SM1THF1ELD, N. C.. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2,1910 Number 27 VOL. 29 , ======= Education Good Roads Good Health Progress 5 cents per Copy $1.00 per Year . RAINS IN WESTERN CAROLINA. I Ashevllle In Darkness. Light Plant And Street Car Service Put Out Of Commission?Streets Were Run ning Creeks and Rivers, Lawns De stroyed, Stores Flooded?Serious Break in Water Main Causes All Night Work?Newspapers Go Back To Hand Press. Ashevllle, N. C., August 31, 19X0.? The whole of Western North Caro lina Is prostrated by the heaviest flood in years. The damage has been immense and an estimate at present of the loss is impossible. Means of communicating with the western part of the State are not practicable now. More than six inch es of rain has fallen within the past twenty-four hours and rain is still coming down intermittently. The French Broad river is ten feet above the normal. Asheville, the chief city of the mountains with its boasted electric light and street car facilities is in darkness to-night. There are no street cars running, no lights, no power and railroad facilities are badly crippled. Three lines are entirely out of commission. Only the Asheville-Salisbury and Asheville Knoxville lines were open for traffic to-day. The Murphry line, the Tox ttway line and the Asheville-Spartan t>urg line are all tied up by washouts. All trains on these lines were an nulled. Included in the damage list is the trestle of the Southern railway at Craggy, connecting the main line with the National Casket Company's plant, a trestle being swept away, j several thousand dollars damage to 1 the new incomplete county concrete ' bridge across the French Broad ri- 1 ver, three trestles between Hender eonville and Lake Toxav.ay, a serious ! freight wreck on the Murphry divis- ' ion, numerous small bridges, both j county and railroad, swept in the j torrwits and tremendous damage to crops. The downpour of rain began last night about eight o'clock, coming from the southeast. The volume in creased towards midnight when the water came down in sheets. The streets were running creeks and rivers. The water at points left the streets, invading private grounds. Reek walls were washed from their moorings, streets turned into gullies, lawns destroyed, storehouses flooded with six inches of water in the depot section, sidewalks undermined. During the downpour, a serious break was reported on the water mains and the supply of water cut off for a while until the break was repaired after a night's work. There was another break to-day, but after the repairs the water sys tem was all right. It is only the public utility here tonight in working order. Candles and kerosine lamps were pressed into service in an tffort to light the houses. The only electric light in the city tonight were those at the Battery Park Hotel, an independent system. Not a single isr moveel nor a motor turned since the French Broad river at 11 o'clock forced the power plant to be shut down. Newspapers had to go to the hand press, while the postoffice clerks hammered away at old time cancellation methods.?News and Ob server. Saved the Bottle of Beer. 't is reported that on Thursday, ! August 2oth, Mr. D. J. Ivey, who lives near Benson went to town and hav ing bought a bottle of beer In the saloon of Mr. Seth Coats, commenced to drink it when Mr. John Hudson, who had a grudge against him and twd prorrised him a beating struck Oim two licks, Mr. Ivey deliberately ?n each horse entering the country ?nd intended for consumption. The other day the "General Syn licate of the Horse Industry" and he "Syndical Chamber of Horse Butchers of Paris and the Seine" held i meeting: to discuss the present crisis. It was decided to send a del- j nation to the minister of agriculture, ! isking that the duty on horses lm- 1 ported for human consumption be at ' jnce suspended as a temporary mea sure, until the matter can be brought Defore the chamber. There are about 500 shops in Paris Rhere horse flesh is sold for human 'ood; these are the "hippophaglc ! autchers," and they are not allowed :o sell anything but the flesh of norses, asses and mules. The closing jf these shops would be a heavy blow :o the working classes, but unless something is done to bring about ! lower prices. It is possible that this step may be taken. SYSTEM IN BUSINESS. One of the greatest needs of the ' South is system. Many a farm, many | i store and many a mill lias failed for ?rant of system. Nobody at the I head of a business and every one