The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-10-10
GAS Oh LIGHTNING.
sAlr LAKE CRY. Oct. 9. lss

sALr LAKE CRY. Oct. 9. 1880.
Editors Herald: rt.tc- y ~
The gas or electricity question sp
pears to have Quilted down Tor the las
few days. Not that there need bt
any wrangling over it. Yet. as It'll
a matter of great importance, i
should have a thorough investigation,
that the ultimate decision OF the city
authorities. If they have not slreadJ
decided, should be on the readily
ascsrtainabls merits OF tae question.
10 tle first place, the fact of being
the first or the lsst city in adopting
the electric light should have little j
any weight, as that is merely thiDg
for small boasting of aiterwaTd.
Ia the next place, perhaps it should
be admitted as exceedingly probable
that electricity will be the great
means OF Illuminating cities come
time in the future, and that its gene
raj adoption is merely q question of
time, though it is not for me to say
under what invention or system.
Acknowledging THE, 10 other means
OF ligt ting, though established and In
use, should needlessly stand il the
way, for ell inventors, investors, and
business men must run the risk OF the
competition OF new inventions and
i'm provemeuts, and, il the new are
Undoubtedly superior, the old must
give way, and those engaged in up
holding the old must accept the situa-
,ion. with the best grace they can
muster, and become reeonciled to the
newly developed facts and events and
circumstances. II is of no use to
quarrel with progress. nor to sit down
sulklly and doggedly in its way, for
be who does so will be passed by and
left far behind. Notification of the
old by the new is thing TO be ex-
peoted in the slt1 and sciences, and
especially in this day of research and
development.
RSould think il would be advisable
on the part OF the City Council TO 60
to some trouble and expense in order
to get at the real facts bearing upon
this question { illumination. There
are cities in the Union which are
lighted by electricity. One would
think it would not be difficult to OBJ
tain intelligence by letter from such
cities, giving the main facts upon the
subject from the actual experience OF
such cities. And it might be advisable
for the city to spend few hundred
dollars in sending candid and COM
petent commission to visit cities
lighted by electricity, and report upon
the three main features especially,
which are efficacy, trustWorthiness,
and economy. II the report of the
commission should be favorable on
these points, the remaining matter
| for investigation would be the liability
OF the city to pstronize the gas works.
This Of course would be mainly a
question OF money, and il on such in
vestigation the pecuniary result was
favorable to the use OF electricity,
then electric light would be the thing
Ito have. II the result Was unfavor'
able, then We ehould have to be con.
tent with gas in our streets until such
liability was discharged, unless the
great public should iDdubitsbly press
upon the city authorities to adopt the
electric light, even il not the mos:
economical, all things considered
which the public would not be in
great hurry to do. as it does not re-
gard increased taxation with very
loving eye. b.