension of time for beginning work on the proposed street railway. This franchise also expired without definite action on the part of the company. Then on April 12, 1889, the council passed another ordinance, the terms of which proved acceptable to the company which on May 3, under the name of the Muncie Street Railway Company, was authorized to proceed to lay its tracks. An amendment to this ordinance on the following June 11 provided that the cars "'shall be propelled by electricity, animal power, or such other motive power as such company may, from experience, find to be most economical, safe or expedient."

According to the files of the News for that period the company broke ground on Main street on the following August 3 and began to construct its line. Under its franchise it was authorized to lay tracks on the following routes: Beginning at the crossing of Main and Walnut streets, running thence south on Walnut street to Ohmer avenue, thence east to Macedonia avenue, thence north to Boyce avenue, thence northwesterly to Main street, thence west to Kilgore avenue ,thence southwesterly to Charles street, thence east to Walnut street." On the following July 19 the company was required to extend its lines west on Kilgore avenue from Charles street to the cemetery (Beech Grove). Other extensions of track were made from time to time under the old system until the reorganization of the company and on December 5, 1892, an ordinance was adopted. authorizing the Citizens Street Railway Company '"'to locate, construct, maintain and operate a street railway in and upon the streets of the city of Muncie," the cars to be used on said line to be "'propelled by electricity, or by such other superior power as may be agreed upon;" and thus began the operation of the present electric system of street railways in Muncie, the directors of record of the company at that time having been David Cammack, John M. Kirby, D. C. Mitchell, R. C. Griffith and William L. Little, this company at the same time being granted the right to furnish electric light and power to the people of the city. This 1892 franchise authorized the construction of tracks on Main street from the east to the west corporate lines of the - city, on West street from Main to Jackson, on Jackson from Kilgore to the west line of the city, on Hamilton north from its intersection with Jackson to Main, on Jackson from Hamilton east to the corporate limits, on Gilbert from Walnut east to Monroe, on Monroe north from its intersection with Main to Wysor, on Wysor from Monroe east to Broadway, thence northeast to the corporate line of the city and on Walnut from the north to the south corporate line.

Company Plays Joke On People

Apparently taking advantage of the somewhat loose terms of its original franchise the first street railway company played what now seems to have been considerable of a joke on the people of the aspiring gas town by giving them a transportation system unlike any in the country. Choosing to adopt the "such other motive power" clause of its franchise it installed "dinky" steam engines as locomotives for its street cars. According to the newspaper files the first official trip of one of these puffing, snorting little locomotives was made down Walnut street to Ohmer avenue on December 6, 1890. This motive power was of course far from satisfactory and the service thus rendered never was dependable. The people's estimate of the value of the service presently changed from disgust to ridicule and the "dinkys" after less than two years of unsatisfactory service literally were laughed out of business, electrification of the lines being adopted, as set out above, in 1892, operation of the new system beginning in the spring of 1893. One of the parting shots taken at the old locomotives was that of the News in April, 1892, when it was pointed out that "great excitement was created on our streets Saturday evening by the appearance of the new (?) mogul brought out by the Muncie Street Railway Company. As it made its first trip up East Main street the people fled in all directions. Many of our oldest citizens thought the court house was coming up the street on wheels. As it puffed down Walnut street crowd after crowd hooted as it passed. It is large enough to be used as a switch engine on our belt railroad. The engineer had much trouble with it yesterday, as it would jump the track at almost every turn."

The people thus were prepared to welcome the electrification of the street railway lines, the completion of which on May 13, 1893, was made an occasion of a sort of a local gala day. According to contemporary newspaper accounts of the day it had required fifty days to electrify the line from Main street north on Walnut, by the Wheeling pike to the fair grounds and out Wysor street to Broadway in Whiteley. A public reception was held at the new power house in North Walnut street, marked by music and speeches and general felicitations. Arthur W. Brady, now of Anderson, whose interests later were to center so profitably in electric railways, then was mayor of Muncie, and he and George F. McCulloch, who had been elected secretary of the street railway company and whose energetic action had done much to bring about the desired result in the way of electri- fication, were "the life of the party."" McCulloch's eight years of service as clerk and his prior service as deputy to the county clerk had made him not only one of the best known men in the county, but one of the most popular, and things were "beginning to come his way," his experience as secretary to the street railway company presently leading him into the wider field of electric traction interests which led him on to fortune. Mayor Brady, a grandson of Muncie's first mayor, John Brady, made a speech of felicitation on the occasion of the starting of the trolley cars, George McCulloch made a speech and Superintendent Gotschal, of the power plant, made a speech. The mayor started one of the engines, Clara Koons started the other and Fannie James switched on the current which started the cars on their first circuit of the new line, numerous invited guests making the party a merry one. It is noted that one of the 'old timers" among these guests remarked that he recalled well the time when he had "hilled beans where the power house stood."

