VOL XVI. NO. 35
BRYAN NOT
A POLITICIAN
A Moulder of Thought and
Sentiment.
His Voice the Voice oi
the Wilderness-A John
the Baptist Crying for
Modern Civilization.
There has been much, (too
much) said about Mr. Bryan,
and while his name ia going the
rounds, we wish to say a few
things, namely:
We do not consider Mr. Bryan
as a politician, but aa a states
man, ahead of times. He is an
influence, and an influence that
must and will be reconded with.
Hia voice is the voice in wilder
ness—a John the Baptist, if you
please, crying for modem civili
zation. His lead ia tfite lead of
a teacher, a moulder of senti
ment. The place he held, tho'
exaulted, was out of harmony
with the reforms for which he
stands. We can see plainly the
chair he occupied, a chair hedged
in and restricted and not allowed
to speak in accordance with his
wise and better judgment. His
heart was not there. It was back
where he left it—with the com
mon people—where he could
shake off the rusted chains of
customs and prejudice for purer
and better things, of an enlight
ened country conscience, the neg
ative of a brighter and better
day towards which all govern
ments claim to be striving.
Mr. Bryan's mistake was for
ever becoming a member of the
cabinet.
The thirty treateis which he
wrote and caused to be accepted
by the foremost nations of the
earth, while not being lived up
tojight now, may be the means
of preventing the repetition of
the revolting human butchery
now going on in the name of
christian civilization. It would
have been far better if he had
resigned in the beginning. , It
might not have been better for
peace in America. It would have
been better for the President
and perhaps the administration.
It seems proper just now to
crucify Mr. Bryan, but listen,
let us be just. As for calling him
a coward—that is the veriest
white-livered rot. It required far
more courage to do what he did
than to face German 13 inch
guns, to which he never would
have been exposed. He simply
did the Samson act. He knew
there was a better way to settle
differences other than by murder.
War is nothing more or less than
wholesale murder.
Those who are picturing him
as traitor and coward would do
well to remember that it took a
Judas as well as a Christ to carry
out the great plan of christian
civilization.
What Mr. Bryan is Baying now
is what any private citizen of our
country can say with absolute
propriety.
Mr. Bryan, although called a
private citizen, is not and never
will be. He is too big.
—Contributed.
Robert Everett brought the
first cotton bloom to the office on
Wednesday, which was plucked
from his field on the 29th, This
is early for blooms this season,
when crops of all kinds are late.
The Everett farm is noted for
cotton fields of magnificent dis
tances, and other crops are
grown there with the same suc
cess. v
THE ENTERPRISE
VERY SOUND
INSTITUTION
The first year of business of
the Martin county Building and
Loan Association closed with May
tjhis year. Within that time,
there have been three series of
stock issued, and another will be
issued this fall at which time it
is confidently expected that the
number of shares will reach 1.000.
Secretary Martin has loans
amounting to over SB,OOO and al
ways has prospective business.
In the history of the town, there
has not been a business started
with more and better prospects
than this Association, and towns
and also the county are reaping
largely from it As a saving
plan for the man of money and
the small wage earner, it has
proven of incalculable benefit to
both.
Qaick Steps Win.
An aggregation of colored ball
players from Greenville remained
here two days this week battling
with the local Quicksteps, one of
the best amateur teams in the
State. The first game resulted
in a score of 12 to 1 for the locals
and the second in 10 to 4 for the
Q. S- Quite a large number of
white ball fans enjoyed the games
and Williamston gave fine exi
bitions of the ball art. Tuesday
the visitors brought a twirler
from Kinston, who put the locals
in a brownjstudy at first, but soon
they found him and won out in
the end- Ellison and Johnson,
battery for the locals.
Twentieth Century Book Club.
Wednesday, the Twentieth Cen
tury Book Club held the last meet
ing of the season with Miss An
nie Lamb. The following pro
gramme completed the course of
the Club session:
'Sketch of Bulwer-Lyttdn, Mrs.
Martin.
Sketch of Tennyson, Miss Irene
Smith.
Locksley Hall, Mrs. C. B. Hassell.
