The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-22
PARTY IN CALIFORNIA
ENGINEERS CONVENTION DRAWS
 MANY ALABAMIANs.
several Thousand Nan and Women Att tending Meeting at Les Angeles and Participating in Enjoy
 able Entertainments

motive Engineers and auxiliary bodies are In session here and a number of Alabam- isns are in attendance.
 To do justice to the beauties, natural and cultivated. of this. country would require the brush of the artist or the pen of the poet.
 It would be hard. indeed. for one who has not seen to realize the magnificent hIxuriance of the fora of this country. Coming into Los Angeles one passes through miles and miles of orange and lemon groves. Houses here are all cov- cred with roses and towering vines,-- there are no exceptions. Geraniuns grow over walls. fences. treilises and even climb to the roofs of some of the homes. A common sight is hedges of calla lilies, and everywhere one sees a very paradise of palms. The roses here are said to be the most beautiful on earth, and one can well believe it.
 This is tho sixth Biennial Convention of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi- neers and the c. I. A. to the B. of l.. D. is one of the most widely attended con- ventions that has ever been held. There are more than 5000 engineers and their wives tn Los Angeles ttogether with a few bachelors and widows). and the city fo, the time being Is theirs.
 Alabama is well represented, especially Montgomery. Birmingham. Mobile. Tus- caioosa, Anniston and Selma are also rep- resented. From Montgomery we have here Mir. and Mrs. c. c. Devinney, MT. and Mrs. Harry waddell. MT. and Mrs. George Morgan, Mrs. Ladye whitehead Wright. Mfr, J. c. Conner and MT. J. Still. MT. and Mrs J. J. Thomas are here from Selma. Mir. Thomas is one of the oldest and best known engineers in the conven- ton, having served his division as dele gate, since there has been conventions. Politics is the order of the day, in both houses" Both divisions will this year elect Grand officers. and to say that there is lobbying and wire pulling" would scarcely do the subject justice. The friends of MT. W. S. Stone, the present Grand Chief Engineer, are work ing hard to retain him in the chair. while Mir. Currie, Second Assistant Engineer, is an aspirant for the office and Is man who is capable and who has a strong following, .. The men have much business of in- poftafice to dispose of at this convention and do not expect to adjourn before the middle of June.
 In the e. I. A. excitement is intense. Mrs. wright's Montgomery friends all know that she is a candidate for Grand office and her friends are hard at work for her.
 The friends of Mrs. W. A. Murdock. tha Grand President confidently expect to re-eIect her, while the friends Of Mrs M. E, Carrell. the Grand Vice-President, are just as hopeful of promoting her to the office of Grand President.
 Mrs. Wright has friends in both par ties but has so far preserved neutral ity. She says she is running independ- erlt" Today she was consolingly told by A. friend that no man or woman ever gained any prominence in this world until he or she had made enemies"
 All sorts of delightful trips are be- ing arranged. We spent Saturday and Sunday in sight seeing. tally-ho drive through Smiley Heights, Red- lands, Saturday. will never be forgot ten by those so fortunate as to go, and Sunday we spent at San Diego on the Pacific coast. There were few in- deed, who did not avail themselves of the opportunity of the surf bathing. though the waters of the Pacific are cold at this season.
 Last night we went to hear Ellery's famous band. This afternoon Paul de Longyore, the famous flower painter, will open his studio to the c. l. A. 1a- dies and tender a reception. Thursday is engineers day at the Chutes. and Saturday we go to Catalina Islands, returning Sunday night.
 There is lots of work, yet enough of fun to 'even up'' and make the con- vention an enjoyable affair.
 One day during this week party will ascend Mt. Lowe, and in extend ing to me an invitation I was told to be sure my 'heart was right" if un- dertook the trip.
 Providence has dealt with lavish hand, natures beauties to this coun- try. but she has not given all here, she has been just, after all, in the distri- button of her gifts. The flowers are thousand fold more luxurious here, but ours at home are in equal proportion, more fragrant. There has not been drop of rain since we came here, but it looks all the time as if 1t would rain. They do not have bright sum shiny mornings here as we have in Alabama.
 Our election of officers will not take place until the very last of the con- vention, and then there will be a great rush for home. However, it will be be- tween the 1st and 10th of June before we will all get home, on account of the lengthSOf time required to make the trip.
 Let the result of the convention be as 1t may, this has been a trip, which to some of us. will be numbered among the red letter days of our lives.