The age-herald., 1899-09-03
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

l pubilCdfA party III lifC SldAO diC hbN
 making upon him. This is a presumption
 merely, for Colonel Houngblood declined | positively to talk politics to a reporter.
 But there is no reason for doubting that
 politics brings the colonel to Alabama at
 this time. Asked regarding his probable | movements. he answered that he would go l to Montgomery today. and after remaining l in that district for few days would return
 to Birmingham for a weeks stay, after
 which he purposed visiting North Alabama. | Yesterday afternoon he saw the leaders of 1 his party who in Birmingham.
 
 "During my service as governor we de-
 sired to purchase for the state some land
 outside the penitentiary walls at We | tumpka," said former Governor Thomas G. 1 Jones to a group of interested listeners
 at the Morris q went up from Montgom-
 cry to look over the property. The day of my visit was damp and cold, and in walk | ing over the land wore an old waterproof
 coat slouch hat and rubber top boots. In my walk I came upon negro convict at 1 work He lifted his hat, and I spoke to | him.
 "'Boss,' he said, does you know de 1 gov'ner?'"
 ".Yes,' I said, T know him slightly. Why do you ask? !"
 "'Ca'se, I wants him to sign my pardon | papers.
 l "'What are you in for?
 "'Stealing COW and calf "'.
 "'Are you guity?'"
 | "Yes, sir, boss. Is guilty. My craps fail- 1 ed, and we didn't have nothing to eat; I we was jest starvin'. I kill de calf. Didn't
 mean to kill de COW; but some how anud- I der I did kill 'er. l wus skeered, I reckon. | Wid my work ober-time I done paid ten | dollar on de calf and forty dollar on de l COW. I got some money left, boss-forty l dollars--an' I'll gib you dat eff you take me I to de gov'nor.' !"
 I 'I was sorry for the poor wretch" con- l tinued the governor, but couldn't help | laughing at the situation. Finally, told | the old darkey to come in half hour to | the office of Colonel Dawson, then presi- | dent of the convict beureau. Returning to 1 the office I removed my waterproofs and | took a seat. Presently the convict came | up, and Colonel Dawson informed him that | l was the governor. He at once recognized l me as the man he had spoken to in the l field and he became painfully panic | stricken, swearing that he'd lied to me; 1 that he was not guilty, and so on, and 1 then became quite speeches.. I "'You old black rascal. I said, I've a I mind to hang you!' !"
 I ""Fo' God, bossr" he cried. l "There was silence a moment. The l Dawson, too. old man. I said. you are | pardoned!"
 I "'Glory be to Godr he gave a great | shout, and-Dawson and I went inside. I
 had learned from the records that at the ! mans trial the value of the calf was fixed
 at two dollars and a half and the COW as I ten dollars and it was true that the con- I vict had sent to the owners fifty dollars I out of his earning, and had served what I would have been a reasonably long sen- I tence."
 | "At slope No. 2, Pratt mines, there came Il to my notice recently Damon and Pythias I story" said Medical Inspector of Convicts I w. H. Blake. "There is negro convict l there about eighty years old. I forget what I his offense was; but short time ago there I came to the prison a stalwort negro man about thirty years old. who begged for the
  | the old mans sentence. which. being for court costs, there was no law to prevent | him doing. He submitted his request to I the manager for those who had hired the I convicts. and it was finally entertained. The matter was submitted to the old man, but l at the moment he declined to speak. After l a while he sent for the manager, and said:
 "No, boss, I can't let dat boy work out | IJa u,jfa opd ol,iII t1
 take keer of, an he's young. I'm an ol' man, boss, an I ain't no use no how. I'll | soon be gwine to my long home. I'll stay here, boss; an you sen dat boy back to
 he wife an chillun. De ol man'n des stay l whar he is. |"
 l T learned afterwards" said Inspector | Blake, that when the young man was a l fatherless and motherless little child the | cid man took him to his home and became | to him father, treating the orphan kindly
 and bringing him up best he could. Tho young man knew of but one way to pay l this debt of gratitude, and that was to take ] the old mans place as a convict" l The great battleship Alabama, described | as "the most powerful vessel in the Ameri- | can navy. has had her builders trial at | sea and given more than satisfaction, win
 ming the cordial praise of all theforeign | and American naval officers on board. | Within a few months she will be put in | commission the flag of our country Will be
 run up. and the proud Alabama will steam
 out of port the greatest instrument of the
 nations defense afioat She bears one of
 the most famous names ever yet borne by l ships since ships began to float. Yet no | effort is being made in Alabama towards | presenting the states splendid namesake
 with suitable gift. Such lack of appre- | citation, such lack of state pride, are in-
 conceivable. The people seem to be dead
 to their past renown. It was but the other day that a mere gunooat named for the
 town of Marietta, in Ohio, was launched | at Boston. The high officers of state and
 a distinguished party of Ohio's citizens
 were present, and there was a great cele- | bration Already a splendid silver servica