VOLUME 85
SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1916.
Number 87
TEUTONS want a peace meet.
Nations of Central Alliance Favor
Calling of Meeting of Representa
tives of Warring Powers to Permit
Exchange of Views on Question
of Ending War. No Word of How
Entente Will Take Wilson’s Propo
sal for Statement of Objects. Fight
ing Now Chiefly Confined to Ru
mania.
The following is the European war
situation for Tuesday, as summarized
in the Columbia State of Wednesday:
The Teutonic allies are favorable to
immediate meetings of delegates from
the belligerent States at some neutral
point in order that exchange of views
with regard to peace may be carried
out.
This has been declared by the Ger
man government in replying to the
recent note of President Wilson sug
gesting that the belligerent nations
make known their basis for peace. It
is announced in the note that Ger
many is of the opinion that the work
of preventing future wars can be be
gun only after the end of the pres
ent struggle, but that then Germany
will be ready to collaborate with the
United States “in this exalted task.”
Nothing has yet come through to
indicate what will be tenor of the re
plies of the entente allies to Presi
dent Wilson’s suggestion, and so far
as is known, none of them has yet
given an answer to the announcement
made to them is the note of the Teu
tonic allies that Germany is prepared
to discuss peace.
Meantime the premiers of Great
Britain’s colonies have been urged to
attend at an early date—not later
than the end of February—a series
of special meetings of the war cabi
net. At these meetings, says the Brit
ish colonial secretary, “urgent ques
tion affecting the prosecution of war,
possible conditions in which, in agree
ment with our allies, we could as
sent to its elimination and problems
which would then immediately arise,”
are to be discussed.
Rumania continues the theatre oi
greatest activities. In northern Wal
lachia, along the southern Moldavian
border, and in Dobrudja the Teutonic
allies continue to make gains over
the Russians and Rumanians. Thirty
miles southeast of Bralia the invaders
have captured the town of Filipechti,
and west of Himxyk Sarat are on the
offensive. In this latter region during
the past few days, 5,500 Russians
have been made prisoners.
In Mesopotamia the British forces
still are in quest of Kut-el-Amara, in
which sector they have made new ad
vances on the right bank of the Ti
gris and consolidated and extended
their positions south and east of the
town. Gassabs fort, 20 miles south
east of Kut, a base from which hos
tile Arabs had been operating against
the British, has been destroyed.
The British victory over the Turks
at Makhaba, 90 miles east of the
Suez canal, was of considerable pro
portions. In addition to making pris-,
oners of 1,350 men of the Turkish
forces of 2,000 seven guns, a large
number of rifles much, ammunition
and large quantities of war stores
were captured.
On the other fronts there have been
only artillery engagements.
The Work of One of Our Big Guns.
Mr. Ralph Lane, who visited his
father, Mr. Bill Lane, of Smithfield,
about two weeks ago, told him much
of one of our big cannons on the war
ship Oklahoma. This gun can be load
ed and shot in twenty-seven seconds.
It takes 386 pounds of powder to
shoot once. During target practice
last November this gun sent a ball
which hit a target seven miles away
and then went through a house and
came near killing a family ten miles
away. Mr. Lane is first machinist on
the Oklahoma.
Big Fire Near .Wilson’s Mills.
About y):40 o’clock last Sunday
night, there was a big fire in Wilson’s
Mills township, when the barn and
stables of Mr. W. H. Smith were
burned. He lost some cotton and fod
der and shucks and his corn, along
with a buggy, a wagon and several
plows and an automobile worth seven
hundred and fifty dollars. With con
siderable effort his dwelling was sav
ed. The origin of the fire is unknown.
It occurred only a few minutes after
a member of the family had left the
barn. ’!
AT THE CAPITAL OF BANNER.
Benson, N. C., Dec. 28.—Miss Leola
Smith, who holds a position in Louis
burg, N. C., as trimmer, spent Christ
mas here with relatives.
Mr. Jim Boon, of Raleigh, and Mr.
Herman Boon, of Wilmington, were
here Monday with relatives.
Messrs. J. R. Barbour and S. F.
Ivey went to Angier yesterday on bus
iness.
Miss Mildred Parrish, who is at
tending College at Winston-Salem, is
here with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Alonzo Parrish.
Mr. A. M. Coats, of Smithfield, wras
in the city Tuesday for a few hours.
Messrs. Hugh Adams, Dalton Lee
and G. K. Massengill, of Four Oaks,
were here yesterday on business.
Mrs. J. E. Wilson and children are
visiting Mrs. Wilson’s parents in
Sampson County this week.
Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Rackley return
ed this afternoon from Sampson
County, where they have been spend
ing the holidays.
Mr. J. Robert Barbour left today
for Washington, N. C., where he has a
position as mail clerk on the Washing
ton and Vandemere Railroad.
Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Raynor have
been to Chapel Hill spending a few
days with Mrs. Raynor’s parents.
Mr. W. W. Hockaday has opened
up an up-to-date grocery on Main
Street next door tp the Peacock Drug
Store.
Miss Mary Lee, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. J. F. Lee, of this place, lost a
diamond ring Tuesday morning valued
at near two hunderd dollars. The ring
was one that was left her by her un
cle who died some years ago.
Mr. O. P. Shell, of Dunn, was here
Tuesday for several hours on business
matters.
Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Barbour re
turned today from Four Oaks where
they have been on a short visit to
Mr. K. L. Barbour.
Misses Alta and Vada Boon are
here this week with their parents,
Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Boon. They have
been in Louisburg Female College the
past session.
Mr. and Mrs. John Hall and little
son are here for a few days at the
home of Mrs. Hall’s parents, Mr. and
Mrs. S. F. Ivey’s.
Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Giddens, of
Clinton, are here this week with their
daughter, Mrs. M. T. Britt, spending
the holidays.
Rev. and Mrs. J. T. Stanford are
spending the holidays in Eastern
North Carolina and Virginia, with
relatives.
Mr. Jesse T. Morgan is home troni
the University spending the week
with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse
Morgan..
Mr. and Mrs. Noah Creech and
children, of Selma, are here this
week with relatives in and near Ben
son.
Misses Elsie Morgan and Stella
Creech are home with their parents
this week. They are in college at the
State Normal, Greensboro.
Mr. W. L. Burns, Cashier of the
Citizens Bank & Trust Company, re
turned today from a few days visit
to relatives in Wilson and Wilming
ton, N. C.
Mr. H. W. Weeks is here from Rob
ersonville, N. C., this week with rela
tives and friends.
Mr. Jesse Turlington, of Wilson,
visited here this week for a few days.
Prof, and Mrs. T. T. Lanier are in
Harnett County this week at the
home of Mrs. Lanier.
Misses Swannie Paschel and Vallie
Hill are in Sanford, Lee County, for a
few days vacation.
Mr. Leary Wood is home from
Trinity College with his mother, Mrs.
J. W. Wood.
Mr. R. E. Morris returned recently
from John Hopkins Hospital, where
he has ben undergoing treatment for
some time.
Miss Julia Davis, of Wilson’s Mills,
was a visitor to the city Wednesday
for a few hours.
Kenly School to Open.
Kenly , Dec. 28.—The State High
School of Kenly will open next Mon
day morning, January first. The mid
year examinations will be held the
first week in January. Up to the pres
ent time two hundred and fifty-six
students have been enrolled. The fall
term has consisted of only three
months; the spring term, therefore,
will be approximately five months.
President Woodrow Wilson was
sixty years old yesterday.
CITIES WITH FARM LOAN BANK.
Columbia Selected as Location for
Bank, Which Will Serve the Two
Carolinas. May Be Ready In 60
Days. Application for Loans Al
ready Pouring In From Every Sec
tion of the Country.
Twelve cities in which are to be lo
cated the Federal Farm Loan banks
HP?re announced Wednesday by the
Farm Loan Board, and it is expected
that within 60 days the new system
will be in operation, ready to make
the loans for which applications al
ready are pouring in from every sec
tion of the country, says a Washing
ton dispatch.
The banks will be set up in Spring
field, Mass.; Baltimore, Md.; Colum
bia, S. C.; New Orleans, La.; Hous
ton, Texas; St. Louis, Mo.; Louis
ville, Ky.; St. Paul, Minn.; Omaha,
Neb.; Witchita, Kansas; Spokane,
Wash.; and Berkley, Cal. Virginia
will be in the district served by Bal
timore, while North and South Car
olina will be in the Columbia district.
Stock subscription books of the
banks will be opened within the next
ten days, probably about January 2,
to remain open for 30 days. It is ex
pected, however, that the government
will have to supply most of the $9,
000,000 capital, under that section of
of the law which empowers the Sec
retary of the Treasury to make up the
unsubscribed stock.
Temporary directors, five to each
bank, will be named, probably within
the next three weeks, by the board.
As soon as the banks have been or
ganized.and borrowers have subscrib
ed to $200,000 of the stock of each
bank, the temporary directors will
surrender their authority to the
boards of nine directors each, six of
whom will be named by the farmer
borrowers and three by the Farm
Loan Board. The permanent direc
tors will serve three years and re
ceive per diem compensation, as in
the case of Federal Reserve bank di
rectors.
