North Carolina Newspapers

Minnesota Coeds Organize Man-Haters' Club I! spllfe ;<S^y Forgetful that some thousands of years ago man gave up a perfectly good rib to bring forth a creature on whom he could bestow his admiration, these daughters of Eve. have renounced the opposite sex and declare they will abide by their solemn oalh to shun men for the rest of their lives. They are co-eds of the University of Minnesota and have formed a Man-Hater's club. The charter members of the Haters, shown above on one tf their weekly jaunts, are, left to right : Hazen Degan, Marian Miller, Dorothy Alton, Vera Dixon, Mabel Sanderson aiid Ethel Drexel. * War Boom Town To Be Re vi ved i Hopewell, Deserted Guncotton City, Gets New Lease on Life With Industries. JUD POPULATION OF 45,000 Sprang Up in Six Months Over Vir ginia Cornfield ? Bore Picturesque Title of Most Wicked City in United States. Iiopewell, Va.? A new chapter is be- , leg written in the draiuutlc history of | 'Hopewell. Aiost of us remember Hopewell as the great guncotton town of the war ? a town of wood and tar paper like an overgrown mining camp. IlQpewell sprang up in six months over a Vir ginia cornfield, and gained fame as 11 :ity of 45,000 people dedicated by the Ou Ponts to the making of one single article of destruction for the war. It bore the picturesque title of' the inost wicked city in the United States, alij whether it deserved the title or not, it had in its earliest days all die types of vice that made the gold colonies of '49 faipous? Fool rooms, ui loons, gambling houses and dance *ialls thrived on the recklessly spent jBoney of the guncotton workers. ?Vomen unescorted were not safe on the streets. Taxi drivers and store keepers carried revolvers. One of the most remarkable land booms in American history took place t here in this hectic period. A typical story is that of a drunken man with #>00 In his pocket who attended one 0/ the sales of lots. He paid out one 'ourth cash on land as long ' as hit money lasted. Next day he was sober and penniless. A week later he had sold his holdings for $11,000. 1,500,000 Pounds Daily Output. When the firing in Europe ceased, Hopewell was daily turning out 1,500, 000 pounds of the explosive used In raaklng smokeless powder. The order came to stop work as soon as possible, and in a month 45,000 population dropped to 3,000. People who had come into Hopewell riding on top of crowded trains now fought to get away. Furniture was moved in every conceivable kind o? conveyance, and even abandoned. Storekeepers tried desperately to sell out stock and close business. Hopewell was part of the war, and I nothing more, people said. Its day was done and the village of tar-paper houses would fall Into ruin. The Du Pont company started work at once to dispose of all materials and ma chinery that could be salvaged. Once some one had asked If the great munition plant could not be op erated after the war. "But this plant could produce enough guncotton in a week to run the United States a year in peace," an swered an official. "It could possibly be used for dye making." he added, "but it would make enough dyes in five days to supply America for 12 months." Pronqunced Dead by Experts. Experts looking at the deserted city, built at a cost of $45,000,000, shook their heads and pronounced it perma nently and totally defunct. And it did seem that they were right. Hopewell, the primitive and intense, was reduced to the rustic amusement of sitting in front of the boarded shops on Broad way and arguing over the possible fu ture of a watermelon vine that had worked its way through a crack In the concrete pavement. You must recall some of this U?. order to understand Hopewell as It is now. About three years ago an en terprising trunk manufacturer bought some of the machinery that was be In* carted away and set np a factory. Other manufacturers followed, and to ^ ___________ day eight plants are busy making arti ficial silk, china, pulp, tools and other articles. The city has a population of 10,000; one plant alone employs 2,200, and some workers come to the fac tories from Petersburg. Broadway, Hopewell's main street, Is again a headquarters for active business. Making a tour of Hopewell Is : like looking at a patchwork quilt con taining bits of silk, torn calico, and substantial linen. There are fr dozen different sides to Hopewell, and each Is restricted to Its own part of the town. In one section nre rows of streets lined with well-kept homes such as you find in any attractive suburb. This is "A" village where officials of the guncotton plant once lived. Most of the houses built here were of perma nent construction and were more pre tentious than the homes for the fac tory workers. You leave this quarter and come to another, an entirely different section. Here you pass hundreds of gray and black tar-paper