The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-11-30
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

| cannon for the army and navy and seacoast
Notifications. These guns can be manu-
featured here cheaper than at any other
place in the country, and we are but-a few
hours from the gulf ports, from which the
guns could be cheaply shipped to the navy
| yards, and all points to the eastward.
Within short time we shall have in opera
ton one of the best steel plants in the
country, and certainly the most modern of
them all Steel will be sold here at lower
rates than it can be profitably sold else
where, and as matter of common econ
omy great ordnance plant at Birming-
ham would be the best of investments
within the power of the government to
make. The government should make its
own guns and save the profits for Itself /
believe that if the matter was properly
presented at Washington we would have
reason to entertain strong hopes of the
ultimate establishment of an ordnance fac
tory in or near Birmingham
I'VE are ambitious to have here the best
single steel rod and wire mill in the United
States" said Mr.. Robinson, of the mih now
in course of erection at Ensley. THAT is
our purpose, and we are confident of its
realization. This district will have the best
mill of the kind in the country, we are
confident. Our plans call for it. and we are
working to that end"
"Reibon'' writes to the editor of the Age
Herald to say: 1.-THE architect in your
hotel Hobbies and elsewhere column is a
little off on Alabama history, or that por-
/ At, la+ +ba
He says Gov Thomas W. Watts, who was
elected governor of Alabama while colonel
of a regiment in the field and, by the way,
whilst under arrest and in danger of being
shot for disobedience of orders. Gov. Thos
H. Watts, not Thos W., was colonel of
the Seventeenth Alabama regiment, and
stationed a Pensacola part of Bragg's
army, when the latter determined to at
tack the enemy at Corinth Colonel Watts
was ordered to march at once and to leave
all camp equipage behind. This he posi-
lively refused to do, and was placed under
arrest by order of General Bragg. While
under arrest he was appointed attorney
general of the confederate states by Pres
ident jefferson Davis, and was serving as
such when elected governor of Alabama"
speaking of war times" said General
Shelley reminds me Of DR.. Mitchell, for
many years the principal of the noted
Methodist school at Summerfeld, in Dallas
county. DIR. Mitchell was very pious man
and a man of great intellectual power.
Many men now leading useful lives owe
much Of their good lessons of life to DIR.
Mtchelrs teaching and example.
10 xva bpfU the STATES IL
was the custom all over this section to
hold union prayer meetings-that was,
prayer meetings in which Christians of all
denominations came together to pray for
the success of the southern cause. Dr.
Mitchell happened to be in Mobile one
night and attended one of these prayer
meetings. He was called upon to lead in
prayer and readily responded. He prayed
the Lord to confound our enemies; to scat
ter their armies and render them harmless,
and to strand their fleets, and offered many
other fervent petitions to the All-wise.
Strand their fleets, o Lord-strand their
leets-and, and-give 'em hi, genrallyr
concluded the pious man fervently."
81 went to school to DIR. MITCHELL" said
General Fred s. Ferguson, land got many
a licking from him. He had a way of ut
tering seriptural phrases whilst in the act
of Furnishing the boys. One day, during the
war met him in front of the custom house
in Mobile. 1 made myself known to him,
and he kindly asked after my welfare.
Frederick he said, L hope you are good
man. L try to be, SIR Frederick, do you
remember my admontions to you when you
were a boy, how 1 used to urge you to be
good do, sir but the thing 1 remember
best is that when you used to whip me-
you exclaimed at the end of every blow,
THE way of the transgressor is hard
Zone day when Rufus w. Cobb was gov
ernor and Colonel Robert Mckee was his
private secretary General Shelley said,
there was a long, lank fellow from the
hills entered the executive office. Colonel
Mckee received the visitor with his usual
charming grace and dignity. rs Rufe at
home? asked the man from the hills. Col
onel Mckee, with characteristic respect for
men in high office, drew himself up and OBJ
served in tones of icy pollteness:
81 presume you refer to the GOVERNOR
Don't care a durn bout the governor;
1 wanter see Rufe,' was the contemptuous
answer. He saw 'Rufe.'''
Sheriff Frank p. O'Brien goes to Mont
gomery this morning to appear before the
senate committee on finance in the matter
of Senator Meador's bill to regulate the
sheriffs' fees for feeding prisoners in the
various counties of the state.
'"The effect of Senator Meador's BILL"
said Sheriff O'Brien last night, would be
to increase the feed fees 10 cents day for
each prisoner in the jails of twenty-three
counties, the aggregate increase being ST.
AGO. 20. Thirty-seven counties would not be
affected at all, while in six counties there
would be a reduction of cents day for
each prisoner. The saving In these counties
would be $5,329 Take from that the in
crease in the twenty-three counties and the
net result would be a saving to the state
of $2,S55.30. The sheriffs of Jefferson and
Mobile would be the principal sufferers by
the Meador bill. The average for Jefferson
4. 4 n