The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-01
IN HOTEL LoBBIEs
AND ELSEWHERE

''There is said to be feeling of dissatis-
faction in Montgomery and in the nearby
twelfth judicial circuit account of the
somewhat unusual promptness with
which the governor filled the va
cant tudgeship of that circuit" OBJ
served lawyer who had just re-
turned from the state capital. This will
strike many persons as rather hard. If not
actually unjust, when criticism of some of
the governors delays in making appoint
ments is considered. As a rule, he has
| been very slow-too slow altogether-in fill
ing vacancies, and his action has provoked
severe comment that has been fully deserv-
| ed, for the reason that it seemed to be based
upon individual wishes and purposes of the
| governor He now appoints Judge Hubbard
to the place vacated by DEATH within four
| or five days after Webb Foster passed
away, and again there is dissatisfaction.
This feeling towards the governor is in
this particular ungraeious. He made up
his mind as to whom he would appoint and
he made the appointment at once, and quite
| properly. There was no need for delay:
the coming forward of other applicants
| would have been useless, and productive of
| heart-burnings now happily avoided After
| Judge Fosters funeral 1t became the duty
of the governor to make the appointment
| as soon practicable. The wisdom of
naming Judge Hubbard I do not pretend to
discuss During his previous twelve years
on the bench he was not conspicuous
cess; but any man whom the governor
might have discovered might have been
more of a failure. There is comfort in that
| reflection"
1
| '"There is not likely to be any public dis
| appointment or any other feeling over the
action of the Montevallo trustees on Mon
| day." educator said. ut Is not at all
| certain that we will be given the common
| right of relief from a tiresome annoyance;
| for the man who may be elected president
| of the Girls school may decline the burden,
as others have declined before. Numerous
names have been mentioned at Mont
| gomery, apparently by inspiration; but
they are rightfully assumed to be mere
| 'feelers.' 1t is useless to run up flags to
ascertain the direction of the wind, for
| there is wind now; only a
dead calm. There is entire indif-
| fererce in the public mind This
is not pleasant and is not wise, for it
does not bode good for the great school so
successfully tended through the trying
| young days by Reynolds. 1t has been said
that there was no urgent immediate need
| of a president; but it would appear to be
best for the school if it had a. president
and he was spending the summer working
| for its upbuilding'
| There is drummer in town who is said
to be worth $500, 900 or 100000, all of when
ta ha,
| twenty-odd years. He was born on a farm
| in Georgia. One day, after he had grown
up, he and his father were ploughing in
new-ground, when the youth suddenly de-
clared that he'd plough no more. He went
! to the nearest town and got a job as a
porter in store, being of Herculean
strength. In year he was made clerk
| practical joke to the effect that he had
drawn a fortune in a lottery led him to
| strike out for himself. He began selling
tobacco on commission, paying his own
expenses, having saved a little money in
the country town. The house he travelled
for was pleased with his first work that
he was recalled and offered salary of
800 month, together with his excuses
He declined the offer and worked his own
way. Soon he began buying tobacco at
wholesale and selling it on his individual
account, or rather consigning it to dealers.
Money flowed in upon him, and he was
| enabled to pay off the mortgage on his
| fathers farm and to strengthen himself
| in the tobacco trade. He now owns the
controlling interest in two large tobacco
factories IN Virginia, and his fortune is
| rapidly growing. He still ''goes on the
road but takes care not to deprive his
travelling men of any of their business
Every commercial traveller in the country
| sounds his praises, and points to him as
the model business and one of the
! best fellows who ever sold a bill of goods.
His name is George Trailer
| 1t is said that the number of tobacco
| drummers who visit Birmingham now Is
| about fifty less than it was before the
formation of what is generally called the
| tobacco trust. In other lines of trade too
there have been large fallings off on ac-
count of the trusts cutting down expenses
and freezing men out of employment.
| Most of those who are not discharged are
| required to work for smaller pay One of
the best known and most efficient men in
the southern trade resigned his position
been travelling for a great concern at $4,000
a year. and earning more. His house went
into one OF the big trusts, and soon he re-
ceived notice that beginning with July /,
1899, his pay would be $1,000. He at once
sent in his resignation, over the protests
of some intimate friends, who reminded
him that $4,000 jobs were not going a-beg-
ging these days. NO" he answered, "but
If agreed to 5000 now, the trust would
cut me down to $500 year hence 1 can
do better than that, and SO quit the trust
at the end of June" Many another good
fellow finds himself out of employment al
together, because the trusts require higher
4 profits for themselves.
/ The dangerous illness of DR.. r. w. b.
| land, president of the Birmingham Ma
/ chine and Foundry works, comes at an