In the following September a merger of the old "dummy" line and the new electric line was effected and the former was electrified, F. G. Brownell, superintendent of the old company, turning over the management of the latter's interests to the reorganized company, whose directors were J. Smith Talley, J. W. Landrum, Edward Wells, George F. McCulloch and Charles Miller, and a good deal of whose capital stock of $300,000 was held by out-of-town interests. In the spring of 1899 the county commissioners granted to George F. Mc- Culloch a franchise for an electric railway line from Muncie west along the highway through Yorktown and Daleville to the county line, to connect with a similar franchise through Madison county on toa Anderson, the proposed McCulloch line to be completed by September 1, 1900. The day of the interurban electric traction railway had arrived. Other traction lines began to find entrance into Muncie and in 1905 the present terminal station at Mulberry and Charles streets was erected. When in 1899 the project to connect by trolley line Muncie with Indianapolis by way of Anderson, in which George F. McCulloch figured so prominently, had its inception the Muncie city street railway system passed to the new company which thus was formed, the Union Traction Company of Indiana, of which Philip Mater, of Marion, was president; Charles L. Henry, of Anderson, secretary and general manager, and George F. McCulloch, treasurer. This company, which had its general offices at Anderson, was in June, 19038, leased for a term of 999 years to a new and vigorously competing company which had entered the field, the Indiana Union

Traction Company, which thus since has been in control of the traction and street railway interests in this county, and whose interests have been widely extended throughout the state. The lines of the street railway in Muncie gradually have been developed into a comprehensive system, covering the city and suburbs with service on six lines, Avondale, Congerville, Heekin Park, Industry, Whiteley and West Side.

The Coming Of The Telephone

The development of telephone service during the past forty years is one of the continuing wonders of modern civilization, even as the present growing system of radio communication will in its rapidly coming "day" be accounted a continuing wonder of the generation which it will serve. When back in the late '70s the advantage of the telephone became apparent Muncie was not slow to take up with the new and strange device and to talk up the advantage of having a telephone system installed in the town. A few public spirited and farsighted individuals took the lead in the matter and a sufficient number of initial subscribers were secured to warrant the establishment of a local telephone exchange. This was in the first month of the year 1880. A news item in the Muncie News of January 22, 1880, says that "the telephone exchange that has been spoken of through the columns of the News at various times recently, is now a certainty, and at no distant day the people of Muncie can sit in their parlors or offices and converse with their friends in another portion of the city with almost as much satisfaction as if they were conversing face to face. As many are aware, the enterprise is being managed by Messrs. Wilcoxon & Son and J. M. and W. H. Long. All the materials to be used in the construction of the exchange have been ordered and the work of erecting it will be commenced about the first of the month." The News then carried a list of the initial subscribers to this enterprise, this list including the leading business houses and offices of the town and a few residences, in all about forty, with the further statement that Judge Buckles was considering having a line run to his home in the country and that David Cammack was also considering having a line run to his mill five miles west of town.

Upon thus guaranteeing the success of their project the Messrs. Wilcoxon and Long organized as the Muncie Bell Telephone Company and on February 16, 1880, secured from the city by ordinance a franchise or "right of way . . . upon the sidewalks, streets and alleys of the city of Muncie" to install a telephone plant and the ex- change was without delay put in successful operation. Two years later (March 8, 1882) the News observed that "it is two years this month since Muncie began enjoying the privileges and benefits of the system of telephones, the wires of which span our streets at all points. The company owning and operating the Muncie Bell Telephone Company is composed of the same gentlemen originally introducing the enterprise here, namely: Messrs. Lloyd Wilcoxon, J. M. Long, Charles Wilcoxon, manager, and Harry Long, secretary. . . . There is now in use sixty-two instruments on forty-six lines, in this city, several instruments being in use on one circuit in a few instances. It is estimated that an average of five persons use each telephone. This gives us an aggregate of 310 people who are continually accommodated by this convenience, whereby the calling of the exchange places them in direct communication with any of this number, including public buildings, schools, stores, factories and residences. . . . Our 'Hello' contrivance is increasing its network of wires almost every day." That was forty years ago. Could Nat Ethell, then editor of the News, revisit the scenes in which he for so many years took such a lively interest it certainly would be interesting to him to note the present development of the telephone, whose service now extends to every part of the county and takes in not merely the pretentious business house or office but the dwellings of even the humblest, the old "hello contrivance" having long ago proved itself an indispensable adjunct of the home as well as of the commercial establishment.

Franchise Passes To Hands Of Outsiders

In the spring of the next year (1883) the Muncie Bell Telephone Company sold the local plant to the Central Telephone Company of Chicago, which then was entering upon an extensive program of consolidation of telephone exchanges throughout the Midwest country and the business of the local exchange ever since has been carried on under other than local direction. This concern presently passed to the Central Union Telephone Company, which received its franchise from the city on April 11, 1890, and which continued in control until its merger some years ago with the present controlling concern, the Indiana Bell Telephone Company, a branch of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, which provides a well nigh universal service throughout the country. On November 13, 1894, long-distance telephone communication was opened in Muncie and the event was made much of by the telephone company which invited a select list of customers to try out the service through forty transmitters installed for the occasion in the Kirby house and through which conversations were carried on with parties in New York city, Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati and other cities. The telephone was proving its worth. In the spring of 1897 a local "independent" telephone organization was effected at Muncie and brisk competition was set up against the older company, the independent concern in two years securing about five hundred subscribers, but the continual annoyance to which those who thus were compelled to have two telephones installed were subjected proved such a handicap in the local concern's race for popularity that its bid for support was recognized as having been ineffectual and in December, 1899, it transferred its plant to the Bell interests. At Eaton and Albany the telephone exchanges are operated by local '"'co-operative" concerns and at Yorktown the exchange is under the Bell control.

The development of the electric light and power utility, now centering in the great plant of the Indiana General Service Company, dates from October 19, 1885, when the Muncie city council granted to James Boyce permission to erect poles and maintain wires in the streets for a private electric light plant for his mills and storerooms and the first light was turned on on the following December 19. This service was gradually extended and in February, 1888, Mr. Boyce promoted the organization of the Muncie Heat, Light and Power Company, of which he was elected president and which absorbed his plant and further extended it to include a general service. Under various changes of management during the years since then this service has kept pace with the continually growing demand.