The age-herald., 1900-03-08
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

MT. Hannis Taylor is charged with the great task of preparing the article Ala bama' for the forthcoming revised and 1 enlarged edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica The Mobile Register is author dty for this statement, and of course 1t IS correct, MT. Taylor having been in a way connected with the Register for twenty five years, and having recently submitted the draft of has article to tine editor. The last edition of the Brttannica appeared four teen years ago. and its article Alabama" was prepared as far back as 1870. So MT. Taylor W-lll dead fully with the social. po- lsticaa, economic ana Industrial conditions and deveopments of the past thirty years. Alabama and the Alnbamians are exceed irgly fortunate in that this all-important work has ibeen assigned to the man most competent of all men to perform the task. MT Taylor's monumental volumes on the English constitution and his extensive re- views regarding various great questions have heraaded his fame Throughout Christ endom, and some of tine greatest unaversi- ties of his own country, and in the old world, such as Oxford, Cambridge and Edln- bursh, have delighted to do him honor. Oxford and other seats of learning have l accepted his constitutional work as stand ard authority. He Is deeply learned in his tory, art, and general Literature; and in diplomacy he had the experience of four trying years as American minister to Spain, during which he lived in the at- mosI,here of the polite world and the cul- tured. Few men are so accomplished as he, none more graceful or more gracious. His work for the greatest of all the puIbld- cations of authoritative reference yet at- tempted in the English tongue is fortunate for his own people, and for all men inter- ested in any way dn Alabama.
 
 The story which MT. Taylor will have to relate to the wide world concerning the ma terial development of Alabama during the past thirty years will be that sort of truth that is stranger than fiction. He will show that the states output of coal has risen from 132O0 tons in 1870 to 7,5OO,0O0 tons. es- timated. in 19O0 In 1870 the production of pig iron in the state was but 1000 tons. In 1899 1t had risen ito 1.0S3,905 tons, or more than 10000 tons a week. Today the Bir- mingham district is the third largest point of export of pig iron in the world; and the districts coke tonnage of 1909 ,S39 tons in 1898 was equalled in this country by the Connellsville district of Pennsylvania alone. Alabama produced 429, ,4S2 bales of cotton tn 1S7O,and 1.130,00O bales in 1899. There were thirteen cotton mills thirty years ago; there are now fffty-two, with total investment of more than $16,00O0O0. There were less than 300 lumber and shingle mills in 1870; now there are 1000, representing nearly $19,OOO,0oO. In 1870 there were 105 vessels en- gagged in foreign trade that entered Mobile tharbor, the total tonnage being 70,49. Dur ing the year ended June 30, 1899, 535 such vessels with total tonnage of 3S4,0O en- tered Alabama's only seaport. The census of 1870 gave Alabama a population of 996 ,992. The census of 1900 will show close to 2,OOO,- 900 inhabitants. What marvellous story MT Hannis Taylor has got to relate for the greatest encyclopaedia! "The good Hannis." Hon. Cecil Browne and Probate Judge Camp of Talladega passed through the city yesterday, returning from Bowling Green, Ky, whither they journeyed last week for the purpose of taking part in the action at Jaw promoted hy Judge Camp against a life insurance company to recover the face Nilue LII d %lV,VuU pOllCy Oll Ille llle Ol lIe judges brother, the late Howard Camp. The case was compromised, the insurance company paying to Judge Camp, as execu- tor of his brothers estate. the sum of ss,5oo. MT. Browne, Judge Camps attor- ney, stated that the proposed compromise was accepted hy him for several reasons, chief of which were a continuance for a week that would have been asked for on account of the absence of the company's counsel and certain of its witnesses, and the apparent certainty that in event the company lost the case there would have been an appeal to the court of appeals. The small difference of $500 was yielded According to provision made by Howard Camp the money obtained will be equally divided between his widow and his only child, 13-year-old daughter. As has been stated here. Howard Camp was found dead in his apartments in the Morris hotel. this city, several months ago. dn the public prints appeared the suggestion that he had committed suicide, but medical testimony proved that he died of heart failure The insurance company resisted payment of the policy in question upon the ground that Howard Camp knew when he took out the policy three years before that he had dis ease of the heart, although the company had regularly accepted the premiums re- mitted by the insured man.
 
 Hon. John D Burnett of Conecuh was in town yesterday on business in the probate court of Jefferso county, and the presence here of MT Burnett and MT. Cecil Browne at the same time recalls the notable '"Three Busy Bs' of the legislature of 1SS2-S3- Browne of Talladega, Burnett of Conecuh, and Beck of Wilcox. They were leaders of the house. Afterwards MT. Browne was elected to the senate, MT. Burnett was ap- pointed United States district attorney and MT. Beck is now probate judge of Wilcox county. Although MT. Burnett is still a. young man, his mass of hair has changed from black to silver grey which adds to rather than distracts from his distinguished appearance. He is accounted one of the ablest lawyers of south Alabama, and one