Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-01-21
AROUND THE EVENING LAMP.

None Of the Newspaper men who re
ported the annual banquet of the Board
OF Trade at the Clayton House on Tues.
day night notsd at the time the sig
ni6cance of the smilax which decorated
the posts in the banquet hall. Indeed
only one OF them, so far as known,
called 1t smilax. while two others
called it laurel, and one ussd the
general name OF green leaves. Ii WIS
in fact Alabama smilsx, especially
ordered Tor the occasion and appropriate
because Alabama ia the native State
of Hon. Hilary A. Herbert, Secretary
OF the Navy, and thu Secretary was to
have been the chief guest of the dinner.
Unfortunately, he was not there to SOC
to what length the committee had gone
Ia his honor, but the Alabama smiRx
made none the less handsome appear
auce, assisted by the coiorei eiectric
lights.
"How Items are Made" might fur
nish an interesting topic for writer
with plenty of time on his hands. just
the other day two local reporters who
have not been connected with news.
papers for more than three decades
had an item to the effect that pocket
book had been stolen from woman's
hand on Delaware avenue. The name
OF the woman was unknown to these
bright writer's, and consequently they
proceeded to think out name for her
One of them hit upon name nf
woman who does not live in Winning
ton and with that name the item was
printed in the papers which thoy repre-.
sent. An out-of-town correspondent
used the same item in Philadelphia
paper and should the piece of news
happen to fall under the eyes of the
woman who bears the name thus used
she will probably excRim: "Why
there's namesake of mine away down
In Wilmington"
IL was very late WHEN the annual
dinner of the Board of Trade came to
an end tbs other night, and 1t was but
natural thar the late speeches should
not receive the zane attention from
the reporters that the earlier ones did.
The last speech of ali. that by Con-
gresham elect l.. Irving Handy, was
one of the wittiest OF the whole list.
His subject was the New Woman"
who was, be said, IN state of evolu-
tion not yet established. Referring to
her interest in public affairs he said
when he saw how the States went in
which women voted (which was for
Bryan he was sorry they did not vote
in all the States. He remarked that
we had no use for Philadelphia except
for our women to go there to buy
things" and as to Greater Wilmington
he declared that we wanted il as
home for them. lie concluded his
speech with the appropriate suggestion
that the men present go homo to their
women.
What trouble false report may cause
was illustrated some time ago by an
experience had by Col. A. G. McCaus-
land. He was over at Bridgeton, N.
j., and had gone to bed, when he was
called up by a telegram from a man
who wanted information. A report had
gotten out that the w. e. N. tug Laura
b. had sunk in the Delaware, and the
sender OF the telegram was anxious
about his sor, who should have been
aboard the tug about the time of the
reported sinking Col McCausland
was pretty well worked up over it, and
fortunately it turned out that the tug
hand not gone down and the mans son
was consequently not drowned.
&&k
One OF the soberest men in the city
OF Wilmington completely floored re-
porter of this paper who went to SEQ
him one day in regard to report that
several canning factories were to start
up here. The reporter in all innocence
asked the mao about the report and
received somewhat vague veriication
OF it, Then the reporter asked what
these factories we're going to can. And
this was the reply: "They are going
10 can the confidence that has been
restored since Mckinley's election. ="
HKk
| met ex- Chief of Police W. Y. Swig.
gett with his military straightuess on
Market street Thursday. The major
now lives at Fairfax Court House, Va.
He thought Wilmington looked very
quiet.
The Spectator.