The age-herald., 1899-08-30
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

People generally seem to have forgotten that Alabamians played a rather promi- nent part in the destruction of the Maine. The officer on watch at the time when the gallant ship went down was an Alabamian. He was very modest about the part he played in the affair, and when he passed through Birmingham on his way to Selma, his home. he was very reticent as to the sacidents connected with the affair. giving as his reason that the Investigating board had not at That time rendered it's report, and that it would be unwise for him to talk for publication. There were several Alabamians on board. the Maine when she went up in Havana harbor. and the reports show that they conducted themselves with praiseworthy coolness." The speaker was with a prominent young surgeon in the lobby of the Morris yesterday,
 
 The surgeon in return spoke of the part Austria had taken in the Spanish American war, or rather the part she seemed anxious to take. He was of the opinion that after the United States had whipped Spain she should have finished up by giving Austria a taste of the same medicine. That little insignificant country got real uppish," he said "and seemed very anxious to help Spain whip us think did wrong to take no notice of 1t. It should have been done to learn her lesson, if nothing else. It reminded me of a tiny cur barking at mastiff. the way she went on. If l re- member correctly, she even went so far as to formally offer her aid to Spain in case of war with this country. Such presump- ton should not have gone unnoticed, and little Austria should feel profoundly thank full to Uncle Sam for not trouncing her"
 %*s
 A prominent school teacher of the county came up and asked the two what they thought of the report, given out in the af- ternoon papers, that Aguinaldo had been killed in a dispute with General Pinar Del Rio. Neither gave-any credence to the re- port
 "Neither do T." said the pedagogue "If it is true, however, that Filipino has more lives than the proverbial cat. It seems to me that this must be about the twentieth time that he has been killed. I remember once, about three months ago, he was re- ported killed without doubt and two days afterwards he led his forces in person against the Americans. No, Aguinaldo is not dead yet
 "Spealing of war reminds me of the news papers," continued the speaker, "and this, in turn, reminds me of some of the ad- yortisements I have seen in them, some of which are the most palpable of fakes. I remember once when I was a boy, several years ago, I saw an advertisement in some story paper, published where in the east, saying that if the reader would send his address to the firm which was adver- Using, together with 10 cents he would receive explicit instructions how to be- come rich. I bit, like any other sucker and immediately Forwarded my dime and address. In about a week the answer came in the shape of a postal card. The in structions, painfully explicit and written in an ordinary penman's hand, were as fol- lows:
 "Dear Sir: Fish for suckers, we do.' "I believe there was no signature at- tached. It is a wonder such firms are not prosecuted by the government, but they seem to miraculousy escape it. The inci- dent was a lesson to me, though, and to this day have not answered another ad- vertsement telling how to become rich" The young surgeon had also had such an experience, though along slightly differ ent dine. When a boy he had great de- sire to own a music box, and seeing an advertisement in some paper, stating that he could get one entirely free by simply sending his name and address, he did so. But when he received an answer to his letter he found that things were not as had been stated in fine advertisement and there were many conditions attached to the offer. He was expected to assume the agency for the music box in the little town in which he lived. In addition, he was to deposit s with the company as guaran- tee that he would not skip with the money he received for the instruments, the com- pany agreeing to send them to him and let him pay for them after they had been sold. Then, after he had sold ten he was to receive one free He was disgusted and dropped the matter. Like his friend, the school teacher, he has not answered any more fake advertisements since.
 
 . hE. N