VOL. 11., NO. 21
"REMINISCES."
Biographical and R!s!3r!cal Sketch
by Dr. P. S. Hlcl'.:, Treating o!
Local Persons and s.
After a little I came o ..he front- and ,
explained to the btore ob- j
ject for dropping in t ,
"partner" of mine ha'
then passed on throu:
Mayoe's Bridge rejoicL. to . Hut my joy ,
did not last long. Just "
of an undertakers shop .....
name of Moore was tL~ of
it) I dropped my tin be , that
coiftained my paints, _ I L.
turpentine, etc. The black varnish
bottle and spt. turpeni i*. ll'o ' L h
broke, my paint tubes, v—tur
pentine was all in a iouloily. In two
minutes there was crow ) around
me to start a good size I\\aS (
expecting that I would \, . t '.o p. 1 Ice or
the police would get me pretty soon.
A#out that time Mr. Moore oame to my
relief and kindly asked me in and gave
me some rags so I could clean oft my
things pretty well. I wrapped up my
paint tubes in a bun lit, Mr. Moore
gave gae a bottle and I touted my mix
ture out of the box into If, and then
bundling up and thanking him for his
kind assistance I star Leu I soon
came to Mayoe's Bridge, where it cost
me a cent to walk across. Then I was in
the city of Richmond with nine cents in
my pocket. But no one knew it but
myself. My friend it is best never to
tell how much money you have or
haven't if you can get along without
telling. I went up to the Water Works
and found a yrivate boarding house and
engaged board and lodging for a week
at a dollar a day if I stayed that long.
The people were very kind, they never
asked me to pay in advance, (lucky for
me they didn't.) I got my supper,
stayed ail night and got my breakfast.
By that time the mixed black varnish
and turpentine in the bottle settled so
I could pour off the turpentine and
leav> the varnish, so I had it separated
again and was ready for business. I
then went back over to Manchester
that day, and engaged to teach three
pfjL'soua for five .lall&is cvh all the
same time and at the same place. That
night I went back to my boarding
house, stayed all night and the next day
went back to Manchester finished up
my job got my fifteen dollars and next
morning settled up my boarding bill and
left for home.
Whea I got home I found more
trouble awaiting me, but of a different
nature, a sad affair. There was a let
ter awaiting me in the office from
Rocky Mount stating the death of Mrs.
Xucindia Braswell, my wife's sister;
leaving five children, the youngest a
baby about three weeks old. My wife
insisted that we go at once to Rocky
Mount to the relief of her sisters
■children. Of course I submitted and
we were off on the next train. We got
there the day after she was buried, *and
found a dependent and helpless lot of
children, of course their father was
there but their surroundings were of
such a nature that he was of very little
benefit to them. So we took all the
children with us to Petersburg includ
ing their farther James Braswell. In a
month or so he got tired of Petersburg
and went back to Rocky Mount. Well
in a month or so more the baby died
and wasi buried in the old Blanford
church yard. We had lost a little baby
boy awhile before that, they were both
buried at the same place. I reckon
Blanford is one of the oldest counties in
the United States.
I have often thought of the parable
about casting bread upon the waters
and it applied to my case in taking all
of those little helpless and motherless
children. And the bread did return
after many days. The oldest boy
brought it to me in the time of need
I will explain further on. His name
was Thomas W. Braswell. He was
about eight or nine years old at that
time, we called him Tom, and by the
way he very smart, \intelligent
boy.
In a few weeks after all this I moved
to Manchester, Va., and in a few
months my wife went to Rocky Mount
op a visit and took all the children back
to their father. He distributed them
flrtnng his people but they remained
only a short time with them. I stayed
in Manchester about six months and
continued to teach my painting. My
office was in Richmond on Wall street.
While there.l would occasionally take
a trip in the country. On one occasion
I took a trip to the English coal pits, I
think some ten or twelve miles west of J
Richmond. I got there about night,
and after looking around a little on the
outside I became acquainted with the
captain of the pit. He seemed to be a
very nice old Englishman, he asked me
if I wanted to take a trip down in the I
_' ' '
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY THE ROCKY MOUNT PUBLISHING COMPANY.
pit. I decided that I would, about that
time they were changing hands, the
day liaijds coming out and the night
hands going down in the pit.
