The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-05-23
in HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

with the illustrious, name of Dewey" said
a former volunteer. "Seeing that two or
more post offices in state cannot bear the
same name, forty-four points in Alabama
are doomed to disappointment. There are
already twenty-elght post offices named
Dewey, or but four less than those named
for George washington. More than 300 adj
ditonal applications have been made for
Dewey, Tennessee leading with seventy
followed by Kentucky with fifty, and Ala
| bama a good third with forty-hve. This
| Is one of the many evidences that in the
| American mind, as in the eyes of the world
at large, Dewey looms up the one great fig
ure in that little scuff1e with Spain. Dew
| ey has not talked Dewey has not written
for magazines, Dewey has not blackguard-
ed his interiors or reproached any authori-
| ty above himself; nor made an ass of him
| self in anything he has done or not done.
All self-respecting Americans have excel
| lent reason to feel ashamed of their high
| officers in the army and the navy alike.
Generals are slanderers and scandal-mon-
gers, and admiarls wear laurels won by
others; for the which all nations laugh at
and ridicule US. But Dewey-for the mo-
ment, Dewey remains almost. the only high
titled exponent of manly val6r ahd decency.
left to US In either arm of the national de-
Tense. Our generals are given over to
scandal, and our high naval officers to
magazine writing, which, In these Instances,
amounts to the same. But God has been
good to US for hundred and twenty-five
years, and He will preserve Dewey to us as
a real mani"
"You may talk about good fishing in the
hills of North Alabama, and know there
is an abundance of fish in the STREAMS
throughout this region; but If you wish to
enjoy fishing as is fishing go to Coden. on
the gulf in Mobile county, said John Nc
Queen. "Coden is several miles from the
railroad, but conveyance. Is easy, and the
resort is all the better for Being awsy from
the beaten track There was party from
Montgomery there last week, and joined
them. One afternoon Scott Sayre and |
sailed out in a small schtoneg two or three
miles from the shore, and fshed with lines
from half past two till FIVE O'CLOCK After
getting ashore the fish we caught wefe
fastened to stout pole, ono end of which
Scott Sayre took and bore the other end
The weight Of tho fish was so great that we
could notaproceed more than twenty yardb;
the fish had to be carried to the hotel in
cart. One morning Sayre and started
at five o'clock and drove eight miles to
Fowl river. We caught an enormous
amount of perch, Dream, trout and other
fresh water fish. I caught trout that
weighed four pounds. I never enjoyed such
great sport before. The fish seemed to
fight for our hooks. Altogether our party
in which were half dozen ladies, had
great time. The bathing facilities there are
perfect. the fishing unsurpassable. The
heat is tempered by the gulf breezes to the
extent that it Is not at all dlscomforting
1.-THE best, most beautiful and most ro-
mantle places for fishing" said Luke VIII
liams, of Elmore, "are found in that stretch
of the Coosa river which forms the boun-
Diary line between Chiffon and Coosa coun-
ties. The river there, and the woods and
fields are remarkably attractive, and fish
are in the greatest abundance. 1 have a
friend, bachelor who has on the river
side plantation of 1900 acres. The farm
house is large and perfectly appointed, and
he lives like a king; being really monarch
Of all he surveys. He has always a glad
welcome for friends who want to go a-fsa-
Ing In the beautiful Coosa. The best way
to reach the river is to drive out from
Verbena, the charming town on the Louis
vile and Nashville. The distance from the
station is eight miles and the road runs
through an unbroken forest, the beauty of
which is In itself worth the trip. A week
spent on the river with eogenal compan-
ions would add a year to a good mans
lfe.'
Prof c. c. Thach, of the Auburn college,
has been spending a day or two with his
brother, Robert H. Thach, in this city
''rhe college is doing better than it ever
has done. The students this year have
numbered 800, and they have progressed re-
markedly well. They have applied them
selves to their work, and the internal az
fairs Of the college have been in very
satisfactory state"
Lumber is up a dollar thousand feet
within the past three months" said a
builder yesterday and lime, brick, shingles,
and all other building material has adj
vanced proportionately. This morning a
lumber merchant with whom l deal adj
vsed me not to close any sort of contract
without seeing him Immediately before,
for lumber is likely to go still higher in
price. There is plenty of building going on
in all the districts of the city, but business
is not remunerative. The prices of ma
terial and the cut amongst builders have
demoralized trade to the extent of making
1t almost impossible to make a profit
There are builders in Birmingham who are
actually working at a loss just to get
| business. And with the dealers the situa-
ton ism much more satisfactory. One of
the largest hardware dealers in the city
| told me today that although sashes doors
and blinds had risen 20 per cent in price
1 he was unable to get more than 10 per cent
| increase, and the margin of profit had
| grown thin to the vanishing point. AS for
| the builders, there is no trouble in getting
| contracts If one cares to take them with
| the certainty of losing money. Therefore,
| you can understand that the state of af-
|