Exhibit 5(i)







                                               Bedminster, New Jersey
                                               August 15, 1997




            NUI Corporation
            550 Route 202-206, Box 760
            Bedminster, New Jersey 07921-0760

            Ladies and Gentlemen:

                      I am are acting as counsel for NUI Corporation
            (the "Company") in connection with the proposed issuance and
            sale by it of additional shares of its Common Stock, without
            par value (the "Stock"), and the preferred stock purchase
            rights appurtenant thereto (the "Rights"), as contemplated
            by the registration statement on Form S-3 proposed to be
            filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange
            Commission on or about the date hereof for the registration
            of the Stock and the Rights under the Securities Act of
            1933, as amended (the "Act"), as it may be amended, said
            registration statement being hereinafter called the
            "Registration Statement".

                      I am of the opinion that the Company is a
            corporation validly organized, existing and in good standing
            under the laws of the State of New Jersey.

                      I am further of the opinion that, subject to the
            qualifications hereinafter expressed, when:

                      (a)  the Registration Statement shall have become
                 effective under the Act;

                      (b)  all regulatory approvals legally required for
                 the issuance by the Company of authorized but unissued
                 shares of Stock, including the Rights appurtenant
                 thereto, shall have been obtained,

                      (c)  the Company's Board of Directors or a duly
                 authorized committee thereof shall have taken such
                 action as may be necessary to authorize the issuance
                 and sale of the Stock on the terms set forth in or
                 contemplated by the Registration Statement, as to be
                 amended or supplemented, and the exhibits thereto, and
                 to authorize such other action as may be necessary in
                 connection with the consummation of the issuance and
                 sale of the Stock,

                      (d)  the Stock shall have been issued, sold and
                 delivered by the Company to the purchasers against
                 payment therefor, all as contemplated by, and in
                 conformity with, the acts, proceedings and documents
                 referred to above and the Company's Amended and
                 Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and

                      (e)  the Rights appurtenant to the Stock shall
                 have been issued in accordance with the terms of the
                 Rights Agreement dated as of November 28, 1995 between
                 the Company and Mellon Securities Trust Company,

            the Stock will have been validly issued and will be fully
            paid and non-assessable and the Rights will have been duly
            and validly issued.

                      I am a member of the New Jersey bar and do not
            hold myself out as an expert on the law of any other state.
            As to matters of Florida, Maryland, New York, North Carolina
            and Pennsylvania law, I have examined or caused to be
            examined such documents and satisfied myself as to such
            matters as I have deemed necessary in order to render this
            opinion.

                      I hereby authorize and consent to the use of this
            opinion as Exhibit 5(i) to the Registration Statement, and
            authorize and consent to the references to me in the
            Registration Statement and in the prospectus constituting a
            part thereof.  I further consent to the reliance upon this
            opinion by Reid & Priest LLP for purposes of such firm's
            opinion to you of even date herewith.

                                               Very truly yours,

                                               /s/ James R. Van Horn


                                               James R. Van Horn