Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-12-25
TALK OF THU TOWN.
SOME OF THE GOSSIP FLOATING ABOUT THE
CITY.
Flying Opinions, Criticisms "reminiscences, Ete,
Heard Yesterday by Register" Reporters
as They Went Their Rounds.


"There are lots OF mysteries In this
life," said gentleman yesterday, land
one of them is why the city lays sewers
and water and gas pipes in the streets
instead OF in the alleys, which is the
natural place for them. Take the Is
land, for instance-any residence dis
trict will do for an illustration-but
let's take the Island. Nine out OF ten
houses are set back from the street, and
whether they are or not, the cellars are
all in the rear of the houses, under the
kitchen, and there gas meters are
placed, while sinks, bathrooms, water
closets, and all that sort OF thing are at
the rear. Yet the water and gas pipes
are laid in the streets, and the service
pipes have to be carried half the width
of the street, across the sidewalk, into
the yard, and the entire length OF the
house before they are Of any use
to the owner or tenant. Then, again,
every time there is a new pipe to
be laid or an old one repaired, the street
must be torn up. Why not the alley?
The same thing is more apparent is the
case of sewers. All the waste water
from a dwelling is drained out at the
rear. That is where the kitchens and
laundrys are located, and in three case
out Of four the natural drainage OF the
water is to the rear, yet they place the
sewers in from! Result: More expense
in laying sewers, and more tearing up
of the streets, while the alleys, where
no one walks, and where comparatively
few vehicles go, are left undisturbed. To
be sure, there are few sewers in alleys,
but why not put them all there, and
run branches to catch basins on the
streets, through cross streets and cross
alleys? The city Of the future will
have all these things in the alleys, and
the streets will not be torn up"
"You newspapers make lots of trouble
occasionally" said a retail merchant in
the dry goods line, yesterday. whats
the trouble?" asked a reporter. "Why
a few DAYS ago the REGISTER contained
an article TO the effect that lots Of fancy
articles could be made out OF ribbons,
such as come tied around handkerchiefs
and the like, in our line, and suggested
that the dry goods stores would give
these ribbons away for the asking. Re-
suit, half our female customers have
been bothering US for waste ribbons
during the rush Of holiday trade, and
Pm about ready to throw up my hands"
"Fire Chief Healy is going to have an
easy thing of it for reelection, Tuesday
night" said city politician who is
fully posted on what Is going on. 81
think about forty-four Of the forty
eight members of Council have indicat-
ed how they are going to vote, and it
would not surprise me TO see the vote
unanimous, as the probabilities are that
there will be number Of absentees at
the session"
Cuisines was never better at a holt
day season." said retail bookseller,
Yesterday, when asked how trade was.
I'VE never sold so many books in the
same time as we have during the past
three weeks, and never so many fine
books, at any time. l notice distinct
desire not only for fine editions, but for
the very best books. At the outset for
the holidays / ordered more books OF
this class than ever before, having no.
tced the tendency of enquiries, and
even with these increased orders, we
have been obliged to place several tee-
graphic orders for books, to meet the
increased demand for standard litera-
ture and the best current books, in the
finer editions. There is distinct and
growing demand in Wheeling for fine
editions, what are known as limited
books, and editions de lure, and some
very valuable specimens OF such books
are owned here. 1t is an encouraging
sign Of the times"
"Here is one of the grertest annoy
ances Of the gas office" said Secretary
Geo. He'll, last night, as he registered an
other front call'' in his book and sent
a man scurrying out of the Office to a
Main street store. ''If people would
try their gas, in cold weather, early in
the day, it would give US q chance to
remedy the trouble, and the consumers
would be certain Of gas in the evening,
when il is wanted. But as 1t is, they
never think of the gas until it is timeso
light it, and then, If the meter is in
trouble, they rush to the telephone,
We have received thirteen calls in the
last hour and half, and as matter
of course, they can't all be attended to
at once. A little precaution during
the day, in this matter, would save
lots of trouble all around"
This puts me In mind of an old-time
winter" said the venerable K. Bots
ford yesterday. How we used to catch
the cold weather. have seen the
river frozen over soidly with ice twelve
inches thick several times in one win
ter, and teams would cross down at
Benwood, at West Wheeling and at the
wharf, and magnificent ice would be
cut. | can see the big teams which
used to run on the pike coming across
the Island and driving over the ice.
Such teams as those driven by Colonel
Hoover, Of Morristown. He had mag
nificent outfit of six big horses and a
wagon which would hold seventy and
eighty hundred pounds Of freight. l
remember one of those teams broke
through once just as the leaders reached
the shore on this side Of the river, and
there was great trouble In getting the
wagon out. Those were winters which
meant something in the way Of ice and