They told me it was nine hundred
feet deep. They used a sixty horse
power engine to draw up the coal in a
l?.~ge box on the order of a bucket. I
saw several men get in the box afr- one
time with lanterns on their heads, in
f he place of plumes. That is the way
tb»v carry their torch to see how to
work in the pit. The signal was given
~o down and they went. The cap
"n gave me a rubber overcoat to put
on to keep off the coal dust and when,
the car or bucket got back he took
down and put me in the care of a guide
in the pit. He took me about over the
pit, we went about one-fourth of a
mile up the line. There was a double
track of railroad'down there, there was
a center pulley a large rope worked on
it and a coal car at each end of the rope
when the loaded one would go up the
empty one would go down. Every few
feet there was tunnels cut out on)either
side and men at work away back
several hundred yards in those tunnels.
My guide stopped at one of the tunnels
and opened a door and yelled out "is all
right up there?" The answer was, "ali
right." 1 asked the guide what that
meant. He said that sometimes there
was loose or dead gas standing about in
the cells and if our lamps came in con
tact with it we would have a bust-up
and pVobably be killed. He said there
was gas drivers to keep the gas back
out of danger. We went on to where
the man was pecking coal. I will never
forget his look, as black as pit coal
could make him, his eyes and lips red
and his teeth white, a big light on his
head and he digging away nine hundred
feet In the ground and one-half mile
from the elevator, by himself. He
stopped a few minutes and talked with
me. I asked him how much pay he
got, he said from about $1.50 to 2.50
for ten hours, so much by the ton, some
days more and some days less. I told
him good-by, then left him. I asked
my guide what was the danger down
there. He said sometimes they were
killed by the gas, sometimes by falling
coal and various ways. He said there
were seventy-five drowned in that very
pit 'sometime*before then, that Iri dig
gihg they accidently struck a tunnel of
another old pit that was full of water
and that very few men that were in
the pit escaped, and that it was several
months before the water could be
pumped out and the dead bodies found.
I reckon I was down there one hour.
We got back to the elevator and came
out, and I never want to go back any
more. I then talked a little while with
a man at work on the out side. He
told me I had more grit than he did,
that he had been there three years and
had never been down there yet.
(To be continued.)
The best investment ever desired for
small savings is a well managed Local
Building and Loan Association. The
Rocky Mount Homestead and Lean As
sociation has stood the test of time.
Six years of successful operation with
out the IOS J of one dollar is our record.
Call on R. L. Hriffines, Secretary and
Treasurer for full information.
Rocky Mount Tobacco Market.
Sales were again small the past week,
amounting to about 200,000 pounds. The
quality was a little better than previous
weeks, though not as good as the tobac
cos sold during the fall months, and
much inferior to the crop sold last year
after the holidays, there being fewer
good tobaccos and more of the greenish,
nondescript sorts. Prices are full high
and in fact hjgher than any time this
season, quality considered.
The buyers are all out in full force
and the market shows more animation
than for some time past.
Sales of Rocky Mt. Tobacco Market.
Sales for January 1908, 635,515 lbs,
average $10.87.
Sales for January 1907 493,606 lbs.,
average $12.30.
Gain in pounds this year 141,609.
Sales for season 1906-7, 6,445,630 lbs.,
average $10.95.
Sales for season 1907-8. 6,102,2361b5.,
average $10.54.
Loss in pounds to date 343,400.
Death of Mr. Geo. W. Bullock.
Mr. Geo. W. Bulluck died suddenly
at his home three miles from the city,
in Edgecombe county, Saturday, of
heart disease. He was 52 years old
and leaves a family and large number
of relatives. Mr. Bulluck was a snb
stantial farmer and well known man.
His remains were interred near the
home Sunday.
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C., THURSDAY; FEBRUARY 6, 1908,
HAPPENINGS IN POLICE COURT.
Comedy and Tragedy ol a Week as
Enacted in Calamity Hail Before
Mayor Thorp.
A notable game of poker was the
only offering in the mayor's court Sat
urday morning and it was fully aired
while some of the large number of spec
tators present enjoyed the humor .of it
and others, probably, quaked in their
boots. It also had its serious side and
many felt deeply for the highly es
teemed and honored parent whose son
was involved. The game was remark
able in that though the participants in
it fully believed they were gambling
while they were doing it, according to
all the evidence they were not, within
the meaning of the law, because it
turned out that the game was played
for worthless checks, and the law says
there must be something of value
risked. A young man of the city and
a stranger were the participants in a
game of "stud" poker and each shoved
up a check jin lieu of money whieh
neither seemed to have. Each knew
his check was no good but thought the
other fellow's was, until the winner
tried to cash the check he had won and
then the music began. It was in evi
dence that the young man who gave
the worthless check had had money in
the bank on which it was drawn, but
had checked it all out. That saved him
for that. It was a case where intent
was clearly proven, and even admitted,
and yet no violation of the law was
done, and Mayor Thorp had to dismiss
the case.
