The age-herald., 1897-10-29
CURRENT TOPICS OF
 ~EVERY DAY LIFE
By NED BRACE.

I saw my old friend r. B. Nichols in town yesterday. He was riding nickel plated bicycle. He wore knickerbockers. red sweater, jaunty little coat and a white yachting cap. Nichols is nod handsome, but he looked up-to-date yes- terday. He is a little bow-egged im walking, but that don't show so much on bicycle. I first met Nichols in far off Japan. He was over there trying to sell iron pipe to the Japs. There were Germans, Frenohmen, Englishmen all trying to sell iron pipe at the same time. but Nichols got the inside track somehow, and was about to be award- ed the contract. It was promised him at 10 o'clock the next morning That night he received a cablegram which came by way of St Petersburg, Russia. across Siberia to Vlaibastock, and un- der the China sea. The cable told him that pig iron had jumped up g ton. Nichols told the Japs the next morning that he didn't want the contract. An Englishman boldly went in and took it
  His boldness cost him 1000. Nichols, however, made a good contract over there for his company, but he made d bad one for himself. Ifyou ever go oux to Bessemer ask him to show you his Japanese clothes. He had a tailor in Yokohama make him thirty suits, ak silk lined, at S10 a suit. They feel mighty nice and they look mighty pret- ty when you hold them up, but the fit would make a revivalist say bad words. I know Nichols has never worn any of them since he came back. He may work them off on the swells of the col- ored persuasion in Bessemer, but ! doubt even that. Nichols is however, all right. He had good time over there, and he usually has a good time make money, and I hear he knows hoM to spend it That is good combina- ton.
 Speaking of spending money, there are lots of people in Birmingham who ought to do 1t, but who don't do it. I don't see why the Birmingham water works us good, pure water. They have spent over a million dollars on the water works here. It is magnificent plan5 but they get their water from a stream knows water from streams is not al- ways pure. If the water company would spend about $50,CO0 more and put in one of the modern mechanical filters. we would have as fine water in Bir- mingham as is found in any city in the world. It is useless to compare the health of a great city like Birmingham with the expenditure of a few thousand dollars. The water works company charges enough for their water and there is no reason why it should not be made pure and good believe they will do it. I know that if Maj. Miner. who is general superintendent and manager, has say about it he will do it
 Another thing Iwant to kick a bit about is the price we good people in Birmingham have to pay for gas. The Gas company is all right and I don't blame them for wanting to make money. But there is such a thing as good profit and the profit of highwayman. The present gas company is simply hold- ing the people of Birmingham up. There is no reason on earth why they should be made to pay $1.65 a thousand feet for gas The gas company buys coal for about 75 cents a ton and 1t sells it's coke, yet it charges $1.65 a. thousand fov gas and it is not good gas at that. Tho Atlanta Gas company furnishes gas for S1 a thousand and the coal from which thatfgas is made costs g or more ton. This is all wrong. If the people do not protest, of course they will be imposed upon. We have lots of good things and lots of bad things in Birmingham. Gas is one of the bad ones because it is not a good quality of gas. It don't seem to be thoroughly purified, and 1t is very much higher than it ought to be. I am not kicker. but I don't propose to pay $1.65 for gas any longer.
 He Has One