?iljr Jtrralb.
ruoTon dollab ru ykab. "TRUB TO OURSELVES, 008 COUNTRY AND OUR GOD." sihou conn nn oinl.
VOL. 20. SMITHFIELD. N. C.. FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 28. 1908. NO. 51
IT LOOKS LIKE BRYAN AGAIN.
Indications Point to His Nomination At
Denver.?He Has Strong Hold on
The South and West.
Washington, Feb 22?Just as
the nomination ot Judge Alton
B. l'arker by the Democrats in
190-1 was foreshadowed months
before the convention the nomi
nation of William J. Bryan is in
dicated now.
Though there is determined op
position to him in the Fast, west
of the Allegheny mountains no
other candidate than Mr. Bryan
is being seriously considered.
Personally he is deeply impressed
with the belief that this is "his
year." He thinks he will be elect
ed. In Indiana Democrats and
Republicans alike are coming to
regard it as almost a probability
that he may get the 15 electoral
votes of that always-doubtful
State. This in itself has been
sufficient to make Mr. Bryan reso
lute in his determination to run
again.
Singularly enough, many of
those who are supporting .Mr.
Bryan do not think he has the
ghost of a chance. They cannot
get over the impression that he
will never be able to carry New
York. But, also, singularly
enough, none of these men has
been able to make any headway j
in promoting any other candi
date.
The South really is for Mr.
Bryan. Whatever may be said
by the politicians, there are few
public men in the South who will
come out openly and oppose the
election of Bryan delegates. This
is due to the popularity of Mr.1
Bryan with the masses of the
Southern voters, especially in
the rural districts. The instant
a Southern Representative in
Congress opposes Mr. Bryan he
renders his renominatiou doubt
ful.
Mr. Bryau has spent four busy
years impressing the Democratic
voters of the country, and es
pecially of the South. When he!
was not lecturing to them and j
appearing in their churches at J
celebrations of various kinds j
and addressing their Legisla-!
tureeq, he was writing letters
from abroad. He is the only!
Democrat of Presidential size j
now known to the Democrats of
the South and West?Baltimore
Sun.
An Editor's Candid Statement as to His
Personal Habits.
The News is heartily in favor!
of State prohibition. In making !
this statement we may as well j
go a step further and say that
we are not, and never have been, j
a total abstainer. The writer
has always taken a drink when- '
ever he wanted one?and could ; i
get it?and doesn't care a rap 1
who knows it. He frequently <
goes for months without tasting I
whiskey and on the other hand)i
some times sits uown with con- <
genial Irieuds and imbibes a i
quart with the greatest compla- i
cency. Hours thus speDt are <
very delightful but we are free to ]?
confess that "there is a difference (
in the morning." Constituted as i
we are, being "hale fellow well j (
met," ready always to "weep 1
with those that weep and rejoice i
with those that rejoice,"to be | t
dry with those that are dry and
to drink with those that are wet,
we feel that, personally, piohibi
tion is the thing for us. We also
believe that there are thousands f
of other men similarly constitut
ed. If whiskey is easily get-at- ];
able they will drink it, and if not '
get-at-able they won't go to any '
great trouble to get it. We are (
all better off without it, so let's 1
"let 'er go."?Lincoln ton News '
i1
Keep Open House. |,
Everybody is welcome when ;
we feel good; and we feel that j
way only when our digestive s
organs are working properly, j
Dr. King's New Life Pills regu-l
late the action of stomach, liver i
and bowels so perfectly one can't 1
help feeling good when he uses, e
these pills. 25c at Hood Bros , I
drug store, t
Polenta News.
Mr. Ed Boyett, of Smithfield,
spent Sunday in this ueighbor
hood.
Mr. S. \V. Booker is recovering
from a severe cold and sore
throat.
Mr. A. L. Coats and Miss Ella
Price will be married tonight,
(Wednesday.) Particulars in our
next.
Mr. W. H. Coats has bought a
small farm near Mt. Moriah in
Wake county, and will move to
it soon.
(Had to hear of the improve
ment of Mr. John Sanders. We
hope for his speedy resto-ation
to health.
ltev. Mr. Souders, the pastor,
preached a fine sermon at Oak
laud last Sunday to a good sized
congregation.
