The age-herald., 1898-04-05
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

''The drumniers are all turning magicians lately" said popular knight of the grip at the Morris yesterday. as he finished showing couple of clever tricks to a crowd of interested by-standers.
 "A few of the boys have already become experts and are able to entertain their customers and the hotel crowds in every town they visIt," he continued. "The day of stale stories and old worn-out jokes are past and the salesman who depends upon such means to arrest She attention of cus- toners, is slowly passing away. The drum- mer knows that he must use some means of entertainment if he would become popu- lar. In consequence, there has arisen the commercial traveller who goes out on the road fortified with a lot of sleIght-of-hand feats which excite the interest and wonder ment of his friends and prospective cus- toners. When the buyer sees the drum mer come in next season he must fortify his nerves for shocks of legerdemain. Let him he prepared to see the willy drummer tear up $1 bill and replace it with s10 bill; change the spots on a card In the hands of the merchant; pull the buttons off a by-stander's coat and replace them with touch of his magic wand, and such other remarkable feats, before the subject of business is preached or the great reduction in prices that have been made on the goods handled by the amateur wizard"
 A little St. Louis drummer was in the crowd and gave earnest attention to his brother knight he made g.. successful pass of a silver dollar from his delft hands to the nasal extremity of newsboy who stood near by. As soon as the "artist' had finished his 'speer the little fellow from St. Louis spoke up and said that the "boys" out west were on to a better game than legerdemain.
 why paid s25 to learn hypnotism, and so successful have I been with my power that never fail to sell bill,' he remarked "Of course, some of my customers offer some resistance, but their efforts are fu- tile, and when I 'wake-um up they have signed their names to nice fat order.''
 The first drummer smole a siclly smile as he led the way to the bar, although the hypnotist promised to try and work his rabbit foot" on the barkeeper for the drinks.
 '"The poster craze which has had such
 
 years is on the wane," said a well known newsdealer yesterday. ''The Poster Girl with her slim, writhing figure and her fantastic hats and gowns, has almost tirey disappeared. She was grotesque and wierd but not even the decadent vision could have called her beautiful, so if only things of beauty are joys forever, she will not be missed. The poster craze, when it d nightmare aspect for there were posters everywhere all the young and aspiring artists were putting their fancies through the antics of wild contoftions and the mag azines and Sunday newspapers, reveled in madhouse drawings. Aubrey Beardsly, who recently died, was credited with ating the art and it may be that the fad will die with it's originator
 "I cannot understand why it is that a woman in the act of alighting from street car invariably gets off backwards, fac ing the opposite direction from which the car is going said South Highlands line motorman yesterday, as lady awkwardly stepped off his car at the corner of First avenue and Twentieth street in the manner stated and came near falling as the car started off. 'It seems to be the failing of the sex," he continued. Fully 90 per cent. of the women do it and not few of them get severe fall sooner or later. It is the easiest thing in the world to get i off car the right way and can't under stand why it is a woman will invariably go about it in the wrong way. I caution ladies about it every day, but get no thanks from them for doing and often get called down for my pains. They are not bit slow to ask you what right you have to say in what manner they shall get off. When of them gets a fall she wants heavy damages and is ever ready to lay the blame on the poor motorman."
 "In the talk I gave T the othsr day." said Assistant Postmaster John Towers to an Age-Herald reporter yesterday, "on the old times in newspaper work in this city, you did me an injustice in referring to the fake canal schemes Or rather you didn't explain what I meant. I had no ref erence to the VanHooss canal plan of later date, for that is anything but a fake, and or dts completion depends the future great ness of this city I have great hopes of the bill being passed through congress at an early date.
 "But there was a canal Scheme apout losf that was a fake pure and simple. Some erterprising reportess discovered what they called an underground river up on Fifth avenue They swelled the story and saii that by little excavating. a. tunnel all the way to the Warrior river would be opened up through which there was nice stream of water flowing By having a few eleva. ors at this end coal iron and other pro- duets of this district could .s loaded on s,,bterranean boats and quickly transported by way of the Warrior river, to the gulf
 uNeedaees ito say. the Underground river was simply an old sewer of some kind with flowing water in 1t, and the whole thing grand falte." ..-..-
 Pretty Dark
 From the Jacksonville Times-Union.