The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1895-09-06

| succeed the present method of meas
| uring gas as consumed in small house
holds. In London a dozen rival ma
| chimes are in vogue. The most popular
ones are the penny Slots" A coin of
this value is dropped into a small open
ing and gaslight is furnished for an
hour or so. This class of meter is very
popular among the poorer people,
many of whom use gas only on state
occasions. The penny gas machines
are also very popular with single gen.
| tlemen of limited means, who live in
lodgings, says New York World. The
| prepayment meters introduced in New
York are not of the penny pattern. A
silver quarter is the coin required to
release the Illuminating fluid. The
mechanism is simple, yet delicate. The
size of the coin, not its weight, is what
releases the machinery. For twenty
five cents 200 feet of gas is secured,
which Is at the regular rate of $1.25 per
| 1000. The gas need not be used con-
tinuously. A special indicator on the
face of the dial, which is supposed to
show how much gas goes through the
meter, moves out to the 200-foot mark
as soon as the coin is deposited. AS the
gas is used, this indicator returns to
the zero point. Meters of this class are
placed in the consumers room or fiat,
so that the number of feet still to
be burned may be seen at a glance at
the dial. The machine is so arranged
that two, three or four quarters may be
placed in the slot, and thus 400, 600 or
1000 feet Of gas purchased. The meter
Will register and give credit for 200
feet Of gas every time a coin of the
proper dimension is placed in the re-
ceiver.
treasurer Doane, of the gas company,
believes that the prepayment meter
will become as popular in the large
cities of America as it is London, es-
pecially among the people with whom
gaslight is luxury. Take a family
of hard working people in which there
ara young ladies who have company on
Sunday. Candles or kerosene are all
right during the week days, but gas
light on such an occasion is necessary
to "give the house a tone" AS 25 cents
Will light the parlor for several even
ings it will readily be seen that meters
will find their way into thousands of
households which, under the prevail
ing system of making a deposit, and
meeting monthly bill, would never
have use for them.
Many people believe that the every
day gas meter continues to register
right along whether gas is being burned
or not. This could not happen with
the new quarter-in-the-slot meter, as
the consumption is hourly under the
consumers eye.
Mr.. Doane said to a World reporter
that the matter of the value of the
coin to be used in New York was
seriously considered for several months
before the quarter was adopted. The
cost OF collection, as the meters must
be visited at stated intervals by en-
ployes Of the company, is as great for
nickels or dimes as for quarters, and
this one fact determined the question.
Should there appear in the future de-
mand for a smaller system of payment,
there are number of meters in the
market to chose from.
Less than 300 of the slot meters are
In use in the city at present, owing to
the fact that no special effort has been
made to push them. They have proved |
so satisfactory, however, both to con-
sumner and producer that their general |
use by all small concerns, will be urged |
IN the future, but not insisted upon. A
quarter will illuminate an ordinary |
four-room and kitchen fiat for one |