THIS PAPER IS 'READ BY THE PEOPLE. IT GIVES THE NEWS WHILE IT IS FRESH AND IS NEWS
" Volume XV
Lenoir, N.C., Friday, January 24, 1913
No. 23
NEWS ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Interesting Reading Matter of
Local and National Affairs
in Condensed Form.
A mass meeting was held in
Morganton last Friday demand
ing a Commission form of Gov
ernment for that town.
A bill hai been introduced in
the legislature to increase the
number of judicial districts of
the state from sixteen to twenty
four.
The American Congress of
Berkshire breeders will meet in
Charlotte on the 31st of January.
The Congress will include most
of the hog breeders of this and
adjoining states.
Hon. J. J. Britt, third assist
ant post master general, it is
said will return to North Caro
lina after his term of office ex
pires and engage in the practice
of law atf Asheville.
Senator Overman who recent
ly underwent an operation for
appendicitis returned to his post
in the senate chamber last Tues
day. He was given an ovation
by his fellow senators.
A bill has been introduced in
the legislature creating a new
county out of parts of Guilford
and 'others with High Poiat as
the county seat. The name of
the new county is to be Aycock
county.
The citizens of Hickory are
working for a commission form
of government and a law per
mitting the people to vote on
the question will very likely be
enacted at the present term of
the legislature.
Governor Craig has invited
the governors of several of the
Southern states to meet him in
Asheville on February 14th to
consider the question of building
state hign ways from the s ;a
coast cities to the mountains.
If the Legislature wants to do
one thing that will not be a mis
take, let it give North Carolina
a short ballot. It is being adop
ted by the States in general as
fast as the Legislatures can pass
the laws. Charlotte Observer.
There is some merit in thesug
gestion that the state needs to
put the judges it has to work,
before increasing the number.
The aim of both judges and law
yers should be not to continue
but to try as many cases as pos
sible. Greensboro News.
Mrs. Jane Wilkes, widow of
the late Capt. John Wilkes died
at her home in Charlotte last
Sunday. Mrs. Wilkes was
very philanthropic woman
being the founder of the Good
Samaritan Hospital of that city
and was always active in church
and charitable work. She was
about 85 years old.
The grand jury of Wake coun
ty Superior Court refused to in
diet Gordon Holmes, the Wake
Forest student who some time
ago shot and seriously wounded
Frank Powers, who was at
tempting to haze him. Holmes
was, however, indicted for car
rying concealed weapons and
was discharged on the payment
of the cost.
A single masked burglar en
tered a Southern Railway train
about 30 miles out from Birming
ham, Alabama early, Sunday
morning, wnue tne train was
stopped for water and covered
the two colored mail clerks with
a pistol. He demanded the reg
istered mail which was shown
hioa by ona of the clerks after
robbing it he jumped off the
train.
NEW POSTAGE STAMPS.
The new, Panama-Pacific com
memorative postage stamps de
signed by the government in
honor of the big ditch across the
Isthmus, handsome in appear
ance and larger than the ordi
nary postage stamp, are quite
acceptable to those who have oc
casion to use them.
As in the case of the stamps
commemorating the world's
fairs at Chicago and St. Louis,
the Panama-Pacific stamps con
siderably larger than those reg
ularly in use. They
measure i
about 3-4 by 1 1-10 inches, the
longest dimension being horizon
tal. They come in the 1, 2, 5
and 10 cent denominations.
At the top of the new stamp
appear the words "U. S. pos
tage" and "San Francisco, l(.)la"
In the left hand border is a
branch of laurel, and in the
right hand border a palm branch.
A numeral, expressing the de
nomination, is shown within a
circle in each lower corner,
with the word "cents" between
On the 1 cent stamp, Balboa,
discoverer of the Pacitic, is giv
en the place of honor. The
stamp is green. In the centre
within a circle, appears, the
bust of the discoverer, looking
to the left and wearing a curiass
and a helmet with a plume. On
either side of the back ground
are palm trees, with the ocean
in the foreground. Below the
portrait in a horizontal panel
breaking the circle, are the
words "Balboa, 1511."
