Newspapers / The Chatham Record (Pittsboro, … / Jan. 21, 1914, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE CHATHAM RECORD H. l LONDON, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR Terms of Subscription $1.50 Per Year Strictly in Advance THE CHATHAM RECORD Rates of Advertising On Square, on miTti tt-CO Oim Square, two ktMrtioM $1X3 Or Square. oe montk $29 For Larger Advertisements Liberal Contracts vfTA bo rASdc VOL. X&CVI. PITTSBORO, CHATHAM COUNTY, N . d, JANUARY 21, 1914. NO. 24. BRIEF NEWS NOTES FOR THE BUSY IN MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK TOLD IN CONDENSED FORM. WORLD'S NEWS EPITOMIZED Complete Review of Happenings of Greatest Interest From All Parts of World. Southern. Charles Rittenhouse Pendleton, for sixteen years editor and part owner of the Macon (Georgia) Telegraph, died after an illness of five weeks. His condition did not become critical until a week ago, when it was discov ered that he had Bright's disease. He was 63 years of age. Colonel Pendle ton, as he was generally called, came to Macon from Valdosta, where he edited a paper for many years. He served one term in the legislature from Lowndes county, but ever after wards avoided holding political office, though he was a leader in the Demo cratic party in Georgia, Some of the country's best known millionaires are now on Jekyl Island, Georgia, where they are either occu pying their winter cottages or stop ping at the mammoth clubhouse oper ated on the island for the benefit of the guests. Practically every cottage on the island is now occupied and ad ditional parties are arriving daily. Wearing a blue handkerchief, cover ing his face up to his eyes, with a cap pulled down to the bridge of his nose and his coat collar turned up, a well dressed lone bandit boarded the Nash ville, Atlanta, Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis southbound passenger train, as it slowed down at -Vinings, near Atlanta, Ga., and with a blue-steel, large caliber revolver in his left hand, held up tho eleven passengers riding in the parlor car "Nyssa," forcing four of the male passengers to give up $280 in cash. The robbers made no effort to molest two women passengers on the car. Recently released from confinement in Augusta, Ga., for mental derange ment, Sam J. Norris shot and killed his wife and probably mortally wound ed William Dennis, 17 years old, a chauffeur, who was at the Norris home preparatory to taking Mrs. Norris ror a ride. After shooting the two, Norris attempted and would have shot Felix Gunter, the first person to come into the room. He was covered by a re volver in the hands of Police Surgeon Jennings, who disarmed and arrested him. The state senate of South Carolina killed the so-called "eugenics bill," which was endorsed by the South Car olina Medical Association, by a vote of 22 to 17. The bill required the production of medical certificates of freedom from disease on the part of male applicants before the issuance of marriage licenses. Senator Carlisle of Spartanburg moved that the bill be indefinitely postponed, saying that it was too much ahead of the times and that Wisconsin, with a similar meas ure in force, was having no end of trouble. General. Arrangements for the importation into this country of thousands of tons of beef and other meat products from the Argentine Republic, Australia and New Zealand, have just been complet ed hy a syndicate of American capi talists whose identity has not been dis closed. It became known, that the syndicate has leased for 21 years with privileges of renewals, four large ware houses from the New York Dock com pany, with an extensive water front, giving facilities for steamship piers and railroad connections. Snatched from what seemed almost certain death, the 108 passengers and crew of -the Royal Mail Packet Cobe Quid are safe in Yarmouth harbor, tireless appeals for assistance, which she had first made thirty-six hours before, were answered as the doom ed steamer was being racked to pieces on Trinity Rock, six miles off Port Maitland. The rescue will go down 'a shipping annals as one of the most notable ever accomplished on the At lantic coast. The Cobequid had be gun to break up under the cannoning of the terrible seas that had been mer dless from the time the vessel struck. After a meeting of the cabinet, which tested all night in Mexico City, the Mexican foreign minister, Querido Me keno, announced that the Mexican gov ernment will default in the payment f all interest on the bonds of the internal and external debts, which now remains unpaid or which falls due with ir the next six months. A heavy pay ment of interest on the foreign debt becomes due in April. It has been the practice of the government to make weekly remittances to New York, London and Paris to apply on its in terest obligations. Clayton M. Saxty, accused of rob bing the Wells-Fargo express office at Fort Smith, Arkansas, of a pack age containing more than nine tuou sand dollars in gold and currency, was arrested in