The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-03-26
uR, BUTTERWICKs Gas ELL.
,r,ou ,b. Philadelphia Bulletin J

Dnrinp one of the few cold snaps tnat We
have had this winter, the gas meter 10 ai..
Butter wick's house was frozen. Mr. Du
terwick attempted to thaw it out Ivy pour
inc hot water over it but after spenolpg
ap bour upon the effort, he emerged 'rom
the contest with the meter, with NE leeS
and trousers wet, his hair iuit OF oueI Guy
cobwebs, and his temper at te'sf no"s
After studying how he should eet Iiu VI
tue ice in the meter, he cohciuueu W he 90
nok ar. be iammed il through vent hoie
and stirred il around inside OF the meter
with n considerable amount OF vigor. ne
felt the ice give way, ana No noa'u tuo
wheels buEE around with rather more
vehemence than usual. Then he Went up
stairs. .,. ,ha
internal machinery of that meter seemed to
he rattling around in remarkaoie man
ner. 1t could be heard all over the mouse.
But he was pleased to find that 1t Was
working again in spite of the coid "eatn"r'
and he retained his serenity. ,,,
About two weeks afterward his gas o'ii
came. 1t accused him of burning, dnrine
the quarter, SOC, 900 feet of gas, and 1t
called on him to settle to the extent OF
nearly $3.50 900. Before MIR. Butter"lcRs
hair had time to descend after me htst
| shock, he put on his hat and went down 10
the GAS office. He addressed one OF the
| clerks
"How much gas did you make at the
Blank works last quarter =
~ dunso; about million feet, reek-
on"
"Well, you've charged me in my bill Tor
burning half million more than you mauei
| want you to correct it,"
"Less see the bill. Hm-m-m-1n's s,i Is -
all right. It's taken off the meter. That's
what the meter says"
"Spose'n it does ; ! couldn't have ourn-
ed mOre'n you made" :,
Cant help that. The meter can't lie"
"Well, but how d'you account for the
difference 7"
"Dunno. 'Taint our business to so no.
sing and pokiDg around after scientific
truth. We depend on the meter. II that
says you burned six million feet, why you
must have burned it, even if we never made
a foot of gas out at the works"
"To tell the honest TRUTH" said Butter
wick, "that meter was frozen, and stirred
it up with poker and set it whizzlpg g
> around"
"Price just the same," said the clerk.
.We charge for pokers just like we do for
gas"
, You amt actually going to have the au
dacity to ask me to pay $3.50, 900 On ac-
! count of that poker ~
"If it was 100000 I'd take it with a
. camuess that would surprise you. Pay
- up or we'll torn of your gas"
u "Turn it OF aud be hanged" exclaimed
y Butterwick, as he emerged from the office
70 % tearing his bill to fragments. Then be
u u went home, aud grasping that too lavish
~ poker, he approached the meter. 1t hat
~ registered another million feet since the
y bill was made out. 1t was running up {
, scors Of hundred feet minute. In
=. . month Butterwick would have owed the
g ' gas company more than the United State
q Government owed its creditors. SO he bea
=, the meter into shapeless mass, tossed i
n n;s into the street, aud turned OF the gas in
80 side the cellar.
ot He isnow sitting up at nights writing Al
T.; essay on "Our Grinding Monopo les' by tn
ne light Of a kerosene lamp,