1884-08-15 Hamilton Slandered By Toronto World.

The ongoing, and intense rivalry between Toronto and Hamilton was kicked up a notch in response to the announcement in the summer of 1884 that natural gas had been discovered east of Hamilton, and that a company had been put together to take advantage of that discovery.
Along the Red Hill Creek, near the base of the escarpment where Albion Falls was located, there had been discovered veins of natural gas which might have been large enough to warrant commercial exploitation.
The Toronto World, in reaction to this news, took the opportunity to mock Hamilton's previous lack of initiative as regards natural gas, noting Hamilton's Scots-like obsessive frugality which had always been holding the city interests back from progression :

 

         " Natural gas at Hamilton. Is it only now that they are finding that out? Why there is and always has been, an unlimited supply of natural gas in Hamilton. Hitherto, however, it has been used chiefly in blazing away about the great things to be done, extensive purchases of – well, it’s no use going over the ground again; nut anyhow, lots of natural gas is expended yearly in specifying, newspaper opinions and sage advices pro and con – the whole thing culminating in the canny folks vetoing every improvement on the score of economy. However, as money is supposed to be in the new scheme, we shouldn’t wonder if something worthwhile should come of the Albion Mills treasure trove, and we trust that the natural gas utilization will really become an accomplished fact. Meanwhile let us hope for the infusion of a little Yankee vim in the dry bony atmosphere of economy parsimoniousness, which is paralyzing the energies of that pretty little town – and trust that the cheap fuel promised in lieu of coal will put a flea in the ear of the coal ring, and prevent the usual reduction of foundry men’s wages, etc. etc."
- quoted in the Hamilton Spectator. August 16, 1884