ore than
protect our companies from a receivership. To raise new capital to
deposit as collateral with Rogers was out of the question, for the
public, looking on at what was evidently most disastrous warfare, was in
no temper to buy new stock.

The lull in our hostilities was only a pause between battles. It
suddenly came to an end January, 1896, when a new enemy appeared in the
field. Henry M. Whitney, who had built up Boston's electric
street-railway system, and who, from his frequent dealings with the
Massachusetts Legislature in obtaining franchises, had the reputation of
carrying that body in his waistcoat-pocket, came before this Legislature
with a proposition for a charter for a new and independent gas company.
Up to this time Whitney had had no relation with the gas public. He
based his new departure on the claim that he had come into possession of
a patented device through which it became possible to turn the low-grade
sulphuric coal of Nova Scotia into coke without sacrificing either the
valuable by-products, such as ammonia, tar, etc., or illuminating gas.
This was a very remarkable pretension, for we had long ago eliminated
these low-grade coals from consideration as material for gas-making; but
if Whitney's device actually was what he claimed, undoubtedly he would
be a dangerous competitor. Whitney's petition set forth further, that
because of the exceedingly low price of this Province coal and its
richness in by-products he could afford to sell gas to consumers at 50
cents per thousand feet (the legal charge was then $1 per thousand
feet), a price which would enable the great manufacturing institutions
and all the steam and heating plants to use gas economically for fuel
purposes.

The thing was sprung one day and was all over town before night. There
were interviews and pamphlets floridly setting forth Mr. Whitney's good
intentions toward gas consumers.

Mr. Whitney was, and is, one of Boston's most important citizens, at the
present time president of the Chamber of Commerce, and a brother of the
"System's" most Machiavelian votary, the late William C. Whitney. The
application, backed by his prestige, and the roseate dreams of cheap gas
it conveyed, created a sensation in Boston. Evidently he intended to
have it seem that the people were in favor of the new charter, for
simultaneously there appeared notices in the press calling for three
distinct citizens' meetings. There seemed to be general rejoicing