Judge, 1908-12-05 · page 16 of 44
Judge — December 5, 1908 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1907 satirical piece by Hugh Pendexter mocks the frustration of dealing with a gas utility company's inflexible bureaucracy. **The Setup:** A householder (William Singmore) complains his gas meter is registering excessive consumption, requesting it be replaced before the next bill arrives. The gas company repeatedly refuses, citing company policy against changing meters. **The Satire:** Singmore's letters escalate hilariously—he claims the meter malfunctions absurdly: it spins when his wife (five feet tall) enters the cellar, registers phantom "telephone numbers," and works overtime like a malicious creature. He's sold his car and made his family go without Christmas gifts to afford the bills, yet the company won't investigate or help. **The Point:** This ridicules corporate indifference and rigid rule-following that ignores customer problems. The meter becomes a "mouse"—a small pest the company refuses to catch. The accompanying cartoons show a woman shopping at a grocer; the satire suggests even everyday transactions involve similar corporate frustration. This reflects Progressive Era complaints about unregulated utility monopolies prioritizing profits over service.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Mouse a nd the Meter By HUGH PENDEXTER (Wein: letters exchange! Letween a householder and the gas cunpany.) April 15th, 1907. LANK GAS COMPANY, B Meter DerantMent. Gentlemen —My meter is register am burning. I desire to have it chang bill is presented. Very truly, Wituiam: Sincmone. more gas than I before next month's April 15th, 1w07. DRE, It is Esq, ntrary to rules of company to change meters. Very truly, Bank Gas Comrany. Per 0. GC. Wittiam Sings Dear sir April 16th, tor. Bank Gas Conran Meter Department, Linsist that you that plebeia I insist that the rock-ribbed f occasions vereign pr nown as the Hemen n dollars beyond what If you'll pay to me the you But L my luxury. home and maint ter. I've sold my automobile, and my wife is wearing last year's ‘furs, and the children went without a Christmas tree this year; but it’s all of no use, ‘That meter simply es how much 1 serim Healls for the whole It isn’t ameter, It's an 8 acquired a fad of buz: all awake. The It used to pr: handful of ciphers to I clicking nights, keeping. us kes no differ: openly works over hours, piling up indebtedness against me. I want it n out, and taken out mighty quick. It not only spends the midnight hours and the Sabbath doing unwholesome stunts in higher ics, but it adds to the total my height every time [enter accompanies me, it spins around twice. is only five fect two, If it hears the k! it's down, If it hears a telephone Lust month I paid for 20,000 ma the cellar, If my wi This is unjust, as my wi childre “al —¢ number inquired for, it puts it down, feet of telephone numbers Now it must be stopped, I'll sign over my w r bills yo, but 1 can’t © demon’s theory of figu Yours desperate! Witiam Sixcmont. “kly pay envel- tinue to assume to you and let all ot sibility of thy April 1th, bw, Witssas Sixemone, Esq. ary to our rules to change any meter, pry truly, SLANK Dear sir It is con Company. A.M, April ith, 107, Buank Gas Company, Meter Department. My dear ¢ you cannot 1 Yours of the 18th at hand. 1 expeeted to fractu + Company appre: established rules. Now, however, 1 app tarian standpoint, ly Tne longer reck the ruinous yas bills whieh appy family. Lam reeon- , disintegeatin slowly, but su a point fellow 1. 1 know you will stretch The littl and irritating Hut sin my meter, A PUNE Dweoy. NUT Py fi all ht toler Sonny, CHRISTMAS JOY F Mrs, Nibble samples everything in sight GROCER And then orders a pint of cranberries delivered at once, OR THE comicbooks.com