The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-14
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

enough to finish the yacht race within the
prescribed limit of time" said ]. M.
Cameron. 1.-THE conditions of wind and the
weather generally outside New York har-
Dor have been without precedent In the
long history of racing for the America
cup no such conditions have prevailed.
Sportsmen the world over are watching the
contest for the cup so often sought by the
British Isles and so stoutly defended by
the Americans. But the atmospheric con-
ditions make a real race impossible. L am
myself a Scotchman, and know we'll Willie
Fife, the designer of the Shamrock L
knew his father, the first William Fife, OF
Largs and Fairlie, and many time l have
sailed on yachts in the Clyde, and from
the Tail of the Bank out seaward. Willie
Fife was a Draw lad in the old days. You
know we say something almost like Wully
when we speak the name Willie. Old Fife,
we used to call him, loved his bottle
bit, like all good Scotchmen. One day
party of great visitors, including the Prince
of Wales, called at his place in Largs. Old
Fife was in his pattern room full of liquor.
When the Prince and other visitors enter
ed old Fife rose to his feet, made his bow,
and simply said: All, we shall beat all of
tors passed out; but the old man kept his
word. One night many years ago several
of us left the Tail of the Bank on a yacht
for Belfast Lough every man but me feel
ing his liquor. The weather became rough.
and il seemed that we were lost. / alone
became seasick. When the sea was rough
est and it seemed we had lost our way,
Willie Fife called for the chart Instant
h. ,NIo l..
We were then being tossed about. We got
into Belfast all right; but that voyage
with Willie Fife and the others I shall
never forget. At Largs, Fairlie, Dunoon,
Rothsay, Gourock-ah, well, those old days
of yachting in the Clyde's mouth were
gloriousl"
John A. Payne, of Cincinnati, who is more
largely interested in pools on horse racing
than any other man in the United States,
remains in Birmingham the guest of the
Alabama club. This club entertained him
at a special breakfast yesterday, and he
met several of the leading residents of
this city, all of whom were impressed by
Mr. Paynes business ability and sagacity
Mr.. Payne is a man of large wealth and
wide financial connections and influence
He had not believed nearly all he had
heard of Birmingham before coming hither.
He believes it all now. The city proper
and Ensey amazed him. They also con-
WINGED him. II throw up my hands, good
friends!" he exclaimed on returning from
Ensley. mot nearly half of the whole
story had been told to me. l have seen
Birmingham 1 am conquered. In all my
life l have not been so much astonished at
the development~of any city Birming
ham astonishes me-" MIR. Payne's friends
took him over that incomparably beautiful
drive down Jones valley, through Shades
and across Red mountain, "a distance of
some nine miles from the Jefferson county
court house. Looking upon birmingham
from the summit of Red mountain, Mr..
Payne declared 81 never before saw SO
many buildings in course of erection;I never
before saw so fair a city, or one so promis-
ing of material development" 1t was hap
py that Mr. Payne saw Birmingham from
the forest top of Red mountain, for from
those heights alone can the extent or the
advantages of this city be fully appreci-
ated. At night may be observed the glow
of nearly one-ha1f of all the iron furnaces
now in operation in the south, and the
CLEAN of thousands of street lights reach
ing almost from Ensley to East Lake, a
distance of twelve miles. MIR. Payne has
become so deeply Interested in Birmingham
that he intends to make large investments
here in his own behalf and in the name of
his friends. Behind him there are millions
of money.
C. J. Christie of Cincinnati, has been
spending two or three days in Birmip CHAM,
and Is delighted with what he mas seen.
Mr.. Christie was formerly a newspaper
man and achieved distinction on the press
inCinolnnati. He quit his journalistic work
to engage in private business, and in that
has prospered. 1t is said of him that he is
the one man. in Cincinnati who would be
absolutely sure OF the mayoralty should he
express a desire for that honor
The Mercy Home of Birmingham is in
debt $1,000, and it is Intended to hold great
meeting in the First Methodist church ON
Sunday, October 30, for the purpose of try
ing to collect sufficient money to pay off
the indebtedness. Meantime, a citizen of
Birmingham offers to be one of eighty or
forty persons Who are willing to subscribe
the $1,000 needed. The Mercy Home was
founded with the view of aiding women and
Children in distress. 1t is now home of
comfort for uhirty-four orphans. AT times
of late it has been so crowded that those
good women in charge of it have been COM
PEELED to send to the hotels of the city
women entitled to THE Homes protection
and comfort, The bills being paid out of
the scanty means at the disposal eff the
Homes management. This is shamefu1ly
outrageous-a reflection upon the charity
OF Birmingham! The Home is entirely non
sectaran in a religious sense; 1t Is a refuge
for the heplessly afflicted, and its cause
is the common cause of humanity.
Some conception of the magnitude of the
great steel plant at Ensley may be had
from the fact that the plant will require
within its yards alone two miles of rail-
road track. This track is now being laid
by the Birmingham Southern under the
personal supervision of its president, Jones