The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-23

new place will be a success. 1t is
characteristic of the rush to the new
est and most pretentious place that as
much as $500 a table has been paid for
reservations for the opening night, and
this exclusive of the cost of food and
wines. There is always chance, how
ever. that after the first glamour has
worn off and people find that the new
place is no different from half dozen
other high-priced restaurants, they
Will become weary of ii and regret
the distinctiveness of the old Martins.
Nothing remains to fill the void. The
man who can supply the want is likely
to reap large harvests.
Everybody knows BIN the Button
Man. He is the most picturesque figure
in the business side of politics. 1t is
mis- bushes to follow the progress of
the garment that Destiny weaves"
and sew button on it at appropriate
intervals. In other words he manufac-
lures legendary buttons to express
public sentiment via the buttOn-hole
These ornaments are mostly political;
the face of leader or 4 noble senti-
ment uttered by some party sage,
though he occasionally wanders into
other provinces, theatrical, social or
casual. 1t is a line of business requir-
ing keen perception; your button man
catch phrases are coming into popular
favor, instantly fix the imprints there
of upon his tens of thousands of but
tons, and send them forth for man
Kind to Haunt in its coat lapels lat ten
cents per f1aunD in the face of the as
t3rished heavens. Perhaps Bins pow
ers of prOphesy failed him at some
critical stage; at any rate he has gone
into bankruptcy and turned in as as
ctn -
chestnut phrases, and symbols of
hygone days more amazing than mind
can conceive. His friends say that if
he could have forseen the Patterson
fire of last week he might have held
on long enough to recoup himself by a
timely issuance of such timely legends
as 'Singed but Still in the Game" I'VE
Don't Need Your Help" Patterson,
the Modern Phoenix etc, and sold
them on every corner of the stricken
city for enough profit to have tided
him over to another national conven-
ton, which is his bonanza time. 1t
was at convention, however that he
received his first serious setback He
had banked heavily on inside infor-
nation that a certain candidate would
be the nominee, and had ordered some
hundred thousand buttons bearing the
statesman's picture on them. Early in
tue proceedings IL became evident that
the mas hadn't chance. Just before
the adjournment a delegate saw BIN
sitting alone in a corner of the hotel.
his hat drawn down over his eyes. the
representation of misery
Hello" said the delegate. "How's
BIN the Button Man feeling to-day?''
I've changed me NAME" said BIN.
hollowly. l amt BIN the Button
Man; I'm Bum the Bitten Man."
There was absolutely no essential
change in the stock market lest week.
Prices rose gradually and irregularly
until the ruling to collect the war tax
checked the rise, but the rise was too
easily checked. When the ruling was
not enforced things loafed on upward
little, but there is no vigor in the
market and nobody except the traders
shows and interest. All that is to be
said, therefore, is a repetition of what
we have been saying for some time
past: the best bull feature in sight is
the present dullness, which puts off
the time for the last big boom" and,
in consequence, the time of the final
depression.
Money is plentiful, business is good,
the crop reports from the West and
South are not bad, and the financial
leaders are entirely preoccupied with
the great financial schemes which, we
must never forget, connot be launched
with success, except upon a rising
market. Duane.