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AT THE FORKS OF THE GRAND and Mechanic Streets a misstep may result in a fall of six or seven feet. A fence should be put around, or a lamp kept burning during the hours of darkness. . Before 1865 the streets were particularly dangerous on dark nights because they were unlighted. But after that date, with the gradual setting out of lamps, they became somewhat safer. Coal-oil lamps were coming into common use between I86o and i865 in both homes and shops. Finding them more effective and economical than candles, a number of householders decided to use them to light the street before their doors. And so did a number of shopkeepers, par- ticularly for protection against marauders. Finally, when it carnet to pass that hundreds of townsmen were enjoying the free use of these lamps, their owners petitioned the ! council to assume the cost of upkeep. In March, i868, the follow- ing item appeared in the minute book of the council: Your committee on Fire and Water present a petition praying that council assume the expense of lighting and keeping in repair the lamps recently placed on the streets of the town by private subscription. They find there are twenty-two lamps in good repair, and also about three barrels of oil. Cost would be about $230 a year. The council granted this petition. Then in May of the same year, the committee presented a second petition from Dr. Lawrence and five others, "praying council to assume the care and lighting of a lamp erected by them on Dumfries Street." The council again granted the petition. Morover, it bought a barrel of oil, and ap- pointed a Mr. Hubbard to light nine lamps in the Lower Town, and a Mr. Sinclair to light eight lamps in the UTpper Town, both at a salary of 5oc a day. By 1873 the number of lamps had increased to 47. And a new kind of contract had been signed with Joseph Shields, who "pro- posed to light the street lamps, furnish the lamp glasses, wicks and oil, at a rate of ten cents per lamp per night." In i879, H. McElroy underbid Shields. He offered to "furnish and light the street lamps this season for four cents and nine mills each lamp per night." For his first month's work, Mr. McElroy was paid $47.92. He lit the lamps only during the fall and winter months, and then only on moonless nights. The minute-books of the council contain a number of interesting references to the lamps. In 1870, one entry states that during the year only three lamps had been broken. The councillors were very much surprised that the town rowdies. throwing stones out of the darkness, had not smashed nearly all of them. And the only reason- able explanation they could offer was that most of the stone hurlers were so drunk that they could not throw straight, or were confused by seeing two gleaming lamps where actually there was only one. After a year's practice, however, the marksmen had evidently over- 112