The evening times., 1896-10-19
The Lounger.
II MONG the guests at the Raleigh Hote
4 is William b. Clements, of Atlanta

II MONG the guests at the Raleigh Hote
is William b. Clemen of Atlanta
Ga. the travelling passenger agent oi
the Seaboard Air Line, who IOr the time
being is looking after the interests OF his
company in this city
Mr.. Clements Is fresh from Il trip over
the lines Of his road through Georgia and
Alabama, and is full of observations upon
the political situation in the two States
to which he paid particular attention.
He says that while Georgia viii un-
duubtediy go for silver the gold vote will
poa up very large and would, indeed. be
much larger If the voters with gold senti-
ments were not deferred from voting as
they think by the question OF negro domi-
nat ion.
The largest part Of the Nc Kinlcy vote is
found i'll the cities, while silver is rampant
among the farmers. Many OF the latter
think That the pas sing oI silver act means
the advent OF Tie millennium and that the
distribution Of silver dollars will he one
uf the many blessings which would follow it.
Another factor in holding down the
gold vote is the great personal popularity
OF Tom Watson. While the Georgia people
as IA whole do not take him very seriously,
nevertheless they hold him in great es-
TEEN because of his great personal mag
netism and because OF the fact that they
have seen him develop among them from
"A poor boy without prospects to his pres
ent prominence.
Not w outstanding all this. there is
gradual reaction from the silver wave
" hich at first swept over the State. and
the Republican vote is gaining strength
every day.
This is due largely to the efforts of the
Republican camIaign committee under
Col. Buck, " hich is scattering goldliterature
right and left. The committee is spcndir-.
"A great deal OF money, but almost all in
this way, as they have Tar brought
very few speakers into the State.
In Alabama, too, the silver sentiment is
on the wane, and Mr.. Clements thinks
that the result OF the election in that
State will occasion great surprise in all
quarters. While at present things look
like Bryan. the fight will be extremely
close, and Mr.. Clements says that he " ould
not be surprised to see 1t go Republican.
q RoF. B, wouLvIN, l. Of ,1 Brussels, ..,l Bel
He is profes sor OF applied cleo
fL iUt vi anu
although in the United States on pleasure
tour, has spent most OF his time in noting
the progress of this country in electrical
invention.
He saws that, while Europe is much
further advanced in the knowledge OF the
theory Of electricity. in all applications OF
that wonderful power To commercial uses
the United States is far in the lead. For
instance, bis own city of Brussels, which
has over 100000 Inhabitants, has Just
begun the construction of electrical street
railways, whereas there is not a city Of
that size in this country which has not had
them fOr years.
This fact, however, he explains, is
partly accounted for by the large extent
Of ground which is covered by American
cities. making rapid transit an absolute
necessity for the efficient carriage Of
traffic from one end OF city.
lii Europe the cities are much more
compact, So that the need is not felt so
quickly.
Another fact which has fallen under his
observation. which also tends to that effect,
is that business men in this country very
often have their offices separated from
their homes by TIE whole length OF the
city. while in Europe the place Of'busincss
and the place of residence are almost in
yariabIy in the same building.
When asked what progress the cleo
tricidns OF Europe are making, Mr.. Woulvln
auswered that there have recently been
made some important discoveries, which Will
lead,to the acquisition OF better knowl-
edge of the relations existing between the
phenomena Of electricity and light.
These experiments, he said, have not yet
reached the stage where they would inter
est the public, and, indeed. in their present
statethc can be understood only by special
lists.
Many of the leading specialists, he con-
tinued, are now occupied with further
stndy of the mysterious X-rays- By re-
flecting the rays back from plates made OF
different metals, they believe that the ma
ture of that undefinable something which
physicists call ether may be discovered
Mr.. WouIvin ha salread spent a month in
this country, and will spend another in com
pleting his tour OF the various cities, after
which he Will return to MS post d t the uni
versity