The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26
BIG MASS MEETING
 ID BE HELD TODAY Electric Cars Operated on Fair
 Schedules Yesterday MANY RUM0RS AFLOAT
Saloons Were Open Until 2 O'Clock Last Night and the Same Hours
 Will Probably Be ob-
 served Tomorrow.

The service given the public by the Bir- mingham Railway, Light and Power com pany yesterday was very satisfactory and all lines were in operation on practically the usual schedules from early morning until about midnight. Several strangers in the city yesterday remarked that they would not have known of any street rail- way trouble if they had not seen 1t In the papers.
 This condition of affairs was a mat ter of great satisfaction to the merchants of Birmingham, who enjoyed a good bus mess yesterday as on other Saturdays when so many buyers come in from the suburban towns The fact that good service was restored was shown in the handling of the big crowd at the ball game at West End park yesterday aft ernoon when several thousand people turned out, hundreds as usual packing the cars to and from the grounds. There was no interruption of service and all the cars were handled without friction.
 Saloons Were Opened.
 The saloons of Birmingham opened at 8 o'clock yesterday morning and closed promptly at D. m. for the first time in many a year on Saturday. Lots of men were seen last night with thirst" but drunkenness and disorder were lack ing and the police docket was not so full as usual at the end of the week.
 Mayor Ward made no announcement yesterday of any change in the rule regu- lating saloons, so 1t is understood that the same hours will be observed during the coming wek or until official notice iq given of a change
 Superintendent Harris of the Street Rail- way company said last night that tho situation was very satisfactory during the day and that the cars would continue to run on schedule time. He stated that the company had even more men than needed and that the new men would soon learn all the streets and run the cars liks old hands.
 Discuss Big Mass Meeting.
 The union car men were quiet yester- day with no demonstration of any kind. They assembled at their meeting hall dur ing the day and discussed the situation and the meeting at the Bijou for this aft ernoon. Many thousand circulars ad- vertising the mass meeting were dis tributed throughout the city and suburbs yesterday by the car men and a great crowd Is expected to turn out.
 The programme for the Bijou meeting was practically completed yesterday by Organizer Ben Commons, who announced the following speakers; Capt Frank s. White, White E. Gibson, James H. Leath, representing the Birmingham Trades Council; Will II. Winn, representing or ganized labor, and Ben Commons, repre- senting the local street car men.
 The meeting will be called to order at 8 o'clock and it is understood that James B. Drake of the International Machnists association will have charge of the pro- gramme.
 At a meeting of Birmingham Typo graphical Union No. 1O4 yesterday resolu- tons of sympathy for the car men were passed and the sum of $100 voted for their assistance. A further resolution in- posed a fine of s1O upon any member of the union for riding upon a street car or using gas or electricity.
 Wild Rumors Circulated.
 A number of wild rumors were heard on the street yesterday and last night of accidents to cars and car men, but all proved groundless. Several telephone calls were sent into the police station yester- day asking the arrest of certain motor men for disregarding signals at railroad crossings. After several arrests were made the telephone calls were investi- gated and found to be fakes as only few men had violated the ordinance regarding crossings.
 Some mischievous boys caused annoy ance during the day by placing various objects on the street car tracks, calcu- lated to cause alarm for fear of explo- sives but after they were caught and warned the annoyances ceased.
 The trains to suburban towns are still being run by the Alabaam Great South ern and the Birmingham Southern. but the Frisco train to Ensley has been dis continued. The Alabama Great Southern handled several hundred people to the baseball park during the afternoon very successfully.