The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-28

oANOl thC plA LII Ol tiie SOli ilt itlONtd lO farm three miles from the city. Here young William Henry labored as a farm boy until he was almost 20 years of age which brings him up to the period of the opening of this narrative
 He attended the public schools of Louis vile and most of the time walked the three miles from home to the city. He often walked the distance in the snow, rain and sleet. And this after he had milked the cows and. done the chores about the farm.
 He remembers to this day how the boys in school often laughed at the milk that had spattered on his shoes and which he had neglected to remove before leaving home.
 Before finishing in the high school young Kettig entered the mill supply house as narrated above. He wanted to learn the business and agreed to begin work for nothing.
 It was while he was on the road selling machinery that he drifted to Birmingham in 1885, The city was young and promis- ing and he believed that by 1910 the town would have more than 100000 people. He formed a partnership with Maj ". J.. Milner and esta blished the mill supply business of Milner & Kettig. They opened business in the old Elyton Land company building at the corner of Twentieth street ard Morris avenue.
 The business grew with the town and was later compelled to build the pre- tentious establishment across the rail- road tracks at the present location. A few years ago the business was taken over by the Crane company and Mir Kettig was retained as not only manager for this business. but all the business of the larger company in the south
 That is the story of his business career in Birmingham in three paragraphs.
 MT. Kettig has been very active in pub lie and social affairs. He has held many public and sem-publie offices with no pay attached. He has never accepted or asked for an office with salary He | hasn't time or inclination for that l For four years during the stress times of panic in the 90's he was member of the Birmingham City Council and chair man of the finance committed The city was in a bad way financially, and he had to do some hard thinking as well as scheming to keep the sheriff away from the city hall But he was successful as he has always been in his business af- fairs.
 He has been president of the Chamber of Commerce of Birmingham, also of the Southern club, and is now president of the Country club
 He has always taken a live interest in city and county politics, and has assisted in several very important campaigns He instituted and led the fight against the division of Jefferson county and the or ganzation of Pettus county a few years ago.
 MT. kettig recently purchased the hand some home of Judge Oscar R. Hundley on the South Highlands. one of the hand somest in the city.
 Mrs. 1<ettig was Miss Laura Moody. daughter of Maj. w. A. Moody of Bir- mingham. MT. and Mrs. Kettig have lilItt CllluieU
 MT kettig is fond of golf. fishing and hunting. Most of his reading outside of blue prints and price lists is history. About b years ago his fathers farm near Louisville was sold to the city and | is TOW the site of Western park one of the most popular in that city The town has grown rapidly in this direction. and the fields once titled by Mir Kettig are now surrounded by handsome homes. It 1 is estimated that the old farm of about ] 6c acres is now worth more than B O0o GOO. whereas in William Henry's boyhood days it barely made living for the fam l fly.
 Though I have made tolerable success in this world in a financial way" said MT. Kettg, q firmly believe that had l remained on the farm and devoted as much study and hard work to farming as have given to business I would have been many times better off now. l Like most men in business or the pro- fessions l have that hankering for the farm. believe the farm offers better op- portunfty for success to the young mer of this day than most any other trade ol calling. Conditions have changed. The farmer can sell anything he can grow now at good living prices and the demand | is still growing.
 T cannot understand why so many ot our young men continue to crowd into the cities seeking clerkships with smal salaries, where living expenses are high when the farm offers such wonderful op pOrtunitieS for material success