The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-01-15


hearts of that representative body of
Mississippi citizens, "The Mississippi |
Travellers" when it complimented |
them Saturday night with a banquet |
that has never been excelled in Hat |
tiesburg. The entertainment reflects |
credit on the splendid present man
prise and progressive spirit made the
affair such success. The Hotel Hat
tiesburg is an institution in which the
community may well feel proud, for
by furnishing the best fellows and big
gest boosters in the state such enter
tainment it not only gains for itself
Hattiesburg in position to reap sub
stantial benefits. The Mississippi
! Traveller" is among the most intelli-
gent citizenship the commonwealth
possesses; he is a purveyor of news
and moulder of opinion second to no
other institution, save the press,
of any question or community it is
| potent factor. Therefore when the
| representative members of that Or
ganization are unanimous in apprecia-
tive praise of the entertainment they
received at the hands of the Hotel
Hattiesburg and percolate throughout
the state singing those praises, good
is bound to follow to both the hotel
and the city. And the "boys," to a
man, freely stated that in all the his
tory of the organization and their in
dividual, varied careers they had nev-
er been more royalty entertained
They leave Hattiesburg full Of the
Hattiesburg spirit which once got
ten stays with fellow and grows.
Credit for the success of the ban
quet is due largely to Mr.. w. N. Driv-
er, the boys call him "Will," who al
though the youngest man in the south
at the head Of large hotel enterprises
is yet recognized as one Of the most
successful, and whose remarkable
ability, amounting to genius, has in a
short time made the Great Southern
at Gulfport one of the most popular
resorts in the country and has placed
the Hotel Hattiesburg on a permanent
footing. Mr. Driver conceived the
idea that a complimentary banquet to
the Mississippi Travellers given at the
Hotel Hattiesburg would bring about
better understanding between the
hotel and the travelling public, and
with commendable enterprise and
energy set out to accomplish thai re-
suit no sooner than he became Man
aging Director of the establishment.
That he succeeded abundantly was
evidenced by the congratulations
showered on him by individual guests
and the speakers responding to the
several toasts of the evening. But
not all of the praise is due Mr.. Driver,
for his genial assistant, Mr.. H. J.
Brittian, while he was comparatively
a stranger to the boys in Mississippi
before this event, is equally on the
job and knows how to make friends
and to make guests feel at home. MT
Brittian will make the Hotel Hatties-
burg an ideal manager. and is a
worthy addition to the city as a pro-
gressive citizen.
Between two and three hundred
travellers, business men and members
of the press, of Hattiesburg, were
guests at the banquet and no jollier
better bunch of fellows have ever as
sembled on a similar occasion. Good
cheer, good fellowship characterized
the three or more hours of banquet
ing. The hotel lobby, writing room
ly decorated for the occasion in the
colors, black and orange, of the Mis-
sissippi Travellers, producing a most
pleasing effect on the eye, assuming
Ito some) as the evening wore on, g
kaleidoscope appearance, and every
body was happy. Seymour's band, of st
Louis, which will fill an engagement
! at the Great Southern Hotel during
the coming season, furnished those
: beautiful selections for which. thu
drummer is particularly strong. Tt
add much to the musical feature o.
the entertainment Mr. McLarehlin, o
the Hamilton Brown shoe company
} delighted the diners with his wonder
5 full whistling.
!, Shortly after nine o'clock the guest
{ repaired to the dining room, wher'
r the elaborate menu was at once ad
lministered justice and well chased
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