St. Louis with $5,714 of the money on him. Saxty was arrest ed in the Union station when about to board a train for Chicago. At the Mice station he admitted the theft, xty is 22 years old and was employ ed as a clerk in the office of the ex cess company at Fort Smith. He will be taken back to Arkansas, where he wul be tried for the theft. The theft occurred some time aco. Dr. Carl Jacobson, the rich brewer of Copenhagen, who died recently, be queathed most of his fortune of $40, 000,000 to art purposes. Two officers and nine men compris ing the crew of the British submarine "A-7" are trapped in their craft be neath the waters of Whitesand bay, five miles southwest of Plymouth, Eng land. Whether the men are dead or alive has not been established, but navy officials have expressed the opin ion that all had perished. If it would not involve a moral tur pitude to publish in England a de famatory libel "against a field laborer in Devon or a street sweeper in Lon don," it would not involve moral turpi tude to publish the same" libel "re garding the lord chancellor, or even the king," the United States court of appeals has held. The court express es this view in deciding that Edward F. Mylius, whom the department of commerce and labor ordered deported, cannot be barred from the United States on the charge of moral turpi tude. A general strike throughout South Africa was proclaimed by the Trades Federation, and the Rand miners, by a two-thirds majority, voted to join in the movement. ' Governmental retal iation was swift in the form of the proclamation of martial law. This was the only step the authorities believed adequate to meet the situation, for the strike of the miners means not only the turning loose of the most turbulent spirits in the Rand, but raises the whole question of the position of the native workers. If the miners actually obey the strike order, the government will take immediate steps. After dragging a dying woman, 88 years old, from her bed, and tying her to a chair and then beating into in sensibility her 60-year-old son, who went to her rescue, two masked men ransacked the home of Charles Kim mel at Middle River, near Baltimore, Maryland, in search of a quantity of gold reputed to be hidden in the house. Kimmel and his mother were found an hour afterwards by a physician, who had been summoned to the house to attend the aged woman. The ex citement of the community is Intense, and every effort is being made to ap prehend the criminals. A tidal wave has added its terrors to the earthquakes and volcanic erup tion which struck Kagoshima, in the southern part of Japan, according to official advices. It is believed the Kagoshima disaster will prove to be one of the most serious in the history of Japan. The loss of life and prop erty increases with fuller news from the scene. The full extent of the dis aster could not be ascertained, as all communication was cut off. Washington. Representative Stanley of Kentucky, after a conference with President Wil son, introduced an amendment to the Sherman law, which would make ille gal monopolization or restraint of trade "in any degree," striking at the "rule of reason," laid down by the Su preme court in the Standard Oil case. Secretary Garrison has submitted to President Wilson his plan for the per manent government of the Panama ca nal zone. It is understood it contem plates making George W. Goethals the first governor of the zone with plenary powers. The canal will be opened in January, 1915. More than half the people who live in Connecticut had deposits in the savings banks, according to the an nual report of the state bank commis sioners. The 622,000 depositors have $307,500,000 to their credit, an in crease of 16,000 depositors and $9,000, 000 over 1912. The estimated popu lation of the state is 1,176,000. Copies of resolutions adopted by the boards of directors of 1,626 national banks, scattered over every state in the Union, accepting the provisions of the new currency law, have been re ceived by the treasury department. Of the total applications received 114 are from New England, 435 from Eastern states, 286 from Southern states, 522 from Middle states, 185 from West ern states and 84 from Pacific states. Pennsylvania leads with 225 applica tions; Ohio is second, with 136; New York third, with 101, and Indiana is' fourth, with 100. Fifty-three have been received from Oklahoma. Secretary Garrison and adjutants general representing National Guard organizations of more than thirty states agreed on terms of the propos ed militia pay bill, under which the federal government would provide for militiamen, who, In turn, would en list as "federal reservists" subject to the call of the president to duty either within the United States or abroad. Secretary Garrison will lay a draft of the measure before President Wil son, with an explanation of just what the federal government may expect in return for the money to be appro priated. President Wilson has nominated John Skelton Williams of Virginia, as sistant