The age-herald., 1899-06-23
IN HOTEL LOBBTES
 AND ELSEWHERE

so consistently associated his name with the
 democratic nomination for governor next
 year." veteran politician said "Friends
 who are in the best position to form con-
 clusons as to General Wheeler's wishes do
 not believe that he desires to be governor
 of Alabama, or that he has seriously con
 sdered the matter of his suggested candi-
 dature. But it is not improbable that he
 would accept the nomination If rendered to
 him by his party. In such a case he would
 be governed by a sense of duty. He is not
 seeking the office. and does not desire it.
 Should he be really ordered to the Philip
 pines, there would be no likelihood of his | returning home within less than year,
 and before the expiration of that time the
 state convention will have done it's work. 1 One thing may be accepted as certain. | General Wheeler would not f0rego the priv
 ilege of joining the army in the east for the | governorship of Alabama, or any other po-
 litical office. He is a fighting mana war | rior by instinct. There is glory on his fore | head, there is lustre in his eye and he
 goes to battle proudly when suffered to go
 at all. There is no reason for doubting l that he will win fresh fame in the Philip | pines, and should he survive the dangers
 of war he will return to his country with | a greatly enhanced reputation Then-then
 know not what shall happen! Meanwhile l General Wheeler will not resign his seat
 in congress as the representative from the | Eighth Alabama district"
 l
 There has been a good deal of quiet but 1 very sympathetic discussion of the name of
 Judge Henderson M. Somerville for the gov
 ernorship. Judge Somervle has been a-
 ways held in highest esteem by the people 1 of this state. For several years his duties
 as judge of the United States court of appraisers, at New York, have kept him
 most of the time from home; but his in- l fiuenee with his people is believed to be
 stronger now than it has been before.
 Judge Somervilles remarkably powerful speech before the State Bar association at Montgomery last week on the duties of l courts serves to remind the people anew
 that he is one of the strongest of all their l strong men," said citizen who is emi-
 nent at the bar and noted in politics. ''In l giving the history of the trial of three l judges of the state supreme court in 1929 l he took occasion to deal in luminous lan- 1 guage on the history and power of the 1 higher courts and the long struggle between 1 them and legislative bodies as to the right l of interpreting the law. It is regrettable
 that every citizen of the country cannot l read and thoughtfully and calmly study l that great speech. Judge Somerville would
 fill the governorship with the greatest credit to the state. By the way, l hear
 that Allen H. Merrill, of Barbour, contem- l plates asking the democrats for the guber- natofial nomntion He is a good man.
 
 Dr. B. F. Riley's resignation of the chair | of rhetoric and English literature in the l University of Georgia is of much interest 1 to his friends in Birmingham and through l cut the state The resignat ton was accept l ed by the trustees to take effect in June, l 1900. pr. Riley was for several years l president of Howard college, resigning that 1 position in 1892 to accept the professorship l in Georgia. He was born in south Ala
 bama, and is widely known throughout the l state as a Baptist minister, lecturer and 1 writer. In the summer of 1895 he made the | tour of Europe for purposes of study and | historical observation. It is not known in l Birmingham what plans he proposes car ] rying out after his retirement from his | present position.
 A discussion in the lobby turned on l watermelons, with which the market is
 now plentifully supplied, and a former dis 1 tinguished occupant of the bench said that
 mention of melons served often to remind l him of the late Colonel W. w, Drane, of ] Lowndes. "Colonel Drane was a large 1 planter and fine type of the southern | gentleman of the old days. His beautiful 1 home in western Lowndes was the seat of 1 the truest and most generous hospitality; l and he was greatly looked up to by the l planters of a large section of the Black
 belt. The colonel's chief pride, so far as
 the products of his fertile land was con-
 cerned, lay in his watermelons. He devel- l oped variety of melon which became
 known in several states as the Dranes
 melon, and doubtless it is still grown in
 Lowndes and adjoining counties. The rind
 was quite green in color, the melon was
 rather long and shapely, and the flavor of l the meat was unsurpassabe. The colo l neIs home patch was always large, and
 the produce bountiful; and concerning this 1 particular spot of his acres he was extra
 ordinarily jealous. No person ever dared l to enter the patch without the colonel's l permission, and so much afraid was he
 that his melons would get mixed with some ether variety that he was suspicious Of per l sons who carried melons along the public
 road. The cutting of melons for family
 use was a matter of considerable cere-
 mony; it arose to the dignity of a feast 1 A vegetable grower from Mobile, visiting 1 in the neighborhood of the colonel's place, 1 procured ome of the genuine 'Drane' sced ! for many years afterwards he dominated | the Mobile melon market. The good old
 colonel long ago passed away; but those of l od-timers who knew him retain for him
 aGmiring and affectionate recolections.'' l Hon. Francis l.. Pettus, of Dallas, has ] been spending two three days in Bir- l mingham, and has conferred with various l democratic leaders regarding the present l and the immediate future of the organi- l zation. MT. Pettus is taking the deepest l interest in this matter of the party's well | fare and he is perfectly confident that