The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-08
IN HOTEL LOBBlES
Outlook for Coal Trade.

While actual operations throughout the Alabama mining region are not yet active. as a rule. inquiry for coal is becoming brisk, and a brisk buying move ment will follow. I have recently been having more inquiry in a day than I had in whole month up to July But even with the increased inquiry it will take some little time before there will be a return to normal productive conditions. In the first place a great many consum- CTS of fuel had large coal stocks on hand when the industrial depression came and this supply is now being drawn upon. The railroads are getting ready to do an immense business this fall. They have been gradually increasing their op- erations for several weeks past. but 1t will be several weeks yet before they get up to anything like their old time volume of traffic. But genuine prosperity is unmistakably near. and it will be crowding on us fast by the early fall All that we need now is little patience"
 Knights of Columbus Convention.
 The returning delegates and visitors to the national convention of the Knights of Columbus at Mobile, which has just closed speak in very high praise of the personnel of the body and of the enter tainment provided for all in attendance. One of the visitors. who had often been to Mobile, remarked yesterday:
 Mobile looked more as if some great festival of the people was being cele- brated than on any occasion there with in my recollection, and I have missed none of its Mardi Gras celebrations Never have I seen the population so thoroughly imbued with the spirit of hos pitality. nor the city so beautiful in It's many decorations. Jew and Gentle. Prot estant and Catholic were all in evidence and all seemed to be animated by the same purpose of good friendship and kind ly intercourse between men.
 'Of course, Mobile Is now a convention city. Its three fine hotels have magnif- cent capacity. and two of them have roof gardens with all proper means of entertainment. The two great banquets of the order were given in these roof gardens and scarcely a better or fresher atmosphere could have been or was had for such events. The scene inspired the speakers, and all the orators were in good form
 As is well known, the order of Knights of Columbus is an insurance organization as well as social organization, and it's members carry from 5000 to 5000 of in- surance. As an insurance society 1t has amassed a large estate. In connection with its insurance it's members have to be practical Catholics, which means a great deal. Since its conception one of it's regulations has been that no one in- terested in the liquor business could be a member. and consequently none of it's banquets are ever ornamented with red, wine. straw-colored Scotch or our other rainbow-tinted fluids. l might say, In passing, that it looks as if the entire population of Alabama might be shortly eligible to membership in so far as the liquor question Is concerned
 ''The various delegates were from all of the states of the union, and all our neighborlng foreign possessions. and other outlying districts. All of the expenses of the delegates are paid by the order and the convention generally costs from
  s3O,o00 to $40,0o0. The next meeting will be at Quebec. and no doubt a large dele- gation will go from Alabama.
 One feature of the last convention was the retiring of Supreme Knight Ed ward L. Hearn from office, and the presentation to him of a personal offer ing from the general membership of the value of about s10,ooo. MT. Hearn has a most charming personality, and In his ten years of work has advanced the mem bership from 25.ooO to 25o,OoO. He is now filling a most lucrative position in New York
 "The Knights of Columbus will dedi- cafe, in part. the magnificent statue which the government Is erecting to the great dlscoverer at Washington, next win ter. Mir. Sterling A. Wood is member of the committee on the dedication and will attend, with many others of the order. The order represents in its mem- bership broad and patriotic thought and has done much for both church and