Each borrower must subscribe to
stock in the bank from which he bor
rows to the extent of five per cent of
his loan and the original subscribers
to the capital stock are required to
surrender their holdings as they may
be needed to meet this situation.
In designating locations for the
banks, the board was guided chiefly
by the needs of rural sections. This
has resulted in placing only two of
the 12 banks in New England and
Middle Atlantic States, the chief
centers of population. Three go to the
South, five to the farming States of
the Middle West and West and two
to the Pacific coast.
ITEMS FROM FOUR OAKS.
Four Oaks, Dec. 28.—Mr. Ray
Keen, who has a position with the
Western U#ion Telegraph Company
at Salisbury, N. C., spent Christmas
here with his father, Mr. J. W. Keen.
Mr. Nathan H. Keen, of Richmond,
Va., spent the holidays here with
relatives.
Mr. W. R. Keen and family spent
Monday in Kenly with relatives.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Strickland, of
Atlanta, Ga., spent Christmas here
with Mr. Strickland’s mother, Mrs.
E. L. Strickland.
Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Sata, of Wash
ington, D. C., and Mr. Bige Sata, of
Tilery, N. C., are spending some time
with Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Wellons.
Messrs. Chester and Victor Cole,
Barbour Creech and Hunter Strick
land, of Buie’s Crek, are at home for
the holidays.
Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Barbour are
spending several days in Raleigh and
Durham.
Mr. and Mrs. Eudy, of Wade, are
visiting friends here.
Miss Mary Barbour and Mr. Bill
Lee, of Weldon, N. C., were quietly
married at the home of the bride
Monday morning. Only a few rela
tives and friends were invited. The
happy couple left immediately for
their home under a shower of rice
and good wishes.
The five-year-old boy of Mr. R. E.
Johnson, while traveling the road
Thursday morning, by himself, was
attacked by an unknown dog and
badly bitten in the face. The dog was
killed and his head sent to the State
Chemist to be analyzed.
Farm Life Readers.
Miss Kelly asks us to announce that
the Farm Life Readers, Four and
Five, can now be had at Hood’s Drug
Store, Smithfield, N. C.
TOBACCO ACREAGE TO BE BIG.
Some Think Farmers Will Do Well to
Increase the Amount of Land
Planted to Tobacco for 1917.
The season now closing has seen to
bacco selling at very fine prices. Many
farmers in Johnston and surrounding
counties have been successful in mak
ing money on their 1916 tobacco
crops. There are those who think
that the prices for 1917 will be even
better than they have been this year.
The tobacco warehousemen and buy
ers of Smithfield are greatly encour
aged over the outlook for good prices
another year and are planning for a
large crop. They are expecting to
plant 175 acres themselves. Mr. T. S.
ragsdale is planning to plant 35 acres
in the weed.
Mr. Ragsdale tells us that his latest
quotations on tobacco from England
are from one to five dollars a hundred
higher than ever before. Like cotton,
there is a great demand for tobacco
and all indications now point to the
fact that a big crop will be needed in
1917 to meet the world’s demands for
American grown tobacco.
Death of Mrs. Graham.
The death of Mrs. Graham, the
wife of President Edward Kidder
Graham, of the State University,
died at Chapel Hill last Friday after
an illness of several weeks. She was
born in Goldsboro in 1882 and was a
daughter of Supt. E. P. Moses who
was at one time at the head of
Goldsboro schools. Mrs. Graham was a
highly educated and cultured woman
and was a general favorite in Chapel
jHill. She and President Graham were
married in June 1908. She leaves one
child, a boy of five years of age.
Miss Kelly to Help.
The folloing paragraph which is of
interest to Johnston County readers,
appeared in a recent issue of the
Extension Farm News published at
the A. & M. College:
“In addition to the members of the
faculty of the A. & M. Summer
School, which have been announced
before, Miss Elizabeth Kelly, Rural
School Supervisor of Johnston Coun
ty; Miss May Davis, of the State In
stitute for the Blind, Department of
Basketry and Weaving; Mrs. R. E.
Ransom, President of the North
Carolina Story Tellers’ League, and
Mr. R. E. Ransom, Superintendent of
the Southport Graded Schools, have
been secured to give important
courses. Miss Kelly will give a course
in rural school work, and Mr. Ransom
in civics.”
Mrs. Candler Entertains.