Thus is the Spanish adventur
er, who, in ins quest tor goia,
stumbled across the great wes
tern ocean, mounted in state,
exactly 400 years after the dis
covery which gave him a place
in history. Incidentally, the
stamp effectively corrects one
John Keats, who, as every
hoolboy knows, dedicated
much quoted sonnet to Stout
Cortez." as the discoverer of
the Pacitic.
The 2-cent stamp is red. It
represents the Gatun locks of
the Panama canal, with a mer
chant steamer emerging from
one lock and a warship in the
other. The mountains of the
isthmus appear in the distance,
and palm trees on the right-hand
side of the locks. Beneath the
picture are the words Gatun
locks."
Golden Gate, the harbor of
San Francisco, where the Pan
ama-Pacific exposition will be
held in 1915, is given the place
of honor on the 5-cent stamp
which is blue. The setting sun
is shown in the background, and
a steamer and sailing vessel in
the bay. The words "Golden
Gate" appear below the picture
The 10-cent stamp is dark yel
low. The subject is Discovery
of San Francisco Bay, from a
painting which represents the
discovering party looking out
upon the distant bay.
The Troy Montgomerian says
people generally want a return
to the old system of tax listing
upon the grounds of being less
expensive and more accommodat
ing to the public, vve cannot
entirely agree with the Mont
gomerian. That the new system
has not proved so good as it
might is no reason for going
back to a worse. What we
want is to adopt a system that
will be more nearly perfect than
either the present or the old
Don't turn back in the middle of
the road, but keep pressing for
ward until a proper method is
reached. Greensboro News
Subscribe for The News.
DEATH OF MR.J.R. ERVIN.
One of Caldwell's Highly Es
teemed and Uuseful Citizens
Answers Summons.
In the death of Mr. J. K. Er
vin, which occurred last Monday
afternoon about 5 o'clock, at his
home in this place, our commu
nity lost one of its most valuable
citizens. Mr. Ervin was a civil
engineer by profession and
stood high in his line of work.
Some of the more important en-
terprises that he superintended
and put through were the water
system for Lincolnton and the
construction of the Carolina &
North-Western railway from
Collettsviile to Edgemont. His
ast work in this line was sur-
eying and plotting the town of
Newland, the county seat of the
new county of Avery, rie was
a man of much valuable infor
mation and his accuracy on ques
tions in nis line of worn was
never questioned. At the time
of his death he had under con
sideration a plan for bringing
anotner line or railroad to our
town, which might have grown
into a reality had he lived. He
was a loyal and faithful member
of the Methodist church and a
man whose modest worth and
character made an impression
on all witn wnom he came in
contact. His pastor, lie v. C
M. Pickens, paid him a most
worthy tribute in the course of
his remarks while conducting
the funeral and the large con
gregation attending that occa
sion attested most forcefully the
esteem in which the deceased
was held in our community,
while the floral tributes there
displayed bore silent testimony
of the tender affection with
which he was regarded. Mr
Ervin is survived by a widow
and one child, a daughter just
budding into womanhood,
brother, Mr. W. C. Ervin, of
Morganton, and four sisters
M. H. Tuttle, of Franklin; Mrs
W. B. Menzies, of Hickory; Mrs
Serrill Douglas, of Bristol, Pa.
and Miss Annie H.rvin, who is
teaching in Rhode Island. The
family, especially those of his
own household, have the deep
heartfelt sympathy of our entire
community in their hour of deep
distress. The funeral was con
ducted by his pastor, assisted
by Revs. C. T. Squires and C
A. Munroe, from the Methodist
church Wednesday and the in
terment was in tne town ceme
tery. Messrs. M. M. Courtney
L. P. Henkel, E. F. Reid, H. T
Newland, A. A. Kent, C. B
Harrison. R. L. Gwyn and J. E
Shell, being the pall bearers
Stricken down by typhoid
fever less than three weeks ago
and being a man in the prime of
life, about .r0 years of age, he
will be much missed in the en
tire Uounty where he was so
well and favorably known.
Thankfulness.