One of the most attractive num
bers on the programme was the
recital of "Abou Ben Adhem" to
music by Mrs. John D. Biggs,
Mrs. Carrie Williams, accompan
ist. -
Officers for the ensuing year
were chosen as follows: Miss
Mayo' Lamb, president: Mrs
Rome Biggs, vicepresident; Mrs.
P. B. Cone, Secretary: Mrs. J.
S. Rhodes, treasurer: Miss Smith,
reporter.
'Refreshments in two courses
were served the guests. Among
the invited guests were Mrs. W.
R. Burrell, newly elected mem
for 1915-16; Miss Boyce of Ral
eigh: Miss Waldo, of Hamilton:
Miss Anna Crawford, Mesdames
W. H. Crawford, J. D. Biggs, J.
R. Everett, Arthur Anderson, W.
J. Hodges. J. W. Watts.
Notice of Examination.
The annual examination for
Martin county teachers will be
held at the Graded School build
ing at Williamston during next
week. There will be examina
tions for the 3-Year High Schoo
Certificate and the Five Year
State Certificate. On July Bth
and 9th, examinations will be
given for entrance to the A. & M.
College at Raleigh.
The examinations for the col
ored teachers will be given at
the close of their Institute to
be held in August.
"• Asa J. Manning,
( Co. Supt.
WILLIAMSTON, N. C.. FRIDAY, JULY 2. 1915
OAK CITY
NEWS ITEMS
Jimi Rawls, of Hamilton, spent
Sunday here.
John Eubanks, of Hassell, was
in town Thursday.
Mrs. Mary House is spending
some time in Tarbofo.
Mrs. Jesse Everett of Hamil
ton, was here Monday.
Mrs. Maggie Sterling, of Has
sell, spent Sunday in town.
Frank Burroughs of Scotland
Neck, was here Thursday.
Mrs- J. L. Hines entertained a
few guests at tea Friday eve
ning.
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Taylor and
mother are visiting relatives in
town.
Miss Addie Lee Long, of Beth
el, ii the guest of her grandfath
er here.
J. L Roberson and family
were here from Robersonville on
Friday.
Mrs. Annie B. Harrell and Mrs
Emma Pyle returned to Norfolk
Saturday.
Mrs. Frank Haislip, of Hamil
ton, is in town with her father,
B. C. Council.
Miss Beatrice Daniels return
from an extended visit to Rober
sonville Monday.
Mrs. Walter Salsbury, of Ham
ilton, was the guest of Mrs.
Worsley Monday.
Mrs. Wiggs, of Salisbury, was
the guest of Mrs. Spencer Hines
a few days last week.
Mrs. L. J. Davenport and chil
dren with Miss Lou Council went
to Hamilton Tuesday.
Miss Ruth Savage, of Rober
sonville, is spending a few days
with the Misses House.
H. K. Harrell, H. S- Everett,
jj. T. Daniel and Ernest Harrell
' spent Thursday in Williamston.
Jasper Andrews, of Norfolk,
| was the guest of 11. S Everett
and Mrs. J. T. Daniels this week.
Mrs. Dick Perry from near
I Williamston is visiting her pa
rents, Mr. and Mrs. W. Rober
son.
Mrs. Mable Strickland, of Scot-
I land Neck, is spending a few
J days with her parents. Mr. and
Mrs. Joe Long.
Mrs. Aaron Hasket, of Port
1 Norfolk, returned from Wash
ington Monday and is the guest
of Mrs. J. W. Hines.
Mrs. F. M. Harrell entertained
a few guests at dinner Thursday
jin honor of Mrs. A. B Harrell
and Mrs. Emma Pyle, of Norfolk,
j who are visiting Mrs. S. E. Hines
I and the Misses Harrell.
A sad accident occurred last
; Friday when a bolt slipped in
i one of Mr. Davenport's log wag
-1 ons. Bate Council, who was sit
j ting on the cart, was thrown 7
feet on some roots, dislocating
his shoulder and otherwise bruis
! ing him. He is now seriously ill
i under thei care of physicians.
Received Appointment.
