The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-19
MATT MINORS TTMELY<
\ TOUCHES ON TOPICAL TOPICS

It would not cost much. Birmingham street
cars along towards night very much re-
semble pigpen. Hundreds of people ride
in them during the day eating peanuts and
allow the shells to fall on the floor. Others
eat oranges and throw the peel on the floor.
Mud, too. Intensely offensive to ladies.
To sum the matter up. the Birmingham
street cars are, expect, the dirtiest in the
United States. In many other cities every
car is swept and busted at the end of its
run. Cleanliness is a cheap commodity.
If Superintendent McClary will make 1t
point to have his cars kept clean, there
will be a great deal less grumbling among
the passengers. The steam roads make 1t
a point to keep their cars clean, and there
is no good reason why the street railroads
should not do the same. Suppose the SUI
perlntendent makes a trial of it, anyhow.
1t will do no harm.
That was a great killing they had at
Jeffersonville Ca, last Tuesday. The dis
patches say that the parties who engaged
in the killing belonged to the "oldest and
best families" There is no doubt that this
is somewhat exaggerated. The. oldest and
best families in the south either commit
the most crimes or they are being great
maligned. The Jeffersonvilie tragedy took
place in mans parlor. There were many
invited guests present. One member OF the
"oldest and best families in the neighbour
hood came in his best clothes. Like many
other members of the oldest and BEST
families" he was drunk when he arrived
at the house of his friend. He was hunting
trouble He found it. The peculiar thing
about the Jefrersonvile story is the readi-
ness with which of the oldest ana
best families" always has his gun upon
his person. The dispatch read that When
the drunken visitor b gan to pull his ps oil.
the host went into his hip pocket and
quickly got his gun ready for business.
There might have been some excuse for
the visitor carrying gun. He might nave
believed that he would have been waylaid
when going from his own house to the
house of his neghbor, where the party
was being given. But why the man who
gave the party when standing III his own
parlor should have pistol in his pocket
while he received his guests, is something
that is not very clear. Of course. belong
ing to one of the ''oldest and best families
1t would be very rude to ask for an eX-
PLANTATION upon this point. If he had be-
longed to one of the newest and worst
families" there might have been some eX-
cuse for carrying his gun when employed
in the peasant duty of receiving his in
vited guests 1 am inclined to the belief
that the "oldest and best family" racket
is being very much overdone. I have often
wondered where are the people who do not
belong to the "oldest and best families
They seldom figure in murders. They are
never heard of in any shooting scrapes.
No one ever hears of a man killing another
in a parlor who did not belong to one OF
the oldest and best families" All street
duels are conducted by members of the
"o'd st and best families" 1t might not
be bad idea to completely extinguish the
"oldest and best lamilies," and give the
other people a chance to get in their
| work.