The age-herald., 1899-01-25
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

| to the square inch yesterday as if 1t had | been a blizzard town on the western plaNs- All the forenoon the rain fell in fitful show
 CTS and the wind blew great guns. The temperature was excessively mild for the
 season. At noon men walked the streets between the driving showers without over
 coats. For a few moments at a time the
 sun would shine out with remarkable bril- liancy, and all appearances indicated that
 the day would close fine. But appearances
 more deceptive never existed perhaps in
 all the varied experience of Weathermaker
 Jacobs. After 1 o'clock the temperature
 fell rapidly, and at stray flakes of snow
 were falling. From almost sprnglike mild
 ness to snow within less than five hours
 was a record-breaker in Birmingham
 weather Black clouds, blue sky. rain. sun shine and snow, all within the compass of a
 single days light is for Jones' valley a record difficult to surpass.
 John c. Pugh returned yesterday from a visit to plantations he owns in Henry coun-
 ty. He had been spending a week or two there arranging the business affairs of the estate for the year just begun.
 q had delightful time," he said. Had plenty of quail. doves, squirrels and other game to eat, and fresh fish from the river every day. My exercise was in the saddle
 1 was on horseback nearly all day, and enjoyed it thoroughly. We have pleasant neighborhood down in Henry. Many of the negro tenants on the plantations were born there as slaves. Five of them are each more than seventy years old and two siyfy bnr of the places, and guess they will die there. One man we have claims to be ninety-nine years old, and is very sprightly. He ap- pears to be not over seventy-ive. The old man is the oracle of the plantation. All the other negroes look to him for coun- sel and guidance. They regard his views as being almost sacred; they look up to him always.
 There Is complaint of hard times in that section of Alabama, as in all the agricul- tural districts. This is due to four-cent cot ton But happily the people have plenty to eat, and so there is not much need of ready money, especially as the credit system pre- vais. The farmers have produced bread and meat in plenty; and so things might be much worse"
 William H. McKleroy, the young presi- dent of the Anniston National bank, was in Birmingham yesterday. Mr. McKleroy is the only son of the late John M. McKleroy for many years one of the most notable leaders of Alabama democracy. The young man does not care for politics, and devotes his energy and ability to business, in which he has been remarkably success ful. Incidentally he has been captain of the Anniston company of the national guard and is an alderman of the city; gen. orally acting as mayor, in the absence of the popular mayor, MT. flight. He is the youngest president of a national bank in Alabama, and probably the youngest in the south. At the same time, he is one of the most capable.
 | MT. McKleroy expressed himself as great | ly pleased with the business situation in 1 Anniston. The Model City, is very pros porous, fact due largely to the presence l there of some 5000 soldiers The troops | spend a great deal of money and money is | plentiful to cheapness. The bank of which
 he is president has notably successful | young men on the directorate. MT. McKle- roy himself; William A. Davis, general agent Ol lHS alaDdHld MlnSral Lana cOm- | pany, and Marshall B. Wellborn, amongst i the directors, all went to Anniston from l Eufaula many years ago. Joseph J. Will | lett, another director, is the distinguished young lawyer.
 State Senator Amos Horton of Greene, | is In the city en route to Montomery to re- l sume his duties in the senate. He was 1 detained at home for a day to attend a mass meeting which was cal ed to pass up n l the matter of good roads for the county. | Senator Horton desired an expression of | opinion from his constituents to guide him | in Montgomery. Owing to the extremely l bad weather the attendance of the meeting
 was small, and so it was adjourned till next
 Monday Of course, the public roads were 1 so bad that the farmers couldn't venture
 out to ride to the meeting. That is in itself | a great object lesson to the farmers directly l interested-the good people of Greene-as it l is to the people of every other county in the
 state. It is a striking spectacle. Farmers | could not attend a good roads meeting be- cause the roads of their county were so 1 bad Good roads are good in all sorts of weather.
 Senator Horton is one of the best and l most conscientious members of the present l general assembly" declared a leading poli- l tician of the state. And the senator is a man of soul, as well as of information. He l is one of the kindest-hearted and most com | panionable of men, and he numbers as his | friends all the men he knows."
 
 I've have already received the agree | ments of a substantial majority of all the l stockholders to the initfatory plan for the | reorganization of the Eyton company 1 said MT. J. K. Mcdonald yesterday, "and | there is evry promise of success. The mat ter now rests with the reorganization com- mittee. As to when the committee will | take definite action I am not in a position | to state, but I believe that within two