Newspapers / The Chatham Record (Pittsboro, … / Dec. 10, 1913, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE CHATHAM RECORD Rates of Advertising One Square, one insertion One Square, two inseitoM S1.S0 One Square, one montk . t? SO For Larger Advertisements Liberal Contracts will be matfe. H. A. LONDON, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR Terns of Subscription $1.50 Per Year Strictly in Advance VOL. XXXVI. PITTSEORCX CHA1HAM COUNTY, N C DtUMBtR 10. 1913. NO 18. IR1EF NEWS I0TES FOR TIE BUSY MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK TOLD N CONDENSED FORM. WORLD'S NEWS EPITOMIZED Complete Review of Happenings of Greatest Interest From All Parts cf World. Southern. April 29 and 30 and May 1 have tee a selected as dates for the 1914 reunion of the United Confederate Ven rans, to be held in Jacksonville, Fla. A list of more than fifty dead, with scores of flood refugees in immi nent peril, and posisbly a thousand ctln is maroned and suffering from prolonged hunger and cold, was indi-catt-d by reports from the flooded Bra zos river bottom in south central Tex as. For over fifty miles the Brazos was three miles wide and running with great speed. The known dead in Texas floods numbered 33 before reports from the inundated territory began coming in brought by men on horseback, which was about the only reliable source of communication. At least twenty morel ives were lost. Judge Thomas sentenced I. B. Hall to be hanged January 16, 1914, at Tif ton. Ga. Hall shot and killed Dennis V.. Hall. May 10 last. The two fam ilies lived in the same house, but were not related. He was convicted at the July term of Tift superior court and sentenced to be hanged August 22. A stay of execution was granted, pending a hearing before the state su preme court. The supreme court af firmed the verdict of the lower court. With three rivers, the Trinity, Bra zos and Colorado and innumerable small streams out of their banks as a result of torrential rains, the flood situation in central Texas Jias assum ed serious proportions. Within a ter ritory 200 miles in length and 100 miles in width, practically all of the lowlands are under water; approxi mate'.y fifteen thousand persons have been driven from their homes; scores have been rescued from tree tops and EoSrng wreckage; several railroads have been forced to suspend opera tions and incalculable damage has been dene to property. Fifty-eight suits asking $33,S79,397 were filed in the United States court at Xew Orleans against the American Sugar Refining company, under the provisions of the Sherman anti-trust law. making a total of 130 suits filed within the past two weeks against the same concern, asking for damages aggregating more than one hundred rr.il!ion dollars. This sudden rush to file suits was due to the fact that the statute cf limitations was expected to expire. All records as to the number of suits filed against one concern were broken when this suit was filed in the United States court. Verdicts of guilty were returned in Morganfield, Ky., against the Impe rial Tobacco company of Great Brit ain and Ireland and the Imperial To bacco company of Kentucky, which have been on trial for alleged viola ticn of Kentucky's anti-trust laws Two separate verdicts were returned, a fine of $3,500 assessed against each defendant. The two companies were indicted for alleged conspiracy to de press prices paid for tobacco to the farmers of Kentucky. General. Denver awakened to find every manner of traffic blocked by more than two feet of snow. Pedestrians made their way with difficulty. Rail road trains were unable to move from the station, and service on most of the roads was abandoned. The British cabinet, by a royal proc lamation, promulgated, prohibited the importation of arms and ammunition into Ireland, for the first time grasped the nettle of the revolution in Ulster, although the followers of Sir Edward ("arson have been advertising their military preparations and daring in terference with them. It is stated that the settlement must not be hu miliating or degrading to Ulster. Ul ster's treatment must not be different or exceptional from that meted out to the other parts of the United King dom. Ulster must retain full protec tion of the imperial parliament. Chicago women who qualify as judges and clerks of elections will not nave to tell their ages. This conces sion was granted by County Judge Ow ens, w ho will make the appointments. "Legal age" will be a satisfactory an- E'vPr to the question concerning age qualification. Nearly three hundred aPPiications have been received from women who wish to serve as judges or clerks of elections. Appointments probably will be made within the next two weeks. Fairfax Harrison, formerly vice pres ident of the Southern Railway com pany, and for the last three years president of the Chicago, Indianapo lis and Louisville Railway company of which the Southern is part owner, was elected president of the Southern Railway company to succeed the late William Wilson