ioing as he pleases will not bring : success. On a recent visit to Kenly we were impressed with some im provements in connection with the large mercantile establishment of Messrs. G. G. Edgerton and Son. Cwry now and then they put more system into the management. The store is opened at 6:30 by Mr. Snipes, the bookkeeper, and one of the salesmen. Mr. Snipes serves as cashier until Miss I>eone Edgerton, the cashier, comes at 7 o'clock, when he and the salesman who help ed him in the store the first hour, go : to breakfast. At dinner only one ?r two of the force is out at a time. They close at 7:30 o'clock. They use j I he Lumsden Air Line Cashier sys tem by which money is sent from five different stations in the building to the cashier's stand. This keeps I the store's money at one place and secures absolute accuracy in making change. The salesmen send the mon ey to the cashier without having to go and carry It. This gives the store a city-like appearance. The store of Messrs. J. T. Edger ton and Brother have a Cashier's/ sys tem also. They keep hardware and furniture in one store, clothing, shoes and groceries in another, dry goods In the third and millinery in the fourth store. Under this arrangement the cashier's system proves a great help to them. Erery man should put into whatev er he does all the system possible. , Fifteen thousand employes of the Amoskeag Cotton Manufacturing Com pany, of Manchester. N. H., were thrown out of work Tuesday when the seventeen mills of the plant closed for a period of fifteen days. Cur tailment of production was the rea son of the shut down. The Canadian General Methodist Conference In Victoria has declared in favor of a union church, to con sist of all the Methodists, Presbyter ians and Congregationalists in Cana da. NOT HARVESTING RAINBOWS. But Representative Lloyd Says Dem ocrats Have Chance. Does Not Ex pect to See a Tidal Wave, but Sub stantial Majority in the House. "For the first time In several years the Democrats have substantial basis for hoping to elect a majority of the House of Representatives," said Representative Lloyd, of Missouri, chairman of the Democratic Congress ional committee. Mr. Lloyd explained that he was not In the business of harvesting rainbows. "I do not expect to see any po litical tidal wave?no two to one or three to one victory," said the man from Missouri, "but a substantial working majority. My reports are surprisingly pleasing. There are sections of the United States where Republicans are showing more inter est and concern for Democratic suc cess than the Democrats are, appar ently. "Insurgents appear to prefer Dem ocrats in Congress rather than 'stand patters,' and the 'standpatters,' or regular organization, in other locali ties are reciprocating in kind. Be tween the two forces at war in the Republican party the Democrats must gain something. The whole Republi can organization has been weakened by the fight. The Republicans have been divided and in discord before, but never quite so much as at pres ent." Chairman Lloyd admits that there are localities in which Democrats may vote for the insurgent Republican nominees, but he believes that in most cases of that kind the regular Republicans who will support the Democratic nominee In preference To the insurgent Republican will more than make up the Democratic defec tion to insurgency.?Washington Her ald. BRYAN OUT OF RACE. For First Time He Makes Definite Announcement. Kalaazoo, Aug. 26.?"I will not be a candidate for President in 1912," declared William .1. Bryan at Kalama zoo to-day. This Is the first time the N'ebraskan has positively stated that he will not make an effort to secure the Democratic nomination for the Presidency in 1912. "There Is plenty of good material in the party, but who will be the next candidate for President on the Democratic ticket depends upon what the next Congress does," continued Mr. Bryan. "I believe the Democrats will control the next House. That the country Is dissatisfied with the Republican party is manifested in the strength of the insurgency move ment." Mr. Bryan refused to make any comment when asked about the pos sibility of Gov. Harmon, of Ohio, be ing the Democratic candidate for President. He said: "I was pleased to note the state ent of Col. Roosevelt yesterday, while in Ohio, in which he said the time had come for corporations to be driven from politics. The Democrat for years have been urging this very thing, and Col. Roosevelt, by the po sition he has taken, will be able to do us much good." FIRST BALE NEW COTTON. Marketed at Morven Monday And Brought 16 Cens. W'adesboro, Aug., 29.?The first bale of new crop cotton was marketed to day at Morven. In this countyj The bale weighed 517 pounds and was sold by Press E. Ratliff, to T. V. Hardison at 16 cents. Mr. Ratliff has brought the first bale to market for several years. Last year he had the first bale on the market. August 17th, and in li?08 the first bale was mar keted August. 