Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-12-11
ELECTRICITY vs.. GAS.

MR.. EDlIJk--' 4Oustn0iuST WIIKb
an article In The Tobacco Leaf Of Tues
day remarks a pitiinl plea for the city
10 continue the use Of gns. and TO de-
cline 10 light the streets with electricity.
Why does be not come out openly
and sign himself astockholder," for i
do not believe any one not a stockhold-
er or paid employee Of the Gas Conpa-
ny would be quite so familiar with the
workings OF tibet Company. or quite 30
wildly interested in its success.
He says u Gas Company lights
ffty-nine lamps at $4,000 per year.
The impression is very general in
GAINESVILLE that II 10 100000 a year,
but he does not say anything Of any adj
ditional expense; TO the city, but leaves
bis readers to infer that the $4,000 is
all. Now since February know that
several bills from the Gas Company
have been presented to the city for
payment. One was for $500, one for
$500 and few others for small
amounts. That Is all righ Mr.. House
holderl 1t 10 the city's contract to pay
all repairs on the lamps, posts, glass
etc., and pay you'll mean the Gas
Company for doing the same, but why
did you not add this little item to your
account for Gas?
Now right here, Mr.. Editor, wish To
say that the gasoline lamps are miser-
able failures, about one-third 0! them
going out within an hour or two after
they are lighted every night, and the
other two-thirds giving about as much
tight as tallow dip.
The gas lamps do pretty well as ial
as they go but the city is not able to
double them all over town, and ii so the
cost would be more than the electric
light, and even then they would moi
give the light by fifty per cent that the
proposed number of electric lamps
would give. Householder asks "will
twenty-five electric lamps scattered
over the city at cost OF 81, 10000 be o
any more value, Except to few bust
ness houses that keep open at night OF
two squares of Franklin street) to til,
citizens of GAINESVILLE than the fifty
nine street lamps located as they nov
are2 answer, UNREASONABLE they
will. And il he means to imply tina
Franklin street will be better lit thar
the rest Of the city, then it will be th,
fault OF the authorities for not distribut
ing the light equally. But it looks t
me as If the citizens needed light al
over the streets as much as they do OF
Franklin, and any man, not stock
holder in the Gas Company, can Sc,
that an electric light OF 1000 candl
power will throw its light farther thar
twenty Of these gas jets grouped togeth
err, or one arc light will answer better
purpose than dozen Of the present ga
lamps.
! do dot think, Mr.. Editor, that afte
once seeing the city illuminated Tor
few darn nights with electric ligh
there is citizen who would 30 back I,
gas lights, unless per chance he is
stockholder in the Gas Company or on
Householder"
But, Mr.. Editor, the main point
that Householder makes ESQ he say
himseli) is that this community is to-
small for both the Electric Light Com
pany and the Gas Company to exist a
the same time and pay expenses, an,
therefore, for Gods sake, he pleads
drive out the Electric Light Compan,
and help along the Gas Company, be
cause, forsooth, the Gas Company 70
twenty long years before they lit tn
! streets with gas, "a lass" or at least 70
!'no profit" How unsel6shl How
\ nobel how patriotic in the Gas Com
pany, to run their works for nearly
quarter OF century at an actual los
just for the dear people of GAINESVILLE
I hate ingratitude above all other sin
almost, and this staggers me. l do fee
that something should be done to re
imburse those philanthropists, and
was just on the point OF urging on GU
directory the ACCESSIBILITY Of withdraw
ing our proposition, when gentleman
mentioned that about four or FIVE year
before the city lighted her streets wit
gas, he offered the Company fiftee
Nthousand dollars for their works her,
and they refuse it, but offered IL 70
eighteen thousand. Now this staggel
ed me again. A Company ownin
property valued at eighteen thousan
dollars, and worked at loss for TWEEN
ty years, whose stock must bave bee
almost value less, to refuse filteer
eighteenths Of the total value of thei
property. does not look to an outside