The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-25
COLUMBUS IS NOW
 CONVENTION CITY

Columbus. Miss. February 2i.-(spe- eial. )-columbu Is being rapidly recos- nized as a convention city. On March and 10 the Mississippi Woodmen of the World will assemble here in annual meeting. Preparations for their enter ] taihment are well under way and their stay promises to be most pleasant. Their principal business sessions will be held in the chapel of the Industrial Institute and College and the students of this school will give some kind of festival or dramatic production in their honor. II is also thought they will be entertained at the local theatre one night during their stay. About 400 delegates are expected1 s. L. Caine of this city states he is already re- serving rooms for delegates.
 In April the Mississippi odd Fellows come to Columbus for their annual gathering. While nothing definite as to their programme is yee ready for the public, it is thought they will hold their business sessions at the Industrial Institute and College chapel, the same as the Woodmen will. About the same number of delegates will be here as are expected for the March convention.
 On May Il and 12 the Mississippi bankers will be the guests of Column bus. Their annual gathering will be attended by about 800 delegates from all parts of the state. Their meetings will be held at the college chapel. Their entertainment has not been definitely decided upon but 1t is understood a banquet will be rendered them at the Hotel Gilmer on one of the nights they are here At the conclusion of their stay in Columbus the entire party will board private sleepers and journey to New Orleans for a two days stay in the Crescent City. President Weaver of the Columbus Insurance and Bank ing company, President Johnston of the First State bank and President Street of the Merchants and Farmers bank, the three local banking institutions, are busV with the programme for the visi- tors entertainment and they are doing all in their power to make the coming gathering ahead of anything the money makers of Mississippi have yet experienced.
 The decision of the grand lodge of Masons to hold their next meeting in Columbus was received with pleasure here. While this gathering does not occur until next February. the citizens are already looking forward with pleas ure to the occasion.
 The plant of the Columbus Comfort and Manufacturing company, which was originally capitalized for s20,000, was sold at auction yesterday afternoon to Willis Garth, one of the stockholders, who held a mortgage on the plant for s2s00, and $8213 was realized from the sale. About s4000 will cover all ad- dltional outstanding debts the concern owes. The history of this enterprise is replete with business and financial complications which date back to the concerns infancy. It was organized some four years ago and soon was sold for a sacrifice for lack of running cap ital. This was about the time so many factories and manufacturing enter prlSeS In COlumDuS were so completely snnihiliated for the same reason. The comfort factory got practically all their money stored away. in finished prod ucts which had no market and then the cyclone of last year lifted the roof from the store house and their salable value was still further pushed down ward. The sale yesterday afternoon of a s20 900 plant for about Is per cent of its original capitalization gives a fair representa- tion of the success of the re- cent manufacturing boom this town was afflicted with. There are about five concerns, all of which are worth five two to five times what the comfort fac tory is, which are closed down and practically nothing can be realized from them. MT. Garth states he will soon commence to operate his plant.
 Mrs. Matte B. Fothergill died at her residence last night. The funeral oc- cured this afternoon and the interment was in Friendship cemetery Rev T. W. Lewis conducted the services.