Number 34
VOL 33
BIG DRY GOODS COMPANY FAILS
That of H. B. Claflin Co., of New
York, Greatest In History of Unit
ed States—Owes Thirty Million;
Assets Forty-Four Million.
New York, June 25.—The biggest
mercantile failure in the history of
the United States was precipitated
today when receivers were appointed
for the H. B. Claflin Company of this
city. The company, it is estimated,
owes more than $30,000,000, which
at the present time it is unable to pay.
Its assets are said to be $44,000,000.
John Claflin, head of the company
and its chief individual stockholder,
is the owner of a chain of nearly 30
other dry goods enterprises through
out the country, which are involved
in the failure. Receivers for several
of these were named today and sim
ilar action, it was announced, would
be taken in the case of the rest. Their
business will be continued under re
ceivers’ management until their fi
nancial affairs have been adjusted.
From 3,000 to 5,000 banks in all
parts of the United States compose
the bulk of the Claflin creditors. They
hold notes aggregating the major
part of the liabilities. These notes
are said to have been issued by the
various Claflin stores, endorsed by the
H. B. Claflin Company, and the pro
ceeds used, when discounted, in finan
cing their needs.
The United Dry Goods Company, a
$51,000,000 corporation, financed sev
eral years ago by J. P. Morgan &
Company, to take over other Claflin
interests, is not involved in the fail
ure. Neither is the Associated Mer
chants Company, owned by the Uni
ted Dry Goods Company, and which
in turn owns one-half of the H. B.
Claflin Company and other large
stores, principally in New York.
Mr. Claflin, who was president of
both the dry goods and Associated
and Merchants companies, resigned
those positions today and it is un
derstood that when the H. B. Claflin
Company is re-organized its connec
tion with both the former companies !
will be severed. Cornelius N. Bliss,
son of the late New York dry goods
merchant of that name, was elected to
succeed Mr. Claflin.
Shifting Caused Failure.
According to Mr. Claflin the failure
was due to the unprecedented shift
ing of trade centers in New York
city which compelled the concern to
rely mainly upon its retail stores in
other cities for its profits.
“Their rapidly extending business,”
he said, “occasioned large capital re
quirements which we have not been
able to meet.”
The crash came today after vain
efforts had been made by Mr. Claflin
to induce J. P. Morgan & Company
and other Wall street banking inter
ests to loan him money to tide over
his embarrassment. These bankers,
it was learned, advanced the com
pany several million dollars about
two weeks ago, but banks continued
to press their claims until it became
evident that virtually the whole $30,
000,000 would have to be raised to
save the company from failing.
WOMAN HAD 62 CHILDREN.
Birth of “Quintet” to an Italian
Recalls Famous “Gravata Case.”
The London Chronicle.
The Parlermo woman, Rosa Sale
mi, who presented her husband re
cently with five boys, all well form
ed, and, according to the doctor’s
report, “eating well and crying well,”
has not wrested the record from the
peasant girl, Gravata, of Tuscany.
She was the twin daughter of a
woman who was herself one of tri
plets, and married a man of her own
class. She set the seal on the family
reputation, though she led off modest
ly with a baby girl. On the next oc
casion she made her husband a pres
ent of six little sons, and followed
that the next year with five more.
Then came a couple of triplets, which
were followed by a quartet. Then
ensued a long procession of ones and
twos, and, as a wind-up, came four
boys, bringing the number of her
living children up to 62, and assur
ing to her endless fame in obstet
rical annals as the “Gravata Case.”
In a bloody battle between Gener
al Villa and the Federals at Zacate
cas, Mexico, it is reported that 4,000
Federals were killed and 2,000 wound
ed. General Villa estimated his
dead at 500 and wounded at 800.
i
NEWS FROM CLAYTON.
Clayton, June 24.—Quite a number
of people from Clayton and vicinity
went to Oxford this morning on the
annual excursion.
On Wednesday evening last, a de
lightful picnic was given by Miss
Melba McCullers in honor of her
guest, Miss Lois Pugh, of Savannah.
The party, chaperoned by Miss Hel
en Day and Dr. E. H. McCullers,
left town about eight o’clock for the
pond on Mr. C. W. Horne’s planta
tion, carrying baskets filled with ev
erything good and tempting. Those
enjoying the hospitality of Miss Mc
Cullers were Misses Lois Pugh, An
nie Lee Webb, Ebeline Coker, Mar
gery Luther, Kitty Pool, Elizabeth
Bearden, Helen Day and Messrs. Ru
dolph Barnes, Hubert Olive, Warren
McCullers, Foster Barnes, Robbie
Sanders, Dwight Barbour and Swade
Barbour.