bungalows. This Is one of the villages where the workers and their families were housed. Some of the temporary houses are falling to pieces. Some have been scrapped. Whole blocks of them, however, have been bought by the new factories to be rented to their employees, and these homes are being remodeled. Ited, green or brown shingling is laid over the tar paper; wooden underpinning is replaced by brick ; Interiors are ceiled. The bungalows already had electricity and up-to-date sanitation. Still Resembles War Zone. Beyond the villages another side of Hopewell comes into view. This is the industrial section, the city of Hope well proper. In 1918 the Du Fonts thought that a year would surely see their war plant salvaged. For three years they have been tearing down, hauling away, selling, dynamiting and burning. But parts of the industrial section still look like a war fcone. Materials in many of the shops could not be sold because they had been affected by acids. There was nothing to do but dynamite these buildings and fire the ruins. You ride down roads with grassy fields on either side and you see In the tall grass long rows of charred brick and I junk where for three years stood shops costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. One of the few acid houses not yet dynamited stands in a tottering con dition as If it had been staggered by an earthquake. Other abandoned build ings are in better repair. A million dollar power house that could be run by two men stands just rts it was locked up and left when the guncot ton plant closed down. A number of warehouses and shops have been taken over by the new In dustries. One warehouse is pointed out as a place where spools for tex tile mills are being made by a young American ace. He had once worked in a textile plant, and he had learned that dogwood makes the most satis factory spools for such a plant. When he left the air service he took this warehouse and began shipping in car loads of dogwood to turn his knowl edge into money. Across the way from the aviator's plant is another shop belonging to a business man. This manufacturer has invented a dishwashing machine and decided to buy his own plant and make it himself. Squatters' Corner Odd Relic. In still another corner of this patch work city you see a row of tumble down and deserted wooden shacks on the bank of the Appomattox river. This is one of the old relics of the war. It was a squatters' corner In the boom days. Workers who could not find cottages were permitted to build their own shacks here and pay $A a month ground rent until they could make better arrangements. This Makes Wife Entirely Independent of Spouse Marriage that does not de prive the woman of her iden tity or subject her to the "direc tion or control" of her husband is the mainspring of the "wom en's bill of rights" which has been presented in the Michigan state senate. The bill provfdes that a wom an may engage in business with out her husband's consent, shall have equal guardianship over their children and shall be ex clusive mistress of herself In every affair outside the home. 0 land still belongs to the Eppes fam ily, the original owners of Hopewell. An Eppes received a grant of the land from the English king In 1061, and came over on the good ship Hope well to take possession. The Eppes' mansion, on a high point of land where the Appomattox river Joins the James, Is still another distinct side of Hopewell. Here Is a historic Vir ginia residence, surrounded by its stately grounds and fields, Quietly aloof from the ups and downs of industrial Hopewell. One more feature of the city ? the Red Cross? stands out. In most places the Red Cross Is one of numer ous welfare agencies. In Hopewell It Is tl*e only welfare agency, and Charles Turner, the Red Cross man, Is the best known character In town. The Du Fonts preferred all welfare work to be done by one organization, and the Red Cross happened to be se lected. The Hopewell Red Cross therefore engaged, and still engages. In lines of work done by no other chapter In America. Mr. Turner conducts an emergency hospital, an employment agency, a day nursery, a community Christmas tree. He collects about 3,000 garments a year for persons In need. He keeps a loan closet containing all sorts of sickroom supplies. And he gives aid and relief of every Imaginable kind. KING GEORGE TO VISIT ITALY With Queen Mary, Will Be Guest of Rulers and Call on Pope at the Vatican. Rome. ? King George and Queen Mary will be the guests of King Victor Emmanuel and Queen Helena at the qulrinal palace during their visit to Rome In the spring. The British monarchs also will pay a visit to Pope Plus. They will be re ceived at the Vatican with royal honors, and Cardinal Gasparrl, the papal sec retary of state, will return the call at th?i residence of the British minister to the