Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-22

GAa-The New York Post has put the
Manhattan Gas Company, of New York, on
trial for an imaginary suit for damages. The
| following is the testimony of one of the wit
| nesses:
CDR DESCRIBES Deliver being duly sworn,
deposeth and saith, that he is a householder
and taxpayer in the city of New York; that
| he is practitioner of medicine, and also Oc-
| cupies position in the faculty of the Poly
thetic Medical College, as Professor of Mi
croscopic Anatomy; his scientific pursuits
necessitate much study, frequently continued
far into the night; has heard the phrase
wasting the midnight Gill; and believes it to
be a quotation from the poets; does not con
slider it an appropriate particle as applied to
oil, inasmuch as oil, like the majority of
hydrocarbons, supports much combustion,
and is productive of proportional illumina-
ton, and light for the advancement of hui
man knowledge, cannot, in his opinion, be
characterized as waste; had the epithet been
associated with the employment for purposes
of microscopic research, or the perusal of
scientific or other books, or the gas now sup
piled by the Manhattan Gas Company, he
should admit It's perfect adaptability to
the occasion; is not prepared to ex-
pound the theory of the production of
said gas is thoroughly conversant with
the constitution and mode of evolution
of ordinary illuminating gas; perhaps
his chemical colleague can afford some
information concerning the article under
consideration, but doubts if any analysis
thereof has been or can be made. Knows
what "gas meter" is it consists of a tin
case containing cog wheels believes that
that there is a popular superstition concern
ing It's powers to indicate the number of Gu
bic feet Of gas consumed does not, how
ever, participate personally in such ignO-
rant credulits,, since he has not found that
a diminished consumption of gas, or even
the absence of himslf and wife from the city,
effected a perceptible reduction in his month
~ bills purchased the gas meter now in
his residence from his own private purse
paid, he thinks, fifteen dollars therefor is
now charged a monthly rent of thirty cents
for said gas meter has not the remOtest idea
who he is called upon TO pay such rent be-
ing the interest at seven per cent. on sum
exceeding fifty dollars for his own prop
erty, especially which such property repre-
sents money value of only fifteen dollars
pays it because he cannot help himself; has
demonstrated on several occasions, but was
always repealed with so much yituperatiOn
that he prefers to submit to pecuniary loss
rather than to further interviews with the
representative official of the company has
had his gas turned off once or twice with
out forewarning, doesn't know why it was
done has always paid his bills promptly as
soon as presented said representative Of
fetal has, in such instances, invariably de-
eiined to give any explanation other than
that there must have been some reasCn or
the gas wouldn't have been cut Off :" con-
tinues to pay his monthly bills to the col
lec4or of the company, hut uses kerosene
lights in the upper rooms Of his house, and
a students lamp with rape seed oil in his
lihrarx