A Correspondent Of The Rochester

Herald recently visited Muncie, Iad., and in writing to his paper uses the following language, in speaking of the boom that city has taken, since the discovery of natural gas: An excitement kindred to that whioh exista in mining campa on the frontier was found at Muncie. Last summer the city's population was nearly 6,000 ; now 7,200 il claimed, and scores of families are daily turned away unable to find tenement houseg. The consequence is a building boom, an Ímpetus to manufacturing interests, and wonderful real estáte speculations. This city was blessed with cheap artificial gas- $1.80 per 1,000 cubic feet - but the city buildings and residences, churches, manufactories, etc, are actually supplied free grati at this time, owing to the rivalry of ga8 companies. The nominal price fixed, but not collected, is about $20 a year for all a family can use for heating and illuminating purposes. The natural gas has also made the production of electric lights eo cheap that they are furnished ior $1 a month for each incandescent light, in operation continuously, if desired. The ordinary stove?, fureaces, grate?, etc., are used for heating with the natural gas. Factories which employed two firemen and burned tons of coal or many cords of wood daily, have discharged the firemen and burn the natural gas at five per cent. former cost. Sand and lime of the proper grade have been found for glas6 manufacturing, and hundreds of thousands of acres of land are being leased for oil wells. A board of trade, building associations, new banks and such enterprises are following the excitement, and the hotels are tull of prospectors. _______