The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-05
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

w. F. vandiver, the great merchant OF
Montgomery, estimates that the increase in
the price of cotton up to the present time
means an addition of 100000 to the vol
ume of trade at the state capital. Last
| season the average price was about Az
cents pound; this year, up to the present.
the average is. roughly speaking, eents,p
said Mr. vandiver BASED upon Montgom-
ery's receipts the past season, this increase
amounts to over $4,000; but our trade
territory far exceeds our cotton territory.
| For example, Montgomery receives little or
| no cotton from Troy, Union Springs, Flu
faula or Opelika, or intermediate towns, all
| important cotton markets; but these CEN
| ters of population and thrifty industry
trade very largely with Montgomery, as
| that city is their largest and best nearby
market. Six and half and seven-eent
cotton means to Montgomery about what
! fifteen twenty-dollar pig iron means to
| Birmingham. It is but just to say that
| Montgomery's splendid trade is constantly
growing and the city is growing in popu-
lation i believe that we have in the
city limits 50 900 to $4,000 inhabitants, as
| compared with 81 900 in 1890. AS for the
| condition of the farmers their business af-
| fairs are so much improved that they are
paying off with their local merchants the
| accumulated debts of two and three years,
and the merchants paying Wholesale
houses wi e1ff.i1 IA Thus
the situation In Montgomery and through
out its wide trade territory is highly salts
factory. The primary fact of most inter-
est is that the present crop of cotton was
produced upon practically four-cent
basis. The most rigid economy has been
practiced, and the farmers and business
community now have their reward
This statement from Mr.. vandver is of
| the highest possible value to all persons
interested in the Blackbelt or adjacent ter
ritory.
Amongst the presidents guests at the
White House banquet in honor of Admiral
Dewey was Hon. Hilary A. Herbert, for
meFly secretary of the navy, and the only
Albanian who ever held a cabinet office
under the government of the United States
Colonel Herbert was one of the first and
most potent forces that worked for the
building of the new navy, and it was emil
nently proper that he be present at the
| presidential feast given to the man who has
made the prowess of the new navy the
wonder of the world. Colonel Herbert
during the many years he represented the
Second Alabama district in congress-
worked indefatigably and wisely for the
recreation of the navy. For some years he
was chairman of the naval committee of
the house, and on retiring from that re-
sponsibe place in 1898 he was appointed by
| President 10 1ao of .I,o
navy. During Colonel Herbert's congress
sional career he made special study of the
building of warshps, and did a. vast
amount of work in the cause of the navy
He went abroad in 1887 and spent several
weeks in personally inspecting the great
shipbuilding yards and gun foundries of
| Great Britain, France and Germany, thus
obtaining at first hand a store of most
| valuable information. To Colonel Herbert
more than to any other one man is due
the credit for the powerful American navy
as it exists today. Therefore it was fitting
that he should be present with the presi-
dent to show honor to the man who for
| four years was Colonel Herberts official
subordinate, and who has given widest
fame to the navy which the former secre-
/ tary did so much to create.
Colonel Herbert is out of politics now,
and in the successful practice of law at
| Washington he is doing each year more for
| himself in a practical way than he Sccom-
plished in all the twenty years of his po-
| litical life. But he still finds time for the
| pleasing duties of a powerful representa-
| tive of Alabama at large. He is always
| eager to aid any worthy Albanian who
| seeks public office any worthy thing al
| the hands of the government. Many men
| who are now in government service owe
| their places in very large measure to
| Colonel Herbert's kind and thoughtful con-
sheraton. He is not forgot his unselfish
! deeds are remembered; and no Albanian
is mean enough to derive anything but
| pleasure from the knowledge that Colonel
| Herbert, removed from the turmoil of
politics, is growing old gracefully-busy,
| prosperous, and contented
| Hon. Chappell Cory has acquired an in
terest in the Montgomery Journal, and will
be associated with Horace Hood in editing
and publishing that newspaper This i'm
portant action, for both Mr.. Hood and Mr..
Cory, has been discussed for several
months, and now that it has been accom-
| plished the friends of both newspaper men
| will be greatly pleased. Mr.. Cory's duties
| as private secretary to the governor will
| not interfere with his work for the Journal,
| as he intends to tax himself with a double
| burden, and in the bearing of it he will
| bear himself well. Mr.. Cory lis one of the
| strongest and most incisive writers known
| on the state press during the past twenty
| years. He has that power to please, that
| gift to convince, enjoyed by the fewest of
| men as men come and go; and the news
| paper workers of Alabama will cordially
| welcome him back to the work of the high
| calling.
! Rain fell in Birmingham yesterday. This
| would seem to be a rash statement, but 1t
| is true. The rain began to fall ever so gent
| ly al noon, and kept falling ever SO gently
| till night There was not much of it--bare-
| ly enough to Law the dust But the fust