The age-herald., 1897-11-19
GOSSIP OF THE STREET
 AND HOTEL. LOBBIES

Henry watterson Is a great man." remarked Hon. Ross c. Smith. In the Morris hotel corridor to party of friends. "But just as oth ITS, he has his eccentricities and his prejud1ces. He was banquetted by a number of his friends after his lecture at Seals hall. As was natural, every one was drink ing champagne. Mir. Watterson would not touch it. Some one asked him why he was dIlnk1ng beer in preference to champagne. He had already dispossd of about six bottles. and between sneers at Grover Cleveland's motives in signing whisky petition. he explained He said that he had his Champagne days and his beer days One day he would drink beer exclusively and another leham- pagne, and that he n=ver drank whisky. The day he wanted champagne and couldn't get it he would pay an ex- horbitant price for it. and likewise with beer He said that tan years ago Cleve- land would never have signed a whisky petition. He termed the former occu, pant of the white hoBss as "a crafty politician, and said he just wanted to get In WIt7l the boys again.
 Some one sitting near by added to the story. rI remember" said the ntle- man, ''w1hen Watterson was traveling abroad he wrote letter to the Courier Journal that the liquid refr shments in the country he wss then visiting were very inferior. His friends Tn Louisville immediately get a oask of the great edi- tors Kentucky faporite and forwarded 1t to him. There were no more letters as to the inferiodlty of foreign drinks"
 "Birmingham hasn't many Chinese laundkfes' said R. F. Toadvin of New York at the Florence last night. eve have any number of them in New YordS and other eastern cities One would think the Chinamen would be the last person in the world to cut prices, but the competition has baen right lively in New York, Washington and otHer cities durng the past few years. It was not uncommon to see a sign posted in front of laundry announcing that the prices had been lowered. The celes.tals have been cutting their own threats by this method, and recently they have found a remedy. They have organized something like labor union They hold no meet ings and the mode of organizing is a lit- tie singular. A committee goes from laundry to laundry with a scale of rates. Each boss Chnaman is made to promise that ahe will not do work below the rates shown on the cards Each member is required to pay 25 cents weekly to pay the expenses of the walking delgates as they would be termed among the labor unions. That ends the process of or ganization. If any celestial comes below the prescribed rates hs will be b1ack- 1jstld and this among Chinamen Is much more ominous than among Americans. If some of the celesItials dlo break over the bounds there will be a small-slzed riot.t
 Bob FitZS.Gnmons can use his fists to advantage, but there are other things he can't do." said Eddie Norton, a Nashville sportt, who was in the city yesterday, q saw him in a little game up in Coi- orado few years ago, by which he would have been fieeced out of a large sum if he had had it on him. Bob didn't have much of a wallet at that time. The way it came about Bob was going to have a scrap near by. A well-dressed young man was introduced to him as the son of a big railroad magnate The gentleman invited Fitz to ride with him in his private car to the battle-ground. On the way game of cards was played. It was poker. When the first hand was dealt Fftz smiled and only regretted that he didn't have $9,O00 to put up instead of $500. Ie thought he could see the ottheP mans hand. and from his point of view fit was worth nothing- He put up his shirt stud and rings. Then the show down came, and Fitz had been knocked out"
 Senator E. W. Pettus was at the Mor- ris last night. The senator will return home in Selma in a few days, prepara- tory to going to Washington to occupy his seat in congress gIe has been visit- ing in BlounIt Springs for the past few days and enjoying a season of hunt. ing.
 Gen. Charles NJ. Shelley has just re- turned from Washington, where he spent several days. "There Is nothing of inter- est going on tlhere," said the general. 'SThere are few members of congress in the city preparatory to the opening in December"
 l.. B. Musgrove, prominent democrat of Walker county, was at the Slorris last night.
 Col Sharpe of Nashville is at the Florence. He is here looking after h interests in the Spothite furnace
 POINTED PARAGRAPHS.