North Carolina Newspapers

The News and Observer. VOL. XLVII. NO. 83. LEADS ALL'NORTN GARdUNA DAILIES 11 NEWB All CiRCULAIDO^ METROPOLIS OF THE PAMLICO A City That Literal'y Rose From its Ashes. OLD AND NEW BLENDED ITS LUMBER, SHIPPING, OYSIwR. FISH AND TRUCK INTERESTS. ALMOST WHOLLY DESTROYED BY FIRE Ti*e Washington of Today Greater Than When It Was The Spate’s Foremost hipping Point. The Home cf Culture and Hospitality. Washington, N. C., Dee. 13. —(Editor- ial Correspondence.)—l have the honor To have first opened my eyes in this beau tiful city w hen The guns of the Yankee soldiers were met by the booming of the guns manned by the bravest men who ov er fought for the preservation of consti tutional liberty and in defense of their homes. “I remember, I remember the house where I was Writ. The little window where the sun came peeping in at morn/’ It was then called “Little Wash ington" and while it had a popula tion of only 2,500 or 3,000 it was a busi ness centre of commanding importance when the first gun was fired at Fort Sumter. It sis “Little Washington” no more, but a growing, flourishing business mart of 7,000 inhabitants, with the con fidence of future steady development. No toAvn or city in the South suffered m severely by the war, both in the act ual destruction of property and the in jury of its trade. On the first of Jan uary, 1800. Washington owned one hun dred and twenty-seven sea-going vessels and was the largest shipping point in the State unless Wilmington, its rival, equal ed it. The town was burned by the Federal troops early in the war and sev en days later all that had escaped was burned except five blocks, and when the diminished ranks of the thirteen com panies that Washington furnished to the Confederacy returned after four years o? conflict, they found only standing chimneys where they had left comfort able homes They were confronted with tasks equally as great as those which grhn-visaged war brought to them. Houses burned, property destroyed, busi ness gone, commerce diverted into new channels —these were the gloomy and dis piriting things to which the Confederate soldier returned. It was bad enough in itself, but the contrast between the pros perous and beautiful town of 1860 and the destroyed town and depressed con ditions was enough to cause the stoutest heart to quail. One of the brave men who won promotion for gallantry on the field of battle said to me: “I could face the bullets of the enemy without a tremor, but it required all the fortitude 1 could summon to come back to silent chimneys, sentinels of our poverty and look the future in the face without feel ing like running away from the conflict.” A magnificent monument in the lovely cemetery here tells of the valor of the 1,025 Confederate soldiers who follow ed Lee from this town, and the youth are taught to honor the brave men who gave up their lives for the Lost ‘Cause. It is well, for there is no way to teach patriotism letter than To oomemorate the deeds of brave men. Sometimes as 1 have seen the Confederate soldier, who followed Lee, fighting with poor success the battles of a bread-and-meat exist ence. I have thought with the soldier quoted above, that the men who return ed to fight for commercial and profession al' and agricultural success had a conflict quite as hard as tharsof shot and shell. The monuments to those who died in battle are also erected to those* who have fought valiantly to retrieve fallen for tunes after four years of service in the Avar. Hero in Washington the recovery was slow at first. People who had been rich were set to make brick Avitlmut straw— to begin life with no homes and no trades and business all changed and trade diverted. But they have succeeded. Through travail, through energy, through faith in themselves and their country these people have come forth from the fiery furnace, stronger and more pros perous than in the old times. Tt is one of the marvels of the age how the South lias recovered after its immense loss of manhood and of treasure. There is no parallel to it in all history unless it he France after the Frnneo- German AA’ar. There is no town where the loss was so great as here and therefore no place where one can see so good an object lesson of the recuperation from the losses of war. The rebuilding has been done almost wholly until the last few years by na tive uncn with the small caoifcal that they have made right here. Before the Avar two prosperous banks, ire large brick structures of impeding appearance were among the town’s chief institutions. The banks went the way of the wreck of matter. but. the devouring flame