Finley, a special meet mg of the directors being held for the Purpose of filling the Vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Finley. Mr. Har rison is a Virginian by birth, his home being at Belvoir, Va. He is identified with many Southern interests, and his anointment is appreciated. W Emperor William of Germany has ordered the transfer of the entire gar rison at Zabern, Alsace, owing to the trouble between the soldiers and the citizens there,. He also directed that the court-martial proceedings in con nection with the recent rioting be ac celerated. The emperor's solution of the difficulty is regarded in many' quarters as a" two-edged sword. While it removes the danger of further con flicts, the people and merchants of Zabern will suffer a severe financial blow by the removal of an important source of revenue. The matter is caus ing considerable discussion. The fire which cost the lives of twenty-eight homeless men in the Ar cadia hotel, a low priced lodging house in the south end district of Boston, Mass., has become the subject of eight separate investigations. Some of these were aimed at determining where lay responsibility for the conditions which made the loss of life so large, and others were directed toward de vising measures to protect hundreds of other men forced by circumstances to seek shelter in similar places. Chicago again holds the record for having placed the largest order for postage "stamps. The postoffice de partment here has received an order from the postmaster at Chicago for 71,630,000 stamps with a total value of $1,808,000. Recently the postmas ter at Philadelphia placed an order for 91,730,000 postage stamps having a value of $1,730,000 which was consid erably in excess of the record previ ously held by Chicago. The new Chi cago order will not be as large, but the number of stamps asked for is greater than the recent Philadelphia order by $78,000 in total value. A movement looking toward a gen eral strike in sympathy with the teamsters and the chauffeurs' strike, was started at a meeting of the Team sters' union in Indianapolis, Ind. The strike has been marked by one fatal ity. When a crowd interfered with an ice wagon in charge of six men on whom special police powers had been conferred and began throwing bricks and trying to prevent the wagon mov ing, the special officers fired, killing Claud Lewis, a negro, and wounding four other persons, one fatally. Seven generals of the Mexican reg ular army are ready to surrender and the backbone of the Huerta dictator ship in the north seems to have been broken. A peace commission in Jua rez bearing terms of the surrender, headed by Odilon Hernandez, went from Chihuahua to Juarez bearing a proclamation signed by Gen. Salvador Mercado, Huerta's military governor and commander of the Federal forces in all the north. The proclamation stated that the . Huerta government was bankrupt and was unable to pay its soldiers. Along wtih it came an appeal from the foreign consuls. Washington. Hearings before the house commit tee on rules relating to the proposed creation of a standing committee on equal suffrage closed in Washington. The last hours of the hearing were occupied by champions of the suf frage movement. No action on the resolution which would provide for a house equal suffrage committee was taken. The subject will be considered and a report made within a short time. It has been reported that many mem bers of the rules committee were se riously considering the extension of authority to the present standing com mittee on election of president. Secretary McAdoo's first report to congress is largely confined to a re view of the achievements of the treas ury department in matters that have been of nation-wide interest; to r-.,c-ommendations for increased appropri ations for bureaus under his authority, and for legislation, which he declares necessary to the better conduct of the government and the protection of the people. The secretary discussed at length the subject of currency legisla tion, reviewing the activities in his department related to it. He details the treasury's offer to loan to banks of the country to move the crops. After a discussion into which Re publican Leader Mann injected the Mexican situation, the house passed the Hay army volunteer bill that in varying forms has been talked of at the capital for many years. The bill, which now goes to the senate, wculd put war volunteer forces on an equal footing with the regular army. It would provide that whenever, in the president's judgment, war is immi nent or exactly exists, the president may organise volunteer regiments for war purposes. The men, instead of enlisting for a short period as in past wars, would enlist "for the war." Expenditures of millions of dollars for good roads was proposed in bills introduced by Southern representa tives in congress. They call for va rying scopes of work with appropri ations to run as high as one hundred million dollars. Representative Cand ler of Missisisppi asked