The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-16
SOUTHERN CITIES
 LEAD IN CRIMINALS
New Orleans and Houston Are
 Noted for Celebrations
GREAT HOSPITAL PLANS
The New Building That Is to Be Erected fin Houston By the Hartman Lines VIII Have No Bath
 Tubs in It

Houston, Tex. November 15.-(Special) ) To two southern cities goes the credit for
 originating a period of real mirth and play covering an entire week and serv- ing to illustrate the old adage that all | work makes for dullness. New Orleans with her world-famous Mardi Gras cele- bration, and Houston with her No-TsuOh
 festival. have proved that in these days of rush and business worry the people appreciate an opportunity to halt and plSy awhile. During the second week in the next month this city will be given over to the most distinctive festival in
 all the country. this being the twelfth an nual carnival. The entire business dis trict is gaily decorated, and by night the gorgeous electrical illumination converts 1t into a blaze of light. King Nottoc, who is supposed to sail from the real of Tek- ram, arrives on a royal yacht at the foot of Main street and is escorted through the streets of the city at the head of a most imposing parade That is the sig nal for the frolic to begin. and confetti battles rage over Houston for the suc- ceeding five days. There is nothing se-
 rious about this carnival. it is just time for play. Special gatherings, open air
 entertainments and vaudeville shows pro- vide the entertainment. Illuminated
 night pageants representing an expendi-
 ture of over $10,000, and the coronation
 ball entailing an expense of $15,0o0, at
 which the king of the carnival reveals his
 identity and crowns his queen in hall
 of truly regal grandeur, are the chief
 features of this unique celebration, timed
 to mark the completion of the gathering
 of the great cotton crop of Texas.
 hospital without a single bath tub,
 that is the forward step in sanitary con-
 struction which is announced for the
 nearly s500,0OO. In the place of tubs
 numerous shower baths have been pro-
 yided, and it Is claimed this is done
 in the interest of both the physicians and
 the patients. It is pointed out that fre-
 quently patient cannot be moved from
 his cot or is too weak to be placed in a tub, but that he can be rolled under a shower and given his daily bath in com fort. The physicians and surgeons claim 1t is much more convenient for them to step under the shower than to be com pelled to use the old-fashoned tubs, and in these days of advanced surgery the physicians must be as thoroughly steril- ized as his instruments. The big tub with its broad surface and many pipes | Ia also held to be much more insanitary than the shower bath with its bath of running water and simple equipment.
 From the middle west, Indiana, H. linois, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa and | Ohio there is now pouring into this city a stream of visitors who are particularly known in this state as 'homeseekers." Pouring is the word. Every one of the | 1T railroads centering here is bringing | them in by the hundreds every day. From | this city they are scattered to all points | in the state. This rush of tourists, who are mainly farmers. is said to be due to I the. bumper corn crop and the good prices obtained this fall for all products | The big New York and Chicago land shows are also expected to have direct hearing upon the rush of prospective in- vestors into Texas Figures for the month of October have not yet been com
 plied by the railroads, but it is stated that over 1SO,O0O homeseekers visited Texas in September, about coco daily, and
 the banner movement for the year to date. but October and November are ex-
 pected to show even greater totals.
 l Rice growers of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi are now vot- ing upon a proposition to organize a central selling agency to handle their
 rough rice The mills of these states have joined the farmers in this move
 ment. The wholesalers and retailers
 form the protesting element. It is claimed that although some rice has sold as low as $2 per bag this year that the consumer Is getting 1t no cheaper than when the rice brought the farmer $4 per bag. The central sell ing agency is supposed to do away with the middleman who keeps down the price to the farmer and boosts 1t to the consumer
 Within the next 12 months there will be in operation In this city the first automatic telephone system of any
 magnitude to be constructed in the south west Conduits are now being laid
 and work begins within the next few
 days upon the four-story building that 'is to house the plant and offices ot