The matrimonial fever does
not abate. It is rumored that
other couples will bow at Cupid's
shrine at 110 distant day.
I>. V Sanders, one of our best
colored men, is quite ill with
pneumonia, lie is well thought
of by the white people, who wish
for iiis recovery.
Regular communication of
Polenta Lodge, A. F. & A. M ,
Saturday of next week ut 10 a.
m "Let every member take no
tice and be present.
air. Kuttin Barber is getting
ready to build a nice four room
cottage He is now having the
lumber sawed, and will commence
building during the summer.
The infant child of Mr. and
Mrs. Babe Johnson which died
Sunday last, was buried Monday
at the family burying ground at
Mr. D. T. Wood's. The parents
have the deep sympathy of the
people of this section.
Mr. Simon Turner, of Wake
county, came down and spent
Saturday with Messrs. 1). T and
(x. B. Smith. Mr. Turner and
Squire Smith enjoyed a bird
hunt during the day. and brought
in quite a number of birds.
After an illness of two weeks,
we are pleased to see Mr. Fred
Hilliard back on his route Ao. 1
li F. D. from Clayton. There is
no better or more accommodat
ing carrier in the state than Fred
Hilliard. The people on the route
are pleased with his work.
The peopie are not talking
much about prohibition yet. Oc
casionally we bear the matter
mooted. If this township is to
be carried for temperance, morali
ty and tbe homes of the people,
a good deal of hard work must be
done. The people must be shown
that evil, and evil only, is the re
sult of the whiskey traffic. There
are those who would like to see
the white banner of temperance
trail in the dust, and they are [
wide awake and at work, using i
?very device and argument atj
bheir command to check t he j
onward march of the reform j
'orces. However there are those
m thiH section who are true!
fbampions of the cause of trutli I
ind right, and will ever stand !
against the ruinous work of the
*rogshop aud its allies. Which
shall it be?factories, schools, j
ihurches, sobriety and prosperi- j
;y, or grog-shops, drunkenness,
irime, debauchery, poverty and |
ruin? The church people have it
n their power to say which it
shall be.
Polenta, Feb. 2G. Typo.
Neighborhood Favorite.
Mrs. E. 1). Charles, of Har
nor, Maine, speaking of Electric
Bitters says: "It deserves to be j
a favorite everywhere. It gives ,
luick relief in dyspepsia, liver j
jomplaint, kidney derangement
malnutrition, nervousness, weak
ness and general debility. Its
action on the blood, as a thor- j
iiugh purifier makes it especially
nseful as a spring medicine. This
alterative tonic is sold underj
juarantee at Hood Bros , drug
store, 50c.
Six of a party of merrymakers
?ere killed and three terribly1
iuri, Saturday night wlieun, train
(truck their wagon at West
fyock, N Y Vh.ry r^irn 1
h mtr frciin ? dwici*. <
KILLED BY TRAIN NEAR ELM CITY
Fred Oliver, of Pine Level, Lies Down
on Railroad Track and Pays the
Penalty With His Life.
| Mr. Fred B. Oliver, of Pine
Level, was killed Saturday after
' noon, one mile north of Elm City,
by southbound passenger train
No. 81). For several years the
drink habit has been growing on
him and of 'ate it has seemed to
have had right much its own
way with him. Last week he was
drinking heavily at Pine Level.
He left there to go to Rocky
Mount, but was put off of the
train at Elm City Friday night,
so we are informed, and placed in
the lock-up for being drunk.
Saturday he started on foot in
the direction of ltocky Mount
At the place where he was killed
the road is double-tracked. It
seems that he was lyiug between
the two tracks with his head ou,
or very near the rail. The engi
neer saw him apparently asleep,
but was unable to stop his train
before striking him. The top
and back part of his head was
knocked off and besides thi-' tkeiv
was no other bruise on him ex
cept one on his face, lie was
killed instantly. I in remains
were buried in the Oliver irrave.
n ~
[ yard, near Pine Level, Sunday
afternoon. A large number of
I eople witnessed the aad burial.
He was tbe eldest sou of tbe
late J. U Oliver, Register of Deeds
of Johnston Couuty for two
terms, and a uephew of Mr. D. B.
Oliver. A few years ago he was
i married to Miss Beatrice Massey,
a daughter of Mr. D. f\ Massey.
lie was partly reared in Smith
held and was well known here.
