The age-herald., 1899-05-03
IN HOTELLOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

Apart from the Knights of Pythias, there are a great number of visitors in town, and the hotels are crowded. It is with dif- heulty that any new arrival can procure a bed, and he has to take rather long ..turn'' at the cafes and restaurants for something to eat. The town is crowded now all the time; but the Pythians add 1 materially to the throng. Not within ten years have there been so many strangers in Birmingham as at present. Yet the tide has just set in. The demand for increased hotel accommodations has become impera- tive. An immense new hotel has become absolutely necessary!
 
 "Ten Greeks direct from Greece arrived in Birmingham the other night" said the Greek keeper of a fruit stand. "They have come to go into the fruit trade. or such other business as may be open to them. They were all in the Turko-Grecian war. It is difficult to make any money at home. So a great many Greeks are now coming to America"
 DO they bring their famililes?'
 "No; too much expense; can't afford"
 'Is your own family in America?"
 'No, no; in Greece; will stay there. No come to this country at all. When l make some money I'll go back to my own coun- try"
 The Greek colony in Birmingham is large and growing The propretors of and at- tendants at all the numerous fruit stands are Greeks, though there is a very general impression that these men are Italians or 'dagoes,' as they are offensively termed. The designation is extremely offensive to a Greek, as it is, in fact to Italians. The Greeks are thrifty and law abiding, and many of them become citizens, and good citizens, too.
 q suspect that the purpose of the new lessee of the Mary Lee property is to make coke for export purposes. He and his as- sociates are large exporters of coke from Baltimore, and 1t is reasonable to assume that they will send abroad the better part of the Mary Lee ovens, for the reason that it woul likely be more profitable than to sell it at home. The demand in Mexico and South America for coke is growing rapid ly, and the Mary Lee coke is of excellent quality. MT. Henry, the Baltimore expert, who has been here for a week with Mir. Lee and MT. Jenkins inspecting the prop erty, left for the east this afternoon. MT. Lee and Mr. Jenkins remain"
 
 q see that another chapter has been begun in the celebrated Gafford-Lloyd mur- def case in Butler county" observed a law yer. John A. Gafford who was convicted in August, 1897, at Greenville of the murder of Francis Barlow Lloyd and sentenced to death, has been in the Montgomery jail ever since. The supreme court reversed the decision of the lower court, and now s Gafford has been taken back to Greenville to stand a new trial, which begins next Monday. This is one of the most notable murder eases in the history of Alabama courts, and the second trial of it will be awaited with keen interest by the bar and the general public It is worse than idle to speculate as to the probable result-it would be foolish, and presumptious to degree that would really be contempt of court"
 .-"I had this afternoon a striking proof of the prosperity of Birmingham, said a bus mess man. 'I picked up a dime in the street; and my good fortune was witnessed by scores of people, but not one of them claimed the money. Now, isn't that won- derful to think of? Not man said Mister that's my dime. Not a boy said Gimme me cash The incident was very pleasing to me. shall keep the little piece of silver for luck"
 Hon. Constantine Lawrence Lavretta, of fba 1at, ie in Birmingham; having come hither to ac- company his wife, who sang in the opera Martha" last night. MT. Lavretta, who is opposed to the repeal of the act calling the constitutional convention, is paired with Representative Cofer of Cullman. MT. Lavretta is one of the most eloquent and hard-working members of the house.
 
 'I read with a great deal of interest The Age-Herald's account of tue run of it's special newspaper train to Montgomery yesterday said Colonel Alfred M. O'Neal, of New York, last night. Tt was a re- markable and most praiseworthy exhibi- ton of enterprise. The paper was fortunate in having Engineer Daniels in charge of the engine; otherwise no such great speed from Birmingham to Montgomery might have been attained. It requires a peculiar kind of nerve on the part of an engineer to drive an engine at such speed. How ever brave a man an engineer may be, he yet may be lacking in that quality which would enable him to run on a great race against time. Several years ago l was on a special train for New York The weather was wild and we ran wild race into Philadelphia. The engineer who took charge of our train there was instructed to run into New York at or about the rate of mile minute. He didn't obey orders. I talked with the conductor about it. The engineer hasn't got the proper sort of nerve he said I have in my mind at least half dozen engineers on this divis- ion, who, if they had orders to run to New York in an hour, would do so or burst | everything wide open.' Once I was on an | engine that ran about a mile minute," concluded Colonel ONeal. "I have never