Monday morning only two cases were
tried. Claud Jordan, for using profani
ty on the street was fined $7.50, and
John Clark, a vistor to the city, who
had partaken too freely of the ardent
fluid and behaved very ugly in the opera
house Saturday night, was fined $25.
Tuesday morning a case of attempted
criminal assault. monopolized the ses
sion. George Davis, a negro boy about
14 years old was the defendant and the
intended victim of his alleged act, was
an eight-year-old colored girl named
Bessie Ricks. The evidence was not
conclusive as to the act or identity, but
probable cahse \!as etJWn.* Befta
Juda:e Thorp rendered his decision coun
sel for the boy offered to submit his
client for simple assault, and upon the
prayer of the girls mother for this, and
because of the youth of the boy the
pleading was allowed and Davis
given 30 days on the roads.
Wilson and Bill Wells, colored,
were fined $5 each for disorderly at the
Wednesday morning session ot the
mayor's court, and James Battle,
colored, was assessed $lO for having a
row with his better half.
Mr. Corinth Presented Sliver Service.
The Wilmington Messenger of Satur
day has the following:
"An exceedingly pretty and interest
ing incident occurred yesterday after
noon in the machine shops at the A. C.
L. yards in this city, when A. B. Cor
inth, the popular assistanr superin
tendent of motive power of the A. C.
L., who has been transferred to Rocky
Mount, where he will go on Monday,
was presented by the machinists,
painters,, carpenters and other em
ployes or that department over which
he has been in charge, a handsome and
valuable set of flat silver, complete in
every particular, containing knives,
forks, table and teaspoons, dessert
spoons and carving set. The silverware
was in three handsome mahogany cases
and it was a splendid tribute to the re
tiring official, showing the high regard
in which he is held by the more than
300 men under him, while always work
ing for the interests of the company."
Mr. Corinth arrived in Rocky Mount
Monday and will make his headquarters
nere.
Harry K. Thaw Acquitted.
Harry K. Thaw was acqutted by the
jury in New York Saturday, after they
had deliberated on the case 25 hours.
Their verdict was that Thaw was in
sane whert he shot Stanford White June
25, 1906. Judge Dowling, who sat at
the trial, immediately ordered Thaw
to the asylum for criminal insane, where
he will remain for life unless released
by a lunacy commission declaring him
sane Thaw resistlpd the order of the
court and only some very plain
talk from his counsel would consent* to
go to mad house, insisting on a
habeas corpus to try as to his sanity at
oiice.
One home built each month for the
pa-t six years is che record of Rocky
Mount Homestead and Loan Association
Subscribe to the ,12th series of stock
due and payable February . Ist, 'I9OB.
R. J J . Huffines. Secretary & Treasurer.
THE SPECIAL SESSION ADJOURNS.
VuBSL .* *-•-
Compromise Passenger Rate Bill Mass
ed end Other Important Leglsla*
v«. *
The special session of the legislature
called together by Gov. Glenn to con
sider the. passenger rate matter ad
jsurnea Saturday afternoon, having ac -
complied its .work. quite a
number of local and ipinor.iWls;passed,
a State prohibition*frijl tqfrbg'• ratified
by the People. be held
May 26th»^n(i^dmp'passenger
rate bi.l
entered and,
lies u oad companies to ful
fiill in letters to the gov
l-\cfcnt inter-state rate; of
mileage^jojss-of 2,000 miles to firms,
heads of families'and four other mem
bers, a two cents 1,000-mile book at 2
cents a and of inter
state mileage books of 500 miles at 2 1-4
cents fov* heads of families and de-
members not to exceed four.
It repeals the 2 i-4 cent flat rate and
increases this to 2 1-2 cents, requires
only first class fare anl exempts from
liability or indictment in civil or crimi
nal suits instituted or hereafter
instituted against any railroad
ggtnt cspemployee for any
the ZlAfent rate. 'rjM
bill is to go into efifcjjfl i r
first/of April and it provides la
2 1-J cewiiitra-state rate.
It ialwecifically set out that the
North, Carolina corporation commission
is tq nothing to do in any way,
Witt thfltenforcing of the act or any
pendtigf, this to avoid any injunctive
of the court. « /
Rubwgd companies violating any
of the act, or counseling,
directing any agent px em
plo jbe t£ r do so be guilty of a
misemeafOr with a penalty of from
$50(1 to sljooo, agents, servants or em
ployes violating the act to be fined or
impjisoned or both in the descretion of
the
not entitled to accept
* tuti^;e "It* be' oi
impriloned or both in the discretion of
the cprt, railroad or employees giving
this tj be fined from SSOO to $2,000 for
each >ffense.
