The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-12-20
"reminiscences Of the Long Ago

The re-opening of the Battle House
in Mobile after being closed for many
months by reason of fire, induces me
to refer back to incidents of long ago.
The original house was opened in the
early hfties. Mobile then was the
second cotton port in the South.
Forty-nine years ago, in the fall OF
1859, ! arrived in Mobile from Ha-
vana, where had been sent on bust.
ness I registered at the Battle
House, then being run by Chamber
lain. A few days after my arrival, on
Sunday evening, a regular excursion
to Point Clear left on steamboat
with a large crowd of passengers to
spend pleasant time. While lying at
her wharf her boiler exploded, killing
quite a number and scalding others
This was race week. The new track
had just been opened for the first
time, the Magnolia course. This fact
had brought numbers of racing ana
sporting men to the city. Keen Rich.
ards, from Louisville, with his stable
Of thoroughbreds, was here at the
Battle House. So also was Sanford
another sporting man and racer, with
his stable. Many cotton buyers from
the New England factories were there.
4
ton Cotton Mills, of Boston, a yearly
visitor and guest, was at the Battle
House. There also became acquaint
ed with an Irish gentleman, one
Smith O'Brien who, in the early for
ties, 1S45, I think, shot at Queen Vic
toria, while driving in her carriage on
Ludgate Hill, near Saint Pauls cathe-
dral, London. The circumstance was
impressed upon my mind as 2 school
boy at Croydon, ten miles from the
city, when we got the news the queen
was shot. This was about the time or
the Chartists riots in London.
An Interesting Man.
l had great deal of very interest.
ing talk with O'Brien, who told me
he had recently been pardoned after
serving a matter of IA years at the
English penal colony in Van Diemans
land, now known as Tasmania
Island. due south from Melbourne,
Australia, about 500 miles. In those
days the bulk of English criminals
were transported. There O'Brien told
me about also OF the discovery of gold
in 1851 at Jallarat and how the ships
would lay in harbor at Melbourne,
their entire crews deserving for the
mines,
Scene Of Gaiety.
The Battle House at night was a
scene OF gaiety. The large parlors
and corridors were the resort OF scores
OF fair ladies' from Montgomery and
Selma and the towns on the Alabama
river Dancing and festivity nightly
were kept up after the excitement of
the days racing was over. The boats
running the river then belonging to
the Cox and brainerd line from Mont
g0mery. were aide.whceiers and would
load with from three to Ave thousanc
bales OF cotton and their cabins above
were niied with passengers TO attend
the race week In Mobile,
These fihe boats. the saint Nicholas,
the Senator. and the Alice Vivian,
were noted for their Superior accom-
modationa and excellent cooking, At
dinner aiwaya an abundance OF home
made aeuppaaens wine was put upon
the table for all TO use, the servantsl
waiting on me passengers.
The crews OF the heats all were
owned hy the company,
accompanied Charlie Howe. the
cotton buyer, around "a ], III, aud John
Wiley, eettan hgekefs, ea st. Francis
street. Here ishA WILEY took aa In
hand ana while We STAYED IA Mobile
his once was eReH 20 AS,
After leaving Aeeite it was ave
yeaFs. or IN February, lsei, that next
saw IahH WILEY. fheB II was Ia that
hell. Fart Delaware, had heen cap
tnred by The faAkees al ohsatree
john hsa baen captured In July at
Gettysburg, he hsias orderly sergeant
of his company IL The Fifteenth Ala
bsma regiment
Atssnsss the Races.
We all attended the races every
day, We drove eut an the neeis-msde