provision for the- construction, maintenance and im provement of public roads and rural delivery routes through the co-operation of joint action of the Federal and state governments or counties. His bill called for the appropriation of one hundred million dollars, of which twen ty million annually would be paid. Congress closed the extraordinary session, which began on April 7, and settled down to the regular "long" ses sion, expected to continue into next summer. Only the absolutely neces sary formality marked the ending of the old session and the beginning of the new. The currency bill, as com pleted by the Democratic conference was printed and prepared for the sen ate, and Senator Owen presented it as a substitute for the bill originally reported by himself and the adminis tration Democrats of the banking and currency committee. The house con tented itself with a brief meeting. 1232,082,199 15 VALUE OF CROPS EQUAL IN WORTH TO THE AS SESSMENT OF ALL FARM LANDS. MORE RURAL CASH NEEDED Commissioner of Agriculture Grahari Does Not Think Much of Buying. on-Credit Plan. Rather Rural Cash Than Rural Credit. - Raleigh. North Carolina's harvest this year in value will equal the as sessment for a taxation of all her farm lands, estimates Commissioner Gra ham in his report to the State Board of Agriculture. In spite of floods in some sections, drought in others and storms of unusual severity and dura tion, he says there will be gathered, so far as the market price is concern ed, the most valuable crops ever har vested in this state. The assessed value of farm lands is $230,597,000; the crops Major Gra ham estimates to be worth $232,082,- 199, and this does not include by products. The chief crops and their estimated yields follow: Corn, including forage, $65,000,000; wheat, including straw, $10,000,000; oats, including straw, $4,000)000; cotton and seed, (800,000 bales,) $62, 000,000; Irish potatoes, $1,500,000; sweet potatoes, $4,000',000; peanuts, $6,000,000; peas and beans, $2,000, 000; hogs, pork and stock, $17,00, 000; horses and mules, $1,500,000; cattle, $2,000,000; rye, $600,000; ap ples $600,000; dairy products, $1,787, 245; poultry and eggs, $8,098,954. Total $232,082,199. This does not include berries, can ned goods, vegetables, trucks, buck wheat, honey and molasses. This remarkable exhibit, says the commissioner, has been produced by the adult farmer, and is the result in a large measure of the teachings of the Department of Agriculture through its institutes and demonstration work. Mr. Graham then states that the minds of this class of citizens are fully de veloped and must be appealed to through the "show me" method, or object lessons. After the customary tribute to the state as a farming section which has few equals. Commissioner Graham makes the statement that if "the farmers ever learn that buying on credit is a bad custom and to pro duce the supplies necessary to run the farm they should certainly pros per. Rural cash is much more to be desired than rural credit. North Carolina New Enterprises. The Climax Manufacturing Com pany of High Point was chartered to do a furniture manufacturing busi ness, the capital being $25,000 auth orized and $15,000 subscribed by E. M. Kearns and otners. Another char ter is the Everett Estate of Palmira, Martin County, capital $100,000 auth orized and $3,000 subscribed for oper ating the Justus Everett farm. S. J. Everett and others are incorporators. Unitey Township Gets First Prire. Unity Township, Rowan Count, has been awarded the first prize of $500 in cash for doing the most work on the roads on "Good Roads Days." Cleveland Township takes the second prize of $300, and Franklin the third of $200, and the money has been or dered paid over by the County Com missioners. The three townships now have $1.,000 more to spend in road building. Orders Company C to Disband. An order was made by Adjutant j General Young, disbanding Company t C. Second Regiment, Rocky Mount. ! The disbandment is because of the failure of the members to turn out in sufficient numbers for drills and to comply properly with other regu- , lations. Capt. L. J. Tillery resigned some weeks ago and Lieut. H. L. Daughtry was in command at the time of disbandment. Baptist Union Meeting Ends. The Baptist Union meeting which closed at Newton recently was large ly attended. This is the first time in several jears that Newton has secur ed this gathering of the church. The opening sermon was preached by Rev. S. W. Bennett of Lincolnton. Follow ing this sermon, a discussion on "Sys tematic Giving" was participated in by Rev. J. D. Harris of Hickory and Mr. W. W. Ervin of Moubo. Several jmportant discussions were partici pated in by prominent men of the church. To Have Stock Law Election. The Board of County Commissioners called an election recently on the question of countywide stock law un der an act of the recent Legislature to be held January 6. Petitions were presented by over 2,500 electors re questing the elections. There seems to be little or