Prohibition Election May 26.
Th« special session of the legislature
finally agreed upon May 26th as the date
for holding the election on the State
prohibition bill, the senate's amendment
to tlat date being concurred in by the
house. The bill as passed provides no
limit to the manufacture of cider by
any man, out of fruit grown on his own
lands. Provision is also made in the
bill for the manufacture of wine from
grapes and berries grown on a man's
own land and the sale of it in packages
of not less than 2 1-2 gallons, not to be
drunk on the premises. The main
features of the bill are substantially
as published in last week's issue of The
Record.
By an act of the legislature it was
made a misdemeanor for a drummer
for liquor firms outside the State to
solicit trade in North Carolina except
from people legally authorized to sell
liquor. If the prohibition bill is carried
in the election it will t>e effective Jan.
1, 1909.
A. C. L. Operator Mordered.
Barney McGee, telegraph operator
for the A. C. L., at Collier, Va., was
murdered Friday by a negro named
William Mack, who escaped but was
captured Saturday near Emporia, and
confessed to the shooting. Young Mc-
Gee, who was operator at the block
signal station at Collier, together with
a friend who had stopped at the station,
returning from a hunt, were, walking
up the track checking cars and saw the
negro building a fire too near the cars.
He ordered him not to do so, and the
three started back to the station,
the matter apparently settled, when
Mack pulled a pistol and shot McGee,
in the back of the head: He then fired
at McGee's companion, but did not hit
him, and ran.
Superintendent W. H. Newell offered
a reward of SIOO for the negro's cap
ture, and this amount will be paid to
the captor of Mack.
*»
King and Crown Prince Murdered.
Lisbon, Feb. 1. —King Carlos, of Por
tugal and the Crown Prince Luiz Phil
ippe. were assassinated today and the
city is in a state of uproar. The King's
second pon, the Infanta Manuel,: wff?
slightly wounded, but Queen Amelie,
who strove to save the ■ Crown Prince's
life by throwing herself upon hjm, was .
fctahurt.
* A band of men, waiting at the corner
Pfythe Commercial ard.
Sua Do Ardferial, suddenly gpr? rc
ward the open cajfciage, in "whl i the
family weiiefrdriven to the palac and
levelling carbines whieh tliey had con
cealed upon them, fir©!/ The K
the Crown Prince, upon whom " 1 1
tack was directed, were each she f i
times, and tjj&y lived qnly long
having besn the bride of one man, hii?
divorced "wife and then the Vv
another man all the same day. Di ; ng-
JjMriMgppt cdurt, whic'
end on account of the ipdisposi-
I tiofiof Jucfee Webb, there was a di-
Lyorce suit on docket, this Mrs. Na'nnie
j Newton against her husband.
otthe case came up in
t&eniorning, the divorce was granted,
as the husband is now serving a term
ih the penitentiary, and that evening
was united in marriage to Mr.'
Noah A. Smith. Prior to the firs£
1 marriage the bride was Miss Nannie
Ellis, daughter of Benjamin Ellis, who
lives in the northern part of this county
Her husband got into trouble and the
divorce suit followed.
Mr. Robert Herring Dies Suddenly.
Mr. Robert S. Herring died rather
suddenly at the Wilson sanitorium Mon
'day night. He had been in failing
health for some time and was taken to
hosi his briber,
Dr. Ben Herring of chat place. Mon
day he suffered a stroke of paralysis
and succumbed to it that night. The
remains were brought to his home in
this city and buried in Pine View cem
etery Wednesday at 12 o'clock.
Mr. Herring was a well known, busi
ness man of this city, being engaged
for some years in the coal and ice busi
on a large scale. He was a genial,
generous hearted young man, he was
only 37 years old, whose warmest
friends were those who knew him best.
He leaves a wife and five small children,
three boys and two girls.
Sodden Death.
I
(Tarboro Southerner 30th.)
, In the midst of life we are in death
i was illustrated last evening when
almost without a warning John O.
Oates became a corpse.
Soon after supper he had walked to
Mrs. W. K. Mercer's to see her on bus
iness. He was in a very pleasant
mood. He asked for water and drank
three glasses after brief intervals and
jocularly remarked about his thirst. A
few minutes later he said something
was the matter with him and his head
fell back. Mrs. Oates and two other
ladies who were with her rubbed his
temples and applied camphor, but he
never spoke nor struggled again. A
physician w T as quickly summoned, who
game at once only to find every vestige
. of life gone.
Death ol Mrs. Sam Jenkins.
Mrs. Samuel Jenkins died at her
home on Franklin street last Thursday
morning as a result of an apoplectic
stroke she suffered on Monday morning.
