The age-herald., 1899-09-01
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

but his return to the state at tnlS moment will not cause much surprise, in view of the very determined and somewhat bitter fight that is being made against him by leaders of his own party. The republican party in Alabama Is not a happy family just now. Various leaders have their knives out for the scalp of Auditor Young blood, their representative on the repubh- can national committee, and 1t is claimed that they have got the auditor virtually cornered; but he Is a very willy politician and an "old hand" at the business of politics. Doubtless he returns home now to face his enemies and have 1t out with them. The attitude of the leaders here In Birmingham is not clear; they are letting the other fellows do the talking. Vaughan and Allison and Hughes are not submitting to interviews for publication. Montgomery is the theater of the anti Youngblood war, and the big-wigs down there seem to be kicking up much dust. And curiously enough somebody or somebodies appear to be after Captain J. w. Dimmick, clerk of the United States court at Montgomery So long as Judge Bruce remains on the bench Captain Dlmmick is certain of the district clerkship at any rate but Judge Bruce is infirm in health, and is within a year or two of retiring. Captain Dimmick, by the way, is one of the most substantial citizens of the state. He Is largely Inter- ested in the First National bank of his town and owns big block of the $S00,00o of bonds of the Montgomery street rail- ways; and both the bank and the railways pay substantial dividends. There is no stock of the railways in existence. It is said that the captains clerkship pays sS.O0o a year. But, however, that may be. he needn't to care whether school keeps.
 An Alalbamian who has played many parts and honored them all is Hon. John W. Inzer. of St. Clair, who spent yesterday in the city, Colonel Inzer Is one of the seven or eight survivors of the secession convention of Alabama, and he voted against secession. But he entered the Con- federate service and became colonel At the close of the war he came home to find St. Clair without probate judge, the judge having been driven away Cby stress of war To Colonel Inzer's surprise, Gov ernor Lewis E. Parsons sent him com mission as probate judge. He served seven
 
 he was elected to the judgeship by the people. He served for several years in the state senate, and made for himself a repu- tation as broad as the state He is and has been for long the president of the board of trustees of the Alabama Bryce Hospital for the Insane, otherwise the Tuscaloosa asylum, one of the best four institutions of that character in the United States, or probably in the world.
 '-The trustees have just had busy time at the asylum" said Colonel Inzer. "We have made very important purchase of land, the possession of which Dr. Searcy assured us was essential to the well-being of the institution. It was necessary to haVe the land for a water supply and other purposes. It is the Fftts Castle Hilr prop erty of 2S5 acres. and we paid for it $20OOO. It adjoins the asylum grounds, and the line is within a hundred yards or so of the main building. I had the privilege several years ago of urging the purchase Of this land It could have been secured then for perhaps a fourth of what we now pay; but cf course the trustees could not have pos- sibly foreseeu the great rise in the value or property at Tuscaloosa and in that vfcin- ity. We have done the best we could. and I feel that we have done well. It is splendid property we have acquired. and it's acquisition was absolutely necessary" F ormer Governor Thomas G. Jones Is at the Morris, accompanied by his young son. Master Thomas G, Jones, Jr. He comes here on important legal business. and will probably remain in the city for two or three days. Many of his friends called at the hotel to pay their respects to him, and he was, as Is always the case with him, made to feel that Birmingham welcomed him. Governor Jones never looked so we'll He has grown percept- iby stouter, and grey hairs are coming rhick enough to frost his head; but he is younger in spirit and energy. 'I am just beginning to really enjoy life." he said. 1T have come through the rub of the years. and there are some scars to show, but they don't hurt. and am happy I am living my younth over again in my children. Their joys constitute my chief happiness. Then I am working hard. and prospering as well as could hope for.'' And the gov- ernor looked the perfectly satisfied phil osopher.
 
 Speaker Charles E. Waller, of Hale, spent few hours in Birmingham yester- day on his way south from the northern counties, which he has been visiting in the furtherance of his canvass for the demo- cratic gubernatorial nomination. He seem- ed to be eminently satisfied with his pros- poets in the Tennessee valley. and was as light-hearted as schooiboy. He appear ed to be very confident. and went so far as to admit that he was delighted over the political outlook in so far as it concerned himself, Much canvassing Is adding to the speakers. weight. Mr. Waller is in Montgomery today.
 Two men. evidently strangers to Bir- mingham, were heard discussing the "up- to-date-ness' of modern cities yesterday afternoon. Do you know,'' said one of them. 'I always had a fine opinion of Bir- mingham until I saw that big. rusty look ing locomotive come puff1ng down the