The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-26
TEN DOLLARS A THOUSAND.
WHAT GAS COST THE CONSUMER
THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO.

Old Gas RilI. Receipted and Hanging
in the ONCE of the Mutual Gas
Light Company, Tells the Tale.
Shows That n. Habersham, ESQ,
Was Charged sol for Gas Consum-
ed in two MOnths-BiH Intended to
Discourage I<ickers at the Eccen-
tricities of the Modern Meter, But
Fails of Its Intended ERect-Con-
sumers Won't Believe the Meter
Tells the Truth.
An old receipted gas bill that hangs in
the Office of the Mutual Gas Light Com
pany, tells of the changes that have been
wrought in the manufacture and con-
sumption of gas in the last thirty-flve
years. changes that are in themselves.
typical Of the advance in all the mechan-
ical arts
The gas light people keep the old bill
hanging in the Office for the purpose of
Encouraging those who come to them
with an animated kick, based on the size
of their bihs and the unblushing mendac-
ity of their meters. 1t is the bill pre-
sented by the gas company of those days
20 R. Habersham, Esq, and represents
mansion, on Orleans Square, during the
months of November and December, 1854
For this period the meter registered 800
feet of gas, for which the company made
the very moderate charge of SO per thous-
and feet. The bill was presented on Jan
and peid on Jan. 10. Evidently the COM
pany did not consider this the prompt
payment" for which it offered a discount
Of per cent, for no reduction appears
to have been made from the face of the
bill.
The kickers at gas meters and their &C
complishments. however, are not to be
daunted by this relic of a bygone age.
If the clerk, after laborious effort, sue
ceeds in directing the attention of the
kicker to the bill for sol, for two months
gas. the individual with the protest mere
ly pauses TO remark that it is an argu~
ment In his favor, showing that gas COM
panies have not changed with the years
and proceeds with his discourse. So that
as a horrible example, it is a horrible
failure
AS a matter of fact, gas has very great
ly improved since thirty years ago. Then
coal gas was universally used, while to-
neNS NdtCl SdS mas dIUlOSI SntlTelN taken
its place. The new gas is two or three
times as effective and in cosequence IL
is not necessary to use as many jets to
obtain a given amount of light The re-
cent invention of incandescent mantles has
very nearly succeeded In cutting in two
the price OF gas, the indirect light OBJ
tanned through the use Of the mantle re-
curing not more than half as much gas
as when the light is obtained by direct
com bustion.
The difference of opinion between most
consumers of gas and those who sell 1t.
in the matter of the meter, may be de-
scribed in a phrase-the latter swear bv
1t and the former at it. The officers of
the gas company say that 1t is as i'm
possible for the meter to register incor-
rectly as it is for the leopard 20 change
Ms spots, while the consumers swear if
the common, ordinary, everyday gas
meter should so far forget its mission
on earth as to tell the truth, there would
be a universal cataclysm That the meter
might on some rare and festive occasion
beat the company out of the price of a
few feet of gas the more liberal-minded
consumer can be induced to confess, but
that IL should "a plain, unvarnished tale
relate is to them a thing impossible for
the human mind to conceive or believe