Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-11-26
HOW THAT METER WORKED.

The Family Was oat Of Town. but fog
ones the Gas Hill Was Correct.
There was fire in his eye that morning
- he boarded an uptown elevated rail-
road train on his way to the gas Office.
1--we gos them this time." he NUT
tered savagely, .'and they viii have q
hard time in explaining the freaks OF
that meter, am thinking"
The clerk in the gas Office came for
ward to attend 30 the wants OF Mr.. b. .
few minutes later. b. was mad through
and through now. He had worked him.
self into almost . rage by thinking OF
the outrageous charge which the gas
company had made.
"See here" he blurted out, "if this
company doesn't correct that bill, Ill
have the whole business indicted for
highway robbery"
The clerk picked up the bill which
had been SO spitefully thrown down.
and examined it as calmly as If such
outbursts were ordinary affairs. Then
he went back and compared the bill
with the books. He came back evident
" in the same contented frame of mind.
"Wellr' from Mr.. B., and the word
sounded like the report of 4 gun.
THE bill appears to be all right, re-
piled the clerk as calmly as before.
"All right! Great Jehosaphatl See
here, young man, that bill is for about
the same amount that I pay in the win
Yer, isn't ity'
The clerk examined the books again
and replied that the last assertion was
true.
Exactly" continued B., land in spite
Of the fact that my house has been closed
up for three months and not soul has
been in it, my gas bill is just as big as
it is when my family is all at home.
What kind Of a way Of doing business
do you call that?"
This was rather tough one for the
clerk, and there was a CLEAN Of triumph
In the eye of the customer as the clerk
hesitated. Would Mr. B. have time t.
go up to the house with an inspector to
discover the leak?
Certainly" he said. with the air Of q
man who has won an important battle,
and then he made some sarcastic re-
marks about the "leak."
Mr.. B. and the inspector examined the
meter, and sure enough since the last
record had been taken it had gone on
industriously at the same rate rs 1t had
evidently been moving for the last three
months. Then they went ON up into the
house. No smell of escaping gas met
them. The inspector examined the burn
ers in the hall, parlor, dining room.
kitchen and bedrooms. Everything
seemed to be all right. He began to
look mystifed, while Mr.. B. became
more exultant every moment. Matches
were lighted and placed near all the
joints, but without effect. The leak
still remained mystery.
at must be in the walls or ceiling,
said the inspector at last, land it must
be found, or the whole blamed house
might be blown up some day"
Mr.. 3. began to look uneasy. He
opened the bathroom door. and the first
thing Lie saw was a sickly looking fame
of gas. The Stats in the window blinds
were partly open and the sunlight made
the gas fame look pale. But there it
was, turned on almost full force. The
inspector saw it at the same time.
That's 6-foot burner. and it's burn
ing about five feet an hour" he said
quietly.
Mr.. B. looked foolish. He made q
mental calculation. Five feet an hour,
twenty-four hours day. thirty days q
month, and three months. sas bill OF
about fifteen dollars He only uttered
one word. and that began with big b,
Then he paid the bill and gave the in.
spector two dollars to say that the leak
was due to the carelessness of the serv.
ants in the kitchen.-New York Tribune.