no doubt about the re sult of the election since Harnett, Sampson, Wayne and Wake have the stock law and the people of Johnston have been notified tha1. their cattle and stock cannot cross the county stock cannot cioss the county lines. HAVE NATIONAL PARK SOON North Carolina Congressmen Are In terested in Project For State. Raleigh. A special from Washing ington states that North Carolina will have a great national park before the present administration goes. out. Sen ator Overman and - Representatives Gudger, Page, Doughton and Webb are interested in the scheme.' Secre tary Lane of the interior department would approve such a plan, if it reach ed him in the proper form, it: is be lieved. The first action- to count toward the establishment of such a park would have to be taken In Con gress. "I am in favor of a National park like the Yellowstone, or other popular national parks in the West, for North Carolina," says Senator Overman. "We have the scenery and the climate to attract thousands of visitors from all parts of the country annually. It is my purpose to propose such a park within a short while." Being high up in the senate appro priation committee, Senator Overman can start a movement that would not stop short of a park. Secretary Lane is very much inter ested in the national parks of this country. He recently announced that he would bring the attention of European tourists to Uncle Sam's beautiful parks. The people of the West fully appreciate the great parks that are visited by thousands of peo ple every year. The North Carolinians are beginning to realize the value of their mountain scenery and climate and to discover the real meaning of the Appalachian Park system provid ed for in the Weeks law. "The people of my district are be coming enthusiastic over the subject of forest preservation," said Repre sentative Gudger. "They know what it means to have all the timber cut and sold. Lumbermen are busy about Asheville, cutting the mountain for ests out. Soon, most of them will be gone unless something is done to pre serve them." Revenue Officers Capture A Still. Revenue Officers Frank Miller and J. B. Bailey returned recently from Montgomery county, where they de stroyed a 30-gallon distillery and pour ed out 1,000 gallons of beer. In a deep ravine they found the still with a woman firing the furnace and a mar stirring the mush. The man made a bold dash for liberty and got away, while the officers held the wo man. A little later a voice from am bush demanded that the woman be re leased and the officers found them selves looking into the muzzle of a shotgun. However, they held the wo man until they had secured all the information they wanted and then turntrd her loose. Both Tweeds Will Go Free. The council of state recommended the pardon of Robert Tweed, serving a sentence of nine years for murder in th second degree, and the form of the governor's signature is all that standi between young Tweed and lib erty. The case of Robert and Major Tweed, who were ' convicted in Bun combe county court after the case had been removed from Madison, is one of the most interesting ones tried in Western North Carolina in a decade. These young men have served nearly half their years and the counsel be lieves they have suffered enough. Prepare for North Carolina Day. Rural life and Knapp memorial day are especially treated in the program for North Carolina Day in the public schools oi the state just being issued from the state department of educa tion to the teachers for use December 19. The program was prepared by N. C. Newbold, associate supervisor ol Rural schools and makes a pumphlet of 50 pages teeming with interesting articles and letters designed to center the interest of children on rural life. Winston 5alem Poultry Association. The annual exhibition of the Win ston-Salem Poultry Association open ed several days ago in the old post office building: Judge R. L. Simmons of Chai-lotte declares the show one of the beat of the season in this state. He completed his awards. - Condition of State Banks. An increase from $83,583,741 to $91, 100,539 in resources during the past year is shown by the statement of the condition of state banks at the close of business October 21. Capital stock increased during the past year from $9,984,652 to $11,018,271 and savings deposits from $11,586,564 to $13,208, 761. The increase in deposits subject to check was from $36,943,411 to $37 192,940. Time certificates of deposit grew from $9,052,061 to $10,235,107. There was a decrease of $643,770 in demand certificates of deposit. Gaston Commissioners Meet'. The board of county commissioners met in regular monthly session for December with all members presents and Chairman John F. Leeper presid ing. A large amount of business was up for consideration. A; usual De cember presents the largest amount of business for the commissioners of any month In the year. At this meeting the county officers submit their annual reports, which are gone over; the pau per list is to be gone over, the, Janu