Evening star., 1923-11-07
TALKS and TALES
With and About
CAPITALS GUESTS

| When news>fs received that another
community has gone into training to
! wfest' from Reno the rather uneEvi-
able distinction so long enjoyed of
being the easiest place on the face Of
the globe for those not happily mated
to have the nuptial knot severed.
| Nor is this new aspirant for the
questionable honor within the broad
| confines of continental America, but
| in far away st. Thomas of the Virgin
Islands. where, according to Maj. y.
| C.. Turnipseed, chief quarantine Of
fcer of the port Of st. Thomas, and
| surgeon in the United State public
health service, a dell-defined move
ment is under way to make the city
| of ST. Thomas attractive for those
couples desiring TO separate.
| After three successive years spent
in Americas newly acquired posses
sion Maj and Mrs. Turnipseed are at
| the Raleigh Hotel, and had an inter
| esting tale to tell OF the habits ana
customs of the Virgin Island natives,
est. Thomas is a quaint old pIace'
said Mrs. Turnipseed as her nusoanu
| hurried to the Navy Department ~
/ is under government of the Navy De
partment, Capt. Henry Hough' =. >, ~
< now the active governor. he Will oe
Capt Williams of the U. S. S. Ten
nessee will take up the reins. the
climate is wonderful. A little warm
between August. and October, but
school facilities for white children,
yet those for the natives are excel
! lent. Mails are received but once a
week, unless some two-deck steamers
/ touch the port and then letters are
delivered, oftener. Aside from the
| wives and children of the marine and
| naval officers few whites are to be
! found on the islands"
what is the chief occupation OF the
natives, Mrs. Turnipseed?"
Sitting around" laughed the Off
GERS wife. "They do little or moth
| ing. You see, about six years ago d
hurricane visited the islands and since
! then the inhabitants have concluded
that work Is useless and they have
stopped it entirely. All vegetables
come from San Juan and as this is
has stopped. 1 will say, however, that
there is not a semblance of con-
tageous disease on the islands and
st. Thomas is the most healthful spot
said, effort is being made to make 1t
easy for those seeking to live apart.
This is done with the view of at
tracing tourists, which shows, at
! read the American papers"
! May be bit late, but, considering
! the source, OF interest to horse lovers
Zev was stale and My Own short in
| the big race at Latonia last Satur-
| day. If all three horses were in tip
top shape Admiral Graysons racer
| could take the measure of both Zev
This is the opinion of two well
| known Warrenton, Va. sportsmen,
Richard Wallach, proprietor of Fen
ton farms, and Lee Evans, well known
| gentleman steeplechase rider. both OF
| whom are at the Shoreham Hotel
after attending the race.
| i am firmly convinced that Were
conditions right and all three horses
his heels TO the other two" said Mr
WalIach. 1T looked like My Own at
| the mile and a quarter. but he wasn't
quite fit and blew. I don't want 10
he ran grand race, but ! would liE'
to see the three run again" To which
Lee Evans nodded a same here"
I'VE are fast lifting the United
States out of the mud" laughed
Charles Henry Davis of Bass River
Mass, president of the National High
ways Association, who is at the New
Willard to confer with others on the
forthcoming exhibition of the Amer-
can Road Builders Association, to be
held at the Coliseum. Chicago, jan
| uary 1918, 1924.
" OHubTS nave Deen dCGOHHptlsttu
in American roaIibuilding during the
past ten years" continued Mr. Davis.
who has contributed vast amounts
from his own private fortune for
the Improvement of highways. This
! exhibition will be by far the most
pretentious ever held by the asso-
citation, and the national highways
organization will have the largest
| individual exhibit. 1t might be Of
| interest to Washington TO know that
| anpaDai T.. O Rai1pV
! ager of the upholstery and deco
( rating department of Lansburgh q
| Brother, to take entire charge OF
! our decorations. We in New York
Chicago and Boston consider Mr.
Bailey the peer of any in his line"
| Right at this juncture DR.. s. NJ
Johnson. general director OF the Lee
| highway anu vice president OF the
| companied by w. F. Landon Of the
latter body, dropped in from the
Hotel Washington, and as others
were expected from the Raleigh ami
| Ebbitt House things were getting
| too complex for further interviews
and a hurried exit was made.
| Members of the kiwanis Club will
| remember Mr. Davis for the sumptu-
| Gus party he gave them last year
OR was it two years ago-when the
entire organization was entertained
| by, him at performance by Fred
| Stone.
While the steel. cotton and other
markets are frequently used as ba-
| rometers by experts to gauge the
trend of conditions, there are those
| who keep a sharp outlook on the
general hotel business throughout
the country to feel the pulse of pros
perity, as it Is argued the more folks
! travel the better is business
| If such is fact. none is more
capable OF Judging than Edwin Nick
| erson, president and general man
ager of the Hotel Booklet Company
| of New York, an organization that
! handles advertising for moro than
1850 first-class houses in all sections
! OF the United States.
| When encountered in the lobby of
the Arlington Hotel. Mr.. Nickerson
i was most enthusiastic over general
conditions. II travel from coast 10
coast each year" said the expert.
/ "and know that two-thirds of the
ness. 1t is common to see applicants
| for rooms turned away nightly from
many of the largest hotels in Chi
cago. New York, Philadelphia. Balti-
more. Boston, Washington and other
"About a month ago in Cincinnati
| eighteen hotels were visited by "a
friend Of mine before accommoda-
tions could be secured for the night
America is on the road at present
and when such is the case there is
| but one answer-prosperity. I have
| bookings that would. if so desired
permit me to keep inactive until
1890"
! No visitor in the city was more in
| terested in election returns than H II
| Johnson, head of the law firm of
Johnson e Johnson, Cleveland. Ohio.
Hotel was most anxious to learn the
| raSulf of the new Dlan voted H.,