The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-30

an odor from the Rrate. nor. the slight est curl of smoke nor the slightest trace l of soot
 This grate is the first place in Ala i to a practical use. 1t Is the place where the commercial use Of natural gas in Huntsville and in Alabama made It's beginning. A couple of blocks away l a storekeeper now lights his store and his house and he heats his house and his store with natural gas. He says 1t all costs him five cents a day. In the streets of West Huntsville workmen are laying gas pipes. In the several houses other workmen are putting in gas fixetures.
 pany has begun it's work-a work which is the first of its kind in Ala bama. The company has money and brains with it--which has always been The company. having complete faith In it's ability. to supply natural gas to the people of Huntsville has taken an option on the Huntsville gas plant at a hundred thousand dollars. The com pany. moreover. sent to the natural gas belt of Indiana to ges an expert experimenting the digging of the new gas well.
 He is supervising the harnessing of the gas which is furnished by the. two great quantities of gas. He Is more over directing the worknien who are
 
 in the fixtures in the various houses and stores of West Huntsville 4ay
 Its a great time for West Huntsville. The. small storekeeper, the moderately well to do householder has suddenly found that a gas lit house and a gas heated house are no longer luxury. He has suddenly found that he can light his house cheaper with gas than he formerly lit 1t with kerosene-and he has found that his cooking can be done cheaper, with gas than he was ever able to do it before. The deacons of the little church which stands on the corner having the interests of the church at heart have banisned the old time kerosene lamps and put in gas fixtures. It has been demonstrated to them that they can light the church infinitely better with natural gas than wnh Kerosene and do 1t infinitely
 It is the beginning. If the promise of the enterprise Is fulfilled 1t will be one of the greatest. if not the great Huntsville in many years. The com pany is now selling It's gas in West Huntsville for fifty cents a thousand. In the city of Huntsxille the manufac- tured article is sold for $2,25 a thous- and. Officials of the company are ab- solutely sure that the wells which they city and that new wells can be dug as easily and with thes$agne line results as marked the completion Of the hrst two wells.
 NdIuTdl gas Oi any uS' tNA R0STS4 bility of similar nature may be discovered by accident But 1t IS not developed and made comme rcially val uable by any accident. What makes such a discovery of use to mankind is the combination of energy, brains and money. Those three great factors of modern industrial success have re- narkable combination in She person of c. W Pratt, of the West Huntsville Cotton Mills. Tn Investigating the growth and the commercial conditions nf Huntsville I came early across the name and the work of T W. Pratt.
 "Who Is T. W. Pratt?" I asked a friend who knew.
 Vandlver of Huntsville.
 "ae is the W. F. Vandiver of Hunts ville' replied my friend, slowly after thinking a full minute. If the reader