ary juries drawn and numerous ofier items considered. . H i APPROPRIATIONS CARRY THREE QUARTERS MILLION FOR THIS STATE. FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS Items Do Not Include Pay Rolls For Government In State or Other Fixed Expenses Special Amounts Are Given. Raleigh. A special fronWashing toh'states that departmental estimates on which are to be based the appro priations by Congress for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1915, carry more than three-quarters of a" million dol lars of items .local to North Caro lina, most of which, however, are for completing projects already under way or for maintenance of public im provements already completed. The following items gleaned from the esti mates do not include the pay rolls for the government in the state, or other -fixed expenses. The amounts for special purposes in North Carolina asked from Congress are as follows: Gastonia, continuing public build ing, $5,000; Greenville, completing building, $9,000; Hendersonvile, com pleting building, $29,000; Hickory, completing building, $10,000; Rocky Mount, continuing building, $27,000 1 Tarboro, continuing building, $23,000 Tarboro, continuing building, $23,000; Harbor of Refugee Cape Lookout, con tinuing construction, $300,000 ($500,- 000 used last year) ; improving harbor at Beaufort, $5,000; improving Beau fort Inlet, maintenance, $10,000; im proving harbor of Morehead City, $2, 000. At Bay river, $1,000; continuing work of constructing locks and dams of the Cape Fear river above Wil mington, $91,000; below Wilmington, $115,000; maintenance of improve ments of Contentnea creek, $2,000; on Fishing creek, $1,000; Meherrihg riv er, $1,000; Neuse and Trent rivers, $37,000; New river and waterways to Beaufort, $28,500; improvements in ; Northeast, Black and Cape Fear riv ! ers, $13,000; in Pamlico and Tar, $18, j 500; Roanoke river, $2,000; Supper 1 nong,$2,000; Shalkrtt, $1,000; Smith's v creek, $2,000; Swift creek, $500; Waterways from Pamlico sound to Beaufort inlet, $4,000; fish cultural station, Edenton, repairs, etc., $3,500; Marien Biological Station, Beaufort, $5,000; road to National cemetery at New Bern, $15,000. Appropriation For Survey. Greensboro. The County Commis sioners in monthly meeting voted an appropriation of $100 to help defray the expenses of a proposed survey oi Greensboro and suburbs, with a view of locating future streets, parks, etc., so that building in the future may be ( done along systematic lines and with ; a view of keeping regular streets in the surburbs and provides for parks in new sections of the town. John E. Nolen, of Cambridge, Mass., will prob ably be secured to do the work. Postmasters Looking For Trouble. I Newbern Completely ignoring the instructions received from the Post office Department J. S. Basnight, post master at this place, has refused to reinstate Night Clerk E. E. Smith, whom he discharged recently. Night Clerk Smith wired Senator Simmons that he had received no notice to go back to work. In reply Senator Sim mons stated that the order to rein state him had ceen sent. This action on the part of the postmaster leads ! to the belief that he will be ousted during the next few days. Vote Road Improvement Bonds. Granite Falls. Lovelady Township recently voted $25,000 road improve- ' men VrkTifle fho hnnHo fn r-nn fnr a period of 40 years with interest at five per cent. The vote on the issue was as follows: For bonds 212, against bonds 14, not voting five. This election was the first held in Caldwell County on road improvement bonds and means a better system of roads in the county as other town ships are expected to take up the fight of better roads. : Buncombe Medical Society Banquet. I Asheville. Monday night, Decem ber 15, has been named as the date for holding the annual banquet of the ! Buncombe County Medical Society. This year's spread will be served at the Battery Park Hotel and among the out-of-town guests who will be here for the spread are: Dr. J. M. Parrott, president of the North Caro lina Medical Society; Dr. J. H. Way, president of the State Board of Health; Willis Pendleton, medical director 'of the State Sanitorium for Tuberculosis. Planted Large Cover Crop. Raleigh. Farmers in Wake county this fall have planted a larger cover crop than in several years past and the demand for clover seed from mer chants has been very great all dur ing the season. The cover crop gen erally consists of clover, rye, oats and other winter grain. Farm De monstration , Agent W. H. Chamblee, Jr., says that . the increase in the clover crop this winter will be more than ,2,000 acres and the demand for. clover has come from e rery section of the county. FROM ALL OVER THE STATE Latest News of General Interest Tha Has Been Collected From Many Towns and Counties. ' Hillsboro. A horrible tragedy was enacted near here recently as a re sult of a dynamite explosion. J. to. Dawkins, foreman of the Graham road construction force was killed and a negro boy terribly bruised and