Electric Vs. Gas Light

It is soruewhat remarkable that, ultliough gas shares depreeiatcd greatly and suddenly in England on the 1 nouncement that Mr. Edison had effected I a startling improvement in electric lighting, few persons of that country "had the slightest idea of what the alleged improvement consisted. Leaving out of consideraron the practieability of the infinite subdivisión of the cnr; rent, regarding whieh scientiflc eleoI tricians have well-known views that are l.not likely to be niuch aïeqted now, we j come to the principal part of the inventiori. More than a quarter of a century ago a good di al vas dono by inventora in this and othèr cöuntries toward ing an nleotrio light by oansing a cnrrent to pass through a platinum "ire, ' ! and so raising its temperature as to i I make it self-lmninous. The results feil j far hort of the expeetations of thësanI guine experimenters. One 'obstaole to j success was the liability of the wire to : fuse. This Mr. Edison claims to have overeóme by so applying a small bar that it will expiuid th instant the wire reaches the fusing point, and intercept the flow of; the current throwgh the wire sufficiently to jjrevent fusing. Actual trial must determine whether the action I of this automatic bar regulator will secure a steady light. It would hardly be just to critïcise minutely all that Mr. Edison is reported to have said aboüt this ad other inventfons of his. Kut enongh has been said to show that illuminating gas can b manufactiired profitably vet, notwithstonding all thnt has been done in electric lighting. A few evenings' study of any good textbook on electricity and its applications wonld enable holden of gas stock, and other enthusiastic persons, to possews their souls in patience, and give them a knowledge of facts whioh will induce a littlo wholespme skepticism.- Exchange.