The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-04
in HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

AND ELSEWHERE
Colonel William Jennings Bryan spent
few minutes in Birmingham yesterday
morning, as was foretold in the Age-Her-
aid. He arrived by the Louisville and
Nashville southbound train at 7:45 on his
way to rejoin his Nebraska regiment at
Savannah, after a sick leave of several
weeks Colonel Bryan was received at the
union passenger station by Hon. John w.
Tomlinson, Congressman John II. Bank
head and other personal and political
friends He appeared to be in greatly bet
ter health than when he passed through
here for his Nebraska home three weeks
ago. His health is restored, but he has not
yet fully recovered his strength. Colonel
Bryan had nothing to say for publication,
and after short stay here he proceeded
to Montgomery, where he was received by
the general assembly of Alabama The
early hour of his arrival here made pub
lie demonstration of welcome impractical
BILE.
Congressman John H. Bankhead left the
city yesterday afternoon by the 4:15 train
over Ine LOT WaSHlIBl u re-
sumo his duties in congress- which assem- :
bes at noon tomorrow He will reach
Washington this evening. Mr.. Bankhead
was accompanied by his private secretary,
A. b. McEachan, Jr., of Tuscaloosa. The
congressman declined to discuss the matter
of his canddature for the leadership of the
democratic minority in the house of repre-
sentatives. He declared that he had noth-
ing to say for publication at this time
Congressman Underwoods opposition to
Mr.. Bankhead in the leadership race, as
noted in special dispatch from Washing
ton to the Age-H of yesterday, caused
general surprise here and much comment.
as Mr.. Bankhead is an Albanian and his
district adjoins that of Mr.. Underwood. In
fact, Mr.. Bankhead represented Birming-
ham and Jefferson county in congress for
several years before the creation of the
present Ninth district. Mr.. Bankhead adj
mitted that he knew that Mr. Underwood
was under a pledge to Bailey, of Texas.
But 1t was not anticipated by the public
that Mr.. Underwood would declare himself
publicly as being opposed to his Alabama
colleague.
I'VE have had so much difficulty in get
ting the best grade of Havana tobaccos
that we have been compelled to curtail our
sales" The speaker was Mr.. D. s. Usher
ger, representing the Belmont Cigar conn
pany, of New Orleans. On account of the
war, Mr. Lisberger says, the supply of Ha-
vana tobaccos has been so small that many
manufacturers have been compelled to use
Mexican tobacco and Florida Seeding to-
bacco.
One of the cleverest little devices seen
in many day is the ba-bearing furniture
caster, which was being sold to the trade
yesterday by Mr. H. A. Schildt, represent
ing the Otis Hidden company, of Louisville
1t is a simple little contrivance of brass
with the steel ball revolving in it ON ball
bearings, and yet it is one of the cleverest
devices of the age.
MANY of the hotels have adopted the l.
plan of not supplying their guests with
hand-soap,'' said travelling man last night,
land l confess that do not, like the innp-
walton. Good soap is very cheap, and T
question the wisdom of hotels in declining
to place it in the bedrooms of those who
keep the hotels going. One doesn't wish to
be carrying soap about with one all the
time. You take out a cake of soap and
use it in your room for one night perhaps
and then you either have to go to the
trouble of wrapping it in paper and taking
1t away with you, or you leave 1t behind
If you pursue the latter course you have
to keep large supply in your baggage all
the time, a cake for every day, at least
The traveller is certain to run short of this
essential article of the toilet, and he will
often find himself in his room soapless, and
with no chance 10 get any from any source.
That would be extremely annoying. The
new innovation is likely to prove to be
exceedingly disagreeable to the travelling
public"
cit is a mere adoption of a custom that
prevails all over continental Europe" said
a globe-trotter who was in the party in the
lobby. I'm Great Britain and ireland you,
always find soap in your bedroom at the
hotel that entertains you. But on the con-
tinent it is quite different There you never
are supplied with soap at hotels. When
you quit England for the continent you
take your hand-soap along with you, and
you are not long on the continent before
you learn to appreciate this little necessity
of bedroom and lavatory. For the first
week or Two you leave your soap behind
you at the hotel at which you have staid
but you soon get used to rewrapping the
soap and carefully placing it in your bag
People on the continent don't use soap as
freely as Englishmen and Americans use
it. The Europeans do not appear 10 appre-
ciate soap in the same degree as our coun-
trymen and the English do. Those foreign
ers are not so tidy and Clearly as our peo-
pie are. Possibly we shall in this country
get used to carrying our own soap with US
in our travels, but we never shall like tho
change.
Another change in general progress
throughout the United States is that which
supplants the American with what is COM
monty called the European plan In hotels.
This receives my hearty approval. The
European plan of running a hotel is far
more satisfactory than our own custom of
making charges to cover everything. I'm
der the European custom you eat what you