The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-07
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

| the Hobbies illustrative of the ready wit
| and mastery of repartee possessed by the
Hon. Robert ]. Lowe. The other night
| the committee of the house of representa-
! tives had under consideration the Moody
liquor dispensary bill, as it came from the
I senate. There were many men in attend
| ance for and against the bill respectively.
| nAr. Lowe was making an able argument In
opposition to the proposed measure A
man in the audience interrupted him with
= question. JIr. Lowe answered it and then
asked his questioner, would you be will
Ing to conduct dispensary?"
mo-" answered the man promptly. Nor
| would be a lawyer!
This sally from the man in the crowd Gre
| ated great merriment at the expense OF
| Mr.. Love- who paused for space until
the laughter had partially subsidized. With
much dignity and earnestness, Mr. Lowe.
pointing his finger at the laughers. said:
1.-The cackling of geese saved Rome!'
! The laughter instantly subsidized. Mr..
Lowe, still pointing his index finger at
| those who had laughed, repeated with a
| rising infection:
1.-The cackling of geese saved Rome!'
| There was absolute silence as Mr.. Lowe
added:
"And let us hope that this momentary
merriment may lead those present to sober
reflection and to the serious consideration
| of this most serious question"
| Reports say that the effect was magical.
| It was made known that the man in the
| crowd who questioned Mr.. Lowe was
| Jefferson county minister, and his identity
was to Mr.. Lowe wholly unknown.
|
The dispensary bill, the county commits
| sioners' court, the Greater Birmingham
| measure, and the mayoralty contest, are
| all subsidiary now to the eternal subject
| of the weather. Not in a great many years
| has this district suffered so much from
| bad weather. There has not been much
| cold. Indeed, low temperatures have been
| below the average since the middle OF DC
| tober but on an average there have been
| four rainy days out of seven Work on
| the great steel plant in course Of erection
| at Ensley is understood to be six weeks be-
| hind the contractors time on account of
| rain. A contractor who does great bust
ness in grading and railroad building, said
yesterday:
1.-THE weather is to us almost disastrous.
| We have ninety mules which have for six
weeks been unable to earn even the corn
| fed to them. Besides, we have large
| staff of salaried men who are idle. Our
| contracts call for all the work we could
accomplish in fair weather, and therefore
| the constant rain is for us a very serious
matter"
| Yesterday was a typical day of this ex-
traordinary winter. 1t was very mild, and
a slow rain fell all day long. On the
| North Highlands the shade trees are burst
! ing into blossom and leaf. Unless there
! is quick change there be no hope for
| q good fruit crop.
Congressman NJ. w. Howard, of the
Seventh district was in Birmingham yes
terday on his way from Washington to
| Fort Payne. He was accompanied by Mrs.
| Howard. The congressman was seen by an
! Age-Herald reporter and asked as to the
| purpose of his visit home at the present
time.
II am going to Fort Payne to meet
| gentleman and sign the contract for
large cotton mill to be erected in that city.
| This gentleman already owns two cotton
mills in the Carolnas, and he has under
taken to build another at Fort Payne. So
| we are sure of cotton factory. Further
than this 1 cannot tell you anything for
| publication"
The congressman is looking remarkably
well.
| Representative Miller of Marengo, who
has made a fine reputation for himself in
the present general assembly, will be a
candidate for delegate to the constitutional
convention, and he ought to be elected"
said politician from Montgomery. Mr.
| Miller is good man, and If he takes part
in the deliberations of the convention his
| services will be of much benefit to the peo-
pie of Alabama. All the people should unite
| in the single purpose of sending none but
lie best men to the constitutional conven
tion.''
| II hear that Representative Milo Moody.
| Of Jackson, desires to represent his county
in the constitutional convention said an
other politician. MIR. Moody is a very
bright and thoroughly capable man. and he
would be very useful in the convention. He
is conservative, thoughtful and calmly de-
liberative-the very sort of man needed to
aid in framing the organic law of the
state
| President James Crook of the state rail-
| road commission, who made a flying visit
to Birmingham yesterday, holds office under
| his present appointment for two years
| longer. The two associate commissioners
| will be appointed next week, and never be-
| fore has the matter of their appointment at
| tracted so much attention. President Crook
keeps up a model farm in Calhoun county,
and is a noted breeder of Jersey cattle In
| 1890 he was a candidate for governor and Is
now frequently mentioned in connection
| with the gubernatorial contest of 1900
Mr.. c. II. Greer, of the Marion Standard
visited the city yesterday. Mr.. Greer re-
Gently bought the Marion Standard and
j while he has made reputation in the state
both in the editorial and local fields, his