Business Card from 1920s of my Great Uncle from Sunderland UK when in NYC

[hanes teulu]

Does contributing cause say "was alone"?

[brynjon]

I read it as "accidental illuminating gas poisoning." So the property was gas lit, the flame went out and the gas kept flowing, leading to him being overcome?

Thank you Elmer - I had thought of the word illuminating but did not associate the gas. Hopefully he would have passed in peace.

[Elwyn Soutter]

Thank you Elmer - I had thought of the word illuminating but did not associate the gas. Hopefully he would have passed in peace.

I have no idea about American gas lighting at that time but I recall my grandmother in Scotland using gas in the 1950s. There was a gas tap by the fire (which could be used for a gas fired poker to light the coal fire quickly). The gas tap had no safety mechanism at all and it was quite easy for someone shovelling coal or tidying the fireplace up to knock the gas tap on by accident. Gas would then start trickling into the room till someone noticed and turned it off again. Astonishing when you look back on it. Nowadays there would be an automatic valve to turn the gas off if there was a malfunction. But not then.

[brynjon]

Does contributing cause say "was alone"?

Thank you Hanes - That would certainly have been a contributing factor.

[aghadowey]

I am curious as to why he would have a business card registered there. Also the Rhinelander code for the phone number. Perhaps an agency address.

Rhinelander was just the telephone exchange for that address/area.
It would have been quite common for people to commute into the City, My great-grandfather would have commuted 20 miles (by train) into N.Y.C. but later his commute was almost 40 miles away from work.

[hanes teulu]

I am curious as to why he would have a business card registered there. Also the Rhinelander code for the phone number. Perhaps an agency address.

Rhinelander was just the telephone exchange for that address/area.
It would have been quite common for people to commute into the City, My great-grandfather would have commuted 20 miles (by train) into N.Y.C. but later his commute was almost 40 miles away from work.

If you check post #5 and use the link to deliver newspaper hits you can see the range of activity under "Rhinelander 0300" in the mid 20s.

[brynjon]

I am curious as to why he would have a business card registered there. Also the Rhinelander code for the phone number. Perhaps an agency address.

Rhinelander was just the telephone exchange for that address/area.
It would have been quite common for people to commute into the City, My great-grandfather would have commuted 20 miles (by train) into N.Y.C. but later his commute was almost 40 miles away from work.

If you check post #5 and use the link to deliver newspaper hits you can see the range of activity under "Rhinelander 0300" in the mid 20s.

Thanks again - it seems the work ethic of people back in the day was exemplary.