“From what I have said, you no doubt understand by this time that we have long ago abandoned the use of coal for heating and lighting purposes, and also for the generating of motive power. We use electricity and compressed air for all this. We employ wonderfully simple and powerful storage battery cells, which we charge either with wind power, water power or with compressed air engines. Is it not strange that the people of earth are already imitating us in these fields? Your Paris, in France, is already using the storage battery cells for lighting purposes. I notice in your _Scientific American_ of Jan. 30, 1892, that Niagara Falls and Buffalo, N. Y., are about to utilize the waterfall power at that place for generating electricity and compressing air. This is what the _Scientific American_ says: “‘After the completion of the great tunnel works now in progress at Niagara Falls, there will be nothing to hinder the rapid rise and growth of that interesting town into a great and wonderful city. Its dwellings and factories will be supplied with light, heat and motive power at an extremely low cost, and useful industries of every kind ought there to flourish with unwonted vigor. Domestic life will be attended with many comforts and conveniences. The cook will only need to touch a button, and presto! her electric stove be in full operation, the pot will boil, the oven bake, the turkey roast, the pump move, the washing machine turn; while the electric refrigerator will freeze the water, preserve meat, vegetables, milk, butter, eggs and other supplies. No coal, no wood, no dust, no dirt, no oil, no gas. The lady of the house will be relieved of care. She presses a button, and every nook and corner of her dwelling glow with cheerful light. Touch another, and the electric fire glimmers in every room, diffusing genial warmth. The electric lift takes her up or down stairs in a jiffy. The telephone conveys her orders to market and distributes her social commands among friends and neighbors. Niagara is in a fair way to become famous as the great electrical city of the world. At any rate, it will possess in a great degree the means for economic electric generation and supply. “‘Near to Niagara, only twenty-five miles distant, is Buffalo, already a large and prosperous city, the head center of lake navigation. The simple extension of conductors over the short distance above mentioned will bring to the people of Buffalo a direct share in the economic and other advantages of the new and great enterprise. Light, heat and motive power for streets, vehicles, work-shops, factories, stores, churches, dwellings can be supplied from the dynamos at Niagara, more economically, probably, than by any other means. Local steam engines may be dismissed; their occupation for Buffalo will be gone. Even the steam fire engine may retire. The electric pump will beat them out of sight.