_
P. Harrison, who has
been employed by the Cooperage
Co., has been appointed carrier on
Route 5 at a salary of SB4O per
annum. This is an increase from
$770, which was the salary until
July Ist. John ,T. Edmonson,
carrier on Number 5 has been ap
pointed carrier on Route 3 at sa
lary of $1,200 per annum. He
has been serving on Route 5, and
his yearly salary will beincreased
by the amount of $430.
TEACHERS'
INSTITUTE
■ —— —:
The Institute for Martin coun
ty Teachers will close today, and
the next week will be given to
examinations for the various cer
tificates. The attendance has
been.good and the interest has
been keen in every phase of the
work. Prof. Jerome has been
thorough in his presentation of
the subjects necessary for the
coiu|jderation of the teachers in
the schools under them. The in
struction of Miss Boyce has been
exceptionably fine each day.
Last night a reception was ten
derisd the teachers at the Lotus
Cltib, and the evening was spent
in totting better acquainted with
eaeh other.
In the next issue a review of
the Institute will be given with
the roll of the teachers in attend
ance,
Jane Weather.
In the memory of the oldest in
habitant, there has not been such
weather recorded as was during
the entire month of June. One
accustomed to mountain life
would have thought he had been
transferred higher up. For the
first of the month was cool dur
ing the twenty-four hours of each
day, then the days grew warmer
and the nightß cooler. It rained
the first day, dust prevailed and
wells were beginning to show a
scarcity of water. But on the
30th a seasonable rain fell, and
some farmers expressed them
selvig m having been saved hun
dretis of dollars thereby. The
extreme dryness enabled the in
dustrious farmers to clean their
crops of grass, and so the farms in
Martin are looking "spick and
span."
"•
Gold Point News
Miss Lillian Roberson is visit
ing Miss Idol) Smith this week.
Crops are needing rain very bad.
Tobacco crops are poor in this sec
tion.
Rev. George H. Sullivan filled
his regular appointment at the
Christian Church here Sunday.
Andrew J. Weaver died Sunday
afternoon at 4:40 o'clock at his
residence two miles from Gold
Point. The deceased was born
near Oak City about the year 1830
and waß the son of Moses and
Patsy Weaver. He married Nan
cy Blackstone of this country be
fore the war, and a few years
later she died leaving one son,
James who still lives. He mar
ried the second time in 1808, Mary
E. Hyde and from this union four
sons were born, John L., Benjam
in and Robert H., one son George,
dying in infancy from burns.
For many years he had been a
member of the Primitive Baptist
Church at Spring Green, and was
a soldier in the Confederate Ar
my. He was stricken with pneu-
Jmonia, and after efght davs of
j suffering, passed peacefully
■ away on June 27th, 1915, in the
! presence of his sorrowing family
| and friends.
| His body was interred accord
' ing to his wish in the Johnson
cemetery Monday afternoon, on
ly a short distance from where he
lived and died.
Quite a number of people are
taking anti-typhoid treatment.
Dr. W. E. Warren administers
it free of charge. The State
Board of Heaftins trying to de
crease the per centage of the fe
ver in the State.
SOME FUN? /
BALL S r A JNTS
There were so 1 things
in ball here .sek. The show
opened at the race track Monday
afternoon, when the Has Beens
appeared against the Local Giants
who have landed some games
this season. With Attorney Clay
ton Moore as the administrator,
and who played with some of his
old time vigor, and ably assisted
by Pete Fowden, the game was
not devoid of thrilling stunts and
sensational caff>ers around the dia
mond. Dr. Edwin Ward, who
has been breathing the same at
mosphere as the Athletics, shot
the ball for the Has Beens. But
the newest thing in the ball world
were the decisions of Umpire
Simpson, who evidently imagined
that he was holding the clip in
the Banner Warehouse at Wilson,
judging from the rate he called
"safe." Of course, the Has Beens
lost the game by a score too large
for the score card.
Tuesday afternoon, the Rober
ville Braves, who had lost at Ply
mouth even with Perry and Crit
cher from Williamston to help,
were given another treat to the
tune of 14 to 3. The locals had
no pitcher, as Doc Ward was car
ried to the hospital after the first
with a sore arm, and Anderson
and Robertsan tossed through the
other eight. The local team was
made up mostly of the Has Beens
and the regular team being bro
ken into at the time. However,
the condition was cheerfully ac
cepted and the game played just
to be courteous to the visitors,
who had come tyere at the invita
tion of Perry, who remained at
Plymouth with Critcher.
