The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1908-03-27
NIB. KEITH WAS IN SAVANNAH
Interesting Story of His Search
for the Austin HOuse
Energetic Collector of the Port Was
Called to Savannah TO Meet the
Secretary of the Treasury-Tele-
graph Company Made Bull i'm the
Message that Caused Endless
Worry.

l Nj. d T. hGilu TIC c4cI6 SLC LOAACG~
tor of customs at the port OF Whining
ton recently was called TO Savannah
TO consult with Mr.. ] 3. Reynolds. as
sistant secretary of the treasury in
| regard to the project for a new Gus
toms house building in this city. The
| result of the visit is not known but
the Savannah Press of last Friday con-
tains an interesting OF Mr..
keith's strenuous search for the gov
eminent official. The friends OF Mr..
Keith will await with interest his
written account of the search. The
| Press says:
IF Mr.. B. F. Keith Of Wilmington
n. G., customs inspector at that port
has any literary talent at all he should
write a story entitled My Search for
| the Austin House" 1t should rapidly
AXE it's place among the six best sell
ers.
Mr.. Keith was called to Savannah
by Mr.. J. B. Reynolds, assistant sec
| rotary If the treasury, for a cOnsulta-
| ton. Reports in the newspapers had
| led Mr.. Keith to believe that Mr.. Rev
| Iolds was gumshoeing his way through
| the south and that he was called to Sa-
yannah on a political mission more
than anything else. AS a matter OF
| fact Mr.. Reynolds wanted to SEE Mr..
| Keith on government business a
| there was no mystery in his visit to
Savannah so far as he knew.
con Wednesday Mir. Reynolds had
| Mr. w. H. Rowe, special agent of the
treasury department at Savannah,
! send a telegram to Mr.. Keith asking
hat he cOme to Savannah ON Thurs
day and meet him at the custom house
| The special agents handwriting was
bad or the telegraph operator WIS in
a hurry, or the receiving operator was
careless, o something of he 101 things
that can happen to a telegram did
| happen, for when Mr.. Keith got the
| telegram he found that he was asked
| t. meet the assistant secretary at the
| Austin House. He hustled for a train
| to Savannah and got in here some
thing like one or two o'clock and pro-
| ceeded to look for the Austin House.
"The night hawk driver said that he
| didn't know where it was, but he o.
fered to find it if the horse held out
! and the visitor did not mind the ex-
ira fares.
They rode from hotel to hotel look
ing for the Austin House, but found
il not. The night was wearing fnto
morning by the time the visitor de-
termined to give up the search for the
L0tel that he couldn't find and he de-
Cided to turn in for the night and p II
sue his search after breakfast.
H suggested that the driv-r car
| ~ him to the De Soto hotel. Arriving
| here he asked for a room and was
old that everything was taken. The
Gown town hotels were then tried but
With no better success.
The auto people had beaten the man
if the hack to the comfortable beds
a: the hotels and MI. Keith began to
think that he would have to sit up all
night.
THE driver suggested an obscure
hotel on the West Side and Mr.. Keith
consented to 60 there. He got a bed
and after a fitful sleep for a few hours
! he started out once more to try and
find the Austin House in daylight
This must be a very secret mission
sure enough, he said Judging from the
way the assistant secretary has hidden
himself
THE Oldest hackman in town was
! eventually found by MIR. Keith. He said
that he knew where the Austin House
4 He had been there often. After
ten minutes driving he drew up to a
private residence. /
This Is the Austin house." he
stated, and acting upon this evidence
Mr.. Keith confidently rang the door
bell.
When the ring was answered he
asked If he had reached the Austin
House. This Is the Austin House,"
said the attendant at the door. sit
is known as that because the Austins
lived here many years ago, but they
are all dead now"
/" Then Mr.. Keith grew desperate.
He knew Mr.. Rowe at the Custom
House, but he had hesitated about
eoing there because the telegram
from the assistant secretary plainly
indicated that he didn't want him at
that place above all others. He
determined however, to seek out Mr..
Rowe and lay his case before him.
He ran up the Custom House steps
as fast as his somewhat weary legs
would let him and asked an attend
ant for Mr.. Rowe.
He is out at the automobile races
With the assistant secretary of the
treasury" was the reply.
" Finally Mr.. Keith got the special
agent and the assistant secretary of
The treasury together.
we looked for o all morning"
said Mr.. Rowe. why didn't you
come to the custom house as we wired
you ?"
Then there were explanations. Mr..
hefth's opinion of telegraph companies
is not fit for publication"