secretary of the treasury, for comptroller of the currency and ex officio member of the federal reserve board which will administer the affairs of the new currency systenv Congress settled down to its long regular session after a recess dating from the passage of the currency bill just before Christmas. The coming administration " i anti-trust legislation has loomed up as the big business of - the winter; but with the pros pect of , waiting until the president's message turns up, both houses have turned actively to other matters. In the house return to work was cele brated by prompt passage of the first of the annual supply measures, the District of Columbia appropriation bill, and the introduction of the usual miscellaneous measures. NORTH CAROLINA LEADS THE SOOTH ONE-HALF OF SPINDLES ADDED TO SOUTHERN MILLS IN THIS STATE. DISPATCHES FROM RALEIGH Doings and Happenings That Mark the Progress of North Carolina Peo ple Gathered Around the State Capitol. . Raleigh. North Carolina led all Southern States in the number of spindles add ed during the past year, according to figures compiled from Directory of Southern Cotton Mills just from the press. Of the 768 mills 106 made additions and seven new ones were launched. The aggregate of increase amounted to 445,300 spindles as com pared with 763,000 for the year pre ceding, which considering the many distributing elements ntering into the situation is regaraeu as very sat isfactory. The fact is noteworthy that during the past year a number of mills bought new machinery in the place of old which are not included in the foregoing summary of addi tions. Another interesting feature about the year was . the fact that quite a number of mills that had contracted for additions the year previous in stalled them during 1913. Such was the case with the Dan River, Mills, Lancaster Cotton Mills, Woodside Cotton Mills and others, which, if added to the number of spindles act ually contracted for, would swell the total for 1913 to a surprising figure. The showing in the South and par ticularly in North Carolina where one half of the new spindles were added is particularly- gratifying, considering the fact that the Democratic admin istration went into power during the year which had a decided disturb ing effect on the textile industry by reason of the then pending tariff changes. These changes having been effected and the industry having now adjusted itself to the new state" of affairs, it is reasonable to expect a much greater activity in cotton mills circles in 1914 than during the past year. The following is the recapitulation of additions by state: North Carolina 212,600 South Carolina ..' 81,000 Georgia 66,300 Alabama 30,600 Alabama 30,600 Virginia 21,000 Tennessee 20,700 Texas 2,900 Rush Work on State Hospital. Work on the new building at the State Hospital at Morganton for the Insane is being rushed, and when completed will add space for about 200 patients. Even this will not en tirely relieve the situation, as the in stitution has fully that many or more applications. The new building is lo cated at the rear of the main build ing and between the building and the amusement hall. Eight New Enterprises. The Alcea Lime Company, Wilming ton, capital $10,000 authorized, and $5,000 subscribed by S. J. L. Springs, K. Clyde Council and J. B. Brinkley, Jr. The Bank of Oakboro, capital $10, 000 authorized, and $5,000 subscribed by C. C. Furr, C. E. Hill and otheTs for a commercial banking business. The Asheville Pepsi Cola Bottling Company, Asheville, capital $25,000 authorized and $6,000 subscribed by Chester Brown, Mary D. Brown and others. The Queens College Land Com pany, Charlotte, capital $150,000 au thorized and $5,000 subscribed by E. T. Cansler, W. S. Alexander, A. G. Brenizer and others for land develop ment business. The King Co-Operative Company, Nashville, capital $50,000 authorized, and $5,000 subscribed by G. W. Joy ner, H. C. Davis and others for a mer cantile business. The Lincoln Furniture Manufac turing Company, Lincolnton, capital $50,000 authorized, and $21,000 sub scribed, by H. S. Robinson, M. W. Shook and others for furniture manu facturing. The City Grocery Company, Hen derson, capital $25,000 authorized and $5,000 subscribed by A. E. Murphy and others for a grocery and general mer cantile business. The National Moving Picture Adver tising Company, Charlotte, capital $100,00 authorized and $300 subscrib ed by W. P. Aldroch, C. O. Smith and H. R. Glasscock. Saleeby Turned Down by Sultan. . A. B. Saleeby, a Syrian who wanted to go as Consul to Syria, has been turned down by the Sultan of Turkey. Secetary Bryan wis ready to appoint Mr. Saleeby, but was notified that he would not be agreeable to the sultan. Mr. Bryan would like to send Mr. Saleeby somewhere else, but the Salis bury man says that he prefers North C arolina to any other country except iiis native land. He will go back to Salisbury and urge the culture of silk. He is a wealthy merchant and a man of ability and character. North Carolina Grand