Rev. A. C. Hamby preached to a
well filled house Sunday morning,
considering the day, which was warm
and sultry. His text was found in
the Second Chapter of Revelations,
twenty-sixth and twenty-eighth ver
ses: “And he that overcometh and
keepeth my works unto the end, to
him will I give power over the na
tions; and I will give him the morn
ing star.” He said that only those
who were faithful to the end would
receive a reward; that in this life the
work of the godly had just begun;
that their influence would go on and
on indefinitely; that Elijah and Moses
appeared to Christ on the Mount of
Transfiguration; that they long since
inhabitants of the other world, might
have a part in the redemption work
of saving men. The subject of the
evening service was “The prayer of
the Pharisee and of the publican.”
As the prayers of each portrayed the
man, so our prayers in secret are in
dicative of our character.
Mrs. H. L. Jones left for Green
ilie Tuesday morning to be gone
3 era1 days.
Miss Mabel Cower, of West Clay
on, is visiting her aunt, Mrs. C. W.
'er-'ell, at Wakefield.
Mrs. J. G. M. Cordon and family
;ft Tuesday morning for Lynch
urg, where they will make their
home.
Mrs. Jno. Talton and children came
home Tuesday, after a week’s visit to
her sister, Mrs. R. W. Finlator, of
Greensboro. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Wil
son and two children, with Mrs.
Finlator and little son returned with
Mrs. Talton. They are at present
visiting their sister, Miss Cleve
Barnes, on Oneil street.
Mr. and Mrs. D. H. McCullers with
four of their children, went to Hol
land, Va., last Friday. Mr. McCul
lers has returned, bringing with him
the two little boys.
Mrs. Battle A. Hocutt left last
Friday for Smithfield to visit her
brother, Mr. Hunter Ellington.
We notice in the last issue of The
Clayton News a letter from Prof.
Geo. T. Whitley, telling of his trip to
Florida. Prof. Whitley has been with
us for the past several terms in our
school, and has done some good work
in our midst and we are always glad
of a word from him.
Mr. and Mrs. Chas. L. Barnes went
to Oxford today.
Wake Forest Man to Teach English
In Chinese College.
Mr. T. C. Britton, who received a
diploma from Wake Forest College
at the recent commencement, left
Raleigh last night for San Francisco
where he boards a Pacific liner for
China there to engage in work in the
government school at Soochou. He
will teach English.
Mr. Britton came from China six
years ago to complete his education
in the United States. He is the son
of Mr. T. C. Britton, a Baptist mis
sionary to Shanghai, known among
mission workers from India to Korea,
and he has been through the various
Chinese uprisings up to the time of
his return to America.
Mr. Britton is very optimistic about
the outlook for young men in China.
At the present time the Standard Oil
Company together with several other
large corporations doing business in
Company and the American Tobacco
the Orient are making every effort
to extend their trade and the de
mand is for capable English speaking
men as representatives. The big
gest demand, however, he says is
for English teachers in the colleges
there.
MAY SEND 3 WORDS A SECOND.
Tuckerton Trans-Atlantic Wireless
Experts To Achieve That Rate.
The New York Sun.
Theodore R. Lemke, New York rep
resentative of the Tuckerton Radio
Station, told the Sun recently that
not only had President Wilson, Mayor
Mitchel, Congressman Herman A.
Metz and others exchanged messages
of congratulation with Emperor Wil
liam of Germany by trans-Atlantic
wireless through the Tuckerton sta
tion but that the German Emperor
and Empress had personally visited
the company’s station near Hannov
er to witness the workings of the
new system.
Emperor William and the Empress
were interested in the mechanism us
ed, which is the invention of Dr. Ru
dolf Goldschmidt. The distinguish
ing features of Dr. Goldschmidt’s ap
paratus are the elimination of the
spark gap and a “singing wheel,”
which enables the receiver to be turn
ed instantly to any wave length. The
spark gap is replaced by a high fre
quency machine in which the electro
magnetic radio waves are formed.
These are sent out by antennae at
the summit of the steel masts. The
singing wheel makes the Goldschmidt
wireless almost interference proof.
