The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-10

are agile and are as feroclous as ugefS. E. Wilkinson, who accompanied MT. Kettig to MT. Douglas, remained over for more sport.
 Light and Dark Colored Cigars
 "The convincing proof presented by local cigar clerk, which was totally unavailing and which failed to convince habitual cigar-sm okers that light col ored cigars are not different from dark ones as to strength amused me very much yesterday" said well known man about town.
 "The argument came up that light cigar was not as strong as dark one and was precipitated by Frank Nell son, Jr., calling for light cigar. The clerk, not having a light one, suggest ed to MT. Nelson that dark one was no stronger in the filler than the oth- CT. MT. Nelson was not to be con vinced without proof. Thereupon the cigar man split cheap cigar or both shades open. It was shown that the filler was of the same character or tobacco and the only difference was in the wrapper The cigar man told MT. Nelson that light cigar was light only in the wrapper and that represented only about e-fifteenth of the smoke.
 About this time Frank Fowlkes came up, as did W. A. Brown. They argued with MT. Nelson that the light cigar was, In truth, weaker than the dark one, and then the cigar man got busy again. He split two cigars open of the brand smoked by the fnveterate smokers and sure enough he was right. The filters were of exactly the same kind of tobacco and the wrapper on the light and dark composed the only difference.
 "Despite this overwhelming proof the three well known gentlemen were un- convinced and laughingly said that Tn puffing the lighter smoke more real en- ioyment could be found than in the dark ones.
 "Whereat the skilled cigar man pointed silently at his ruined cigars. arched his eyebrows just trifle and then sold some panatellas to MT. Fowlkes.
 "The arguments advanced by the young man are held to be absolutely
  journals and by cigar makers. They say the difference in wrappers comes from a desire to make the colors in the boxes more uniform.
 "The young man who failed in his work of conversion was MT. Kirkland of the Burnett company"
 Opera Companies Past and Present
 "It is a fan cry from the days of Emma Abbott Opera company to the present." said w. o. Wheeler at the Hillman yesterday.
 q recall coming to Birmingham in the early eighties ahead of that com- pany as its press agent and it is something of a coincidence that I am here today ahead of the Bessie Abott Grand Opera organization. Emma Alp bolt, of blessed memory, did more per haps than any other singer to foster the love for opera in this country. She was in sense a pioneer in the field and Honest Little Emma's name be- came household word. Contemporary with her in the eighties was the or ganization known as the Boston Ideals, under the management of Mrs. Ober, and from this company later the Bos- tonians were evolved. F445tt
 Both Emma Abbott and the Ideals were companies of from 40 to 50 mem bers and their visits were looked upon as musical events. A little later Mrs. Thurber, wife of New York merchant and herself a musical enthusiast, or ganized the National Opera company, which had only a brief existence. Theo- dore Thomas was its first conductor. Emma Juch made tours of the south as did also Madame Tavary and both are well remembered.
 ''In point of numbers, equipment and stage appointments these companies, satisfactory as they were in their day, were as farthing rushlights' to an electric headlight In comparison with the great opera companies of the pres ent To instance the Bessie Abott Opera company which Liebler & Co.,, are sending south, it's orch estra alone IS as large numerically as were the great companies of those early days. It re- quires special trains of from eight to ten cars to transport its equipment and members. Its daily expense is equal to the weekly expenditure of the early Abbott company or the Ideals.
 ''This, of course, is only in keeping with the general advance in almost every line but in the operatic field Liebler & Co. have been the only firm daring enough to bring to the homes of the people of the south grand opera sang in Italian and produced on scale to vie with the great productions that have hitherto been seen only in New York, Boston, Chicago and few other cities'
 Iron Trade situation
 Matthew Addy & Co.'S iron report for the week says: Pig iron production