cut. Kinston. A sure sign of extreme weather conditions in the early future of fishermen say, is the catching of codfish in considerable quantities off the North Carolina banks now. The fish have been marketed at one or two points, finding a ready sale of course. Washington. Representative Stead-; man recommended W. G. Bradshaw . for postmaster at High Point. The post I office department has notified Repre-. sentative Stedman that Mount Airy will be given free mail delivery, if the proper showing is made. j Fayetteville. According to a rumor in circulation here the Atlantic Coast Line is preparing to put on a local train between Rocky Mount and Fay etteville, leaving the former city in the early part of the day and return ing in the afternoon or evening. This is something that has been wanted here for a good while. Lincolnton. Great interest is cen-. tering in the postoffice fight in Lin colnton. At present there are three active candidates: Ex-Sheriff John K. Cline, ex-Register of Deeds H. A. Self and Harris Burgin. There - are several other candidates who are working quietly and saying nothing. This office pays $1,800 salary. Newton. The two banks of Newton bought the $25,000 Newton township road bonds at the county commission ers meeting recently. They were bought at par, less one thousand dol lars for commission expenses and at torney fees. Twelve thousand dol lars are subject to the order of the township treasurer in Farmers and Merchants bank. Asheville. At the monthly meeting of the members of the board of direc- ! tors of the Merchants' Association, res olutions were adopted starting a move 1 ment looking to the enforcement of i the provisions of the Justice bill and ' the fighting of the Virginia cteies which are seeking to interfere with the putting into effect of the rates. I Greensboro. Officers of the Just j Freight Rates Association in their i meeting recently did not organize , as had been anticipated, but deferred ! action until January. The attendance was not large. Resolutions were adopt ed condemning Virginia cities for I their attitude in the freight rate set tlement matter. Lincolnton. As a result of a shoot ing match at which he furnished the target, a negro employe at the Wright & Johnson camp, 10 miles west of Lincolnton, has been placed in the hospital and two young white men, "Dimple" Kistler and a companion named Baker, who are said to have stirred up the trouble at the camp : are wanted by the authorities. Statesville. Mayor L. C. Caldwell, i who assaulted Will Mayhew of Cor nelius on the streets of Statesville recently because Mayhew had insult ed the Mayor's wife, has been placed under $100 bond for his appearance at Superior Court to answer a charge of assault with a deadly weapon. The Mayor submitted his case to Justice W. J. Lazenby shortly after tbe as sault and asked that he be dealt with as any other citizen would be. Winston-Salem. Rufus Kinnamon, former road supervisor and prominent citizen of the county, was shot and instantly killed recently at his home near Guthrie, five miles from Winston Salem, and his son John, aged 24, is 1 in the county jail charged with mur der. The son admits firing the two gunshots which caused the death but claims self-defense, and his statement is endorsed by his mother and sister, who witnessed the tragedy. Raleigh. Mr. J. R. Ball, of Barton's Creek township was recently elected , superintendent of the County Home ' of Wake county to succeed H. G. Gul ley, resigned. He received every vote ! of the Board of Commissioners which was cast by ballot. There were sev eral other candidates, but only Mr. Ball received any votes. Mr. Galley will continue as superintendent until December 10, when his successor will take charge. ' I Newton. Not for many years past have the farmers had such favorable weather for gathering in their faH ' crops and sowing small grain as has been for the past few weeks. Corn is j practically all gathered and only a small amount of cotton. remains to be picked." I Charlotte. At the regular monthly meeting of the Mecklenburg county commissioners nothing but routine business came before the board with the exception of the petition to di vide Deweese township and this peti tion was acted upon adversely by the board. Washington. Representative Sted man recently recommended J. W. Mc Cracken for postmaster at Graham. Ernest. P. Page of Charlotte, who haa been appointed page of the house press gallery, by Representative Webb is at work. Greensboro. Maj. WV W. Wood re cently took the oath as stamp deputy here, having received his commission i few days ago from Collector Watts. His bond for $5,000 was promptly giv. sn, and Mr. Dale W. Starbuck, who aeld the place under the Republican idministration, turned over the books, papers and other effects of the office JNlTIMriONAL SUNMTSfflOOL Lesson (By E. O. SELLERS, Director of Evening Department, The Moody Bible Institute, Chicago.) - f,s' LESSON FOR DECEMBER 14 THE SIN OF ACHAN. LESSON TEXT Joshua 7:6-15. Read Joshua chapters 