The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-11-02
GAS THAT is GAS
AND OTHER KINDS OF GAS
BY NED BRACE.

J know the price OF gas was so high here
! Itrtil they began to investigate It. There
are people Ewing in Birmingham who
n yer burned gas until they came here
They didn't know high-priced gas from
low priced gas, nor good gas from bad
gas. Bus they investigated gas yesser-
day and when they found cut how much
they were paying for it. there was
/ howl of protesbation from all eides.
The people who knew have been pro-
I testing all the time but to no advan-
tage. The truth OF the matter is the gas
company has had dts own way in Bfr-
| mingham. There are some pretty good
people connected with thu gas coln-
pany. Old man b. F. Rcden, who is
president of it, is mice old gentleman.
He tells a good story But he has an
eye for the main CHARGE. He reminds
me of Private John Allen, of Mississippi
When l was a young man many years
ago, was invited out to a little stag
dinner party with John Allen After
dinner, to Pass away the time, small
game of poker was INDUCED in. &C was
very small. didn't know much about
poker, but 1 believe Ghey said it was a
25-cznt limit game. Allen started out
telling stories. Every time he held a
good hand me told one eff his most anus
ing anecdotes and led others in the game
to bet against him while they were
thinking more about his story than
about thu value Of their hands.
john told some mighty good stories.
ard when the game ended, he was the
Only winner in 1t.
Allen is smart. Mr.. Roden is pretty
smart, too. He keeps everybody in
good humor around him, ibut he makes
THIN pay for it.
Why should the people pay interest
and dividends on all these bonds and
stock is a mystery. There is way to
stop this. The board of aldermen can do
it. If they won't do it, The state legisla-
ture can.
The managers of the gas company
may say that /. has a contract with
the city to run for thirty years from he
first day OF May, 1891. But the gas COM
pany canot hald the city to this contract
because it has violated it and is yiolat-
ing it every day. This gas company
is charging the consumer $1.4S1arer thous-
ard fest fer gas according to their
plin ed statement. That is. they bill it
to you el. $1.65 a. thousand and give
ten per cent off If your bin Is paid before
the 10th of the month. According to
my figures, ten per CENT off of $l65
leaves $14S1a. Yet the contract with
the city sialyls that the gas company
shall not charge private consumers in
the city for gas at a higher rata than
$1.4S per thousand feet, during said term
of thirty years" 1t further says that
the gas company shall compare it's prices
for gas with the price of gas paid for
in other cities in the United s. ates, Of
like size ard population, and the prices
regulated and adjusted between the par
tes so aus no. to make the gas in the
city cost exceeding the price that other
cities in the United States, Of like size
and popula on, and private consumers
tn erein are paying" Atlanta pays one
dollar per thousand; and we think Bir-
mirgham is as big ais Atlanta Little
Danville, up In Virginia, only pays one
dollar per Thousand. indianapolis, De-
troll and scores of other cities pay but
one dollar per thousand. Even Chatta-
nooga, in which everything gees only
bills its consumers of gas at $1.40 with
ten per cent off cf it for promp. pay
ment.
This gas company should be made to
tr;at the people fairly and justly
OF course they won't do II unless they
are made to do it.
The climate of Birmingham Is the
finest in the world. At least yellow fe-
yer can't live here II don't seem to be
able to develop here. The city has been
crowded with refugees from fever in
felsted points. They got in, notwithstand-
ing the quaran inc lines. Yet not sim
gle case of yellow fever has developed
here. Birmingham can throw open its
gates to the world now. 1t has had q
frost, and good one, and there is no
reason why the people of Montgomery,
Mobile and New Orleans should not be
invited here now.
Today is election day This is an off
year, but the local campaign in New
York Is one of intense interest. 1t is
Tanamany's fight for life. believe
Tammany is going ito win i feel Van
Wyclz will be elected mayor Of New
York by a. good round majority. He
ought to be- VAN Wyck is a man of cul-
ture and refinement. He is a man of
ability, elf great executive ability. He
is dignifed and modest, but firm. He
will make the best mayor New York has
ever had. liz
II am afraid Mark Hanna will win out
in Ohio But he Should not Hanna is
the most corrupt man in American poa-
tics. He don't deny it. He says the
end justffies the means. Bribery and
corruption has always been the means
with him. He has only those friends
which money will buy. His best friends
des5pise him. though they fear him. Fo-
raker Is speaking for him, y:t Foraker
would cut his throat if he could it with
out being detected. Mckinley himself
despses Hanna. Yet Mctniey has BEEN
in his power for several years. McK1n-
ley OWES Hanna $11S,000. Hanna holds
his notes for that amount. They teIl
me that Hanna has used $2,0O0,O0O of the
left over republican campaign fund to
buy Ohio for himself The chances are
that he has bought lit and the goods will
be delivered Did you ever see Hanna!
He Is not as ugly as Davenport makes
him. He is stout, chunky, round faced,
joyial-looling Dutchman. He looks Ike
he drinks beer. He sticks TO whisky
straight Occasionally he drinks cham