did not reach the buildings. They stand on Main street, cue still used as a hank and the other ns lnw«and imurance offices— reminders in their solid appearance of the orchi* * feature of another day. But though these old banks, solid in their day, are no more the Washington of today has two bank ing institutions that are strong and use fid. and are to the business of tlie conn r j nmuity what the heart is to the human body. The Bank of Washington has a capi- 1 tal of $50,000. Its officers are Seth Bridgman, president: J. Havens, vice president; Thos. J. Latham, cashier; T. J. Latham, Jr., assistant cashier. The First National Bank of Wash ington has the same capital sso,ooo—. with the following officers: J. L. Fowle, president; D. M. Carter, vice president; A. M. Dttmay, cashier. * ¥ S Washington is one of the older towns of the State, iltt was chartered by the General Assembly of 1752 in "An a»r, for establishing a town on the lands formerly belonging to Colonel James Benner at tlie forks of Tar River in the county of Beaufort.” Tlie young town must have had a healthy groAvth; for in 1781 tlie Assembly passed “An act annexing certain lands laid off by Thomas Res pass to the town of Wash ington,” and in 1785, “An act to alter the place of holding the county eotirr of Beaufort county from 'Bath to the town of Washington, said county, and to erect a ucav court house, prison, pillory and stocks in said county.” Now, Bath had been a place of con siderable importance, being probably the oldest town in the colony, and having had the first public library; and the last named act shows that she had been outstripped by the neAv town. But it seems that Bath did not surrender its dignities without a struggle; for in 1733 the Assembly enacted a law “to compel the clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions in the county of Be/iufort to keep his office in the town of Washington/’ In 1732 there was passed “An ait to incorporate a fire company in the town of Washington,” and it is a note-worthy fact that one, in looking over the early Private Lmvs of the State, will find scarcely any other legislation about a fire company. The town has always encouraged its fire department and now has one which, in point of members, quite likely exceeds any ether in the State. The accessi bility of the river is a great protection against fire, and Washington's yearly losses by fire will compare favorably with (hose of any other town, Washington is probably least known of all the North Carolina towns of any size. Not until the last, few years has she had the railroad communication that she now has by the Atlantic Coast Line, and she AA'as practically isolated from the rest of the State. Hence it is that strangers are usually surprised at its dimensions and importance. The last census placed the population at about 3,100; but during the past ten years the town has enjoyed such a growth that the present population cannot be pm below 0,000, and the more sanguine call it 7,000. That increase was not brought about by a boom or disproportionate growth in one direction, but was the result of a healthy advance along ah Irusdnesw lines, as people became ac qainted Avith the place and its advan tages. The growth has not ceased, but continues regularly, as shown by the constant additi c of new families. And it has not happened as does often hap pen with old towns when they take on new life and people; for there still re mains as a distinguishing trait of the place that air of old-fashioned refine ment and hospitality, which is a heri tage from generations of cultured men and women. « $ I* The most important industry is the lumber business. There are five large mills: The E, M. Short Lumber Com pany with a capacity of 7.301),(Mil): the Eureka Lumber Company with a capaci ty as large as any in North Carolina, Geo. T. Leach is president and general manager of the Eureka Lumber (.'inn puny, G. A. Philips, treasurer, and these two with W. P. Buttghum and S. S. Sparks are directors; its capital is $50,000. 