The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-07-27
From Hotel Clerk to Other Side of the Footights
IS the Splendid Record of Mr. William n Driver
the Popular New Manager of the Hotel Hilman
By DOLLY pALRYMPLE

IN o young man has come to Birming-
NJ ham within the past few years
who has been more warmly and
cordially welcomed than Mr. William N.
Driver, the popular new manager of the
Hotel Hillman.
Mr.. Driver numbers his friends by the
hundreds not only in Birmingham, but
throughout the south, and wherever his
name is spoken there is always some
thing nice and something complimentary
to be said about billie Driver" as he
is Familiarity called by his best friends,
and once a friendship is pledged to this
clever, bright, capable young man it
is never withdrawn, because ito have a
friend YOU must be friend" and Billie
Driver is q friend, genuine, and sin
cere, and always ready to do your bid
ding.
1t is not surprising that Mr.. Driver is
a good hotel man; he possesses all the
attributes which go to make up the sue
cessful manager, and his rise from clerk
in small hotel in the pretty little city
of Opelika to the position of manager
of the big Hotel Hillman in Birmingham
is little short of phenomenal, because
Mr.. Driver is still just a boy He
frankly says that during his short ca
reer as a hotel man that he has gained
all of his experience from practical
contact with every end of the hotel
business and that when the offer came
to him from the owners of the Hotel
Hillman to come to Birmingham, he fully
realized the grave responsibility upon
his shoulders as well as the vast oppor-
tunites afforded.
But" as Mr.. Driver told me when
went in to see him and welcome him to
Birmingham, II felt that 1t was the
chance of my life and that Birmingham
was big enough and progressive enough
to support several big hotels and that
the elegance and the dignity of the Hotel
Hillman was so genuinely enshrined in
the hearts of the people here and
throughout the south that it would be
pleasure to be connected with such an
institution.
THE atrocious crime of being young
man." which formerly might have been
a drawback to one in business, is now
the greatest asset that can be possessed,
for it is the age of young men, and, be-
sides, being young himself, Mr.. Driver
has gathered about him an organization
of young men-Mr. George G. Driver. Jr.,
Mr.. George Bender-all sterling, splen-
did, talented young men who have their
regulations as well as their fortunes to
make, and the Hotel Hillman is going to
bethe vantage ground of their opera
lions.
when I came to Birmingham to take
charge of the Hillman," Mr.. Driver said,
II found the physical condition of the
property excellent; l want to say that
to my predecessors, Mr.. C. H. Nabb and
Mr.. Bailey, too much praise cannot be
given for the splendid manner in which
they have handled the property and the
good condition in which they have left
it. That being the case, it was not hard
to get start; of course, we are going
to make extensive improvements; our
cafe and kitchen will be superior to any
in the south, because we are going to
have the best talent at the head of it,
and there is no part of a hotel which is
more attractive than a good restaurant.
We are installing the latest and most
improved beauty parlors,' with Mrs A.
B. Dennerle in charge, and with her