The funeral service was conducted at
her late residence Friday morning by
Rev. R. B. Owens, rector of the Episco
pal church, of which Mrs. Jenking was
a devout member, and the remains
were laid to rest in Pine View cem;
etery.
Mrs. Jenkins was a most excellent
woman, and was beloved, esteemed and
respected by all who knew her. To the
four children who survive her she was
b mother in the truest sense of the
word, and to the husband a helpmeet
companion and counsellor.
Sevety five families in Rocky Moiint
are now owning their own homes, who
would otherwise be paying rent but for
assistance afforded by Rocky Mount
Homestead and Loan Association. The
12th series of stock will be due and pay
able on and after February Ist, 190&
"XJallonß. L. Huffines, Secretary and
Treasurer for full information.
1 PRICE 5 CENfS
Movement Started A
fereflce to Provide Cozy Club-
Boom For Yoong Men of the City.i
At the Rocky Mount Ministers CQtt
feronce, held in Rev. D. H. Tutt&fe
I *', lilonday morning, a moverxnaat
. : s€i3 launched to provide a free reading
n f.6r the use of the youag men of
the town. The entirely
T*fie plan is to •
-w^uxn. a convenient
I - where the young men of IHte
may spend their f jjji social
t. : e, play innocent: proses, and
'store their minds with the test
'of the best correct A c#zy, Jt
co.,j^'urtable uniting place o| this jpiyj
would be a safeguard to f.J
and the movement to provide such a
place is an opportunity for those wto
have money ta&do some real subStatftnal . .
good. * • '
• • ■'
Yoolde Tyme Fiddlers' Cppventioit : ;f
Mr. J. T. Ro tan,'who, together with*
Prof. C. Z. Whitaker, has conducted a.
number of very successful old time fid
alers' conventions in the State, is here.»- ; :
to for two inthi# citypn'Fjlday 1 •
body knows what old time fiddly* ;
but the fim and real enjoyment of a fid
dlers convention, where dozens of the "•#
very best there is in a section are on a
stage a £d,dlin' their level best for a
prize—Man, sir! There haint no way
to describe it. It's,fun, and a plenty
of it. *
/ Just bear in mind,"too, that nary a
violinist is, going to have a thing to do 1
with ifcf** a vast difference,
mind ye, bet ween la fiddler and a violin
ist. A violinist executes most difficult
music with wonderful technique etc*,
while a fiddler just plays tunes.
Everybody in this whole section who
can draw a bow, pick a banjo or dance
a jig is invited to enter the contest for
the prizes. And it does not cost a cent
to enter, either. Get busy and prac
tice up, for there is sure to be a great
day -when the . fiddlers' convention
"comes to town."
• ! 4 —f
Goodwin Stock Company.
The Goodwin Stock Company opened
a week's engagement at the Masonic
Temple Opera House Monday night
with "A Daughter of Satan/' and
played to a good business, as they did
also Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
The company is well above the average
of repertoire companies and their clever
work was appreciated by the large
audiences. The company will present
tonight "The preacher and the Con
vict," a pastorial drama in faur acts;
Friday*night Robert Louis Stevenson's*
great phycological drama, "Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde," and Saturday at mati
nee will be presented the beautiful
fairy tale "Cinderella." The company
will close its engagement Saturday
night with sensational "The
King of Detectives."
Prices are only 10, 20 and 30 cents.
No Race Sulciuc.
(Tarboro Southerner.)
'Squire Pender had before him the?
other day Andrew Anthony, a colored
man living on Caswell Sugg's farm near
Hartsease, charged with some pettj
offence. The charge with the evidence
was trivial and when the 'Squire ascer
tained that the man was the father of
ten children, the oldest being only ten
years old, he told him to go and taxed
no cost against anyone. During
Andrew's brief married life his better
half has presented him with four sets
of twins and two singles.
"Connty Chairman" Pleases.
The "County Chairman" pleased a
good sized Saturday night audience at
the Masonic Opera House, especially
appealing to the politically inclined
with its true-to-life depicting of politics
as the game is played. Through the
whole runs a pretty love story which add*
to the charm of the play. W. T. Chat
terton, as the "County Chairman" wat
all that was necessary to the part and
the entire cast gave good support to
him.
The money stringency has apparently
subsided and the Rocky Mount Home
l stead and Loan Association has emerged
from the period of depression with r
feeling of pride that loans have beei.
granted and all stock surrenders hav.
been paid on demand without discount .
The 12th series of stock will be opei
for subscription February Ist, 190?.
Call on R. L. Hufrhes, Secretary anu.
Treasurer.