The age-herald., 1899-05-16
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

priest of the Episcopal church. The de- gree of local interest around amongst church folk Is astonishing. One not aware of the facts would almost suppose that Briggs and Bishop Potter lived in Bir- mingham instead of New York.
 'I am glad of it, said a Birmingham preacher, glad that Briggs has been or- dained as an Episcopal priest and that there was no scene during the ordination ceremony. It shows that there is some spirit of tolerance in the world, and that a man is not to be condemned for express ing a purely critical opinion. As Bishop Potter said Briggs simply expressed what had been written before him by the most learned theologians. No sort of question of fundamental faith was involved: it was merely matter of criticism. There can be no great sin in discussing the questions to when the Bible was written and by whom.'
 And so the talk ran. It was apparent that Briggs had the support and good will of majority of the men who expressed themselves regarding the matter It was claimed by the gossips that Briggs had de6ed the spirit of bigotry and intolen- ance, and had won out-had achieved victory for the broader Christianity. What ever the fact may be the talk of the lob by and the street was entertaining. Singulary enough the next most exciting subject of conversation in the town was quite antipodal to the church and clergy. It was the liquor saloons primarily, and Sunday-closing incidentally. The arrest on Sunday of Emil Lesser, proprietor of the Metropolitan hotel, on the charge of violating the Sunday-closng ordinance of the city council has aroused an extraor- dinary degree of interest on the part of the public as well as the proprietors of sa- looms. MT. Lesser, who is one of the best known and most highly respected business men of Birmingham, was placed under ar rest by policeman for the alleged of fense of allowing one of his guests to drink a bottle of beer at dinner.
 That sort of thing is bound to work to the defeat of the good intentions of sa- loon proprietors and others who object to liquor selling on Sunday" said man who is interested in the enforcement of the law. "The ordinance of the city council is too unreasonably strict in some direc- tions, and it is probably illegal. It amounts to most obnoxious espionage and persecution. It is impossible to enforce a law which the people regard as unjust and which to them is especially obnoxious. It is very probable that majority of the peo- pie of Birmingham seriously object to wide-open saloons on Sunday; but they are comparatively few who favor the ex- isting ordinance in it's entirety. It will drive trade from the town and reduce to Tfl.- If a man wants glass of beer with his Sunday dinner in cafe or hotel he should be allowed to buy 1t. "A new broom sweeps cean Perhaps the new chief of police is trihe over-zealous."
 "Mrs. Jefferson Davis has presented to the Mt. Vernon association two very inter- estng Washington reiics,' said veteran just returning from the national capital. "They consist of spy-glass used by George Washington, and a silk quilt made by Mrs. Washington and presented to her nephew Halliburton, who was a judge in Virginia The quilt was given to Howell Davis, Jefferson Davis son. A fact about the spy-glass of special interest to Ala bamians is that it was beaueathed to Mrs. Davis by William L. Yancey. B. H. Wash ington once owned the glass and he be- queathed ito G. ". P. Custin. Another relic was the gift of a Baltimore woman. It was a silk quilt presented by Mrs. Wash ington to Lafayette. Mrs Washington must have been fond of making silk quilts The women regents have been in session at Mt. Vernon for a week. Alabama was not represented. The fact is, I do not know ho iS tha Ia har Thar C0Gitjon was filled with distinction for a number of years by the late Mrs. Hillary A. Her bert It is an interesting matter that 5000 persons vislted Mt. Vernon during the past year. This would indicate that George Washington is not going out of fashion. at any rate"
 "The statement in an interview in The Age-Herald the other day that Joseph H. Earle, of South Carolina, was a 1ifman man is erroneous," said a man who is fa- miliar with Mr. Earis political record. Earle not only was not Tillmanite, but was constantly and consistently in opposi- ton to Tillman, carrying his antaginism to the extent of winning against him for of- fce."
 "Now that the weather Is getting hot the sanitary authorities should issue a strict order against hand-shaking," said an observant physician as he looked pityingly at two men wringing and holding on each to the others hand. Look at those two men now. Their hand-holdng is positively unclean, and gives one creepy, unwhole- some feeling. Misunderstanding in warm or hot weather is the most prolific source oi the dissemination of deadly microbes known to medical men. Did you ever sec the palm of an ordinary mans hand under a powerful magnifying glass? It is disgust ing. Thousands of men wash their Hands but twice a day, and these gather millions of microbes each. Therefore hand-shakine in the source of grave dangers to the pub lie health.'
 Lieutenant James Kelly Parsons received orders yesterday to report at Jefferson barracks, St. Louis, for service with the Twentieth Infantry, and thence to proceed to San Francisco and report to the general commanding at that point. Presumbably thmis is prelimina to orders to proceed to