The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-10
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

Birmingham viii have the honor today of
paying the tribute of admiration and fra
| ternal regard to Richmond Pearson Hob
| son, and there can be no doubt that the
hero will note the ring of sincerity in the
greeting that he will receive. To fair wo-
men most especially will Hobson's presence
here appeal in a way quite irresistible. All
| the world praises Hobson. The women
adore him. The Age-Herald of Thursday
| quoted Birmingham mans observation of
| the hero at great society function in aid
of charity, which event occurred at the
| Waldorf-Astoria, New York, last week;
| how the young sailor was fairly mobbed by
| beautiful women, how he wrote his auto
| graph on the back of a dainty white kid
| glove, and on the white sleeve of a dainty
| gown, and 50 on. Private information is to
| the effect that the number of letters which
| the hero receives from fair admirers all
over the world is enormous, and wholly
beyond his power to answer. He receives
all sorts of dainty little presents through
the mails-scarfs, penwipers. pincushions,
silk handkerchiefs. and SO on all worked
by fair hands Socks, shoes, shaving soap,
books, songs, poems, stationery, all rain
upon the defense!ess idol of the people
reached him through the mails was a pair
of rough wooden socks knitted by an Illinois
housewife who had son on the New York
that morning when Hobson left the ship
to proceed on that immortal errand into
Santiago harbor which startled the world
by its holiness and success, and which
made Hobson hero in the degard of of all
peoples of all lands the globe around. That
was when fame waited for him around the
headland, and gave him trumpet-blast
the echoes of which cannot die away
long as humanity admires human courage.
1t is not generally known that Hobson is
compelled to keep private secretary who
is an expert stenographer and that this
secretary has to employ assistance. Bir-
mingham has the honor of being the first
to receive Hobson in Alabama since he
became the most talked about man in the
world.
ut looks as though everybody is ready TO
abuse Bailey for the stand he has taken
| in the matter of General Wheelers eligibili-
| ty to a seat in congress-" said a gentleman
| last night, a man who keeps an eye upon
| the course of events.
| Said he: Leaders always have some
pleasant duties to perform, sand man
| is fit TO lead who shirks Sccause the duty
| is unpleasant or its doing unpopular.
General Wheeler is a good soldier, bet
| ter soldier than congressman, and he
| should remain in the army. His chief sue
| cess has been i'll caring for himsolf-get-
| ting himself reelected, and getting high
| commission for himself and his son in the
army.
after the enthusiasm of the hero-wor-
| ship has settled itself to normal and rea-
| sonable proportions and the people in their
| sober second thought make a judicial re-
| view of his case and reasonable forecast
| of the duties resting upon the minority and
Mr.. Bailey as it's leader, harsh criticism
| will not be universal.
Zone great duty resting upon the minority
| is the investigation of Algerism. Unpleas-
| ant though the reflection may be, recent
| history is sufficient to put the minority on
notice that General Wheeler, holding a seat
| as democratic member, will possibly be
| its greatest stumbling lock in this investi-
| CATION While perhaps not sufficient to con-
| denim him. it is enough to raise an interro-
| CATION point, to read on the present page
| of history that Wheeler was one of only
| three democrats who voted for the repub-
| lican measure providing for the last bond
| issue. The date of that vote and the COM
| mission from a republican president to Jo-
| seph Wheeler as major-general are not far
| apart.
Neither will it be forgotten that this
same major-general was a good witness Cor
Algerism before the whtewash board and
at date not far distant therefrom his son
was promoted over the heads of many good
and equally competent officers This pro-
| motion was not due solely 10 merits. These
| are all unpleasant reflections but the pru-
| dent man foreseeth evil and hideth him
| SELF"
| The streets were quieter yesterday than
| for some time past. The bitterly cold north
| wind drove people indoors and kept them
| there. Shoppers were few, and the visitors
| from other towns were not numerous. Such
| bitter weather is seldom experienced in Biz
mingham. AS a matter of course, it Is only
| comparatively cold. The north wind of
| yesterday would have been a genial zephyr
| in really cold cline; but to this com.
munity 1t was mighty cold weather." Men
| drew their overcoat collars up about their
| ears, held their heads down, and hurried
| and shivered. The cold had a very per-
ceptlDle eHect upon the motel lobbieS. Men
with anything to say declined to talk They
| were irritable or drowsy in the too-warm
| Hobbies and corridors, and SO they weren't
| of much use to reporters.
SIN this sort of weather nearly every man
demands hot drink" said the proprietor
of place of public resort as he dropped
| into lobby chair and looked lazy 'Hot
| Tom and Jerry is in fashion again. If it
| ever did go out of fashion, and that bev-
erage requires time to prepare. And more
| and more every day men require mixed
| drinks. Ten years ago a skillful bartef-
| der could serve three times as many Gus
| toners in given length of time as he can
| serve today. Then more men took theirs
| straight. Now 1t is the rarest thing that
| a customer calls for his straight He runs
j -.