8. R. Fowle & Sons with a capacity of 7,000,000, the Kngler Lum ber Company Avith a capacity or 7,000,- 000, and the Walling Lumber Company. They employ 425 men aim pay out for Jibor and timber $25,000 a Aveek. They cut about thirty-six million feet of lum ber a year, and ship it by barges mostly to New York and Philadelphia. These companies maintain their own tug boats which collect the logs into rafts and tow them to the mills, and most of them cpeilrte railroads for bringing the logs to water—probably as much as o 5 miles of road. As the lumber market is now unusually -active all the mills art working up to their full Capacity and are running day and night. With the exception of a very small amount of cypress and poplar, they cut entirely pine—North Carolina {fine is its techni cal name in the lumber trade. It is highly thought of by contractors and carpenters, and is used in almost every way that lumber can be used; but its prettiest effect is in inside finishing. A prominent lumber man tells me that the products of these mills are mostly sold at the mill and by the year on sellers’ grades and coun't, and are moved principally via Rclport by lumber trans fers from the different mills and then I reloaded on cars and carried all rail to ; Northern markets. The remaining part goes by direct barges carry ng 300,000 to 500,000. These mills in Washington constitute only a portion of the lumber mills of this county, which help to add 1o Wui'hington’s wealth. Speaking of the ether mills, a promint nt lumber mail said to me: “We have a good many m ils down the Pamlico river and its tributaries. 1 will name the Bayside mill, 1(1 miles below here with a capacity of some 3.000,000 annuiai'Jy. It 1s owned by the Roanoke Railroad and Lumber Go., of Norfolk, Va. Tlie Springer Lwraljor Co., South Creek, is owned by the same company nt South Creek, N. C. Capacity about 0,000,000 feet annually; the Scranton and North Carolina Land and Lumber Co., ' of Makelyville, capacity about 7,530,0 r K) feet; the Allegheny Lumber Co., of Scranton, operating t wo saw mills and one planing mill at Scranton; the planing mill and one saw mill is at Belport, N. C., 'and then comes The Pnngo Lumber (lo„ iff which Mr. W. P. Baugham is j RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 17, 189 s. Prt sidenf and Treasurer mid Robert L. j Temple manager, mid L. L. Haunaford • is Secretary.' It lias a capacity of 7.- 500.000 feet annually. These mills all own their steam tug boats to haul logs and are modern mills. The I’ungo Lum- I her Co. operates steam skidders and loaders on steel tracks in the woods to . haul out and load logs on the train which takes them to the water for float ing to mill, and dispense Avith the use irf them to a great extent. The Roan oke Railroad and Lumber Co. do the same, and also the D. C. Way Lumber Company. Its mill is located on the Pnngo river near Leech-1 ville with a capacity of some 7,500.000 feet and its post-office is Ilaslin. The general office of the Pnngo Lumber j Company is in Washington." # :* This a-s the centre of a fine trucking section. The trucking interests have de-j velo]Hxl wonderfully since about 1887 when only a few hundreds of packages were shipped. A few visits of some of the leading farmers to Noivhem gave, them a Avmulerful inspiration in this j direction and soon the business began to develop. Below' is a list of years with pack- j ages of Irish potatoes ship]hil by the O. j T). Line 1830. 11,501 barrels; 1831, IL -551; 1832, 11,504: 1893, 9.340; 1894. 10.- 318; 1835. 5,570; 1830, 30,854; 1897. 35. 800. Large quantities 'were also shipped in car load lots to Wet sent oities. Pp to 1832 the Jamesvilh* Railroad waft a competitor of the <>. I). L. Since 1832 the Coast Line has been a competi tor and for several years the average shipment of various packages of trick by the Coast Line has been a 1 tout 00,000. cabbage, strawberries, asparagus, beets, &e„ making many of these packages. Mr. W. I’. Bangham, who is one of ttie most progressive and successful men in Eastern North Carolina, is the lender in truck. He grows each year thirty-five acres of cabbage; thirty acres of cucum bers: fifty acres of spring Irish potatoes: fifty-five aeres of fall crop. Irish, seed potatoes; thirty acres of beets; three acres of tomatoes; eight acres of aspara gus; twenty acres of cauliflower and large acres in spinach, kale, cauli flower. egg plant, etc. He ships for nine months each year, ami for two months he *bips two to six car loads daily. He has just dug 2,000 barrels of fall or sec ond crop seed Irish potatoes of which lie makes a specialty. His tine truck farms named “Cotage Grove” and “Hon ey Pod” are as beautiful and rich farms as can be found anywhere in ,-e world. In a sense, trucking is speculating on a big scale —if the seasons hit. you make big money, if Norfolk gets its immense crop in first. North Carolina truckers “go broke.” Mr. Baugham and others who truck with as much system and atten tion to detail as arc observed in a bunk ing institution, have found trucking prof itable. It is destined soon to in* a much' greater industry than at present. 