I am no friend to the peopl
who receive the bounties of
Providence without visible gra
titude. When the sixpence fall
into your hat you may laugh
When the messenger of an un
expected blessing takes you by
the hand lifts you up and bid
you walk you may leap and ru
and sine for joy. even us the
lame man whom St. Peter healed
skipped piously and rejoiced
aloud as he passed through the
beautiful gate of the temple
There is no virtue in solemn in
difference. Joy is as much a
duty as beneficence is. Thank
fulness is the other side
mercy. Henry Van Dyke.
SHORT LATE NEWS ITEMS.
Condensed From Our Local and
Daily Papers for The
Busy Readers.
Dr. J. L. Murphy of Hickory
is ill and in a hospital at that
place for treatment.
An Asheville druggist has
been found guilty of violating
the prohibition laws and fined
:oo.
A bill has been introduced in
the legislature asking an amend
ment to the state constitution
permitting women to vote.
A petition has been sent to
Congress asking that all saloons
n Washington be closed during
the inauguration exercise March
4 th.
Two men arrested and placed
in the town lockup at Shelby
got out and then set the build-
ng on tire burning it and the
town hall down.
The joint committee of Con
gress on the question of Feder
al aid to Post Roads is holding
hearings and has been address
ed by several prominent men.
In deference to the wishes of
Governor Wilson, the usual in
augural ball in Washington will
be dispensed with this time
when he is inaugurated as presi
dent.
At last accounts all tne men
who were wounded in the row at
Glen Alpine last Saturday were
improving, but not out of dan
ger. It is thought now they
will all recover.
Miss. Helen Gould probably
the richest woman in the world
was married to Mr. Finley Shep
hard of New York in that city
last Tuesday. The wedding was
a simple affair for persons of
their wealth.
The senate of the Montana
leerialature passed an act last
Tuesday to amend the state con
stitution allowing women to vote
in that state there were only
two votes against the measure
in that body.
On account of the lawlessness
caused by the revolution in Mex
ico, the American citizens in Ye
ra Cruz, are thought to be in dan
ger and an American warship
has been dispatched to that place
to protect American interests
The North State Company
which proixises to furnish
electric ixjwer to Morganton,
Marion and adjacent towns has
beerun the erection of a dam in
the Catawba river, in the.vicini
ty of Glen Alpine, to develop
the power.
A delegation of Asheville men
have gone to see Governor Wil
son to try to induce him to make
his summer home in Asheville
while he is President. The
delegation will offer the Presi
dent-elect a summer cottage
built to order or hotel accom
modations for himself and family
free of charge.
While asleep in bed a few
nights ago Judge Turner, of the
county court at Elizabeth City
was aroused by an iinixrtunate
visitor who demanded a warrant
The judge got up, dressed, re
plenished the tire and invited
the visitor in to state his griev
ance. The complainant said he
had given a negro 50 cents to
get him some whiskey and the
negro had run away with the
money. What the judge said at
that juncture is not on record,
but the language was hardly
parliamentary. The visitor left
in a hurry and without a warrant.
PLAN FOR TAXATION.
The proposed revenue and
machinery act that will be pre
sented to the North Carolina leg
islature as a solution of the pres
ent problem of taxation, and as
a means toward placing the bur
den on the people in proportion
to the ability of the various
classes to bear it, will embody
the segregation plan, according
to an interview given the Daily
News Saturday night by Leslie
Abbott, clerk to the finance and
constitution amendment commit
tees of the house. The propos
ed plan will probably be presen
ted in about a week.
The proposed plan is a radical
hange from any plan ever in
vogue or suggested in the state,
and there are few states in the
union which now have it, one of
these being West Virginia. The
gist of the whole idea is that it
places the burden of raising the
state revenue on the railroads,
telegraph and telephone compa
nies and all public service utili-
ties, while in each county the
commissioners or some author
ized body have the power to as
sess the real and personal prop
erty for the requirements of
that county.
In eliminating the state .tax
from real and personal property
the entire revenue would be se
cured from the railroads, tele
graph and telephone companies,
street car companies and other
public utilities, together with
special licenses and franchises.
