Ralph and Dan Hemingray dispute Cincinnati Enquirer article about Hemingray re-locating back to Covington

WANT THEM BACK.

Cincinnati Papers Resumes their Overtures

to the Hemingrays

Well Known Manufacturers Deny the Story

That They are Soon to Leave Muncie,

May Come Later.

Sunday morning the Cincinnati Enquirer contained a column item under glaring head lines to the effect that the Hemingray glass factory would in the near future return to their old site oppose that city, on the Kentucky bank of the Ohio river, from where the factory was moved to this city.

The item gave as the reason for the return of the industry, the alleged fact that natural gas was failing, and without it the factory could not be operated in Muncie. With reference to the publication, the following commun­ication is from the treasurer of the company addressed to the president:

                                                                                             COVINGTON, Ky., Dec 19, 1897.

DEAR RALPH: - I suppose you saw the "pipe" story in Sunday's Enquirer about our returning to Covington. I know no more about it than you do. Have not seen Mr. Riley since he went with the Enquirer. Chief of police Pugh told me this morning that Mayor Rhinock knew nothing of it. Can't imagine why Mr. Riley wrote such stuff.

                                                                       Yours,

                                                                                 DAN HEMINGRAY.

In addition to the above telegram furnished the local press, to show the absurdity of the statement, Mr. Ralph Hemingray gave out the following statement yesterday:

"I saw in Sunday's Enquirer the account of our contemplated removal from Muncie and will say I was as much astonished as any one when I read the article. The publication in metropolitan journals throughout the country of the failure of gas, owing to the agitation of the question arising from the enormous waste of the gas caused by the drilling of oil wells, has caused numerous inquiries as to what the manufacturers would do should gas fail entirely. Doubtless our Covington friends with others have seen these articles, and have the erroneous impression that we are now suffering from a shortage of gas, while the fact is we have an ample supply and hope to have for some years to come. It is, of course gratifying to know we are missed from our old home, but we have no idea of leaving Muncie.

                                                                                "RALPH C. HEMINGRAY."

In conversation with a member of the firm yesterday he stated that his factory never before had the supply of gas they have had this season. The Hemingray company is a third owner of the Manufacturers Gas company line, the factory being attached on an eight inch line that runs to wells in the vicinity of Desoto, supplying C. H. Over and Maring-Hart & Co. glass factories. The manufacturers have been having some trouble because of the inroad the Ohio-Indiana pipe line has been making on their territory, and when the two window glass company glass factories resume, two weeks hence, the Hemingray pressure will be cut down considerable, but there is no seri­ous apprehensions.

It is true that the pressure is not what was, because of the big pipe lines lead­ing out of the state, and the expense of getting the fuel to the factories is a great deal more than it was a few year ago, but there is plenty gas to do them for several seasons yet, and until that time expires, there is no likelihood of the factories decamping. Because of the cheap fuel that can be delivered along the Ohio river, there is little doubting the fact that the Hemingray factory would return to their old stand, in preference to any other, in the event of them being forced out of Muncie.

It is becoming more apparent each day, that Muncie should have built a stone wall fence around Delaware county gas, with leases, years ago.