1 dined with a friend who had excellent celery shipped from Kalamazoo. Tliat ought to be stopped and tin* money lie kept at home. * * t The chief truck crop is potatoes, of which from 75,000 to 100,000 barrels arc shipped during the month of lime. In January, about 1,000 barrels of secc ml crop potatoes are shipped for seed pur poses. About 1.000 car-loads of eab -1 age and pe as go from this place every year; and large quantities of cucumbers, beets, beans, lettuce, strawberries, aspar agus—in fact, almost every variety of truck and garden vegetables. The year ly output is worth $250, and i» bandied within a period of ninety days, Washington possesses considerable im portunes* as a market and shipping point for the other products of the surround ing country. From 50,000 to 100,000 bushels of rice are sold and re-shipped. Not a great amount of cotton is raised in this section, but about 15,000 bales arc (handled here, annually. A large part of the corn produced in this arid adjacent counties is marketed here. * * * There are portions* of this county and adjacent comities that produce fine rice. There is a rice mill here that was a suc cessful industry until the formation of the rice trust. When the trust laid its icy hand on the mill, it was closed and the price of rice has been pressed down to a price that leaves little or no margin of profit. A gentleman told me last night that lie knew one farmer who had 1.4(H) bushels, but the price was so low that he was trying to hold it. At present prices be would lose money on it. A riee deal er in New York, I see, attributes the low price to "the monetary stringencies pre valent at nearly a" trade centres.” lie also says there are not a few who, “well heeled financially, are quietly picking up “cream lots,” fully pursuaded that present prices are far below normal worth and that no investment in the grocery Hue promises larger pecuniary reward. Advices from the South noth steady movement, at all points. a,ecoipts at nearly all milling centres are falling away and there is a growing disposition on the i part of planters to defer sales until after | “the turn of the year.” Still, there tire 1 those who must sell to meet maturing obligations. No one realizes more than the grower that present returns are in adequate and no fair remuneration tor land employed and labor.expended, but liquidation is imperative', hence supply for the moment, ample. The current , month will probably see the end of the j pressure, anil then xvill come quick recov ! <>r.v and advance all along the lin* 1 ." The question that pus sties me is this; j How is it that all articles made by a trust have gone up from 25 to 100 per cent because, as they say, of good times anil plenty of memey. while rice, tobacco and other farm products have gone down : because of “monetary stringencies pre valent nt nearly all trade centres?” If the trusts do not use their power to rob the consumer and producer. Avhy this in consistency? The riee planters are in a bad fix, like the tobacco farmers, though : the World needs more of tueir stuff than /ver. There is no explanation of the slump in prices except that the trust pubs prices down. ] (Continued on Second Page.) STRIDES OF WIDE AWAKE TARBORO i_ , j Fast Developing Into a Great Manufacturing town. A MARVELOUS CHANGE i ITS RELIANCE ONCE ALMOST SOLELY COUNTY TRADE NOW LARGE COITON MILLS HUM THERE A Hosiery Mill Helps Pull in the Ducats: Tro wels Ring Merrily on 2 N>. w Cotton Mills, and Hammer and Saw on 50 Dwellings Tar boro. N. 0.. Dec. 14. —(Editorial Uorre.-pomleiice y—Tarboro is one of the most wide-awake tam'd progressive towns in the State, rapidly developing into one of the best manufacturing towns. When 1 first knew it, not a pound of any pro duct of the county Was manufactured here, and almost the sole reliance of Tarhoro avjs the trade it enjoyed Avith a rich agricultural section. It has now a large and flourishing cotton mill and hosiery mill in operation, and tw r o new large cotton factories and fifty residences are in process of erection. When these two mils are finish, d. Tar loom will ha ve $400,(4)0 invested in cotton mills here at home. The first cotton null erected here, of Avhich S. S. Nash is president, A. M. Fairley is treasurer and superin tendent. ami Fred Philips, A. M. Fair ley, 11. L. Staton, D. Litehenstein and Geo. Holderness are directors —has paid remarkably well. *lt is owned entirely by about fifteen citizens of Tarhoro and for eighteen months has been running night and day. It lias a capital of $130,000 and has paid so well that the <« mpauy is (‘reeling mill No. 2 Avhich will be tinder the same mana.'rement. hav ing a capital of SIOO,OOO. The superin tendent and treasurer, Mr. A. M. Fair ley, is a Cumberland county Scotchman (a blue stocking Presbyterian, of course), and he and the other owners (all Edge combe county men) have demonsitrated /that fli oftit place for a successful cot ton mill is adjacent to a cotton field. 