The age-herald., 1898-04-09


 night before last The bet was $25O to S125 that MT. Stiles would be elected probate judge today. The gentleman who took the bet was one of MT. Lane's friends. A number of smaller bets were also made yesterday Several bets were said to have been made in favor of Judge Wilkerson as against MT. Harsh.
 "I hope there will be no war between the United States and Spain," said a we'll
 known minister yesterday. 'I am chaplain of a military company, and if war is de- clared, of course I will go to the front with it, but hope that the matter will yet be settled amicably."
 'I was surprised to read the startling an- nouncement in the New York Journal | which came today" said well known gentleman at the Morris yesterday. "The Journal declares that Mckinley has de- liberately tricked congress and the coun- try. It further says that Mckinley in- tends to be honest, but that he has around him Wall street speculative cabinet don't believe that this Is true of all the cabinet officers, but do believe that a ma jority of them are under influences of cer- tain Wall street men. I was in Wash ington the other day, as have been during several months of every year for the last ten years. I have never seen so much speculation going on. Every department clerk and every clerk around the capital seems to be dabbling in stocks. The bucket shops are doing a thriving business. I was surprised to see one young man whose salary I know does not exceed $500 year, buy block of 300 shares of stock at one time and give his check to the broker for 800. It looked to me very much like this young fellow was acting for some congress- man. In my opinion, any congressman who speculates in stock affected by con- gressional legislation, ought to be sent to the penitentiary. It is al outrage upon the people of this country"
 "I don't believe anybody knows whether war will be declared or not" said MT. Thomas B. Paine yesterday. The dispatches which our house has received today would indicate that there will be war. If that be the case, 1t is surprising that stocks should remain firm throughout this excite ment. In fact, stocks have gone up con- siderably during the past week. This would indicate that the matter will be settled without war. However. nobody can tell" Tt strikes me that good times in the commercial world are in sight," said Ferd Marx yesterday. My business since the first of January has been 50 per cent bet ter than it was during the first three months of last year, and hear that the other merchants are pleased with the pres onf l%,tc with Spain would disrupt business for the time, but I don't think that it will last long, believe that business will be better in this country than it has been within the past ten years. War or no war, I look for ward to general improvement in the con- dition of business of this section. Bir- mingham is growing every day. I have more confidence in It's future today than l have ever had"
 T was in Washington the other day sit ting in the senate gallery observing the senator's" said Harry Hall of Pittsburg, who was at the Morris. Indeed I spent several days in the senate gallery. I ob- served one senator in particular-old Sen aror Bates, of Tennessee. I never saw him that he didn't have cigar in his mouth. He chewed at it all the time. I hear that he carries cigar in his mouth at all times, but has not lighted one since the battle of the Wilderness over thirty years ago. In that battle he was sitting astride Of his horse giving a command to his broth CT, who was on his staff. Just as his brother turned to execute the command, Senator Bates struck match on the pom- mel of his saddle, and was about to light his cigar. At that instant a cannon ball passed which killed his brother It passed so close to him that it extinguished his match.
 Although previous to that time the sem ator had been an inveterate smoker. he has never smoked a cigar from that day to this"
 T have been surprised at Senator Re-, I1llman in this war-like crisis" said MT F. F. Ferris, former Mississippian, who has made his home in Washington for many years past. Ever since Tillman has been in Washington, he has been spelling for fight with somebody or something But he has been absolutely silent so far as l know an the subject of the declaration of war. He is for war of course. But for one of his bellicose disposition it seems to me that he might have been taking part in the speech making. They say that Till man is warrior. Yet with. the exception of John T. Morgan and Little Joe" Wheel CT. haven't heard of any senator or con- gressman volunteering for service"
 Montgomery is to have the finest and best equipped depot I have seen south of Louisville" said Captain Reuben F. Kolb, who has just returned from trip to that city. ''It is large and commodious and is complete in every detail But Montgomery deserves a good depot. I don't know of any community that ought to appreciate depot more. The affair that for the last generation has served for the purpose of a depot in Montgomery, was enough to make them rejoice at anything that was a change"
 The scene was at the depot yesterday afternoon. Jim Johns appeared on the scene and began to wink at pretty girl who was leaning from the window of Pullman car. The girl had been there be-