12th.?News and Ob server. An Acre of Fine Corn. Last year Mr. J. D. Underwood raised on an acre, near his dwelling. 14 3-8 barrels of corn, or more than seventy bushels. He saved from that acre nearly five hundred bun dles of fodder. This year he saved 735 bundles of fodder and hopes to get twenty barrels of corn. BENSON NEWS NOTES. Items of Interest Reported by Our Regular Correspondent. Sir. Z. L. LeMay, Chairman Demo cratic Committee, was in town Mon day night. Mr. F. H. Brooks, of Smithfield, was in town Tuesday on legal busi ness. Mr. Joseph W. Wood returned Mon day night from Wake Forest where he took the Summer Law course. Miss Jessamine Yelvington, of Clayton, who has been spending some time with Miss Maud Hall, left yes terday for Mount Olive to spend sev eral days with friends, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Ryals, of North Emporia, Va., visited their father, Mr. Jno. Ryals, Sunday and Mon day. Mr. and Mrs. Wade H. Royal en tertained a number of our young people at their home on West Main street Monday evening from 9:30 to 11:00 in honor of Miss Mamie Ste vens, of Dunn. Miss Pearl Adams, of Greensboro, j who has been spending some time at the home of Dr. F. T. Moore, return ! ed to Greensboro to-day. Misses Floy Johnson, of near ; Smithfield, and Kate Cummings, of Raleigh, visited at the home of Mr. E. F. Moore last week. Messrs. C. T., P. B., and Chas. Johnson left Monday for New York, ; Baltimore and other northern points. I They will be away for several days. Mr. A. B. Hudson has purchased the lot east of the post office oil Main street and has begun the erection of two brick store buildings which will add much to the appear ance of East Main street. Miss Vivian Betts, ot Raleigh, has been the guest of Miss Jewel Hall for several days. Mr. Edwards, of Rocky Mount, was ; in town Tuesday with friends. Mr. J. E. Wall, traveling salesman for the Richmond Hardware Company, was in town Sunday with his wife. Mr. Marvin Johnson is moving to day to the residence of J. W. Ben | son and w ill take boarders for the school which opens Sept. 6th. A very enjoyable occasion was that at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Boone Tuesday evening In honor of their guests. Misses Bessie Denning and Ethel Hooks, of Dunn. Punch, salads and other refreshments were served. A revival is being conducted at the Baptist church this week by the pastor, Rev. T. B. Justice, assisted by Rev. J. V. Willis, of South Caro ! lina. j Mr. R. F. Smith and sister, Miss Leola. and Miss Ora Pool returned I Monday from Baltimore where they , purchased a large stock of millinery | and dry goods for the R. P. Smith Company. Our people regret very much to | learn of the resignation of Prof. J. | P. Canaday, caused by ill health. We also congratulate the County Board of Education in selecting Prof. L. T. Royall to succeed Prof. Canaday. While we regret exceedingly to lose Prof. Royall from our town and school we feel that the public schools of the county will have another excellent man at their head. The Benson Graded School will open Tuesday Sept. 6th under the nlanagement of Prof. Z. H. Rose, of Princeton. Prof. Rose has had sev eral years' experience in teaching and will make aji excellent principal. He will be assisted by Misses Emily Canaday, Ruth Jones, Fannie Richard son, Mary Cooke, Mary Carroll and Mrs. Luna Toler. I Theodore Gilbert, the 5-year-old son of Will Gilbert, near Lincolnton, was struck by lightning and instantly killed Friday afternoon. The little fellow with his mother had gone to the well for water and while hU mother was talking to a number of her friends who had gathered at the well the fatal bolt srtuck in the midst of the group. Mrs. Gilbert and six others were stunned, but their condition is not serious. Nagasaki is the oldest port in Ja pan, where the first foreigners, Por tuguese merchants, lander1. 326 years ago. It Is one of the five most Im portant ports of the country, with a population of 75,000. The largest res Isels in the world can anchor in Its spacious harbor.