Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1915 — FUEL GAS AND LIGHTS. [ARTICLE]

FUEL GAS AND LIGHTS.

Plant May Be Installed In Rensselaer Coming Season. Arthur Smith of Kankakee, 111., representing the American Gas Construction Company of Newton, la., was in the city Monday interviewing the city council and business men regarding the putting in of a gas plant here for furnishing fuel and light, principally the former. Mr. Smith states that his company has put in many such plants in towns as small as„ 1,500 population, and that they are paying investments there. The plan would be here to have the plant put in by- the city and operated in correction wtih the present light and water plant, and the operating expenses would thus be very small indeed, while the gas could be manufactured at much less expense than were the plant an independent one. Gas is now used in many of the smaller towns in industrial lines and for cooking and heating, especially cooking and water heating. It surplants the, gasoline stove and is very much more convenient and at least as economical, it is said. Perhaps more so. K A plant such as we would require here will probably cost in the neighborhood of $30,000, which would give us to start on perhaps five to eight miles of 2-inch mains, the size used in towns of this size and even larger sized towns. That such a system would be greatly appreciated here and would be of benefit to the town in many ways, goes without saying. It would not be long until a majority of the homes were equipped with gas stoves for cooking, at least, and the city would be at very little more expense in operating and looking after the business than it now is. So far as Mr. Smith was able to interview citizens and business men, the expressions were almost unanimously favorable to the proposition.