The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-18
ssUnder the Starlight.N

"Men love darkness rather than light, be.
cause their deeds are evil" With this old
time ScripLural maxim for the major premise
and the incontestibe fact that the Gas Trustees
belong to the human race for the minor pre-.
mise, the conclusion is inevitable So at least
said the old ladies of the city, they sat in the
dim, religious lustre OF the stars last night, and
under their baneful influence rack ed their poor,
bewildered brains In search of darkened MEM
ories. Ghouls and spIites, and sundry otner
creatures of unesrlhly mould, sat brooding all
about them. torturing their ttmld souls with
dire presentiments, twittirg their chins with
damp and Icy fingers, tapping dismal wing,
IN their useless eyes, sending starts and thrills
of agony through their quivering forms, and
gloating in the vague misery which they caused.
And. strange as it may appear, whenever a
FAINT glimmer Of the blessed light glanced from
passing street car upon troubled groups OF
wives and mothers. these spiteful spirits were
clothed with ghastly outline of flesh, and i'm
pressed with a semblance of the human crea-
lures who preside over the Point Breeze Gas
WorBsi
The gas trustees themselves were in a dreamy
mood, and their dreams were not unmixed with
fears. Six hundred grimy spectres marched
and countermarched about them, demonstra.
tive with picks and shovels, and long. g.handed
pokers, and other implements OF gaseous war.
fare. The eyes Of each one in the ghastly throng
glared like tina open doors of the gas retorts,
inspiring terror but not remorse.
Up and down the public high ways wandered
the denizens of the city whose light for the
nonce was hidden under a bushel Gentlemen
OF steady habits and ponderaDle respectabIlity
gravely apologized for brushing too closely past
a gloomy lamp post, seized the brass knob
of doorstep railing, and gave 1t as
hearty shake Mr.. Toodles vouch.
aafed
a sudden start as wag turned the next corner
with the stump of q talIow candle lodged on
the biim OF his hat and then deliberately
walked up to their nextdoor neighbours steps
and began to tug away ut the knob, or at
tempted to thrust their spring-key into the
bell.pull. Men of questionable courage, who
had positive engagements at uncertain dis.
tances from home, endeavored to fulfil them;
but through tHeir timtd souls ran thrills of
terror at every squeak Of their boots or rustic of
their garments
Reports of MURDERS robberies and deeds of
daring outrage were rife. Anybody could con-
jure them up, every body did copjure them up
1t is an undeniable fact that ten thousand
credulous gentlemen and ladies pushed aside
their coffee this morning to turn to the police
news in the papers, and fetched Sigh of ind
mite relief not unmixed with a trifing M measure
of disgust, when they discovered that the spirit
of Probst had not been prowling about and
that che sepuchral slumbers of Jack Sheppard
had suffered no material interruption.
Some people, discouraged with their vain at.
tempts at discerning the door ways In their
houses oy the aid of sickly "dips," determined
on resortiDg TO place OF amusement But
here they either found the entrance barred
against an impatient and bOisterous crowd, or
nervous company sitting in sombre darkness
while spectres fitted back and forth upon the
stage in the lurid flame of the Black Crook s lam
tern. Some people were the happy owners of
lamps, and by their aid worried through the
evening. despite the pungent odors of kerosene;
others were possessed of brszen candlesticks
whereby q tone OF respectability was given
TO the greasy strings which the corner-grocer
facetiously disposed of "adamantines;''
others CROPPED through their cellars for empty
porter bottles, whereon to lodge their fl ickering
sticks OF Jallow; while the bravest OF all sat
themselves down in utter blackness, and with
q dogged determination that could not be
shaken by the shortcomings OF Gas Trustees or
the strikings of gas stokers. refused to be COM
forted by monstrosities in grease or odoriferous
petroleum.
So the city hid its light under a bushel and
with the rising of the sun discovered that 1t had
survived the deprivation. 1t is satisfied with
the experiment-abundantly satisfied-and has
no desire tn repeat it, Happily there Will be
| no necessity for further experiment In this
direction. The stokers and firemen have van
| quished the Gas Trustees, and tonight the city
will again be revelling in the glare OF O million
: of gas jets,
| The Wheeling Inteui0eneer says - "Mr
| ChBse has sent a lock of his hair TO the Demo.
erat trom VRIlioTala Who gave him half vote. !"