Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-28
IN THE HOTEL CORRIDORS.


The fight for the Atlanta postmastership
10 on in good earnest, and the two compel
ing candidates were hobnobbing with their
friends about the Metropolitan last night.
both gentlemen being registered at that
hotel They are Mr.. A. L. Kountz and
Col Amos Fox, both well-known citizens
Of the Georgia capital Mr.. kountz was
chatting In the lobby with number of
his supporters. including Mr.. Blackburn.
formerly managing, editor of the Atlanta
Herald. and others. while Col. Fox was
also supposed to be doing some quiet work
in an effective manner. The ONCE is worth
g 600 per annum. and Col. J. r. Lewis, the
republican incumbent, Is still drawing that
comfortable salary. His four-year term ex-
pirei few weeks ago. but as he was not
commissioned until near the close Of 1889
it il net supposed that he will be displaced
Immediately.
Mr.. Kountz. who seems to be taking the
lead in the race. Is a pleasant. genial gen
manners. who Is said to be well equipped
for the duties Of the position. He Is a ma
tive Of Atlanta. his hair just tipged with
that he lived today in the same house in
that city in which he was born. TT IL
dimcult to say now how the contest for
the postmastership will terminate" he
remarked. 1T Is not likely that an APP
pointment will be made before Col Lewis
commission expires, but / stopped of on
my way from Chicago to see how the land
lay"
1t II not announced whom Secretary
Hoke Smith will favor for the appointment.
HAS my bicycle trunk been brought from
the depot YETI" asked Mr.. L. A. Howell of
Chicago at Wizards yesterday. as the por-
ter wheeled in his other luggage. Eyes,
my bicycle trunk" he repeated. in answer
to the baggage smasher's look Of inquiry
and perplexity. The missing piece was
resurrected from the bottom of the pile.
and the wheelman proceeded to exhibit to
the lockers on something new and novel in
the line Of bicycle equipment. 1t had all
the outward appearance of a salesmans
large sample case. but its interior arrange
ment was quite different, and 1t contained
a splendid new wheel. These cases, or
trunks" as they are called. are a recent
innovation and are Of great convenience
to cyclers who wish to carry their wheels
long distances by rail-
That wheel has Travelled 10000 miles in
that trunk without an accident of any kind
or even q scratch" said Mr.. Howell. 1T
travels with the baggage. and the baggage
smasher has no terror for me as far as 1t
1s concerned; he can't hurt 1t. These
trunks are quite expensive. as they must
be made to order to fit the wheel. This
one cost $50. as much as the wheel itself.
The regular trunk makers put them up,
but only on orders: they are not kept in
StOCh some are maze 10 accommodate TWO
wheels, and inside are also arranged recep-
tacles for all the paraphernalia of an up
to-date wheelman. / wouldn't be without
my bicycle trunk on any account"
And he was on his flyer speeding down
the avenue.
when a man puts more than Is or 30
cents into cigar he Is throwing money
away" remarked Mr.. ]. ]. Levy. a New
York tobacco manufacturer, as he lolled
against the counter at he National enjoy
Ing fragrant weed Of his own production.
All above that price is paid for workman
ship not for the quality Of the goods. A
tobacco worker can make 500 or 600 nickel
cigars In the same space Of time that Is
required to turn out Is or 30 that will re-
tail three for a dollar. 1t Is largely this
workmanship that the smoker Of high
priced cigars pays for. OF course there is
great difference In the quality Of a nickel
cigar and a quarter cigar, but the differ
ence between one for 80 cents and one for
dollar is very slight. In the case of the
latter man pays not only for workman
ship but he pays for name and style just
as you do when you patronize an ultra
fashionable tailor. Very few men really
know anything about Judging the quality
by the price. But, as I said, all the actual
value that can be put into a cigar is from
Is to IS cents. All paid above that is
wasted"
TT is strange how M. Quad the quondam
funny man Of the Detroit Free Press has
disappeared from public view," remarked
Mr.. John NJ. Brewer, a prominent real es-
tate dealer Of Detroit, who is stopping at
the Ebbitt. He left the Free Press and
went to New York two or three years ago
and he seems to have gradually lost his
sprang into fame as a humorous writer?
He was printer, working at the case
his name is Lewis. you know-and he got
blown up In steamboat accident. He es-
capped injury. however, and wrote a very
humorous account Of the affair, which ne
sent to the Detroit paper. 1t was published
and attracted much attention and comment
with the result that Lewis was invited to
continue his humorous writings for the
paper. He entered on the work. and his
Lime Kiln Club sketches and other articles
brought him fame quite rapidly. When he
went to New York he Joined the staff of
one Of the big dailies, but he seems to have
been swallowed up in the multitude"
II have never before seen such a strange
situation in business circles in New York"
remarked Mr.. ]. ]. Little, leading mer-
chant Of Fort Smith, Ark. at Wizards yes
terday. II have just returned from
purchasing trip there and the business men
not seem to be making any effort to sell
goods. Everything seems to be hanging
fire. awaiting the action Of the Senate on
the repeal bill. And want to tell you that
II favorable action Is not taken in a reason
able time there will be another panic TO
which the one of the past summer was not
a marker That was a bankers panic, but
the next will be a mercantile panic, and 1t
will certainly come If the Senate does not
act soon.
LAS far as the south is concerned" con-
tinued Mr.. Little. 1.-The situation Is anom-
alous. While 1t has been the hardest sum-
mer known since the war. perhaps. the fall
finds our people in better condition than in
many years. This is explainable by the
facts that the merchants were unable to
extend the usual credits to the farmers and
the crops were therefore made more cheaply
and without the creation of the usual
amount OF debt. Crops generally have been
good and the farmers now find that more
of their products are their own than in
many years before"
This is my first visit to Washington"
remarked Mr.. d. c. Etinge of New York,
at the Metropolitan, land as 1 entered the
city 1 was struck with one feature which
seems distinctively it's own. We passed
through no dirty, smoky suburbs but the
whole city seems clean. 1t Is a pleasant re-
lief after noting the grimy, uninviting SUBJ
urban districts Of most of the eastern