Outsiders must pitch their instru
ments to within .05 per cent, of the
wave length being used in order to
get anything understandable out of
the air.
Mr. Lemke said that messages had
been sent and received at the rate of
70 to 80 words a minute. This is ex
traordinary speed, but it is expect
ed that a rate of 200 words a minute
will be achieved eventually.
The men in charge of the Gold
schmidt system expect ultimately to
sen^i trans-Atlantic messages at a
rate as low as 8 cents a word.
Terrific Heat Wave In East and
South.
Washington .June 24.—Terrifilc
heat that established new June rec
ords in several cities spread over al
most all of the country Eastward
and Southward from the Ohio Val
ley today. In Augusta and Savan
nah, Ga., the mercury reached 102
degrees. Other new records for June
were established at Louisville and
Jacksonville with temperatures of
100 and in New Orleans, where the
official thermometer showed 98 de
grees.
Around the Great Lakes and in
the Northwest the weather was com
paratively pleasant.
Washington, with a temperature of
97 was the hottest city in the East.
That was the record for this Sum
mer. Boston and Philadelphia swel
tered under 92 degrees. In Chicago,
Nashville and St. Louis the mercury
climbed to 98. Denver had a tem
perature of 92. New York was com
paratively cool at 84.
20 Aeroplanes at Funeral.
Vienna, June 24.—An escort of
twenty aeroplanes, flying mourning
flags, and manned by aviators from
several nations, formed a flying
guard of honor at the funeral today
of the nine Austrian officers and
men killed in the tragic air catas
trophe of last Saturday.
\n enormous concourse of people,
including several archdukes, mem
bers of the Austrian cabinet, and
foreign military attaches, were pres
ent.
While the funeral service was in
progress the small-air craft circled
round and round the cemetery, and
then flew off in company.
The nine victims of the disaster
were Capt. Johann Hauswirt, Lieuts,
Ernst Hofstetter, Flatz, Hocsta,
Bruer, and Haidinger; Corpls, Har
dina and Weber, and Engineer Ham
merer.
The aerial tragedy, which cost the
lives of the nine Austrian aviators
buried today, occurred during the
Austrian army maneuvers. A milita
ry dirigible was opposed by an aero
plane. The smaller craft soared
above the balloon during the sham
battle, with the object of taking up
a position to drop on its adversary
a mimic bomb. The pilot of the
wigs of his plane ripped the great
balloon, causing an immediate explo
sion.
Typhoid vaccine. It don’t hurt.
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE
SUN AUGUST 21 NEXT.
Persia, Russia and Scandinavia the
Favored Countries—Be Visited
By Astronomers.
I
Washington, June 22.—The eclipse
of the sun on August 21 next—total
in part of Europe and Asia and par
tial in northeastern America— is at
tracting the widespread attention of
astronomers and scientists, various
expeditions being arranged to wit
ness this phenomena. In view of the
public interest in the event, C. G. Ab
bott, head of the astronomical branch
of the Smithsonian Institute, and a
recognized authority on solar pheno
mena, gives the following popular ac
count of the eclipse, and the scientific
Bisults sought from such events.
On August 21, 1914, the moon will
pass exactly between the earth and
the sun, and there will be a total so
lar eclipse. It will not be observed
in America, except as a small partial
eclipse at sunrise in the northern
States and Canada, but in Persia, and
Scandinavia the full effect will be
seen.
Although the moon looks about the
same size as the sun, it is very much
smaller and nearer. The sun is 865,
000 miles in diameter and 239,000
miles awray. On account of the
moon’s small size compared with the
sun the shadow cast by the moon is a
cone, and the point of this cone just
barely reaches the earth.
In the August eclipse the diameter
of the cone at the earth’s surface is
only about 85 miles, so that the
eclipse is visible as total only in a
belt about 85 miles wide stretching
over the countries named above. The
important cities of Bitlis, Trebizond,
Keif, Minsk, and Riga lie near the
center of this belt. It passes about
j 100 miles north of Stockholm and
Trondheim. The eclipse will be seen
as partial over a very wide area, in
cluding northeastern America, Green
land, Europe, half of Asia and half
of Africa. Within this region only a
portion of the sun’s disk will be hid
den by the moon
Wherever the solar eclipse is seen
as total, the sky will become nearly
as dark as full-moonlight, and a
few of the brighter stars and planets
may be seen. The duration of the to
tality is longest near Kief in Russia,
where it is two minutes 13 seconds.