7-11. GOLDEN TEXT "Be sure your sin will find you out." Num. 321-23. Before proceeding against . Jericho, uoq, tnrougn nis servant josnua, naa given strict injunctions as regards the taking of anything from the city for self-enrichment, ch. 6.17, 18, It was necessary at the outset or tnis cam paign to safeguard Israel against any such motives. The fruits of their vic tories must in no way seem to be the rewards of, nor to be dependent upon, the efforts of their own hands. Spir itual victories are, as we learned last week, won by means and upon prin ciples utterly foolish' and inadequate in the view of human wisdom. Nor is the Christian dependent upon the principles of human thrift for his sus tenance or enrichment. That does not mean the divorcement of the Chris tian from those principles. Ther story of Achan is an illustra tion. While his sin was individualist! yet it was national in its results (v. 1.) After the fall of Jericho, Joshua sent a detachment of 2,000 or 3,000 men to take possession of the small town of Ai (literally, "ruins"). The task was seemingly an unimportant and an easy one, but the result was that the expe dition was turned into a miserable rout (vv. 1-6). Achan's Sins Revealed. The stages of the sin of Achan are wonderfully revealed in the confession' (v. 21) which was finally wrung from "I saw ... I coveted ,y . . I took . . . they are hid." I. Joshua's error, vv. 6-9. It was right and proper for Joshua to bring his difficulty to God, but it was not right for him to- lay upon him the blame for his defeat. Moses before I him had made that same mistake (Ex. ! 5:22, 23), and it would seem that ' Joshua should have profited thereby. In this, however, he is supremely hu man. We of today with far greater light are constantly making this same mistake of accusing God, instead of finding out and judging our sin. There is, however, an underlying note of the master passion of Joshua's heart, that note which had so gov erned the heart of his predecessor, Moses. It is expressed in the last note of his complamt, "What wilt thou do for thy great name?" v. 9. This com plaint and petition sounds very much like those of the preceding generation uttered 'in the wilderness. For us to wish ourselves to be "content to dwell i beyond Jordon," when the testing times of our Christian life come, when the calls come for an advance, Is to doubt his wisdom. No wonder Joshua was amazed when he saw Israel turn, its back upon its enemies (v. 8). We -must heware lest we. too. ba dism&ved when we see the church of today give way before the world and the devil. II. The cause of defeat, vv. 10-12. Joshua's petition is answered by the voice of Jehovah in terms of rebuke, strong, yet tender. In verse two we I are told that Joshua sent men to view Ai. Why? Because in the language of verse one "the children of Israel com mitted a trespass in the accursed thing." Joshua wanted the people to know that the sin of Achan and its results was the sin of the whole na tion. God brings the t essential one ness of the nation before us in verse eleven; for an illustration, see I. Cor. 5:1-7 and 12:12-14, 16. God's Instructions. III. The victory of defeat, w 13-15. It is a testimony as to the spiritual condition of this nation that the fraud was so soon located. The early Chris tian church had a parallel incident in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:1-11. In each case the evil was quickly judged and reveals the close ness of God to his people. In the pro cess of years Israel passed from that condition; has the church of today bo passed? God had given explicit in structions as to the spoil (ch. 6:18 R. V.) . God commands Joshua not to cry unto him, but to "sanctify the peo ple." The church of Christ, as well as the individual, needs to judge its sin and to set itself fc-part unto God. It was a stern judgment and the query arises what sort of bonfire would the church have today were all sinfully acquired property to suffer similar destruction. It is noticeable, however, that there is no suggestion of any confession on the part of Achan until the narrowing circle of judge ment had closed upon him. He con fessed only when there was no pos sible escape. This seems like a stern, hard process, but yet God was deal ing In mercy with the wl ole people. IV. The Golden Text. ' The words of this text were uttered b7 Moses to the nm onrl a half trihen whn settled on the east of Jordan, that in case they refused to come to the help of their brethren in the conflict necessary to the possession of Canaan, their' sjn, would discover them. This lesson war rants the application of this principle. A sin against God results in injury to your neighbor. It is a sin not to help your neighbor and conversely to in dulge in any act - which results in the deffeat, moral or . otherwise, of those with whom we associate, is also a sin. ; 1
The Chatham Record (Pittsboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 10, 1913, edition 1
1
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