The estimated valuation of this
entire class in forth Carolina is
$120,000,000. To give the state
the present revenue necessary
to operate would require a tax
of $1.50 on the $100 valuation,
or $1,800,000. The average tax
rate of the state on this class
now is about 25 cents on $100.
The other phase of the propos
ed plan is that it would allow
the county to assess on the rea
and personal property at any
per cent of the marketable value
wanted for county purposes.
Daily News.
Rewards For Outlaw.
Rewards of $200 each were de
clared yesterday by the Lnited
States marshal for the arrest of
Frank Brooks, G. E. Todd an
A. M. Todd, three of the known
assailants of Deputy Harkrader
and Sheriff Davis in Surry coun
tv a few nights ago. Circulars
bearing pictures of the men to
gether with a full description
will be mailed throughout this
section today. It is said that
the three men were recognized
as among the party which way
laid the officers, released a pris
oner, beat up the officers and
then left them by the roadside
handcuffed.
A Bad Plan.
Of all strange things in this
life, the scheme proposed
meet the $750,000 deficit in the
State Treasury is the most ab
sured. One member of the
General Assembly is in favor o
diverting the railroad tax. whic
now goes to the coffers of the
State to meet the deficit. That
would practically bankru)
some of the best counties in tin
State. It would deprive Gran
ville County of more than $H
URJ. lhe scheme is a bad one
and should be nipjvd in the bin
Oxford Public Ledger.
A Frenchman and Italian
after fighting a duel, in which
neither was hurt, kissed and
made up in court. Rather than
kiss another man most men
would prefer to be stabbed.
COUNTY CORRESPONDENTS
terns From Our Regular Corres
pondents and Neighboring
County Papers.
K KI..SKY notes.
The sick folks of our
cotrmiu
though nity are all improving,
grippe has been quite prevalent
lere for some time.
Messrs. James and Birch Cof
fey have gone to West Virginia
for a short stay.
The pretty weather we have
been having is much appreciated
ut if it continues we fear for
;ie fruit crops.
The people of this community
are pleased with the new par
cels post system. Mr. J. F.
Gragg was the first person to
buy parcels post stamps at the
Kelsey office.
Mr. John Walt Gragg
making a good thing out of
the raw fur business, having
made one shipment and has an
other nearly ready, but oh, the
sent."
J. W. Gragg, Esq., was called
to Foscoe this afternoon to join
wedlock Mr. Chas. Church
and Miss Etta Gragg, both of
oscoe.
Mr. Wash Culver, of Banner
Elk, was a visitor here recently.
Kate.
Value of Husbands. ,
New York. Jan. 20 Analysis
of the numerous suits which
widows have brought for dama
ges because of the loss of their
lusbands in the Titanic disaster
brought to light today the strik-
ng differences in the monetary
values that women place on
their husbands.
The suits range from $25,000
to $1,000,000, the record hign
figure being that sued for by
Mrs. Henry B. Harris, widow of
the theatrical manager. An ad-
mirality lawyer declared today
that the differences in damages
sought was due chiefly to the
various earning capacities of the
husbands, taking into consider
ation also the age. The style
in which the wife had been ac-
customed to live was aiso a con-
ideration.
Bitten By Mad Horse.
(Daily News.)
Granite Falls, Jan. 20. Van
Moore, a farmer living near
here was bitten by a rabid horse
Saturday. The horse was sup
posed to have been bitten by a
mad dog some time ago but had
shown no signs of hydrophobia
until Friday. Mr. Moore was.
drenching the horse when it at"
tacked him biting him twice on
the arm and leg, breaking the
skin on his arm. The horse was
killed at once and Mr. Moore
took the afternoon train for Ra
leigh where he will take the
pasteur treatment. Several rabid
dogs have been killed lately but
not until they had bitten many
other dogs. A large dray horse
belonging to L. T. Sharp was
bitten some time ago but has
shown no signs of hydrophobia
yet.
A woman may have some dif
ficulty in finding her pocket, but
she never has it tilled with let
ters she fornot to mail.
The first thing a man usually
does after leaving the country
and accumulating a big fortune
in the city is to acjvise other
boys to stick to the farm.
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