holy see, as the cardinal, be cause of relutlons between the church and state, cannot go either to the royal palace or to the se*it of the Brit ish embassy accredited to the king of Italy. During their visit King George and Queen Mary will be assigned to the apartment occupied In former times by Emperor William Of Germany and President Roosevelt. "COP" ARRESTS DAUGHTER Charges Her With Being Armed High way Robber and Auto mobile Thief. Cambridge, Miss. ? With hia voice choked with emotion, Patrolman Tim othy E. Murphy made charges of high way robbery and motorcar stealing against his own daughter, Elizabeth, whom he had arrested. The girl had been sought by police for several weeks. The armed ^lrl bandit stole motor cars and robbed pedestrians time and again, but alwa) s escaped clever tnvpd set for her. Finally Officer Murphy was put on the case. He returned tq the station with his own child. Th? girl is only sixteen yefcra old, her la ther said. GEHEBAL USSEW MB IE DIE \ \*J SOLONS CHEER AND SHOUT AS ? ; ? - . f T 1923 SESSION COMES f j 1 I TO CLOSE. *' MAJOR MEASURES ARE PASSED Session Marked By Great Progress, Leaving But Few Proposed Meas^ ures to Die By Default. Raleigh. History was being written while the members of the 1923 general assembly were enroute to their homes from Cherokee ; to Currituck, and from Rockingham to Brunswick, closing the annals of a session marked with great progresses members freely said . But few bills fell by the wayside-? none in the senate,' and about twenty in the house ? all of which, the speaker said, were bills which the calendar committee considered of such minor importance as to hold them out. Two recommendations which the governor emphasized in his biennial message failed of enactment into law, these being the creation of two new departments of government ? a depart ment of banking and a department of commerce. The bill for co-ordination of the machinery of government through the reduction of department channels for state business, framed In accordance with the recommenda tion of the state auditor, likewise was not considered at length and failed to pass. Major Measures Passed. Among the major issues which are now being spread on the statute books oi the state arjp: The bill providing for a commission to investigate state owned shipping lines. Fifteen million dollar road bond is sue for furtherance of the state high way project. The general educational bill. The appropriation bills carrying upwards of $15,000,000 for permanent improvements and maintenance of state Institutions. The $10,000,000 bond issue for a railroad to redeem the "lost provinces" of northwestern North Carolina. The bill which brings* the prohibi tion law in conformance with the na tional laws. Nearly one thousand local bills were enacted into laws during the session, and these included most every sort of legislation from extending the bor ders of small towns to amending the charters of the larger towns and pro viding bond issues for schools and school and road districts. For Next Session. One of the major issues of the as sembly, the Giles farm loan act, while failing in the present session, is ex pected to be one of the main issues when the halls are again thrown open to the law-makers in January of 1925. Both houses have appointed a commis sion to investigate the conditions un der which tenant farmers live, agricul tural conditions and the possibilities of group settlement plan, and report with its recommendations two years hence. Arm In arm with this legislation, another notable issue which will come up for action next time will be the re port of the commission authorized for the investigation of the administra tion water-line proposal. The bill in this session would have given the gov ernor the power to receive the report Df such commission and act, with the louncil of staie, as he saw best. The opponents of the measure, however, would accept no quarter other than to provide that the commission report back next session. With the hands of the clock turned back and in accordance with a Joint -esolution adopted the general assem bly of North Carolina adjourned sine die at 12 o'clock by legislative time. The gavel fell in both houses im mediately after the ratification of bills passed and the 63rd session broke up amid cheers, jubilation and tearful good-byes. Land Commission. Ttye lieutenant-governor, in the final hours of the senate, named Sena tor Harris, of Wake, and Senator Giles, of McDowell, as members of the land rommission created to investigate ten- ' ant farmer conditions and report back to the next general assembly recom mendations for their relief. Speaker Dawson, in the lower branch, named Representatives Burg wyn, Cox and Gwynn. Senators Wilson, of Caswell, and Tapp of Lenoir, were named on the examining committee with Represen tatives Connor, Murphy and Coffey. Senate Confirms Appointments. Appointments made by Governor Cameron Morrison and confirmed by the Senate were: To the fisheries commission for a term of six years: Robert Lassiter, Charlotte: H. V. Grant, Snead's Fer ry; Frank Stedman, Fayettevllle; for four years, M. B. Hart, TarborojjE. S. Askew, Windsor: Santford Martin, Winston-Salem; H. C. Wall, Rocking ham; for two years, . Dixon, Tren ton; J. C. Baum, Pdplar Branch: George Hampton, Canton; F. 8. Vorthy, Washington. / I Solicitors' Salary Bill PaM?