, 1876-09-09
LETTERS FROM TIE PEOPLE.

GAS CAN ne BOLD At s1.60 FER 1000 F1ET.
n he Edi.or N The Tribune.
CHICAGO, Sept. SIN the present necessity
for economy by the City Of Chicago, and espc-
ctally as that ceonomy demands lcsschltlg ol
the cost OF lighting tho city, questions have
been asked not only rs To tho willingness OF tue
cuulpauics TO come to tho terms proposed, but
n!su as to their ability TO fuznish gas at those
prices without loss. ..
Having frequently manufactured gas on a
small scale, hare been at some pains to look
Into the various gas-1naksng processes that
llnve been tried Of late ycara, mud To examine
noticed tic various e3lortst most Of them
futile, to nlaks good illaul ulnatnE gaa from
water. Some years ago, however. very
superior :gas was made by combining the
ppcsro,cuin. pcso, II was 20 Gno an article that :
company was formed with very large capital
for liltris,ucng " Into our lending cities. Iu
tlls, however, they have (or had when ! last
smaller plaees they hayc introduced 1t, and b.
lIcve nlways With splendid results. Ono city
wi,crc It ilas been used, and believe most
successfully, is pes hloincs, a.. A year ur two
ago they Ind LII introduced a intn Congrcss
buildings ii NMhington at half the rntcs paid
by tho United Stntcs Guverhn,ent 10 the Wassl-
i,'gtun City uas, ConIpany:. The blll rasscd .pnc
l!ousc, hnt hy Thy thug # REACHED s ths other y
Company rallied In sufficient forrr tp 1Gient 1t.
It was generally understood {antl lIhve never
heard TIC story Ie,tct), that tho managers OF
the Company nude offers to our Chicago Com
panics 10 PIT up their apparatus, make nl! tho
,as required Tor tlu consumption Of Chicago,
mud charge the Companies 75eel!ts per ,0D feet
for II. rhe Companies could leave their pres
ent apparatus staNdIng until thoy sllultld bc as.
cured uf the quality mid reliability ol tic new
Gus. Had our Companies accepted this offer,
they could llnyc put their price dowli to Sl.50
ncr !, l,OuD fcct to all consumers, had ITO trouble
In manufacturing, keeping tl,etr works III rcpntr
collectors monthly 10 gntler In their dues, onc-
l,aif OF which would hayo been net profit.
What are VIC to think Of the profits uf a eou,-
pany that would dccllun proposition Of this
sorti
liavc written tho above from my recollection
Of facts hcayd year Or two ago, nnd without
the knowledge IT or consultation with my one
connected with tlsp Gus Company alluded to.
In fAct, / DO mt know tint 1t has now Qny o!li-
Ger IN ChlrAgo, but the managers cnn easily be
fou,l by any one WHO nluy be Interested IN
verifying the facts, as they arc mel. not only of
reputation, but Of prominence. This prcstaent
WIS, think the lion. A. Mcdonald, aud tile
11,crly n,cmbcrs Of Congress.
There Inay tc otilcr means OF producing gas
nB ehcnp as this one, the prcullarfty OF this
being tint, Willie the materials were "a costly
rs tl0sc from which our ordinary gas Is pro-
duced yet tl,cY were SO rich In gus u,id the g;ss
WIS 81 ensiiy manufactured, tllnt the Gust Of In
bor was but one.tentli tint of producing coal
gas. At lcast, these were tho facts Then stated
mud tho olter Uf the Company tO make the g:ls
themselves asnl deliver IL to our city companies
ut Is cents per LIMO feet wls certainly cv.cucr
Of their own confidence. a GAS CONSUMER.