Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-03-09
MOBILE.
what the Late Press " ConVen-
tiOn" Say about It.

what the Late Press Conven-
tiOn" Say about It.
From some weeks past our Southern
I exchanges have been teeming with
glowing accounts OF the hospitRlities eX-
/ tended their representatives at the recent
Press Convention in the beautiful Gulf
/ Cityn-Mobile. Ali unite in describing
their soj0Urn there as one continued ova-
ton. a g feast and q frolic,n from the
moment they arrived until they were
escorted to the boats and trains that bore
/ them away from its gardens Of rosesi
and groves Of magnOlias and oranges
Their enthusiasm is not expended on an
( unworthy object; for city combining
more Of the elements which are essential
/ to make life one glorious idyl does not
exist under heaven. A sky az blue and
q climate as soft as that of Italy, bay as
beautiful AS that OF Naples, gardens that
rival the Hesperides, drives for miles
and miles around the city, through
groves of huge magnOlias, or along
/ orange bordered gardens, broad streets,
| beautiful houses, fine horses, lovely
women-all this does Mobile claim her
/ Own-and much more. But hear what
some of those conventiOnists say.
Says Randall, of the Georgia Constau-
tionGlisti
We stopped at the Battle House, Of
course. 1t still maintains its ancient re-
! pute, and under the opulent manage
ment of Mr. A. NJ Godfrey, bids fair to
surpass the renoRn of the past Our host
emulated the Board Of Trade in endeav-
oring to kill Us with kindness, and had
any of Us yielded to death in his hos
pitable mansion, the COTOners jury
would have held him to strict accOunta-
bility on the score of supramUrtal atten-
ton.
Scarcely bad we regRined the ordinary
cOmDOsuTe forfeited by travel, when
members of the Mobile Press and Board
of Trade poured in upon US, AMI were
/ lavish In assurances that they and the
| city belonged 10 US during our stay.
I Hotels, steamboats,, carriages, horses,
restaurants theRters-Sii opened thsir
| doors to Us, AVID member from North
| Carolina attempting to purchase pint
/ of COOLERS from corner huckster, was
astOunded by a venGer's polite refusal
/ and hint from him that the Board of
/ Trade had settled all in advance! Our
royal Mobilians we're determined not
/ only that We should have no want un-
/ grattied bu. even that wants dimly
| dreamed Of should be anticipated before
actually revealed.
There are two Clubs in Mobile-the
] NJ inassas and st. J Ames. The former
| il composed exclusively Of the old, solid
merchants and professiOnaIs-very re-
/ spectacle, very munificent and very
4 grand. Alring ths war it preservet lts
| dignity and hospitality unimpafred.
! 5 nee the war it has ti0urished ike a
| green bay tree. rdOse Of US who had
/ the happiness of partaking of its gor-
| geous banquet will never forget the wine
/ and wit, the spoils of the land and water,
sentiment, song and 2necdote - the
Z knightlv grace of Huger, the passionate
/ eIodueucs of lawson, the pTincaly ferv0r
Of IngersOll, the steady Il 2shss OF Lamar,
The srrowy rspartee OF s. John, the
/ honest humOr Of i lgiehsrd the keen
/ thrust Of Murphy aud the cool parry OF
( Gardner.
The ST. James Club is new iRstitu-
ton, and is msialy composed OF the
/ younger business IneD, though several OF
the veteran ManassaDs are on It's rolls.
Everything about il is bright and spark
| liug-from the shiRi msF OF tglass on
the sidebosrd to a fragment of Laura
Keeue's gaudy dress still stained with
the blood Of the late iEnented."
Mobile has a superb race course, and
is the winter rendezvous Of the most IA
/ NOUS horses. At the express desire of
Capt. Williamson, Of the Magnolia
House, we drove to see the kings and
/ queens of the turf Some forty or fifty
OF these were bret zad before US,
among which we specially noted BAyO-
net, StOnewalI Jackson, Molly Inger.
soil, Connolly and Gen. Ewell. After
ward Capt. Williamson som m0ned US to
a magnificent repast Of lssh, tish and
fowl Had we the space We should reek
our soul upon expression and eulOgise
the unctuous trout the rich chOp and
the Incompatible chOWdsr. Over our
Spartan broth and bread we shall re-
| member the feast and the feast giver
While such dainties were before Us, we
strove nightly to do them Justice now
that they have taken visionary forms
we may console ourselves with the re-
fisction that they once were ours.
Oae-haH at least Of Mobile is outside
OF the city prop;r. Extending for seven
miles along every road leading to Spring
Hill ,one meets with ac9nstant suCct ssion
VI ZIG tAlOSb DCAAtillA EuNtG8p6 W ou
ia exquisite foliage, principally ever
green. It is this rtss IN ur6e, We fancy,
that causes the MOblliAn to retain love
of true sentiment in the midst OF traffic
or indOleDt epjOyment. Great masses OF
stone or brick must harden and M qteri-
alize the mind; but the veriest Grad
/ qrtftd would soften in the presence of
| IuxuTiant nature. Ia one of the most
enchanting of these delicious retreats, it
was meet that we should have found
Mrs. Wilson, ths author Of " Rsulah
and S Il MOI Ssven terrible years
! had passed since last We met this highly
gifted lady. She struck as as being much
more paTdliEe and ethereal than ia the
days gone by. We fear that her lofty
ambition and restless spirit OF labor are
wearing away the thin sheath OF body
which they inhabit. II is reported that
another work from her pen has slresdy
been complsted, and the MS. disposed
OF for SIS 900. The reading world may
therefore be on the lockout for a new
sensation, for though the severer critics
may find fault with Mrs. Wilson's Oddi
ties of style OF idiOsyncrasies of thought
everybody reads her books. She ls every
way a most extraordinary woman, and
djspenses the honors OF her home with
grace, affabi ity and enthusiasm.
Not less remarkable in his way than
Mrs. Wilson is Col. Jack Ingersoll, one
. of Mobiles best and richest men. Nc
commercial venture of any Importance
is complete without him no festal
} board can be a thorough success which
marks his absepce with q vacant chair,
Present, be reigns like generous mon
arch with regal brow and flashing eyes
f Absent, we feel that something is losi
, I -, Oh fan 10 ly
civic Brutus-we cheer his statue in tht
procession and think but of him il il
} happen to be missed. Col. Ingersoll's
: abiding scheme is to build up greai
trade between Mobile and Fernandina,
T in view OF the important interests elus
/ tering about Florida and the route tt
[ Tahn ntenec. He was foremost il