The age-herald., 1897-10-09
GOSSIP OF THE STREET
 AND HOTEL LOBBlES,

There has been much discussion as to whalther beasts can in some instances understand the human language" said R. A. Mccall, of Mississippi, who was in Birmingham yesterday. But I believe if a mule can understand the language of any one it is that of the negro who drives him.
 'It may sound strange, but I believe there is a bond of sympathy or affection existing between the two. In farm work the negru is generally the mules boss and close association makes them very familiar with each other. Whether it is on this account do not know, but it is certain that a negro can make a. mule do things that a white man would never dream of attempting.
 q have seen white drivers get stalled on hill and could not make their mulss budge. Some old negro would come along and coax the stubborn beasts along. Mules will undergo treatment from @ negro that he will net stand from any other source.
 ''I don't believe I remember of having seen a mule kick a negro, but woe he unto the white man who gets in the region of the flindrnest pedal extremi- ties of an angry muls. I have seen cases where a mule would kick almost all the lumber down around a stable and au negro would come along and with a flaw words and rubs, get him into a state of perfect docilfty.
 q heard ons man argue that this was caused by the mules prejudice against the whites
 con account of the part the United States has taken in the Hawaiian affair the lower people of Japan are calling us a nation of dogs.' said D. B. Ingram who has lately spent some time in that country representing @ large tobacco house. MT Ingram will pay visit 10 his family in Barlow, Fla, before re- turning.
 ''It is not uncommon for foreign wo- men to be instlited in the streets by the common dlass.'' he continued. we are all dissatisfied with the turn affairs have taken in Japan, for we are nob certain whether we are secure or not. feet and then we will be tried by the circuit courts, which are vsry corrupt.
 "The cooEe class is very disagreeable; they do everything possible to worry and qarass foreigners. They think ev- cry foreigner is a sympathfzer with the Americans in the Hawaiian matter and they treat them as such. They stand on the streets and order a white man to get out of the way and in most cases it is batter to lower ones pride and obey the command. Lots of them carry sword canes and they think they can 'Eck' the world, the United States would not give them good exercise. We do not say much because it is not to our interest to stir up a row."
 ''There is a certain class of men you see everywhere" remarked A. H. Kirl2- land, of Nashville, who was in the city yesterday.
 This is the man who has his crazes.s He has a mania for fine horses and he wants to start a whole stock farm. He ct dtIu NdlllS lO DSCOiIt6 whole distillery. He fiiss high and spends money lavishly, going from one extreme to another
 "Flnally the wreck comes and to save himself from too great a disaster his re- maining property is made over to his wife. He lays low for awhile and then he begins living high again. His cred itors think certainly if he can be so ex- travagant ha ought to pay his debts, but he won't do it and they have no recourse. He goes on but another financial disas- ter comes sooner or later.'
 Garter Harrison, of Chicago, will be known as the street paving mayor" said w. R. Dnkley, a citizen of that city. who was in Birmingham yesterday.
 An order was given the other day for eighty-five miles of street paving, which will cost $6,000,0O0."