The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-22
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

The holiday crowds in the streets yes
terday were enormous. 1t is doubtful If the
streets of Birmingham were ever before
SO crowded with shoppers they we're at
. o'clock post-meridian. AT certain points
at various times the broad pavements were
blocked. Apart from the hundreds Of beau
tiful women, the most interesting element
of the crowds and most charming feature
of the streets were the hundreds of happy
faced children. The children simply
sWarmed upon the pavement and hved in
the wonderfully attractive stores They
were joyous, and laughed ioyously in their
rounds of the town; sufficient within them
selves, in their innocence and their hap
piness, to redeem the world from the COM
monplace One little boy, the heir to the
proud heritage of a. proud name, was taken
throush the toy department of a great
store by a man who himself bears a name
long distinguished The four-year-old boy
declared in emphatic terms that he desired
a certain toy steam-engne that was costly.
He left that department with the engine
in his little hands. That boy will be a
United States senator some day. The hoH-
day spirit bounds high; holiday trade is at
the flood.
Sidney Johnston Bowie, the author of the
report to the Society of the Alumni in re-
gard to the disposal of lands given by con-
gress to the University of Alabama, the
which is just now attracting wide and deep
interest was born in Talladega thirty-four
years ago. Mr.. Bowie's report.is a master
full presentation of his views and convic-
tons, and 1T was endorsed by his Society
Il
Fits and Judge Sprott declared that they
had rather have the credit of the author
ship of that report than to be honored with
the presidency of the university. Higher
praise of Mr. Bowies work could not be
easily bestowed. Mr.. Bowie's father, the
late w. Bowie, of Talladega, was an honor
ed representative of the higher life of Ala
bama throughout long and worthy career.
He never held public office, never sought it.
Sidney Bowies grandfather Alexander
Bowie, was chancellor of Alabama, and his
great grandfather, John Bowie, was ma
jor in the war of the thirteen colonies, from
which sprung the United States. This John
Bowie was great warrior. He organized
a company of daring men and offered them
and himself to George Washington. He
died with Washington's commission as a
major. Harking back across the centuries
an ancestor of Sidney Bowie was master
of wines to James ", of Scotland, early IN
the Sixteenth century, and he was succeed
ed by his son. According to history, those
men were court officers of high rank, who
really had nothing to do with the wines.
''Sid" Bowie, as he is familiarly called,
the man of the hour In this university land
sale matter was born at the moment when
the war between the states was ended. He
is of the mold of the Spartan. He fears
nothing, save only wrong-doing. He has
courage, moral and physical, that seems
sometimes to border very closely upon the
defiant. but, in fact, is modest and absolute
ly unpretentious. Physically, he is stalwart,
broad-chested, great-limbed muscular. His
hair is black, and his eyes very nearly so.
He is clean-shaven: his nose and chin are
rather prominent, and his jaws are square,
denoting ereat strength OF viii. His ever
present smile robs a strong mouth of its
sternness In his association with men he
is as genial as sunshine in Maytime. A
right strong. right brave man, and right
good fellow is Sidney Johnston Bowie!
bury O'Neal was a brigadter general in the
confederate service in the war between the
stats, as everybody knows, and his men
called him in their affectionate way old
Tise.' in tribute to his daurtless spirit"
remarked an AiabamiCn in the LOBBY last
night. "At Boonsboro Gap General ONeal,
in command CT two regiments of Rodes's
division, was placed to guard the pass
General Rodes, Who was by the way, a
Tuscaloosa man, and was afterwards killed
III battle, sent a staff officer to say that
General O'Neal might nave reinforcements
IL he deemed them necessary in holding
his position. The officer dashed up in great
haste and delivered General Rodess mes
sage. ONeal received 1t calmly, was
his custom, and, looking the officer straight
III the face, he answered: Say TO General
Rodes That I'll mold my position till HI
freezes Overt! And oNeal he'd it!'
Mrs ONeal, the venerable and veher-
ated widow of the lamerted general and
governor resides in the old Florence home
and although she is ON the sunset side of
eighty she takes a deep interest in public
affairs. Mrs O'Neal's brother, the late
Sydenham Moore, of Greene county, was
for many years a member of congress,
and man nobly conspicuous in the public
life of Alabama. Two of llis sons survive
him, 'Sydenlnam Moore, of Birmingham and
Rittenhouse Moore, of Mobile the latter
of whom is the largest contractor for the
government dredging of rivers and harbors
in the United States. There are thousands
of sincere and good men in Alabama vito
reverence Mrs. ONeal. who was in her
beautiful girlhood Olivia Moore, and they
will be glad to know that she goes the sun
set way in perfect health, and TRANQUILITY
and beautifully. No man ever knew that
pure and charitable woman Who was not
the better for knowing her. There does not
live, there has not lived, in the world a.
truer, better woman than Mrs. Olivia
Moore O'Neal, whose brother and whose
husband added so many bright pages to
the history OF Alabama! With the burden
of the years upon her she iS tC,a o,ocs+