The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-03-06
THE THIRD GAS COMPANY.
The Equitable Patent as "a Cheap
eneF.

A gentleman whose name has been
prominently associated with the third
gas company, now forming, was ques-
toned yesterday by an APPEAL rt-
porter as 10 the motive That prompted
him and his associates TO 60 into the
gas business. He was frank enough
to reply that the motive was - make
money, and that they relied for sue
cess upon the ownership OF the right
to Introduce into Memphis a cert ain
patent known as the Equitable patent
which he alleged had revolutionized
the gas industry in New York, Albany,
Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore and 81 n
Francisco. The price rad for Il
right to Memphis was very large, but
it lie considered by the purchasers
cheap in view of what Is claimed for
it, which is that under its operation
gas can be furnished Of twice the IT,; =
minatiug power now usual at half the
present coat In support q this claim
the gentleman interviewed furnished
the reporter with an extract from
the New York Sun Of February Sth,
of which the following is a copy "Ten
years ago the New York public paid
an average OF ~ 80 for 10 candle gas,
while it pays now an average Of Il 6S
for 25.Caadle and in the case Of the
Equitable company for 80 candle gas.
Now, II it be taken into consideration
that a 30candle power gas gives not
twice as much light as gas OF l5-can.
die power, but nearly four times as
much, the New Yorker Of to-day gets
about four times as much illuminating
power for 81 70 as he did ten years ego
for 81 so, and should not grumble if
the companies supplying him with
the commodity makes a fair pl oft on
a large capital invested by them, and
constantly subjected to the fiercsst
competition"
THE EQUITABLE PATENTS.
AS matter OF course, il was the
competition between new and cd pro-
cesses OF manufacturing gas that inn
proved its quality and brought down
both the ccss OF its production and the
price paid by the consumer. The
Equitable Gas Company was the
leader of this movement. BY mea 8
Of the cheapened and improved gas
producing process, Of which it is the
patentee for the whole of the United
States, it was put in position TO fight
the old companies in every city in the
Union. Although yet in its infancy,
the concern has derived large profits
from the New York company, and 8
engaged in a fierce contest with the
Old companies OF Baltim ore ard CHI
cage. 1t has begun work in Albany,
Detroit and San francisco, and is
negotiating for charters at Newark,
Washington, Boston, Cincinnati aud
Syracuse. The names Of the capital
lists interested in the young concern
are alone sufficient TO guRTan-
tee success to the enterprise. Men
Ike L. @. Benedict, j. d. Vermilye,
John Slo me, Eugene Kelly, s. W.
BoocOCk, r. NJ. @. Graham, o. M.
Fry, president OF the Bank OF New
York, and score of their friends, do
not go into an enterprise unless there
is a chance of making big money. The
chances here are based upon two or
three cardinal points. The first is
that after water, gas is tho most inn
portaut commodity OF every civilized
be it q village or a metiop-
oils. The second is thatout Of several
hundred gas companies existing in
this country thereare only three petty
ones that have ever "bOsted," aud the
third (as 10 the Equitable exclusively
is that it sells its patent to any city,
either for cash or for bonds and stocks,
and handles the securities. In this
wsy we are likely TO see some day gas
stocks OF Kalam asoo handled in Wall
street as freely rs the Consolidated
gas, tho New York Equitable, the
Chesapeake, or any other.
Public Opinion of London has been
looking inlo the subject Of gas in this
and finds the average price
paid here for the illuminant to be
about rs Cd Isl 81 per 1000 feet.
This, says our worthy contemporary,
will partly explain the wonderful
business in electric lighting which Is
carried on in the States, "the gas there
being from two to three times as costly
Is in Great Britain"