Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-27
EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

WASHINGTON GAS. LIGHT CoMPANY.-We
have received a circular which the directors
of this company have lately put forth, In
which an exposition of the affairs Of the COM
pany is given Z" at the request Of numerous
individuals and in view of the many misrep- |
reservations on the important subject OF gas |
light in this city"
This exposition, which is full and satisfac- |
tory, gives history Of the rise and progress |
Of the present company, and the difficulties il
has had to contend with. On account of the
widely scattered population of Washington,
and the apparent impracticability Of uniting
governmental and individual effort in the es
Enlistment and maintenance Of a company
for the supply Of gas light. even in the more
important parts of the city, several years
passed away before any organized effort YVES
made to accomplish this desirable object. 1t
was not regarded by our citizens as busi-
ness promising fair remuneration, and con-
sequently this city, with all its apparent ad.
vantages, and with a fixed population OF
10000 inhabitants, was among the last In the
Union to enjoy this almost indispensable
means of illuminstiOn. In the year 1913 the
present company was organized with great
difficulty Even on comparatively narrow
basis, and though confined to the central por-
ton Of the city with the full patronage of the
Government, and charging at first So, after
wards So 40, per thousand cubic feet for its
rosin gas, the hopes Of its founders were not
realized It's president proposed publicly
sale to the city corporation but this PROPOSE
ton, after being informally deliberated upon,
was rejected and each day only served to
increase the embarrassment Of the company
and to render certain its speedy dissolution
In this emergency the hazardous alternative
was adopted, Of erecting entirely new and
extensive works for the production of coal
gas street mains were laid of ample dimen-
sions for the supply of the city generally, in
~. L
leaky condition, could not be used adyan-
tageOusly or properly; meters and twenty feet
Of service pipe were loaned free of charge to
every consumer; the whole business was re-
organized and improved and the gas was fur
nished at ga per thousand cubic feet, subject
to a deduction of five per cent for prompt
payment at tho Office of the company, while
the Government, city corporation, hotels, &c,
where the monthly consumption was not less
than so 600 feet, were charged at the rate Of
So so per thousand
The Board are prepared to show that no
valuable assistance has been given by the
Government, city corporation, or any other
organized body, beyond the ordinary profits
arising from consumption of gas, and that
every dollar Of the whole outstanding capital
stock (s424, 000) has been expended economi
cally and judiciously within the wide circle Of
the company's operations in this city. They
have laid, at vast expense, near thirty miles
of cast iron street mains, varying from three
to ten inch bore, built complete and extensive
tort house, containing at present tWenty-elght
benches and eighty-four retorts, capable Of
producing 100000 cubic feet Of gas in twenty
four hours, erected two gas holders Of the Ca
pacity respectively Of 120, 600 and $50 900 feet,
and the number Of consumers has now reaek-
ed 1,68l. Every effort has been made to sS-
commodate the public, reference being had
to future more than the present remunera-
ton.
In regard to results in a remunerating
point of view, for four out Of eight years OF
the compaDys existence nothing was realized
beyond actual expenses, and since that period
the board have been enabled to declare divid.
ends semi annually Of profits of thee, three
and half, and latterly five per cent on the cap
ital stock, not at any time more than the last
mentioned rate.
The territorial extent of Washington is so
great, and its population so widely scattered,
the prices Of labor, OF gas coal, lime, and
other materials, so much in advance of other
places, that it is not only the most costly city
in the Union to light in the first place. but
continuously the most expensive.
The subject of reducing the price of gas is
now engaging the attention of the directors,
and is delayed only for short time to ascer-
tain on what terms suitable coal can be pro-
cured for the supply of the year.
capital of S424 900, actually and economically
expended in the business, and unincumbered
by debt, with works Of acknowledged excel
lence, and capable Of producing q supply of
superior gas equal to any demand, with thirty
miles of streets mains, covering as with a net
work almost all the populous parts Of the city,
and so laid as to admit OF any future extension,
with 1851 consumers, and this number daily
augmentiDg, our business systematized and
now generally understood, the company have
every motive for not only accommodating the
public to their utmost requirement, but also
for reducing the price of gas, from time to time
as the adoption of every valuable improve
ment and the increased consumption may
justify. This accommodation and reduction
our consumers may confidently rely on, and
moreover, the board of directors pledge the
company to furnish, under any and all circum-
stances, Illuminating gas of superior quality
and on more reasonable terms than can be sf-
fOrded otherwise
TIE $50 CALLED) ARLINGTON BANK.-It
will be recollected that more than a year ago
we duly cautioned the distant public against
touching the notes Of this concern purportipg
to be located in Washington, no such caution
being necessary to warn our own fellow citi-
zens against foOling with any such paper, the
whole history Of which was we'll known to
them. 1t seems that in May last Mr.. Joseph
w Webb who started the concern, sold out all
his interes. in it. He has since redeemed
every dollar Of the paper issued while he was
IN any way connected with it. Subsequently
1t is said TO have been the concern of one Mr..
Sheldon, a bank-note -detector publisher in
Chicago Up to Saturday last, its notes were
duly redeemed by an agent here. Since then,
however, the funds are said to have given out
and the holders Of its issues are left in the
vocative. The agent had q desk in the ex-
change office Of Mr. Webb on Pennsylvania
avenue between FOur-and-a-half and Sixth
street. Those who ara bitten by this car
hngton Bank deserve little commisseration.
Tricks OF THE HASDs.-The propretors of
the fishing shores complain very much of the
hands whose families they have supported
through the winter. The hands promised to
work at the landings when the season arrived
but now that the proprietors are ready the