Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-08
GAS MEN ALARMED.
EdisOn's Wonderful Discoveries Sending
Stocks Down by the Run.
Cor. New York world.l

Cor. New York World.l
LONDON, October 20.-You and one
Of your contemporaries have been the
means of creating no little stir here, in
consequence Of the interviews which
your reporters have had with Mr.. Edi-
son. The accounts sOf these inter
views have struck terror into the
hearts Of the gas companies and their
shareholders, and have sent down the
price of shares from ten to thirty per
cent. The fact is hat no one would
dream of buying a gas share at this
moment, and the prices quoted in the
lists are therefore merely nominal.
Holders are eager to sell, but the bro
kers tell them plainly that no custom
ers are to be found, and that it will be
disastrous to force their shares upon
the market at such a moment. Mr..
Edison's exploits are pretty well
known over here, and when it was
stated that he had discovered a means
of adapting the electric light to house
hold uses, great was the CONSERVATION
among p%roprietors of gas shares, and
equally great was the joy of the Brit
ish public. For in this country, as in
the United States, the gas companies
are by no means popular. Their
rapacity, their incivility, their op-
pressive and despotic way Of car
rying on their business, have made
them enemies in all directions, and
some few signs of repentance which
they now display come too late in
, the day to do them any good. The
gas supplied in London is much in
ferior in quality to hat which you use
. in New York. Here it gives a yellow
and sickly light, and sends out such
volumes of black smoke that the gilt
frames of pictures and all walls and
= ceilings are very soon ruined. That is
the real cause Of the very great objec-
ton which English people generally
: have TO the introduction of gas in their
! drawing-rooms. Some picture frames
u of my own, which had stood seven
i years wear and tear in New York, and
were not in the slightest degree in
jured there by gas, very speedily be-
came discolOred after exposure to the
destructive influences of London gas,
! Any ceiling above a gas-burner gets
perfectly black in the course of a few
d months. In this country scarcely any
body will use gas in bedrooms, al
# though we, who have become accus.
a toned to it in New York, cannot nov
e do without it. But in my own housC
l. the gas-pipes had to be carried to the
il upper floors, for they had never beer
used there before; and in comparative
ly few houses in London is there am
r provision for gas above the first floor
A. This is not the result of mere preiu
le dice, but of practical experience o
y the deleterious effects of gas. | admi
Of that there are cases of complain
ar against the gas companies in Ney
re York, but they are not quite sucl
great sinners as their London friends
,e If, then, Mr.. Edison or anybod
else will enable the people to dispens
% with gas altogether there will be fey
N tears shed by the general public. Tn
Times, with its usual enterprise, ha
y, led the way in the endeayor to test tn
no practical value of the new discover
~ On Thursday night it printed its er
\" tire edition off for the first time by til
~ electric light, and thus fairly shame
~ the metropolitan Board of WorE
into consenting to try it on one of Il
- bridges and on the Victoria embanE
a. ment. The Metropolitan Board
~ slow to take up any improvement. bl
~, the example of the Times was tC
I" much for it. The Times Office ougl
h. always to be in the van of progress
especially where science enables ma
ea to overcome difficulties, for it WI
VI there that the first steam printin
~ machine was used in England, an
;ow almost every important improvement
or made in the printing press since thi
time has either originated in the san
,in office on been heartily welcomed an
adopted by it, The founder of Il
'bo Times, Mr., Walter, had remarkab
energy and courage in dealing wit
a. any new enterprise of the kind, an
H. his SUCCESSOR and representative il
''nS1 horits these qualities, 1t is, therefor
i've quite fitting that the Times off,
lboo should be the first place in England
ali which the electric light Is actual
on used for ordinary purposes Of bushes
oa We all know that some form or 9th.
of the light has been known for yea
past, but in its present developments
ser essentially a new discovery, and it
ISrSss wondered tbat Aqs been 50 very i
-; tie taken advantage Of in q great CT
like this. Mr.. Hollingshead has stuc
it up outside his theater in the Stran
M and tho Stereoscopic company in r
NY gent street, and these ape the only tv
ple places where it is exhibited. In Il
n Times Office, Of course, it cannot
IQB seeu without snecial nermission