The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-01-10
GOSSIP FROM NEW YORK Mayor McCleilans Promise and Percrmance-A Young
 E :S Man With Future to Make or Mar. SC sS
BY JoH N MARTHoL.

ter to see the new pope. He will be the first American ecclesiastic of his rank to visit Plus K It is intimated that there are various interesting matters to be talked over One is the extension of canon law to this country. The bishops are nearly all opposed to this policy, while the priests, I am told, are nearly unanimously in favor of it. Another question is that of sending Italian mis- slonaries here to look after, the Italian emgrants, who are said to have fallen away from the church sn large numbers during the last ten or fifteen years. This city Is the largest Catholic diocese in the world with one exception.
 Business men here take no interest in the proposition to bring the democratic national convention to this city. Even the hotel men, who would benent most by 1t. appear to be indifferent. The fact Is they have all the guests they can handle from January to December. In recent years SO great is the rush Of travel to the city, they scarcely know what a dull season" means The metropolis Is really big summer resort; not only that, but a resting place for an Immense army of travellers to other points in the mountains and up and down the coast. Through it surges the great tide of European travel. which will be at it's height about the date of the convention. Again. metropoli- tan hotel keepers do not greatly care about politicians. They have not the money to spend. and they expect every | thing for nothing. Neither are the crowds that follow In the wake of conventions desirable. New York prices are too steep ' for them. The only persons really inter- ested in the thing are the second or third class boarding houses, and very small ho- tells. As to the political leaders, their opinion is that with the certainty that the candidate will come fro mthe east, the convention, as a matter of political expediency, should be held in the west anywhere except New York
 In about ninety days 1t will be possible to walk under the Hudson river from Jer- sey City to Manhattan, that Is what Is called the Christopher street tunnel will be advanced that far toward completion. Not for twelve months, however, will the great work be ready for passenger trans portation purposes. This structure has nothing to do with the gigantic Pennsyl- vania railroad tunnel, which will take years to finish.
 A decision of very great importance with respect to the personal rights of cit izens has just been given by the Supreme court. While maintaining that private de- tectives may follow person where fraud or a misdeed is to De discovered. 1t
  right 10 go about their business free from the logging of this class of people. The decision is the outcome of the legal fight made some time ago against the Metro politan Street Railway company, Henry J. Braker employed ex-District Attorney Philbin to investigate the affairs of the company, and discovered shortly after wards that he was followed by private de- tectives He caused the arrest of one of them, obtained a decision in the lower court in his favor, which is now sustained on appeal.
 The highest price paid for a seat in the Stock Exchange during 1903 was sS2OOo, and the lowest $6S.00O. What the price will be during the new year will Of course de- pend cn the volume of speculation. The outlook in that line at the present time is not very brilliant but member of the exchange tells me that conditions are im- proving. and that good spring boom IS certain to come along.
 Columbia University has a student pop ulation of about five thousand. There are, I am told, very few rich young men among them, Yale and Harvard being the magnets of educational attraction for that class. Many of them help out their scanty means by engaging In other em- ployrnentss I know one who has struck out an entirely new line of effort and Is possibly making mney at it. During the afternoons he takes charge of a lot Of rich young boys, whose parents are par ticular as to their associations. superin- tends their amusements and sees that they come to no harm generally. He easi- ly gets his price of few dollars a week for each boy He has so many of them that he employs an assistant.
 Tttt,, a1 mansion. that Is it's purchase by the city for museum purposes. is, in historical and aesthetic point of view. one of the best things that has been done here In long time The old house is the finest speciment of old colonial architecture on Manhattan Island, or within scores of miles around To tear it down would have been proclamation. It was the head quarters of Washington during the skir- mishing on the Hudson: it was the home of the great commanders early sweet heart before he met the beautiful Vir- ginia widow, who became his wife. Mad am Jumel shared 1t for time With Aaron Burr. Altogether 1t is well worthy of preservation.
 Several meetings of more than usual importance to golfers will be held during the coming few weeks The annual meet ing of the Womens' Metropolitan Golf as- sociation will be the first, being held on Friday, January. 29 This will be foliow- ed by the Mems Metropolitan Association meeting on February ?. and the annual meeting of the United States Golf asso- citation will come on February Il at Del | monicos' At the close of all these golf conferences something definite will be known regarding the location or the big championship tournaments next season. Even if the difficult question of selec- ton for the National events should be left to the executive committee at the limited States Golf association meeting the delegates would express their prefer enee for the section of the country for the respective events, the only necessary thing being the picking of club that could give the best assurances Tor the success of the contest. Philadelphia and New York are each likely to get one Of the championships. Little discussion Is heard regarding the open Some nave ex- pressed a willingness to see that event go to St. Louis. It Is not known whether the worlds fair golf promoters would care for that contest, as they have already obondoned all professional contests in