Mrs. Mamie Candler, of Selma, en
tertained at dinner, Christmas even
ing, the following ladies: Mesdames
A. Vermont and Claude Smith, of
Smithfield, and Frederick Archer,
George D. Vick and J. B. Person, of
Selma. Decorations of the season were
in evidence everywhere, but especially
beautiful and artistic was the dining
room, where lighted candles shown
profusely among potted plants, holly
and mistletoe. Most attractive was the
dinner table. The colors were red and
white, relieved by the green plants
and soft coloring of the fruit, of
which a varied collection in a silver
bowl was the center-piece, the place
cards being winter scenes mounted on
red. It altogether, was a most charm
ing dinner, beginning with turkey
and so on, ending with Christmas
pudding. X.
Death of a Colored Preacher.
Rev. Hardy D. Sanders, colored,
died at a hospital in Wilson Wednes
day afternoon, December 28th. He
was brought home yesterday and will
be buried there this afternoon. Dr.
S. H. Witherspoon, of Shaw Univer
sity at Raleigh, is to preach the fu
neral. He died from being shot by
Charley Dent, who tried to rob him
some time ago. He leaves seven sons
and five daughters. He was a leader
among his people and one of the
strongest and best men they had in
the County.
Legislature To Meet.
The General Assembly of 1917 will
convene in Raleigh on Wednesday
January 3rd.
A census of the volcanoes in the
world shows there are Gl72 in all, ol
which 275 are active.
THE NEWS IN SELMA.
i
Selma, Dec. 28.—Mr. M. C. Winston
and Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Winston mo
tored to Oxford and back to Selma
last Sunday. Mrs. T. W. Winston re
turned with them.
Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Noble and lit
tle R. J. Noble, Jr., of Smithfield; Dr.
and Mrs. R. P. Noble and' Robert P.
Noble, Jr., of Raleigh, spent Sunday
and Monday with their parents, Dr.
and Mrs. R. J. Noble.
We regret very much that Mr. and
Mrs. Alphonso Jones and family have
left our town for Blackmountain, N.
C. They were a valuable addition to
our town and will be missed by their
church and the town. Mr. Jones has
a good position there and it is for
that, and his health, that he makes
the move. We trust he will be much
benefited and that the move will be
for his financial good.
Miss Norma Pape is on a visit to
her brother, Mr. L. D. Debnam.
Mr. Hubert Stancil, the clever
pharmacist of the Carolina Pharmacy,
spent Wednesday in Raleigh.
Mr. James Peedin, the son of Mr.
Hilbert Peedin, who was in company
C of the Second Regiment, North
Carolina State Guard, the Selma
Company, and who left here with
the company some time in the early
fall, returned this morning. He weighs
more than he ever did and seems to
be in perfect health. He says he left
El Paso with nine others, but they
stopped on the way to see the sights
of the big cities, while he kept right
on to good old Johnston.
Miss Martha Call, of Mocksville,
N. C., is on a visit to her brother,
W. H. Call, Esq.
1 ms has been what some can a
safe and sane Christmas, we have
heard of only one accident, that was
when a sky rocket struck the Rev.
James H. Worley on the left breast
near the heart. The rocket struck his
spectacle case, which was of steel,
bending it nearly double, knocking
him unconscious and it was feared for
some time that he would die. The last
report we have is that he is improv
ing very slowly—is now unable to
be up. Very little drinking and no
fussing here.
Dr. and Mrs. A. S. Oliver, of
Greensboro, are on a visit to Mrs.
Oliver’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. L. D.
Debnam.
It is rumored that one of our fair
daughters is to be led to the hymeneal
altar the last of this week.
Mr. and Mrs. S. E. Leonard, of
Red Springs, spent a few days with
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Etheredge.
Mrs. H. K. Edgerton, of Lebanon,
Tenn., is on a visit to Mr. and Mrs.
N. E. Edgerton.
Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Young and
family left last Saturday morning
for Alabama to visit relatives. They
will be away for about two weeks.
Mr. Crawford, of Spencer, has charge
of Mr. Young’s work in his absence.
Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Hood, Jr., Mr.
H. A. Hood, Miss Mallie Hood and
Mr. and Mrs. Noel spent Christmas
with the family of Mr. H. D. Hood.
Mrs. R. E. Suber and children are
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. T. H.
Whitley. Mr. Joe W. Whitley, of
Parmville, N. C., is also here with
Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Whitley.
Ogburn-Ogburn.
