The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-04
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

time. Flags and buntfngS OF all sorts we're
stretched across some or the streets yes
herday, and the decoration of business
houses was begun. BY tonight the town
will be fully decorated, and the real rush
of the State Fair time will begin. Already
there are great numbers of visitors here;
and last might Whe Motel loio6ies were
thronged with animated crowds, and the
streets presented an unusually busy aspect.
The railroads are preparing to deal with
the great passenger traffic that is looked
for. 1t is expected that on Tuesday there
will be in Birmingham the la1gest crowd
ever assembled in. Alabama. and the State
Fair authorities anticipate that there will
Zoe $4,000 persons VITO will enter tine faic
grounds. The Fair itself will draw immense
crowds, and then there will be the presence
OF Admiral Sohley. There will be thousands
of visitors here who have as yet never seen
Birmingham II gase strangers, IL they be
so-called, don't fall in love with this town
they will be sadly >unappreoiative. As to
dae railroads and the street car lines, they
will nave every passenger they can posi-
ply carry. President CafTee of the State
Fair, who took up his quarters at the Flor
ence hotel yesterday, is perfectly confident
Vi SUCCESS, anu al Tie OFFICIALS OIL the falf
are jubilant over the outlook.
Yesterday brought perfect autumn
weather, WITH its COOL crisp air and cloud
less sky. There was a heavy frost in the
morning, and ice formed for the first time
this season. The mercury was down to 81
degrees. A more perfect day could not sbe
imagined and everybody seemed to take on
new life. Languor left and rosy moses
came 1t was great comfort that we had
come to atmosphere really bracing, and
that The longest season OF not wea ther and
the hottest hot weather ever experienced in
this valley had passed. The character of
the day afforded additional pleasure ON ac-
count of the promise it gave of the weather
for the great events about to transpire.
Everybody hopes Admiral Schley will on
Monday look first upon Birmingham in
briglitest sunlight. Even Birmingham is
not beautiful on a rainy day.
The automobile has at last arrived in Biz
mingham, and it is the novelty of the
hour. The specimen of the .'horseless car
riage' seen the streets here is SMALL
but it is quite enough to attract the
e'e'Sht4oh VI DdSScISOy. IeSleIudy
afternoon 1T was drawn up in front of a
store in Second avenue, and for an hour or
two there was a large and constantly
Shifting crowd surrounding it, each person
almost struggling to get a close view. 1t is
new to the local people, and naturally they
desire ITO see all about it there is ITO be
seen. When the machine first appeared on
the streets, running at rapid speed it
created read sensation. Doubtless there
will be many automobiles in Birmingham
before another November comes.
Walter Smith has come to town from
Mississippi where he has been building
short line fer the Illinois Central railroad,
and opening up a large rock quarry near
Jackson The railroad work is about ccm-
pleted, and Mr.. Smith is delighted, for the
swampy districts of Mississippi are not very
healthy at this season of the year. Work
is progressing at the Messrs. Smiths quar-
ry, which is the only rock quarry in M ssls
sippi. They have contracted with the Unit
ed states government to supply it with the
entire product of the quarry for five years
to come. The rock is to be used on the
levees of the Mississippi river The largest
work Messrs. Charles Smith and Water
Smith have in hand Is 10 remove the soil
from phosphate beds at Mt Pleasant,
Tenn. The earth is scraped away from the
rock, and after the rock is removed, in
many cases. the soil removed Is carted
back and the land remains as productive as
ever
"Bessemer is enjoying greatly increased
prosperity" said a railroad official yesser-
day 'There is notable activity in real
estate, and prices have made decided adj
vances. There is much building being d ne.
and a good class of houses erec.ed. Tie
work of cleaning up at the rolling mill for
the purpose of re suming operations is pro-
ceeding rapidly. and very son the mill will
be running on full time. That in Itself
would be sufficient to make business lively
at Bessemer. So the people of the Marvel
City have every reason to be satisfied with
the present situa. ion and the general out
look
w. H. Weller, of Gadsden, the veteran
manufacturer of cast iron pipe, was at the
Morris yesterday He left in the afternoon
for home Mr.. Weller was returning from
New York, where he had been spending
week or two. He is interested in the Cen
trail Foundry company, which owns pipe
plants at Bessener, Admission and Gadsden,
and while in New York he attended the
companys meeting. The business showed
up most satisfactorily Interest on bonds
and all expenses have been met out of the
net earnings, and there has been no en-
croachment upon the working capital. Ger
tainly this must be satisfactory to new
company. Mr.. Weller spoke, as usual, en-
Enthusiastically sof Birmingham. ut Is the
best town in the SOUTH he declared. but
Birmingham needs to learn how to adver-
tise itself There is nothing behind ATTAIN
ia, but see what advertising has done for
the town! Birmingham should learn a
much needed lesson from Atlanta. Biz
mingham should also build great hotel
and a ten-story office building. The invest
ment would be very profitable"
Rotbart 7 Rurdette was registered at the