* , Passage in the senate of the solic^ tor's salary bill, with an amendment increasing the salary to *4,75?, with a $750 expense allowance, from the $ ?? 000 salary and the same allowance written into* pie house bill, and with the further amendment deferring the effectiveness of the measure to June 30, 1924, from December 31, '1923, oc curred, with only one vote cast against it. The bill was sent to the house for its concurence in the amendments. Senator Woodsoi^ of/ Salisbury, wh*> ordered the amendment to increase the salary, stated that he had been told that the house would accept the amendment. The action of the senate went contrary to many prophesise to the effect that the upper body would kill the bill because the house had tabled the redistricting measure, which originated in the senate. The one vote against the bill was cast by Senator Haymore, of Surry, who objected to it because he wanted the salary to be $5,000 with $1,000 ex pense allowance. He offered an amendment to this effect, but it was voted down. Senators addressing themselves to the measure, stated that the sa.ary provided will result in increasing tlie pay of one solicitor, while reducing many whose pay on the fee basis iuns to various amounts as high as $13, <50. This statement was made in response to objection raised to the inequity that the objectors saw in the measure. Senator Varser stated that one of the provisions of the bill wheih in fluenced his vote for it was that which turns the fees now going to the solici tors would be paid from the general fund of the state. The senate received notice that the house had reconsidered the vote by which it concurred in the senate amendment to the general appropria tions bill for the maintenance of state institutions. The house asked for a conference committee. That amendment was that offered by Senator Varser providing for the calling down of the appropria tions provided the revenue of the state would not cover them. Two house amendments to the bill to provide for a vote on an amendment to the constitution to limit the state debt met with senate concurrence. One of these lifted the limit from 5 per cent to 7 1-2 per cent. The chief discussions centereing on bills which would bring bus lines under the jurisdiction of the corporation com mission, and provide for the accept ance of 69 acres of land by the state for the purpose of maintaining a state fair, the house passed more public bills than on any one day for nearly a month. The bus line bill was passed and sent to the senate. A bill to amend the state banking laws to bring them in conformance with the national laws relative to re ports was next discussed and when no i member of the house could satisfactor ily explain it, the measure was refer red to a special committee which brought back a report recommending pasage, and the report was accepted. The bill was then enrolled to become a law. The solicitor's salary bill came back from the senate with two amendments, one providing the salary to be set at $4,750, instead of $4,000, as provided by the house, and the other to make the act effective June 30, 1924. The house refused to concur and a conference committee was appointed, in an effort to reach an agreement with the upper body. Representative Murphy/ of Rowan county, chairman of the house appro priations ccmmitte, sent through a sup plemental bill to the general appropria tions act, providing machinery for the operation of the fund for building of fices for the commissioner of revenue. Next In order came the bills to alow county commissioners to raise supple mental revenues, and passing its third reading, the measure becomes a law i uopn ratification. Local measures then consumed more than an hour when the local calendars were cleared. Senator Sams, who introduced the bill, stated that fee believed that origi nal figures should have been retained, but that he would move to concur in order that the bill might be assured passage. The constitutional amendment bill to provide "inviolability for sinking funds." also Teturned to the senate with an alteration made in the house. The amendment to the bill would in clude future sinking fund provisions, as well as those past. The senate ac cepted the amendment. Emanating from the committee ?which investigated the department of labor and printing, the bill to