For all that Santa Rosa suffered in the earthquake year, at least they kept the lights on – until the first big winter storm. The day-long blackout wasn’t quite as bad as the 1904 outage that kept the “juice” off for two days, but it must have rubbed nerves for all those with fresh memories of the burdensome week of darkness following the quake.

On the same page as the news item were two text ads from “George H. Trask, The Light Man,” who apparently sold generators. Why his ad headline had the wacky spelling and mixed case of “TOWN iN DARKNEkS” is anybody’s guess.

“JUICE” WAS OFF EARLY IN DAY
No Light or Power, Telegraph or Long Distance Telephone in Consequence of Damage Done by Storm

The storm did things to the lighting business and to the telegraph and telephone long distance service on Monday.

Manager Jones, of the telegraph company, found his wires out of business further south than Petaluma and Sonoma soon after eight o-clock in the morning, and they were not in commission when night came.

The telephone company was also cut off from communication with San Francisco and other places, so that Santa Rosa for hours was not in communication with the outside world.

As for the lighting and power service citizens are aware that both were off all day and night, and, consequently when night came, happy was the man who had gas in his store or house, and still happier was he who owned a lantern with which to guide his footsteps about town. The main trouble was far removed from Santa Rosa and the exact nature had not been reported at the Santa Rosa office up to midnight. If there is anything in misery loving company Petaluma, San Rafael, Sonoma and Napa and possibly other places were in the same fix.

The lack of “juice” stopped the electric cars early in the day and of course this occasioned considerable inconvenience. A number of lighting wires were down in different parts of town. Some slides were expected on the railroads Monday night.

TOWN iN DARKNEkS

To the Merchants and Business Men of Santa Rosa !

How many times are you going to stand for this ?

This is the first time this season–but who knows how many times more?

I am ready to furnish LIGHT that you can control yourself. MORE LIGHT for LESS MONEY.

If you can’t stand the strain of being put out of business for want of Light see
GEORGE H. TRASK,
The Light Man, 513 5th st.

There is little use trying to bring light over a line more than 300 miles long when the weather is stormy.

You can have it within 20 feet and make it yourself if you see
George H. Trask,
The Light Man, 513 5th st.

– Press Democrat, December 11, 1906

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