1 love to enqlftisize this fact: For twenty years, in most sections of North Caro lina, the people waited for outside capi tal to come in and build factories. While they Avere wai ing, the Holts, Steeles, Odells an;l other Tar-heels were making money m inufaeturing cot ton. A few years ago the richest jin n in Tarboro came to the conclusion that if mill men in Burlington could make big dividends after paying freight on er/ton, there Avas a little more money in manufactur ing it where no freight would ha\’e to be paid. They invested their own money anil are so well satisfied that they are going to build another mill by the side of mill number one. It will be finished by the middle of January. One of the most successful hosiery mills in the Sotuth is tlie Rivervii vv mill conducted by Mr. John F. Shackleford, a prudent, live and successful business man. “Look at these socks 1 apt wear ing.” .e.iid an ex-Jndgej, “They Avere made at Shackleford’s Riwrside Knit ting mills and cost me 12 V. cents a pair.” They arc good enough for anybody anil I learn that the best dressed men in Tarboro take pride in wearing these home-made socks. That's the thing avo need to learn in North Carolina —patron- ize home industries. Mr. Shackleford has an outside demand for the entire product of his mill and sells only at wholesale, but Tarboro folks insist on wearing Tarboro mmde socks. If the whole State could be vaccinated Avith the virusof patronizing home industry, our dollars would not run on avheels to Yankee-land, but would stay with us. As you come into Tarboro. yon see Avork being done on the “Fountain Cot ton mill.” a SIOO,OOO mill and iwenty fiA'e cottages for operatives. Tile mill and houses are situated on tin* Battle property, between the dtpot and the Fair grounds, and is to be a prosperous factory suburb. Mr. W. E. Fountain is at the head of this mill, lie has in terested some outside capitalists as stockholders, among them Mr. G. M. Serjdee, of the Norfolk and Carolina Rail road Company, and Mri Reuben Foster. The factory is ft 1 wait completed and will be running by the 15th of January. When this factory and factory number two of the Tarboro cotton m ils are in operation it will add one thousand to the population. The Irene Silk Mill Avith a capital stock of $50,000 will soon lie in opera tion. Most all of the stock has been subscribed hero, and it is expected that it Avill add largely to the prosperity of the country by encouraging tin* raising of silk worms. , * * * The time was that this was an all cotton country and so when cotton went down to the cents it Avas a disastrous blow to the Edgecombe farmers. He still makes cotton, but it is no longer King “Hog and hontiny” first persist ently preached here by Judge Dorsey Battle, then editor of the Tarboro Southerner, has been made the slogan of the farmer with the result that he has prepared himself to live at home and board at the same place, cotton or no cotton. The soil of this county is par ticularly Avell adapted to the cultivation of cotton and the better price this year lias made better conditions for the cot ton fanner, but I understand that hav ing cut his eye teeth he will not let tlu* increased short crop cause him t" return to thf old one crop system. All along 1 am told there have Ilea'll farm ers here, even at the lowest prices, who have made money raising cotton. S<> long as farmers depend chiefly on negro labor, cotton must be the leading crop on land ideally adapted to its growth. I have heard of some farmers who have averaged from three-fourths to a bale of cotton to an acre this year. They are of course farmers whose lands have been kept in a high state" of cultivation. The number of such farmers is constantly in creasing. One gentleman tells me that tin* Edgecombe farmers have made tills year ten tier cent more cotton than last year, with at least fifteen per cent less acreage. * * $ Trucking has conic to boa big inter est in Edgecombe, particularly around Goitftoe Avhero the flat, loamy soil is said to combine all the elements for early production. Air. N. B. Daw’son and Mr. Will Thigpen, of Coretoe, and Messrs. De Berry. C. H. King and Thud W. Thrash, of Tarboro, have been leaders in growing truck. Mr. Thigpen has four acres m lettuce alone this year nnu ex pects his crop to net mm four thousand dollars. Mr. Dawson