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<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS">Bluefield Daily Telegraph<BR>August 15,
1909</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=4>HAPPENS NOWHERE BUT BLUEFIELD</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center>------</DIV>
<DIV align=center><STRONG>Colored Porters for Bluefield Hotels a Musical
Lot</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=center><STRONG>--Gamut Run and Harmony is Perfect</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left> It does not happen anywhere else in the
United States, and probably not in the world, but it happens in Bluefield, and
the matter is worthy of some mention. The several hotels in the city have
porters to meet the numerous trains on the Norfolk and Western. They line
up on the stone steps at the passenger station on the right hand side leading
from the men's waiting room, and starting with a deep bass at the bottom of the
steps the gamut is run. It is practically the same as the do, re, mi, fa,
so that the old timer used to get in singing school.</DIV>
<DIV align=left> For instance the New Altamont man, who
occupies a position at the bottom of the steps, starts in basso profundo with
"the New Altamont hotel," and then the notes range through the Stag, the
Windsor, the Avenue, the Bluefield, the Belmont, and the various other
hostelries--eight in number. This high note is reached on the eight step
of the station, and the harmony is perfect. [<EM>The last sentence of the
article includes a racial comment and is omitted here.</EM>]</DIV>
<DIV align=center>-----</DIV>
<DIV align=left>[<EM>There was a surprising large number of hotels in
Bluefield then. This harmonizing on the station steps would have been
something unique to have heard and seen.</EM>]</DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Script size=6>Gordon
Hamilton</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>