But the crowning event in the
week was they appearance of the
Ahostde team here on Thursday.
It seems that a letter addressed
to the manager of the ball team
here had been given to Joe Har
ry Williams, colored ballist, who
challenged the Ahoskie team in
reply: The latter not-knowing of
the difference in color, arrived to
play the white boys. They were
met at at: the station by Williams
and his team, but alas, it was a
case of when black is white The
astonishment on the part of both
teams stirred the air mightily.
Soon, however, things righted
and the. Giants gathered a mixed
nine and gvtve them-buttle at the
park. For two innings the game
was scoreless then errors piled up,
Thrower gave place to Perry and
the .Ahoskie team just sprinted to
their hearts' content. Under or
dinary conditions, the visitors
could have won, because they
were all seasoned players from
some ofThe leading college teams
having played all theseason, and
not one boy was from Ahoskie.
They could play ball to the finish.
The team spent the night here
and left Friday morning for
home. The locals secured 3 runs,
the visitors couldn't count theirs.
Carriers Gets Increase.
Theß. F. I). Carriers argtwear
ling broader smiles since July Ist,
their salaries having been in
creased as follows:
No. 1 —T. W. Thomas from
$l,lOO to 1,200.
No. 2—Jos. W. Cowan from
$l,lOO to $1,200.
No. 3 —Transferred from No.
5 and. gets an increase from $770
to $1,200.
No. 4—J. B. Ayers, from $1)90
to SI,OBO.
No. 5 H. H. Cowan, substitute
from $770 to SB4O.
Don't forget that clean-up day
comes every twenty-four hours.
si.oo a Year in Advano*
GREATEST IN
OUR HISTORY
Trade Balance Over W
lion Dollars
Total {or the Fiscal Year
Aggregate More Tba*
a Billion Dollars—The-
Outlook Bright.
Washington, June 30.-Offic
ial announcement of the greatest
favorable trade balance m the
nations history—more than a bil
lion doljars—for the current yearn
ending at midnight was made to
day at the Department of Con*-
merce.
It exceeds by nearly four hun
dred million dollars, the beat pre
vious record.
This country is in far better
shape financially than it ever ham
been. The European war bmr
caused the great volume of small
capital to seek hiding, but timn£
(although at this time of
when everything is quiet ami
dull) are perceptibly better, anal
this fall will mark the greatest
era of prosperity ever known.
Visiting Editor.
"Friday afternoon, Editor W.
0. Saunders, of Elizabeth City,
paid his first visit to Williametww
He arrived from Plymouth: on
the 5 o'clock train and left on
the night train. While in town,
he in company with Editor Man
ning called upon many prominent
citizens and secured a great
many subscriptions to the Inde
pendent. Several months ago
Editor Saunders began the pub
lication of the Plymouth Inde
pendent and is nOw waging
a vigorous campaign in that
splendid section. Being a man
of keen discernment, he natur
ally expressed himself as being
pleased with Williamston and the
activity noticeable on its streets.
GRIFFIN ITEMS.
—— V
Pearl ie Itoberson if very ill
with typhoid fever.
Luther Peel was out motoring
with his best girl Sunday.
* William Coltrain and Mis:-; Liz
zie Coltrain are to be married
Sunday.
Claudius Hardison and a party
of friends motored to Norfolk a
few days ago. It was a pleas
ant trip.
Charlie Ellis is suffering with
a severe cut on one of his legs,.,
: caused by his motorcycle which
■ ran away with him some time
ago.
John (i. Corey and Jesse Lil—
ley came very near been killed a
few days ago, when, the motor
car which they were driving
turned turtle. Fortunately they*
escaped with only slight bruises*.
Let us all look upon the Fourth
[ of July as one of the greatest
days in the history of the coun
try. While most of the world is
at war, we are still enjoying that
peace and liberty of which Pat
i rick Henry spoke. Ours is still
a "land flowing with milk and
i honey." r
m m
Monday was the anniversary
of the assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand and wife of
and the so-called cause of the
present war.