Sometimes the moon and sun occu
py such positions that although the
moon passes directly between the
earth and the sun the shadow cone
does not quite reach the earth. Such
solar eclipses are called “annular”
and are nowhere total eclipses. In
the most favorable case a total
eclipse may last over seven minutes
at a station, but such occasions are
very rare. The very long total
eclipse of this century are as fol
lows:
1919—May 29, six minutes nine
seconds, Peru, Brazil, Central Africa.
1937—June 8, seven minutes one
second, Pacific Ocean, Peru.
1955—June 20, seven minutes two
seconds, Ceylon, Siam, Philippines.
1973—June 30, seven minutes two
seconds, South America, Africa.
1991—July 11, seven minutes one
second, Pacific Ocean, Hawaii. Cen
tral America.
There will be total eclipses visible
in the United States on June 8, 1918;
September 10, 1923, and January 24,
1925.
As the glare of the sun in the sky
! is removed and yet the moon hardly
I more than covers the sun, it is pos
; sible at times of total solar eclipses
i to see all the celestial objects near
| the sun. These can not be seen at
other times because they are lost in
the bright sky light. It is this which
makes astronomers so eager to ob
serve total eclipses. The most strik
ing thing seen is the solar corona, a
beautiful pearly light stretching
away from the sun in all directions,
something like the Aurora Borealis
seen in northern countries.
The corona extends from one to
three solar diameters away from the
sun. Its form changes from year to
year in connection with the number of
sun-spots which prevail. As the
present year will be one of the com
paratively few sun-spots the corona
is expected to have short but well
marked polar rays and long equato
rial streamers In 1918 a total
eclipse will be visible in the United
States, and as the sun-spcts will then
be numerous the corona will proba
\
bly extend nearly equally in all di
rections.
Formerly it was believed probable
that one or more planets of the so
lar system exist nearer the sun than
Mercury, and it was hoped to discov
er these during total solar eclipses.
But the sky has been so carefully
searched that no such objects large
enough to be worth counting exist.
Formerly also it was regarded as
necessary to wait for eclipses to see
and study the beautiful rosy flames of
hydrogen and other gasses called
prominences, which surround the
sun. But these may now be observed
at any time by means of a special
apparatus. While the value of total
eclipses has herefore somewhat di
minished, there still remains many
studies which are confined to them.
Astronomers make very careful
preparations and rehearse all details
of their programs lest some of the
precious time should be wasted. They
observe with the eye and the
photographic plate to determine the
exact times of totality and the form
and extension of the corona. They
photograph the spectrum of the
corona, and also that of the bright
colored ring of light which lies at its
base just on the edge of the sun.
They measure the brightness of the
sky and of the corona, and make
many other observations useful in
learning about the nature of the sun.
Important Town Falls to Rebels.
El Paso, June 24.—Zactecas, an
important city of central Mexico, fell
into the hands of the constitutional
ists at 6 p. m. yesterday, according
to an announcement tonight by Gen.
Villa’s officials here. Two of Villa’s
generals were wounded.
The constitutionalists were heavy
losers, according to an official dis
patch. No mention is made of the
federals killed, but it was said many
prisoners were captured with much
arms and ammunition.
It was believed Villa’s lack of ef
fective artillery ammunition had
made it necessary to rush the feder
al positions with infantry, taking the
city by a sudden attack which, ac
cording to official reports, resulted in
the capture of a large portion of the
garrison and its munitions.
Up to a late hour only one offi
cial message had arrived from the
front. No press messages had ar
rived.
The border city of Juarez imme
diately plunged itself into a celebra
tion.
The telegram describing the victory
was received by Col. Ornelas, the
Juarez commander, and by Lazaro de
la Garza, Villa’s agent here. It was
signed by Gen. Orestes Pereyar, com
mander at Torreon, and read:
“I have the honor to communicate
to you that yesterday at 6 p. m., the
important city of Zacatecas was cap
tured by the forces of the division of
the north. We took prisoners and
captured a large quantity of ammu
nition and arms. There were large
losses on our side.
“Gen. Trinidad Rodriguez was seri
ously wounded and Gen. Herrera was
slightly wounded.”
South Receiving Very Fine Weather
For Growing Crops.
