Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-18
RANDOM SHAT rs.

One Of the young lady bicyclists in the
city rides a wheel geared at TO- This is
considered mans gearing and is hard
to ride, but better time can be made.
The bicyclsts say that the road to the
Vanderbilt furnace is the best read for
riding. 1t is not dusty and is but little
travelled.
Mr.. B. B. Conner is painting his resi-
dence silver gray, ito show that we are
for silver" he said, land not that we will
get gray before we have free silver"
Did you ever notice what a task it is
to most people to express their thoughts
in writing? Men who talk well are at a
loss for words when they sit down to
write. In hotel reading room you will
see ten men writing and nine out Of the
ten will tear up sheet after sheet of pa
per- Ready writing comes only after long
practice. Once and a while you find a
man who is naturally a ready writer.
It is probable that the horse will come
into favor again after the bicycle has run
it's course. There is usually a revulsion of
feeling after extremes. The buggy has
now been considerably improved by the
use of the rubber tire, which not only
makes it much pleasanter riding but
saves the wear and tear of the vehicle.
Sometimes city prisoner becomes
obstreperous and refuses to work. He is
not whipped, as in some states, but is put
in dark cell and starved into Submis-
sion. Very few men can live on water
for forty days, as did DR.. Tanner and
after two or three days of hunger the
prisoner is only too glad to take up his
pick and shovel
Capt Norman Webb has returned from
a trip to Chicago. While in that city he
was shown map in the office of a Chi
cago business man, who had drawn a line
around the section of the south bounded
by the Tennessee river, by Atlanta, by the
gulf and by the Mississippi. "In that ter
ritory lies the country richer in natural
resources than any other country in the
world" said the Chicago man. you have
there iron, coal, cotton and lumber-the
four great articles of commerce that the
world must have. When you work up
these raw materials into manufactured
products you will have the greatest
wealth in the world. If New England or
France had such a country they would be
ten times richer than they are"
The winter is coming on, and beggars
on the street are beginning to appear. In
the summer a man needs but few clothes,
and can live on vegetables, which are
easily obtained. In cold weather he needs
more clothing and more expensive food.
L
the street. is often accosted by a beggar,
who asks for money to buy food The
business man has no time to investigate
the case and find out if the mendicant is
really starving. He does not like to give
the beggar money because he may spend
1t in getting drunk and he hates to refuse
point blank Winter before last the
ladies of the United Charities sold soup
tickets to the business men. who gave
them to beggars. This plan worked we'll
and might be again adopted
There is a rush and roar on the streets
late Saturday afternoon that is inspiring.
Carriages, buggies, bicycles and drays
seem mixed In utter confusion. The cars
are crowded and the sidewalks thronged.
Business men are hurrying to catch their
car bright-eyed girls scurry along, shop
pers with bundles mix with the crowd
and everybody seems in good humor.
Late in the afternoon First avenue is
the dress parade ground. The prettiest
young lady on the avenue yesterday af-
ternoon wore black Leghorn hat with
black plumes, a crimson bodice slashed
with black and a black skirt.