But for his drinking habits he
could have been one of our lead
ing citizens. Sad, sad is the end
of this young man, and it is with
the deepest regret and sympathy
J we record his death.
LAPPED LIQUOR FROM GUTTER.
Sad Mishap Falls to the Lot of John
House, Colored, Who Drops Jug of
Whiskey in Front of Jordan's.
Modern history lias furnished
few tragedies of deeper and dark
er hue than one which took place j
in front of J ordan's on the square
Sunday morning about4 o'clock.
Officers Orr and Merritt were
briugiug John House, colored,
to the city lock-up, having found
him near the trestle on Graham j
street with more than the legal
amountfof liquor ou bis persou,
say nothing of that on tlie out
side of which he was. When this
stage of the journey had been
reached, the str'.Dg broke, which
encircled a pasteboard box con
taining a two-gallon jug cram j
nued full to the stopper This j
dropped from out John's deeper :
i.i,J . i-.-i j !
nuc if u i' cuircuieil UlUtCtiWB tllHl 1
fell with a heart rendering crash ;
to the gutter. Shattered into
fragments was the vessel, while i
forth from what had been its in
terior flowed a liquid of potential
odor, which assailed the nostrils
of pedestrians afar. Swiftly, re j
morselessly, inevitably flowed
down the gutter of North Tryon ! i
all that remained of many a hard
earned quarter and the centre of j i
a thousand fond hopes and
pleasurable anticipations.
" This is too much," groaned
the bereaved darky, reeling out, i
of the arms of the officers, "I
cannot stand it."
Down into the gutter he filing i
himself in an agouy of despera- i
tion and an utter abandon, i
Feverishly he lapped and gulped j
dowu the liquor, such of it as he j
could stop before it had gone be-!
yond his reach forever. He rose <
to his feet once, bub dropped5
dowu again. Finally the officers
pnlled him to his feet and sadly ?!
he walked away.?Charlotte Ob- J
Berver.
Bishop Henry Yates Satterlee, i
head of the Episcopal church in i
Washington City, died of pn? u-j
monia Saturday morning. He)
passed away uttering the words, i i
?Holy, Holv, Holy." He was
35 year# of
LOOKER ON CONTINUES HIS STORY
'irnz *.tX
Tells^of Iron Oxide and the Imaginary
Future of the Town and the
Country Generally.
"Yes," he continued, iu answer
to my look of amazement, "iron
oxide, as the professions term
it, but in order to show you how
it was responsible for my good
fortune, in will be necessary to
relate quite a story.
"The water-works had at last
been completed and after the
epidemic of fever, that scourged
the town about that time, had
passed, in seemed that Peace
and Prosperity had again put
SmithHeld on their visiting list
the government was out of debt
hut the bond-holders were bauk
i rupt. The system developed e
great patronage. Every woman
in the place took water. The
greatest rivalry sprang up over
lawns and gardens. Oceans of
j water was consumed. The indi
vidual users' requirements were
priced according to the st irv n
! the meters, and the. first quar
ter's business caused one to
wonder how the old Smithtield
had managed to have health,
cleanliuess, lawns and earl.v
! vegetables without a water sv s
II torn 1
" Thetowu had placed hydrants
all about the streets for purpost s
of tire protection and the Hu
mane Society had installed foun
tains on theconditiouthat water
snould be furnished witbontcost
It had been claimed by the mod
ernists that the cost.of]these pub
lie necessities would be offset by
the profit derived from the indi
vidual users and this claim was
substantiated by the results oi
the Hrst quarter's business.
"But the tide soon changed
The enthusiam gradually died.
It was discovered that daily
sprinkled lawns were great
extravagances and some slow
paying consumers even declared
that their meters recorded more
water than had passed through
theui. Slowly but steadily the
revenues fell. As the town's Sup
ply was considered to be without I
tost, the economical people be- i
gau to draw their supplies from
she street hydrants and foun- i
tains. This continued for a time,
but the appalling condition of j
the Town Treasury soon put a 1
stop to it; locks were placed on j
the hydrants and the water was
cut off from the fountains.