Washington, I). C., June 23.—Crop
growing weather during the week
which ended last night was, on the
whole, the most favorable thus far
this season in the cotton belt, the wea
ther bureau announced today in its
national weekly weather bulletin:
“Good rains,” it says, “occurred
over much of the eastern and cen
tral portions of the belt and the
plant made excellent growth. Over
the western portion of the belt
warmth, with occasional showers per
mitted of raid growth and the out
look has greatly improved. Boll wee
vil are reported as numerous in Lou
isiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
“In the principal trucking dis
tricts of the south considerable rain
occurred and the outlook is mater
ially improved but more rain is need
ed over a large area.
“Severe drouth still prevails in
Virginia. The weather was some
what too dry for tobacco setting.
“Crops showed decided improve
ment N. C. especially corn and cot
ton. The drought was relieved by
good rains except in some northern
and a few southern counties.
“The long drought in S. C. was
broken by good general rains except
in the extreme northwestern por
tion.”
THE CROP OUTLOOK.
t onditions Much More Favorable,
And Temperature Higher Yes
terday.
Bulletins of the Weather Depart
ment yesterday indicated a much
brighter outlook in most sections of
the country as a result of the recent
rains. The temperature yesterday
was slightly higher than on the day
before, the local station reporting
9 (.8. Charlotte, Wilmington and
Louisville, Ky., had the same tem
perature, while Savannah had a tem
perature of 100 degrees, and Phoe
nix, Ariz., 102. Wilmington had a
rainfall of .10 of an inch, but that
was a local thunder shower. But
little rain was reported from any
section of the country, except on the
Pacific coast. The humidity here
yesterday was not as great as on
Monday.
The Weather Bureau’s crop bulle
tin, issued yesterday from Washing
ton, and given out by the local sta
tion, follows:
“In much of the cotton belt this
was the most favorable week of the
present season. Good rain broke the
drought over large areas in the east
ern section, especially the Carolinas
and Georgia, and plants made excel
lent growth, especially early planted.
In the western belt the weather was
favorable in Texas and Oklahoma
and cotton continued rapid growth,
while beneficial showers over large
areas of Arkansas and Louisiana
caused rapid growth. The boll wee
vil is spreading in Alabama, Mis
sissippi, and Louisiana. Good rains
over much of the truck growing re
gion of the South further improved
conditions, but early crops are most
ly short.”
Across the Atlantic by Air.
Charlotte Observer.
It may transpire that Rodman
Wanamaker’s flying boat will score
as much of a fiasco in its effort to
cross the Atlantic as Walter Well
man’s dirigible balloon did. Or it
may fail through mismanaged de
tails; as did the late Professor Lang
ley’s pioneer aeroplane on the one
and only trial flight near Washington.
The aviators, two of them, will leave
Nova Scotia or Newfoundland for
the Azores, a distance of about 1,200
miles. Here the weather conditions
average well and they keep close to
one of the steamship tracks. Here
they will alight on water unless oth
erwise compelled; for there is a
$50,000 prize if they can complete
passage without touching land. But
they will be met by John Callan, a
Curtiss aviator who flew 50,000 miles
last year without an accident, and
he will probably replace one of the
original two. From the Azores the
trip to the Spanish coast is a little
shorter than the first leg of the trip
and decidedly less hazardous. From
Spain the flight will be continued to
England. This route as a whole was
judged to be the safest possible,
though by no means the shortest. We
shall hear from the adventurous voy
agers by carrier pigeon, because the
weight of wireless apparatus would
be too much. While the chief pilot
is British, the craft is wholly Amer
ican. It will be an epochal event of
the venture does succeed, and espe
cially if the aviators can avoid land
ing on land. Always partial to ad
venture which may increase the sum
of human possibilities, we shall wave
a most friendly adieu.
Stewart School House Items.
Crops are looking fine in this sec
tion. Some of our farmers are lay
ing by old corn.
We are glad to say that we are
having a fine Sunday school at Stew
art School house. There will be a
Sunday school dinner here July 4th,
with some good speakers to address
the people. Also there will be three
or four classes present to sing with
us on that occasion. The public is
invited to come and bring well filled
baskets, and let’s have a good time.
Will say that there will not be any
lemonade or ice cream stands al
lowed there to sell that day for fear
of the tiger, so bear this in mind. If
anyone wishes to come to drink or to
disturb, he had better stay away. The
singing will be conducted by Mr. C.
M. Moore, our leader. Come one,
come all, and let’s have a good time
in the Old Flat Woods.
J. R. BEASLEY, Superintendent,