The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-03-25
EARLY STORIES OF FLORENCE HOTEL Landmark of Birmingham's
 Pioneer Days ACTORS RENTED CHAIRS Unable to Secure Beds They Reserved Office Chairs in Which to Rest
 After the Performance
 at Theatre.
 

The remodeling of the Florence Hotel will bring to the minds of those remin- iscently inclined flood of interesting recollections.
 There is not building in the city, nerhans within whose walls so many things of acute human interest have taken place. Its history would furnish lively material for half dozen books of the most exciting nature.
 The hotel was built in 1883, just before the great Birmingham boom" and it was the Mecca in those days of those who were attracted here with specula- tive interest as well as those who fore seeing the prosperous and substantial city of today lost their last dollar in trying to bridge the chasm between fren- zied furry and permanent fortune
 i'I can readily recall" said pioneer citizen yesterday, many incidents con nected with the joint history of those days and the Florence Hotel that run the whole range of human feelings from Imaginable absurdity to extreme pathos remember standing near the desk one night about twelve o'clock when an ex- cited prospective investor in Birmingham rushed through the door and straight to the register where he wrote his name as if he was trying to keep an engagement to witness fire. The clerk did not move a muscle.
 Give me a room,' shouted the traV- eler.
 Got none.' replied the clerk.
 Got no room of any sort?' asked the would-be guest
 Nope replied the clerk without in- terest.
 Give me cot then.
 Got none.'
 Lemm'e have lounge in the par lor.'
 None to give you
 Il take rocking chair then
 All rented for the night
 Gimme chair to sit down in then' finally come from the dropping traveller
 "'All engaged, said the clerk.
 Look here, young man. said the sleepv man as he put both elbows on the counter and leaned as far over as pos sible, Will you kindly take me out in your back yard some place, if there is room enough, and tie me till mornngY
 "In 1886 or 'S7, George Wilson's min strels paid seventy-hve cents apiece Tor occupying the Florence office chairs. The charge was made because there was no other way to reserve them for the tired actors till after the performance.
 "On one occasion while I was in the office a venerable physician from Florida registered about 1 a. m or course ne could not get a bed and took a seat in an office chair Near by sat wide awake and bright-eyed "a fresh and nice looking boy of about eighteen or nineteen years of age The two engaged in conversa- tion.
 What are you doing out so later en- quired the doctor.
 Well I'm in the real estate business returned the boy and am just waiting to see what might turn up.'
 "The doctor looked the young fellow straight in the face in sympathetic sur prise. and asked Son. are the babies in Birmingham opening real estate offices"
 T don't know, sir, promptly answered the youth I've only been in the busi- ness myself for about six months
 "The doctor with proper appreciation of pluck and ambition told the young land dealer that he had come here ~o buy a piece of property in Smithfield valued at s3250 and that if the boy dealer could get the right to sell it he would buy it from him. That boy rushed out at three o'clock in the morning and pulled the owner of the property out Of bed and after wrangle that bordered on a two-handed riot got written per mission to mane the sale if the deal was closed before noon that day. The doctor went out. inspected the property, re- turned to town and bought it before the agents time limit expired.
 "Yes sir" concluded the reminiscent citizen, If the Florence Hotel could talk and would tell it's story the Age-Herald would not have to print line of any thing else for a month and at the end of the month would be declared the greatest paper on earth.
 But now the hands of painters and plasterers are effacing the marks of time on it's walls and soon. likt the great city with whose history it's career has been so closely linked, it will take on new life and furnish an abiding place for those whose hopes. ambitions and purposes have to do with more fortu- nate conditions"
 
 ENTERTAIN chlEE JUSTICE.