"In answer to the complaint!
of a mass meeting of indignant
citizeus, the Town Treasurer re- j
ported that, although the water
system had really been a gift to j
the town, it was impossible to j
operate it at a profit and j
that a doubling of taxes was
necessary to meet the deficit!
" The electric light plant was
dismantled, as the unit system i
of electric storage had made it1
possible for individuals to gen
erate their lights cheaper, aud
several other economies were in
troduced in the effort to avoid
more taxes.
? ivor several years t lie strug
gle coutinueu. The old staDd
pipe stood full of water but the
locked hydrants and sealed
meters checked its outflow The
fountains became filled with dust
and finally were made to serve
as gigautic flower jars, blooming I
with roses. Occasionally a fire J
would occur, when a hydrant!
would be unlocked and a feeble,
stream thrown upon the flames.
The little used system of stand
pipes, mains, laterals and hy
drants, holding a water natur
ally highly mineralized, had ac
cumulated a prodigious quanti
ty of rust and this rust, when
the current, was occasionally
turned on, retarded its flow and
converted the occasion of a fire
iuto a carnival of merriment. It i
was ludicrous to witness the ef
forts of the firemen and it would
have even made Ed Boyett
laugh to have seen the bouses I
aud men when the fire had been i
extinguished. The firemen look
ed like Indians of the old copper
type, while the buildings looked i
as if they had been liberally
sprayed with bronze paiut. 1
Einally, having sutler -i a small i
rt'?sri'l a gHjirroae sprarVag lo i
his Colonial Mansion Ex-Gov
ernor Sanders declared that he
preferred fire to iron-rust, being
unable to secure iron rust in
surance, and warned the firemen
never agaiu to respond to an
alarm from his premises.
"About this time a practical
method of utilizing and storiug
solar energy was perfected and
t,lie cheap power problem now
being solved, it became possible
for each house to have its own
pumping plant. The town at
last purchased several of these
plauts, as well as several im
proved Chemical Extinguishers,
and abandoued the old water
works system.
"lu the meantime, Nmithfield
had grown into a city. This
growth had been occasioned by
the natural increase in popula
tion, coupled with an unpreced
ented era of prosperity that fol
lowed the Roosevelt i'anic of
1908 Eollowiug the dismem
berment of the Tobacco Trust,
the prices of tobacco soared and
in 1920, over forty million
pounds were sold on the Smith
field market. Cotton advanced
to the long dreamed of price of
25 ceuts.
' As the population increased
the resources of the town in
creased and remunerative con
tracts on the progressive royalty
I ? ?- *?
i iinnin were uiiniH regarding iran
chises for Elevated Stations for
the Air Ship and Aeroplane
Routes, Garbage and Cremato
ries, Trolley Liues, Sight-seeing
Automobile Lines, Theatres,
Swimming Pools, and mauy
other enterprises of a public,
utility nature. The country at
large was prosperous and it was
I but natural that Suiithtield'
j should share this prosperity.
"And 1 Hatter myself," contin
ued Mr. Holmes, "that 1 have
been au humble instrument in
the upbuilding of the city. From
my early years I had been a hard |
student and a close observer. I !
had paid special attention to j
! chemistry, and wheu the oppor- J
tunity came for my knowledge!
to help me, it did not fail me. i
"I had long before observed !
the wonderful health properties |
in iron, and, when the town
abandoned its primitive water- j
works, the idea occurred to me
that here was a veritable mine
of liquid iron, combined with
other properties, and equipped
with pumps, a settling tank und
distributing pipe-lines ready for
use. 1 bought it at my own
price My cautious experiments
justified my most sanguine
dreams.
"1 patented a Chill Preventer,
Health Tonic. Hair Invigorator,
Pills, and a Universal Panacea}
and built a Laboratory and j
Sanitarium In connection with
my Sanitarium I have the most j
complete system of Hot Mineral
Paths in the country. I utilized i
the by-products arising from the
manufacture of my medicines, in i
the making of paints, and 1
Holmes' Metallic Paiucs are
known arouud the earth.
"1 have been more or less sue- .
cessful in other linen, but my |
success originated in the paiut
and medicine business. I simply i
profited out of the ruin of others, j
My good fortune wiw simply the
misfortune of others. And, '
looking at the matter from a '
view-poiut of experience, and
conversant with all the facts,
I know now that their misfor- '
tune was the result of a mistake ,
in burdening their town with a .
great debt for public improve
ments at a time when the popu- '
lation did not justify the expen
diture and in a period of transi- '
tiou when old methods were !
rapidly becoming obsolete and
the new were not fully developed.
