The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-14
HOTEL LOBBY GLEANINGS
GEORGE f. LITTELL TALKS OF
COUNTRIES FAR REMOVED.
a Model City-MariOn Men Are
Proud-HoteI Visitors.

There is young man stopping at the
Denison who has visited every city of inn
portance in the country and travelled prac-
tically all over the world This is his first
visit to Indianapolis, and as a result of the
two days he has spent here he declares that
he has never been in a better city, all
things considered. The man is George T..
Littell. of San Francisco.
You have a most beautiful city," said
Mr.. Littell last evening. II have often in
tended to come here before, as had heard
so much of Indianapolis, but things never
shaped themselves to bring me here until
this week. Detroit is the city with which
perhaps it is more beautiful city, but con-
sidering commercial and business advan-
tages and interests. as well as beauty. 1
prefer Indianapolis.
Mr.. Littell is promoter and mining ex-
pert, with extensive interests in copper
mines in New Mexico. centering at Cooney,
ninety miles north of Silver City. He but
recently returned from a several months
prospecting trip through Australia, and he
talks entertainingly of the resources Of that
country.
II went to Australia about ten months
ago." said Mr.. Littell, Ito prospect, and 1
visited practically every part of the island,
spending five months there. In the country
about $50 miles from Sidney / found con-
sideragle lead, zinc and phosphate, but
no copper. There is some little gold and
silver In the country, but the territory has
all been thoroughly covered, and L found
little TO induce me to remain and make
any investments. Lots of gold and silver
have been taken out of these mountains.
hn oct Of hos he0 . oOly
In the effort to develop other properties.
"On my way back from Australia 1 spent
-FOUR months in Honolulu, and L tell you
that to me that city Is the garden spot of
the world The climate is delightful, the
people most hospitable and there is some
thing about the place that gets into your
blood and makes you want to stay there the
rest of your natural existence and do moth
Ing but nave good time.
Things are in rather bad shape in Homo
lulu at this time in a business way, but
conditions Will be greatly improved as soon
as the cable to San Francisco is in working
order. The island is absolutely cut off from
the rest of the world now. except for COM
munication by mail that takes six DAYS to
get there from San Francisco. That has
a great influence on the business of the
place. The principal industries of the island
are coffee and sugar and both products
are tied up at present through the fights
among the trusts that little is being
done. The people of the island are land
poor, and yet there seems to be plenty Of
greatly in the next few years and believe
that there will be some great business OPP
portunities there.
There is one feature of Honolulu that
would make it a paradise for some people
anybody can get credit there for any
thing. Anyone can walk into a store there
buy what he wants and have it charged,
merely by giving his name, and no ques-
tons are asked. That looks like picking
for deadbeats, and it is, up to that point
but woe upto him who does not pay. his
debts and attempts to leave the island
without suuaring accounts with all his
creditors. The merchants have an organi-
cation which maintains spoilers at every
steamboat landing on the island, and it is
aDSoiutely impossible for man to get away
II he owes any of them.
You know there is an old Italian prov
erb. See Naples and then die'-well see
Honolulu and then live. What / have said
about the Hawaiian capital, however, is
not contradictory with what / said about
indianapolis. The two cities are in no
wise TO be compared
Mr.. Littell thinks that the next big sem
Sation to be expected is an oil boom for
Louisiana that will eclipse the Texas ex-
element and make the Beaumont field of
only minor Importance. He recently spent
some weeks in two of the parishes in that
State and he says that prospectors have
made startling discoveries. One or two
gushers have been struck. but the develop
ments are being kept secret as
much as possible to enable a few
part of all the oil territory. There is lots
of gas in Louisiana, too and Mr.. Littell
says that In some of the bayous which he
explored In a naphtha launch the air was
so full of gas rising from the water that
II was difficult 10 draw good breath The
will prevent remarkable development, he
believes.