Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-06
LOBBY LECTURES.
Short Paragraphs Picked Up in the
Hotel Corridors.

COME AND GO AND DROP A
WORD IN PASSING OBSERvA-
TION ON THE WEATHER AND
THE TRAVELLER.
West Virginia contractors are not
finding the Scio district a fruitful field
for operation as yet." remarked an
owner Of drilling and pumping appa-
ratus at the Howell. cat least | have
not seen sufficient inducements to lead
me to move my heavy machinery out
there. 1t may be better after while if
the field holds out, but for the present
l shall make no contracts in that sec
ton. The trouble is the wells are too
shallow to justify one in shipping and
erecting tools to begin the job and
there is not enough money coming
when the wells done. The wells out
there are eleven and twelve hundred
feet deep, which is shallow alongside
of the 1,S00-foot and 2,000-foot wells
we have been drilling out in West
Virginia. You see, our machinery and
tools are too heavy to work profitably
in the shalfow-well districts and if we
operate there we will be compelled to
provide new outfits to suit the condi-
tions."
There is one good thing this cold
weather does fox us, it makes people
buy more breadstuff. l don't know
that people eat more bread in cold
weather; it is possible they do; but
from long experience l know they buy
MORE was the observation of a trav-
cling man at the Mcclure. This
seems little puzzling to you, perhaps
but it's fair statement for all that
You see, during cold snap people
buy their bread instead of baking it.
A low degree Of temperature, you
know, is not conducive to setting
sponge, getting it to rise properly and
turning out nice light bread Any
housewife who is familiar with the art
Of baking will tell you that. Well,
when the mercury begins to huddle
down about zero, the good wives and
housekeepers simply suspend the
sponge business and take a rest, and
in that l find an explanation for my
first statement that people buy more
bread when winters blast sweeps over
the land than when the sun shines and
the birds sing"
There is wonderful activity going
on just at present along the line Of the
Norfolk G. Western railroad" was the
way a Williamson, w. Va, man in
troduced a conversation at the Wind
sor. This country has practically been
built up since the opening of the rail-
road through that section of the State
ten years ago, and all of the coal and
timber investments have been made
within that period. New plants are
being opened in each line and some of
the largest timber investments in the
West Virginia territory the past five
years have been made within the past
few months. Several new coal opera
lions are being planned and oil and
gas wells are being sunk at numerous
points. Our town the past eight or
nine years has doubled in population
and is fast assuming the magnitude Of
a mountain metropolis, being by far
the liveliest town in all that stretch
of country. Tremendous advancement
has been made in every line of bust
ness and the outlook is generally con-
sidered the best that has ever been
known in the history of the town."
''You wouldn't think the weather
would have much effect upon the bus
mess of a city hotel said Mr.. Fred
Wells, the popular night clerk at the
Stamm, but it has all the same. The
register of the mercury and the regis
ter on the desk seem to have bond
of sympathy and unless there are I'M
usual circumstances to prevent, keep
tally with a 'me-tOo' regularity. Not
only does rainy, murky days like we
had week ago, or very low degree
of temperature keep out-Of-town bust
ness men away, but those on social or
more trivial duties bent postpone their
visits to the city until fair weather.
Travelling men do not move around
so briskly, either, but so far as that
is concerned it doesn't make much
difference, If those bound for Wheel
ing stop where they may happen to be
unil blizzard or peculiarly disagree
able chunk of atmospheric phenome-
non humps along, those who are stop
ping with us do likewise and the deal
is about square in the end. At least
this is my observation through a per-
iod of considerable Duration
every slowly the Mexican business
men are becoming used to American
hustle, and now when an American
salesman strikes a merchant in that
country he is received with an in
terest that is strangely at variance
with the usual Mexican customs" said
a gentleman who has had some ex-
perience in that country. In the us
ual run of Mexican business the LATEST
of methods are employed and very lit
tie is done that is not altogether press
ing. Many business houses in Monte
rey, as well as through the other larg-
er cities of the country never open I'M
til o'clock closing from noon until
3 o'clock for luncheon and reopening
for the remainder Of the evening in
mid-afternoon. Business customs are
wholly different and sales are remark
ably small. Most of the goods handled
outside of those made at home are
imported from different European
countries. the American trade being re-
markedly small in everything except
machinery and a few special lines of
furnishing goods. This is not due so
much to the lack of American effort as
to the present tariff restrictions that
hold out the bulk of American pro-
ducts by excessive customs duties.
With a system Of rncinrocity If yvoDld