The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-09-02
GOSSIP OF THE STREET
AND HOTEL LOBBIES


1.-THE people of the north and east are
talking about u.s." said Robt Jemison,
of THE Birmingham Railway and Electric
company, who has just returned from a
visit to Washington and Philadelphia"
81 heard plenty elf comments upon Birm-
ingham and the south in general. They
look upon this as THE coming asesion.''
Mr. Jemison is a shrewd business man
and orsl who makes close observation Of
the prevailing conditions.
1.-The large wheat crop and the good
price it rs bringing has a tendency to
make the people of the east feel jubilant,"
continued Mr. Jemson. Then ths pros
poets for a large cotton crop are good
and every ons is looking forward to good
prices This is a guarantee to them OF
good trade from the cotton producing
sections.
But the thing agita ting them most Is
our iron ard Steel. TIE demonstration Of
the fact that steel can be made success
fully in the south is causing lots of
talk Why, they seem perfectly amazed
at our progress" said MIR. Jsmison, with
a laugh.
Much was said to me about Birm' n.y.
hams effort to get the government ar
NOR plate plant, and every one agre. d
That Birmingham stecd an equal chance.
If not bstter than the other compeators.
Il met Dick Clark, the man who made
the unsuccessful campaign against Gov
erhor Johnston, and was for a long time
representative from the Mobile district.
Clark was member of the rivers and
harbors committee and he Is yet fysrv
enthusiastic when it comes to that kind
OF business He expresses tfs bsilslf that
the government will build the canal con-
Meeting Birmingham with the Warrior
river
mississippi seems to be the warmest
place in the south for politics." remark
ed John Cleary, prominent Vicksbur
merchant, who has been spending some
weeks at Blount Springs, and returned
home yesterday. Governor McLaurin
is coming in for big share of additional
nctoriety in connection with the senato-
rial vacancy caused by the death of Sem
ator j. y. George. It seems to me the
McLaurins have had enough notoriety
already to satisfy the most gluttonous.
He always waits until the eleventh hour
to make an appointment, and of course
all during the interval speculation is rife
among the newspapers. He Is always
falling in for his share of newspaper puff.
He and al crowd of friends went to New
York. While there they visited the Ten
derloin' with a dozen newspaper report
ers in hot train. On top of this they ac-
cepted the tender of a box at cheap
theater. OF course 1t was advertised and
throngs Of people came to see the COVER
nor of Mississippi. All during the per-
formance the party was made the butt
for silly gas of the comedians.
'The funniest thing that has happened
in Mississippi for a long time occurred
in the last session of the legislature in
connection with the fight for a new cap
itak There was some talk of change in
the sites. A number of men who are
property holders around the present one
were doing everything possible to keep
1t from being moved. You know jack
son is dry town. Well, these prop
erty holders got together and fitted up
club room, where the members of the
legislature could go ON the quiet and
get drink. There was an old fellow
from one of the backwoods counties who
did not mix around with the younger
representatives. One of the merchants
thought all the old fellow needed was an
invitation. Accordingly he invited the
pious member down to the club room.
He went, looked very indifferently and
wouldn't touch anything to drink.
THE merchant gave the old fell1v up
as bald job, and thought no more of it.
The NEXT morning the same old mann
gained the recognition of the speaker
prefaced his talk with the declaration
that he WEE Baptist preacher and then
sailed into the club room people. The
free drink noon was closed ait once"
Nashville had to- deal with a niaw enc
my Esme time ago. said Charles Rich
ardsonL a Nashville drummer. at was
cock reaches, and they pnovsd r.gh. FORM
idable antagonists fer while. A swarm
of them seemed to come up out OF he
ealJth along in 'front.' OF a row of COM
mi1sion houses down ON Market street.
There were millions of them ard they
attrac ed hundreds of people. A half dozen
negro boys were kept busy for half an
hour fighting them with brooms and
everybody stopped to watch the merry
war. NO one knew where they came
from, but finally they were srieJ issuing
from let of Old boxes that were fairly
al1ve with them. The boxes had been ra-
moved from one of the CELLARS under
store ard the reaches wanted to get
back to their cid home. The negro who
discovered the aitmy of bugs dropped the
box he had picked up and ran off Yell
ing"