transfer the printing to the department of state's control was brought before the senate today. Vote on the bill was de ferred after Senator Harrison, of Rich mond, offered an amendment to pay the secretary of state $1,500 a year for the extra work. Senator Harrison stat ed that the secretary of state did not . desire that the work "be thrust upon him." Nominations Confirmed. The senate confirmed the following nominations made by Governor Camer on Morrison, of members of the board of state institutions. State school for the blind at Raleigh: J. F. McMahon, Raleigh; John T. Fin ley, North Wilkesboro; Joseph B. Pogue, Raleigh, and R. S. Taylor, War saw, all for a term of six years. State hospital at Morg&nton: C. H. Brooks, Hendersonvllle; J. H. Giles, Morganton, and Dr. Q. 8. Kirby, Mar ion. NEW HIGH RECORD FOr^ PRODUCTION |ty FEBRUARY. RECORD FOR CM [| New High Record For Month i?] ing Construction, it ? 1 Declared. I m New York.? Evidences of ^ expansion of business arUv-tl multiplied during the past wr*i ports on pig iron product^ J February show that a new hi*?., for the month has been set r,'? the capacity of the furn. ^4 at the clase of the month wa; to just about tie highest rate at!|fl under war conditions. Last tncf. set a new hi^Sf' record for Fe>J with regards to building fonstri In addition, weekly reports on road carload ing continue to si movement of freight unprec^er this season of the year, it pear, therefore, that production the record level and that it is ? creasing. Commodity meanwhile and not naturally, remain firm, p,oth n and Bradstreets' indices mov^j ward during February, thf>. adva* the general level amounting to j thing like two per cent. Examfa of the component groups of their discloses the fact that the pains been general. It is clear, howj that the trend toward hlph.-r !. has been continued during March ] With business so active and firm, there have been many increased public participation speculative markets. Pronoun?; fivity has been apparent both !a?: md in cotton. Values hav- ;; considerable power of res static the attacks of resistance to theatu of bearish professionals. The ment in both of these markets to a halt toward the close of the? profit takin and short selling prod an irregularly downward trend, ertheless, It is generally consid! that the character of the markets undergone a distinct change since first of the year and much interests) being displayed in the course of ev during the next few weeks. Further increases in steel p: have been the rule. Steel mat are making every effort to enlarge? duction but are close to the limit posed by physical condition?, t: portation and labor supplies. T: In turn Is likely to have a reflex act on certain other industries. Thus is said that automobile produc: and building construction are also proaching a limit because of scarc? of materials. Despite the fact the United States Steel corporate operations are at a practically 90 ; cent of capacity, the corporation? filled orders increased 373.000 ! during February. At the close of month the total tonnage on or:? amounted to 7.284.000 tons as ccsT pared with 4,141,000 tons a yearag Gunmen Rob Schooner of Cargo. Halifax. N. S.? When the Yarmrfl schooner Eddie James which reces' sailed from here to the Jersey ross with 600 cases of liquor, docketed ^ she was minus her cargo, but the cr?' accounted for this with a startlifl tale of daring pirates and gunmen ?? countered whiLe the ship pearef'--' rocked at anchor off the X ew coast, near Highland light March ! Armed with pistols, the rum pin** boarded the schooner at dusk. the of* said, and fired a volley of shots, wour. lng Supercargo Phillip Knowles. Tt ? at the point of pistols, they lootel t ship of the 600 cases of whiskey, J-' 000 in cash and escaped, taking them the wounded supercargo. Recklinghausen. ? Two FrcnchnH one an officer and the other a civile 1 'n railroad man, were assassinated - streets of the mining town of li near Recklinghausen. Each body when found, had five let wounds in it. One of tli^ vitt was Lieutenant CQltin of th? seurs, and the other M. Joly. /the Buer railroad station. Unrest and discontent among ^ I population of the Recklinghausen trict have been smoldering for sever*1 days. Feeling was running lite*1 0 both sides. The slaying of the Free men is considered the most serio affair since the occupation of the & gion began. New Orleans Will Get $3,000,000 P'ant New Means, La. ? A shipbuiWi0* drydock and repair plant involving aC investment of $3,000,000 will be est^ lished In New Orleans within a ^ month 8 by the Todd Ship Yards e?f' poration of New York, it was *D' nounced here by M. F. Hart, gener*1 manager of the corporation. The Ne wOrleans plant will be ninth of & chain of shipyards op,lfa* ed by the concern in this country, 1 addition to othera in Great Brita:fl and Sweden.