The age-herald., 1897-09-04
GOSSIP OF THE STREET :. AND HOTEL LOBBlES

Slpp1 uelldi WHO was III the clLy yeSDeT- day. "The most encouraging part about this is that the farmers are raising more of the necessaries of life at home. It is true that the acreagsi of cotton has been increased 8 per cent, but then the corn acreage has been increased F per cent. The raising of larger food crop con- sider one of the best indications that the farmers are getting on a sound financial basis. The farmers of the south will not only have more to sell, but less to buy.
 "On the Atlantic coast they have raised nearly all the corn and bacon they need. and will net have to buy from the west. The Virginia farmers have cut down the acreaga of tobacco and have put their land in wheat. This has proved quite fortunate, in view of the boom in wheat. North Carolina is enthusiastic over it's wheat, oat and cotton crop, and South Carolina possesses the largest cotton crop in her history by 7SOOO bales The rain came too late in Tk&as. but still a good crop is promised. Mississippi will make a good crop despite her siege with high water. and in fact the prospects of the country at large are glowing"
 
 IS. M. Inman, one of the best known cotton men in the south, has gone out of business,'' said W. D. Wilkinson, g. cotton man from Nashville. "The firm of s. M. Inman & Co. was well known. I remember when the enterprise was launched about thirty years ago. It has grown steadily until the business of the company was enormous. Only 1,50O bales were bought the first year, but since branches have been established in nearly all of the large cotton buying cities of the United States. From the last esti- mates, I believe the company did any where from a four to five million dol lar business annually
 "The south has reaped great benefits from this firm, because of the great prominence given cotton trade. One sin gular thing is that this firm has never had any deaths. All of the members are now living and able to enjoy the reward of their long labor. The headquarters have never been removed from Atlanta"
 
 "A prominent Tennessee politician was in the city a few days since and told a story about his father we'll known lawyer of the Volunteer state. s
 My father was not altogether agrees able to men at all times, but to animals and pets of amy kind he was always ten- der. never saw my father lose his temper with d dumb thing but once, and living on largA plantation almost every specie of domesticated animal or fowl could be found on the place.
 My father in returning home one day from an adjoining county where he had been attending court found that in his absenca one of the ganders had been in a scrap and came out defeated. Now we had @ large flock of geese on the place and they made about as affection ate pets as one nsed want to find. The old gander was still gritty and walked around with his wing trailing in the dust. My father took the old fellow under his arm and into his office. The gan der seemed to accept him in the post of his lost mata and quacked contentedly.
 '"The way the gander stuck by the old man was funny. He got familiar on short acquaintance and was SO jealous he would attack members of the family, when they came close'to my father. The old man smiled at th9 gander's jealousy and would call out his name, Tip and the gander would come straight toward him with that 'terrible quack, quack. Tip proved to be great talker and in side of a month the gander could give my father cards and spades in a game of talk Whsn the old man would be talking to a friend and Tip would chime in I could see him give the gander a wistful glance and sort of an ap- pealing look.
 "It was near the breaking out of the civil war and of course everybody was greatly excited. Everybody was talk ing. One day there was quite number of prominent men in my fathers office talking earnestly, when Tip strolled in and took his accustomed place by fath- er's chair. The old man paid no he'd to the bird, but directly I saw him rise ex- citedly and he began:
 T tell you, gentlemen-'
 "'Quack, quack, quack,' put in Tip.
 '"The old man looked at the gander and began again
 tsll you, sirs, that
 "'Quack, quack, quack, quack,' put in Tip louder than before.
 That we can never-'
 "Quack, quack, quack, quack,' voiced Tip in tones loud enough to drown the old mans voice.
 My father raised his voice to a high pitch and went on:
 No, never stand such outrages as--'
 'Quack, quack, quack, quacll,' screamed Tip in tones to suit
 Are being heaped upon us, and, by the gods, if-'
 "'Quack, quack, quack!' Tip screamed as loud as he could
 Proper reparation is not made, it means
 "'Quack! quack! aquack,p screamed Tip in tremendous squawls.
 War! thunds red th= old man. and he caught Tip on the toe of his boot and landed him out in the middle of the yard, a sorely surprised gander. Tip was