"I kicked then, but i am not i
kicking now,"remarked president .
Holmes, as he reached forth to <
light his cigar. * * # * I
With the scratch of the match, t
L awoke. The fathers were still
talking, deliberating, groping
lor the light in their discussion I
af a truly perplexing proposition, j |
Across the aisle, I could see i
Frank Holmes?he was lighting i
a cigar. 11
As 1 went down the steps, 1 1
thought I heard the "honk" of i
an air ship as a shooting star i
trwfled wcross ihe sk/. t
A SHOT GUN OID THE WORK.
Henry Sasser Ended His Life, Leaving
a Whiskey Jug and Two Empty Bot
tles to Tell the Sad Story.
i
Mr. Henry Sasser, who lived
four miles North of Selnm, killed
himself last week. He was a ten
ant on the land of Mr. Clem
llrovn, and had been living in
the neighborhood for some time,
having lived two years with Mr.
Kader Creech. He was a eon of
Mr. Thomas H. Sasser, who was
killed by a train at Smithfield a
year or two ago.
Henry Sasser, it is said, was a
5 clever man when sober, but when
j drinking, he was fussy and die
agreeable. It is said that he was
cruel to his wife, and about three
| weeks ago knocked her and the
child she had in her arms, out of
the house. After this she went
to live with her people. He had
j beeu living alone since her de
parture and was drinking a
j great deal and seemed to be in
great, trouble.
Thursday of last week he said
| he was going to feed his stock,
cut his supper and then kill
himself, but on one paid any spe
j cial attention to what he said as
V... <? ?" ?
no una ULirwitUUyU Ciilvin^' Q1B
life before. Since he had not been
seen for a day or two, Sunday
morning Mr. Clem brown, with
another man, went to see about
him. Wuen they reached the
house they looked in at the win
dow and saw him lying on the
floor. They made their way in
to the house and their eyes were
greeted with a horrible sight.
It seems that Sasser went to bed
aud later with an old muzzle
loading double-barrel gun had
shot himself in the right temple.
His brains were scattered some
what, but most of them had run
out and under his head. A whis
key jug was at his feet and two
empty bottles were on the floor
near him. Dr. A. 11. Hose, the
County Coroner, was notified
and au inqueHt was held Sunday
afternoon. Messrs C. F. ivirDj',
VV M. Grantham, W. T. Kirby,
L 1). Debnain, T. H. Whitley
anb E. G. Richardson composed
the jury, whose verdict was that
he committed suicide.
lie was buried Mouday. The
life he had lived and the inauner
of his tragic death at his own
hunds is causing considerable
comment throughout that sec
tion.
General News.
Gne person was killed and fif
teen injured in a trolley car acci
dent at Cambridge, Ohio, Sun
day.
William H. Taft is gaining
strength in his contest for the
Republican nomination, but the
other candidates are also becom
ing more active.
Pk?-i -- n: 1 - J - ~
*jiiurif*H iviegei, ageu i < years,
committed suicide at Tatnaqua,
Fa , Sunday by hanging. It is
alleged that he ended his life be
cause he had been reprimanded.
Mrs. Augusta Strey, 73 years
old, committed suicide Saturday
at Cleveland, Ohio, by setting
lire to her clothing. The aged
woman considered herself a bur
den upon her grandson, with
(Thorn she was living. He had
lost his positiou and has a large
iamily to support. Mrs. Strey
arose early and, going noiselessly
to the street, poured kerosene
jpon her clothing and applied a
natch. Her body was found
ater by a policeman.
Father Leo Heinrichs was shot
and killed Sunday at Denver, by
\lio Giuseppe, an avowed auar
chist and priest-hater, while the
priest was administering the
sacrament at early mass in St.
Elizabeth's Catholic Church.
Kneeling at the altar rail be
tween two women, Giuseppe
pressed the muzzle of a revolver
against t.ho body of the priest,
after receiving from him the con
secrated wafer, and shot Father
Leo through ' he heart Exclaim
ing "Mv God! My God!" Father
Leo fell prone "in front of the
altar and died.