At 2 o’clock, near Smithfield, on
Tuesday afternoon, at the home of
Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Ogburn, their
beautiful and highly accomplished
daughter, Miss Lillie Ogburn, be
came the bride of Mr. Ross Ogburn,
of Willow Springs. The bride was
dressed in white satin, which was
trimmed in real pearls. On account of
a recent bereavement in the family
. only near relatives were present, and
, the ceremony, which was performed
I by Rev. W. A. Simpkins, of Raleigh,
was very simple.
Immediately after the ceremony the
, couple left for Willow Springs, where
, a reception was given in their honor
( by the groom’s mother, Mrs. Delia
. Ogburn. At 5 o’clock a wedding sup
- per was served. After supper the
> young people assembled in the parlor.
1 where the evening was most pleas
antly spent by every one present.
The groom is a son of the late Al
fred Ogburn, of Willow Springs. He
is a young man of noble traits o!
1 character and is very popular amonf
his large circle of friends. Mr. anc
Mrs. Ogburn will be at home aftei
January 1, 1917, at How Springs
B
f The world spends about sixty mil
lion dollars a year for chewing gum
NATIONAL BANK RESOURCES.
Grew Greatly During Past Two
Years, Aggregating An Increase of
Over Four Billion Dollars. West
Shows Greatest Percentage of In
crease. South Stands Third in Per
centage Increase.
Resources of National hanks of the
United States, Comptroller Williams
announced Wednesday, have increas
ed more than four billion during the
last two years and now aggregate
$15,520,000,000, exceeding by about
$1,000,000,000 the total resources of
the Bank of England, the Bank of
France, the Bank of Russia, the Ger
man Reichsbank, the Bank of Italy,
the Bank of Spain, the Bank of The
Netherlands, the Bank of Denmark,
the Swiss National Bank, and the Im
perial Bank of Japan, combined, says
a Washington City dispatch.
In a statement based upon returns
from the last bank call, November
17, the comptroller calls attention to
the fact that the increase has been
at the rate of approximately 18 per
cent a year during the last two years,
as compared with 6 per cent a year
for the 10-year period from 1904 to
1914, and that the total resources at
present are more than double what
they were ten years ago.
“The compilation just completed of
returns for the last bank call,” the
comptroller’s statement reads, “dis
closes a condition of strength, prog
ress and growth beyond all precedent.
Resources of national banks on the
date of the last call are greater than
the total resources of all reporting
State banks, savings banks, private
banks and loan and trust companies
throughout the United States at the
time of the inauguration of the Fed
eral Reserve system about two years
ago.
It is also noteworthy that the re
sources of our national banks at this
time exceed by $321,000,000 the total
resources of all the reporting bank
ing institutions in the United States,
including State banks, savings banks
and loan and trust companies and
national banks as well, as late as the
year 1904.”
The greatest percantage of in
crease, the comptroller states, during
the two-year period in which the
Federal Reserve system has been in
operation, was in the Western States.
Geographically, the increase was as
follows:
New England, 22 per cent; Eastern
States, 39 per cent; Southern States,
32 per cent; Middle Western States,
31 per cent; Western States, 50 per
cent; Pacific States, 33 per cent.
Barbour-Burks.
“Prof, and Mrs. J. J. Burks an
nounce the marriage of their daugh
ter, Clara Beatrice, to Mr. William
Elbert Barbour, Friday, December
twenty-second, nineteen hundred and
sixteen, Knoxville, Tennessee.
“At home after January fifth, Four
Oaks, N. C.”
The wedding occurred last evening
at nine o’clock at the residence of the
bride’s parents at No. 829 Seventh
street, Rev. Dr. French, pastor of the
Church street M. E. church, South,
officiating.
There wore no attendants. The
wedding music was rendered by the
bride’s sister, Miss Jessie Burks.
Owing to the serious illness of the
groom’s father the wedding plana
were changed and instead of a large
guest company only the immediate
family were present to witness the
nuptials.
The bride has a wide circle of
friends and her departure from
Knoxville is much regretted.
Mr. Barbour is the son of Mr. K.
L. Barbour, of Four Oaks, and is
prominent in business and social cir
cles.
The bride and groom left last night
for Four Oaks to attend the marriage
of Miss Mary Barbour, who is to be
married on Christmas mrning to Mr.
William Harry Lee, whose marriage
will be very quiet owing to the illness
of Mr. Barbour.—Knoxville (Tenn.)
Journal and Tribune, Dec. 23.
A Big Pig.
On Thanksgiving Mr. R. V. Oliver,
of Pine Level township, killed an O.
I. C. pig which weighed 503 pounds,
after being dressed. The pig was on
ly twenty months old. Some pig
wasn’t it?
Two States of the American Union
have Jewish Governors—Utah and
Idaho.