“Juice” was common slang for everything electrical – even the Petaluma & Santa Rosa Electric Railway was called the “juice line.” Repeated use of “juice” along with the other slang (“not fill the bill,” “on tap” etc.) makes this news item read like it was a rather inept posting to a 1904-era blog.
CITY IN DARKNESS
Lighting Company Had Troubles of its Own on Thursday
Santa Rosa was practically in darkness, or to say the least of it, was dimly lighted on Thursday night. The lighting company had troubles of its own on Thursday practically all day.Soon after seven o’clock on Thursday morning the juice was cut off owing to the burning of a cross arm and about six feet of a pole between here and Petaluma. When this damage was repaired the juice came on for a time. At a quarter to five o’clock Thursday afternoon the juice disappeared again and was off all night. This was caused by the breaking of a wire in the hills between Napa and Petaluma according to the report received here. The auxillary plant was used but this could not fill the bill. Where gas was on tap it was used. Where it was not, principally in the residence portion, candles and lamps were pressed into service. Quite a display of candles were in commission at a number of places on Fourth Street. At the Novelty theatre candles were used to add to the illumination of the stage. It was an ill wind Thursday.
– Press Democrat news item, February 5, 1904