has 140 acres in vegetable's and grows most everything that can be called vegetables. The truck in this section matures earlier than about Norfolk and the gentlemen Avho have gone into it and given it the neces sary attention have made money. The cultivation of tobacco is also new here, and Tarboro with its three large tobacco warehouses and prize houses ranks with the best tobacco markets of Eastern North Carolina. The low price tills year has discouraged the farmers and they will raise less tobacco next year. A prominent lawyer, speaking of the drawback to agricultural improve ment in the low price of tobacco said to me, “And yet 1 heard yesterday of a tenant of Mr. B. F. Eagle’s at Crisp who has already sold seven hundred dol lars worth at tobacco from a one-horse crop and haiT not yet sold two-thirds of his crop.” The recent sales at the ware houses show that farmers realize the highest prices the Trust permits to be paid for the weed anywhere and the Tarboro market will sell twice as much tobacco this year as last. * * Tito peanut has come to be a big crop in this county. The yield of the Spanish peanut has been good. Farmers have made from 25 to 130 bushels of the Virginia pea per acre. Tlu* county Avill produce at least 100 per cent more th«»n last year. The peanut factory is to be erected during the coming year. Stock ts being solicited for this factory and I am told that many farmers are taking stock in the company that is to erect and operate the mill. \ This is a good sign. If farmers have surplus money it shows that conditions are improving, and when they invest it an local factories they are as surely making two blades of grass grow where formerly only one grew as by actually doubling the blades on their farms.' The increase of manufac turing in the toAvns and villages gives a ready market for every sort of truck and fowl grown on the farms, nnri frees the farmer from the necessity of making cot ton or tobacco at unremunerath’e prices. The new peanut factory will with the increasing production of peanuts, give employment to workers and enable the buyer to pay the farmer more for this legislative necessity. So far I have heard of no agitation on the part of peanut growers for frequent sessions of the Legislature, but if the price con tinues to go doAvu it may lie the only legitimate Way to increase consumption and therefore increase the demand. An average legislator will eat more pea nuts in a sixty days’ session than an or dinary citizen will consume in a year. The late Bishop Lyman gave a boom to the peanutt market when he prescribed roasted peanuts and sweet milk as a remedy for insomnia. If the peanut growers could induce Bishop Cheshire (a loyal son of Edgeeomoe) and all the other leaders of thought to make the same recommendation, the falling prices might be arrested. As it would help the farmer and induce sleep nobody could be hurt and everyone would be blessed. * * * Among the other manufacturing estab lishments here I tnay mention the plant of F. S. Royster Guano Co., the Edge combe Agricultural Works, an extensive dying establishment. ti\a> buggy facto ries and quire a number of smaller in dustries that are found in up-to-date communities. In addition to the two SIOO,OOO fac tories and fifty homes for factory opera tives that are being erected, this has been a period of much building. Several handsome residences haA'c been com pleted, a number of smaller ones are being erected, and other building is in progress. The Bank of Tarboro, a strong and flourishing institution, of which Mr. J. F. Shackleford is president and Mr. Joseph J. Green is cashier, is building a large storage warehouse here for the storage of cotton and peanuts, and will advance money on, the ware house receipts, thus enabling the farmer to hold his crop or part of it as long as he deems it to his interest to do so. The county commissioners have author ized the building of modern fire-proof vaults and an enlargement and improve ment of the court house, which is being done on a plan that will give Edgecombe one of the finest court houses in Eastern North Carolina. In this eonrtection I cannot fail to mention that as a result of tlu* 1838 elections tlu* officials in the court house are most efficient and popu lar officials. The clerk. Mr. Penning ton, has been in office a long time, and an ex-Judge here tells me uuvt he is easily the best clerk in the State. Cer tainly lie ranks along with the very best and there are none better. It is strange that in the days “lx mi* de wah, suh,” our wise public officials when erecting neiv court houses did not provide fire proof