Evening star., 1923-10-30
TALKS and TALES
With and about
CAPITALS GUESTS

have been in rather sore straits for
| the last three nights in so far as
frst-class hotel accommodations are
concerned. for there is hardly a house
In the downtown section of the; city
where the "lounging room only sign
is not conspicuously displayed. And
this despite the fact that quite
number of the visiting bankers have
been cared for at the Cosmos and
Racquet clubs and in specially ar
ranged quarters in the Woodward
building.
With more than 1900 members of
the financial organization here and
the usual influx Of visitors that flock
to the city at this season of the year,
| many of the hotel lobbies reminded
one Of election times in those COM
munities where the citizens have q
voice in their government. and so
great was the throng at the Willard
Hotel, where the bankers are holding
their convention, that an extra force
OF attendants was necessary to look
after the needs of the guests.
A casual glance at the roster of
visiting financiers showed that thir-
ty-one states, the District of Colum-
bia and the Dominion of Canada are
represented at the big pow-wow
while the following cities have sent
| their most responsible investment
, bankers to keep tabs on the con-
clave: Louisville. Wichita, Oklahoma
City, Fort Wayne. Omaha, Nashville,
Harrisburg, Buffalo, Toronto. Port
land. Ore; Portland, Me; Indianapo-
lis, Durham. Rochester, Milwaukee,
Chicago, Washington. St. Louis.
Kansas City, New York city. Boston,
Richmond. Pittsburgh, Scranton, Gin
Angeles. Toledo, Montreal, Detroit,
Cleveland, Charleston, Denver, Win
ston- Salem, Savannah. Bangor. At
lanta, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, ST.
phis, New Orleans, St Paul, San
Diego, Utica, San Francisco. Houston,
Spokane, Topeka, Aurora, Vicksburg,
Grand Rapids, San Antonio, Jackson.
Augusta, Davenport. Duluth, Colum-
bus. Sharon, Greensboro. Lexington
and Wheeling.
And such group as 1t is! Young.
virile, healthy looking men for the
most part, all on business bent. but
all sufficiently up-to-date to dispense
with that business in businesslike
fashion and then take advantage of
the attractive entertainment pro-
grams SO elaborately arranged BY
members of the local committee.
It has been frequently said that II
proof Of the oneness of the American
people was sought all the investigator
need do would be follow current
where those not too blind TO see"
will find the natty dresser of Houston.
Tex, wearing the identical raiment
as that displayed by the fashion plate
of Monkato, Wis, while the method
of play, mannerisms and clothing used
by the, "golpher'' of Los Angeles
Calf. differs in no respect from those
In vogue at Augusta, Ne.
But If such sameness were not suf-
flcient to convince the skeptical, then
all that can be said is that such
| doubling Thomases" should attend
national gathering of some Ameri-
can organization, such as the Invest
ment Bankers Association, for IL the
man lives who can distinguish the
Aurora fnancier from his opulent
New York brother, when both are in
their best. then such "disting usher"
gets the chocolate-coated bonbon!
And so it was in the big convention
hall at the Willard! CT. B. Garfield.
president of the Trumbull Securities
Company, of Cleveland, Ohio. re-
hashed general conditions with James
T. Wachob, chief executive of the
James T. Wachob Company. Of Omaha
in lingo that was understood per-
fectly by both, while j. H. Daggett,
vice president of the Marshall and
Ilsley Bank of Milwaukee. tried his
best to induce Hansell HiIlyer. vice
president of w. A. Hartman & CO.,
New York, to make the fourth in q
golf foursome at the Chevy Chase
Club.
AS per usual, New York city over
shadows all in size of its delegation
More than ESQ Manhattanites figured
the convention Of sufficient impor-
tance to shake the dust of their be-
loved isle and come down to Wash
ington. Most of the greater city"
men are housed at the Willard. La
Fayette, Washington and Hamilton
hotels: No matter how one may criti-
cize the cock-sur edness of the New
Yorker. ii has to be admitted he plays
his hand strong. He believes in Nm
self. and that's half the battle.
For a city so far removed. Chicago
is most generously represented. there
being more than 135 Windy city in
vestment bankers within our midst at
this writing, with more on the road
The Washington, Powhatan, Lee
Shoreham and Willard are looking
after them. They are great ''yessers,"
on politics and general business con-
ditions, David F. Thomas of Horn
blower & Weeks, Augustus knight of
Bartlett, knight & Co. and William
n. Handy Of Hallgarten & Co; all
Coolidge, Hiram Johnson. William
Gibbs McAdoo, Henry Ford and many
other reported aspirants for the first
chair in the land, and most enthu-
siastic over business in their section.
An interesting group encountered
over In one corner of the smoking
room was w. w. Watson. jr., of West
& Co., Philadelphia; .. II. Nelson of
the Merrill Trust Company. Bangor.
Me; Harold p. Marsh. Bonbright &
Co, Bangor. Me-; Rex w. Dodge of
the Charles II. Gilman Company,
Portland: Me- and ". s. Hammons
Company of the same city.
Why the Philadelphian was mixed
up with the down east outfit wasn't
explained, but he was there and took
great delight in questioning the mer-
its of the Aroostook potato. one OF
Names most highly priced products.
Messrs. Nelson and Marsh, who claim
distinction of conducting banking es-
adjustments at the farthermost east
ern point in the United States, are
Aroostook boosters of the first de-
gree, but the more they talked of the
edible the more Brother Watson
qsestioned Its qualities, and there is
no telling what would have happened
had not MIR. Hammons switched the
subject to hotels, he being the owner
of the Falmouth House, one OF the
best known hostelries in that section
of Maine.
however, were as one regarding the
chances Of President Coolidge TO suc-
ceed himself to the presidency. Its
all over but the shouting" exclaimed
Mr.. Marsh. THE former Governor of
Massachusetts, is as good as nomi-
mated right now, and as for his cleo
tion-why, Maine will give him the
greatest ma aJOrity ever recorded for
President. And. you know, as
Maine goes In September. so goes the
country in November"
With SO much said about conven-
tions and crowds in Washington, 1t
might be interesting to know that.