Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-31

be known as Corporation street, or, in sh
to practically rebuild the business par
the city. This undertaking was beguI
1875 and IS, 200, 900 was borrowed to c
it out. Inasmuch as the money was ne
at once and 1t would take time to get al
Of Parliament authorizing the city to
bonds, Joseph Chamberlain offered to
vance $50, 900 to the city for the puT
other Birmingham capitalists did like
though in smaller sums, and the work
Immediately begun. The property was
demned and bought, the old houses
down and the land leased on seventy
year leases for the putting up of new b
ings. The leases were so worded the
the end Of the seventy-five years the L
ings upon the land should revert to the
so that eventually the Birmingham corr
tion will practically OWN the best part o
municipality, and it will then probab.
the richest city of the world. The he
Of the leases now pay a regular rent {
city and magnificent structures have
the places Of the old slums.
Birmingham Arcades.
One of the features OF the new bull
is a system of arcades which run her
there through them from street to s.
These are beautiful structures, rooted
iron and glass, forming large passag'
containing stores as good as you will
In England. The interior walls are Of
and the fronts Of the stores are plate
These arcades are filled with shoppt
the busiest times of the day, and they
a promenade and visiting place for the
pie. They are extremely light. Ind
took some snapshot photographs
them which have come out very we'll
In M strolls about the arcades
many evidences of the American in
One shop was filed with American
another had tomato ketchup from Phi
phia, sweet pickles and baked bean.
Baltimore, and a third jars of apple
from Pittsburg and canned soups fro
cago.
The most important sign that met
as l came up from the new station
junction Of Corporation street anc
street was that of the New York I
surance company, and the next /
saw was the American flag waving Fl
third story Of a big pink building
down the way, with the words
States Consulate" on the window 49,
A little later on I walked into IL l
sulate and spent an hour or so the.
Mr.. Marshall Halstead, who is INCL
consul and business representative
industrial section. He was free en-
expressing his opinions about A
trade, but said that he could not ALL
self to be quoted, as the Birmingh
pie have become so sensitive on
Ject OF the American invasion that
terview upon such lines would {
harm than good.
In a City Gas once.
1t was in company with Mr.. Halst
l visited the city gas office in the
House to learn something about h, (
corporations manage their gas W,
find that nearly all the cities Of
are now gradually buying the gas
Two hundred and thirty Of them
ready done so, and they are exten
service so that the poorest man
his gas at low cost.
We first entered the gas count.
where we found clerks taking
from the consumers, n from II I
on into the salesroom, where all
gas fixtures, from brackets to c. j
and from gas tips to gas stoves,
The Birmingham Gas company, v
trolled the business when the CT
to own it, had a fixture store an
poration bought this with the .
prices Of the fixtures are about
as in the United States. but tn,
payment are much more lenient.
will sell you gas fixtures on ii
Continued on Eighth Pa,