apartment- 1 for the valuable rec (Continued on Second Page.) i SECTION ONE—Pages I to 8. PRICE FIVE CENTS HAN lißDtid RER PARAMOUR Mrs. Wallace* of Dobson, Fired the Shot. CORPSE NOW SECRETED PROMINENT, WELL-TO-DO MAN IMPLICATED IN THE CRIME. MURDERED MAN A FORMER CONVICT Dobson Excited Over the Mysterious Murder. Mrs. Wallace in Jail. If Body is Found Surry County Will Have Most Sensation d Trial. Dobson, N. C„ Dec. 10. —(Special.) There is now being investigated here one I of the most mysterious murders, if in deed there has been any murder, ever committed in North Carolina. About the middle of November Mrs. Sarah Wal lace, a Avoraan in, full sympathy with Utah and Representative Heberts’ man ner of living, came to Dobson and ru ported that she had on rite night pre% vious shot and killed Sol Sampson, Simpson is a man avlio had served a term in the penitentiary for stealing whiskey and was considered a general nuisance. Many hoped her report was true, but no one cared to investigate and not being table to make her story believed, she returned home and found, as she claims, that while she avus away to surrender to the authorities some one came with a wagon and removed the dead body, that she had left lying in front, of her door. The body had been secreted and so far no trace of it has been found, though diligent search has now been made. Some four days ago tlu* father of the murdered man, pot hearing anything from his missing son. ami having heard these reports, had warrants sworn out with thi* result that Mrs. Wallace ‘is now in jail and the search for the raising corpse goes mer rily on. It. seems now that she impli cates a'man of some standing and fair means and if the body is ever found oM Stmtv will h«A r e a highly sensational and complicated murder trial. Her story is now that Mr. was with her and that they knew Sol Simpson was coining. As she had no way to defend herself Mr. giiA’e her lri#! pistol and then retired. Simpson knocked for admittance and Mrs. Wal lace informed him that she did not care for his company. He declared he would come in anyway and after tAvo heavy assaults on the door with a huge rocks the door fell in and Simpson started to enter. As tie reached the threshold she fired the pistol and lie fell. After a lew moments she went to him and found his body was growing cold. 'She made further examination and a bullet hole was found in his breast, which caused immediate death. Then, as she claims, she came to Dobson to surrender and while here the body was removed and secreted away and thus the case stands at this writing. Dobson, like most places, shows sign** of improvement. The school here is now in good condition and Mr. J. E. B. Da vis. the principal, is doing a good work. Mesrs. Norman & Norman have just completed a nice two-story brick store and other stores have been improved . y paint and additions. You will find here as good Democrats as ever breathed and at the same time Republicans who are almost as near partisan as the majority of our non-partisan Supreme Court and they are at work in every conceivable way against the Constitutional amend ment. The Democrats are terribly in earnest and will make the white matt voting against the amendment feel al most as black as Ephriam himself. A Delightful Reception. Oxford, N. 0.. Dec. 13.—The reception giA'en last night from 8 to 11 o’clock by Mr. and Mrs. John Webb to Mr. and Mrs. William A. Devin on their return from their bridal trip was an elegant •and delightful entertainment. The house was beautifully decorated Avith palms and flowers. Those who assisted in receiving were Rev. and Mrs. R. I. Devin, Rev. and Mrs. J. S. Hardaway, Air. and Mrs. 11. M. Shaw, Dr. and Mrs. E. T. White, I)r. and Mrs. , S. 11. Cau nady, Misses Fannie Landis*. Mary Cur riu and Helen Oannndy, Mpeers. Will Landis, Sidney Minor and J. G. Ilall. In the dining room were Mrs. .T. M. Baird, Mrs. A. J. Dalby and Miss Flora Hunt. There delicious and bountiful re freshments were served. Miss Rena Anderson, who lots/ ***n the guest of Air. AV. B. 'Ballon, -ivlly Va ve for her home neijr, Houston today.' Looks Like Pritchard. (Wa shingtou Post.) The resemblance between Roberts, the polygamist, and Senator Pritchard, of North Carolina, is remarkable. Th«*y might ho twin brothers. Both arc of the same build, have the same cast ol features, wear mustaches trimmed alike and their curly hair might tie duplicate wigs. iSenator Pritchard occupied a seat on the flo/tr of the House Monday after the Senate had adjourned, and if ho had walked up to the desk to be sworn in. as Roberts did. no one would haA'e known the difference.