Lodge Meets. Grand Master Francis M. Winches ter of Charlotte called to order the North Carolina Grand Lodge of Ma sons in the Grand Lodge temple here with an especially large attendance. The annual address of the Grand Mas ter was presented and other prelimi naris disposd of. The annual oration on the order of Masonry and what it stands for was delivered by Grand Orator W. B. Love of Monroe. The annual address of the Grand Master was most interesting, review ing the progress of North Carolina Masonry for the first year of his ad ministration. While receiving notice from time to time the past year of the death of prominent grand officers of other jurisdictions, not a single eath took place in he official family of North Carolina Masonry. Nine new lodges were instituted during the year, making 408 active subordinate lodges with 22,214 mem bers. Tribute is paid to the auspicuous opening of the Masonic and Eastern Star Home at Greensboro at a cost of nearly 30,000. The report of the Masonic Orphan age at Oxford was presented and shows 330 children present, their health and other conditions being ex cellent. A special cottage for small children is to be erected at once, as the rules of the institution are so changed as to admit of the care of children of any age up to 12 years. Heretofore none under six years have been cared for. The receipts of the orphanage were $49,000, of which $20,000 came from the state. The farm brought in $4,000, the orphanage . pa per $6,000 and the singing class. $14, 000. Grand Lodge of Masons got down to business the second day with the adoption of the new code by almost a unanimous vote. It has been in course of preparation for the past three years, J. D. Alderman and A. B. An drews being the special commission for its preparation. A resolution was adopted fixing the Grand Lodge tax on Masonic initia tions at $1. John T. Alderman, of Henderson, was elected grand master, to succeed Dr. F. M. Winchester, who let it be known among his friends that he pre ferred to be relieved of the grand mas tership. The Grand Lodge re-elected M. C. S. Noble of Chapel Hill as a member of the board of directors of the Masonic and Eastern Star home, Greensboro. The membership of the board was increased. After much important work the an nual three days' session closed. More Cotton, Tobacco, Potatoes. Commissioner of Agriculture Gra ham announces that North Carolina leads the whole country for the fourth consecutive year in the amount of cotton- raised an acre, the average be ing 238 pounds. South Carolina is second with 234 pounds. The Govern ment report closes in May, and in 1913 North Carolina reported 315 pounds an acre. The tobacco crop in North Carolina is reported as worth $30,988,000, ex ceeding Kentucky, which is second, by more than $2,000,000. In sweet potatoes North Carolina is first with 8,000,000 bushels; Geor gia second with 7,221,000. There is an increase in the quantity of wheat of 1,750,000 bushels over 1912, in oats of 7,000,000 bushels and in corn of 4,000,000. Furthermore, North Carolina leads the whole country in the quantity of peanuts grown. New Fertilizer Tags. Commissioner Graham of the depart ment of agriculture announces that the department will prepare fertilizer tags for packages weighing 10, 20 and 50 pounds, in addition to the regular bag tags, the object of the smaller tags be ing to make it possible to send these smaller packages through parcel post. It is expected that these small pack ages will be of much service in getting fertilizers for small plots of ground and for experiments and test culture. They will also be valuable in distribu ting fertilizers for prize contests, there being now valuable silver cups and other prizes offered to North Carolina cotton growers for the best cotton from certain fertilizer to be shown at the Cotton Exposition in London in June. - Opening Masonic Home. Members of the Masonic and East ern Star fraternities from all sections of North Carolina were at Greensboro to attend the formal opening of the Masonic and Eastern Star Home, which is located at Pomona, jthree miles west of there. In addition to them many Greensbbro people attend ed the exercises. The attendance of Masons was considerably augmented by the fact that many members of the order were passing through the city on their way to the Grand Lodge meeting in Raleigh. Raleigh School Bonds Defeated. The proposed $50,000 bond issue for the Raleigh Public Schools was de feated 78 votes in the ; election. The vot0 was against a new registration in which scarcely ' more than one third of the voters had taken the in terest to register. - The vote for bonds was 578 Had the. bonds carried, the school trustees would have put $25,- 000 in a new fire-proof- school build ing for the Glenwood suburb, part of the remaining half would have gone to enlarging school buildings for negroes. IMBSHELL HITS SUFFRAGE CAUSED BY DECISION AGAINST CREATING STANDING COM MITTEE IN THE HOUSE. LEADERS ARE WROUGHT UP Mrs. Funck Fears Attitude of Union . Caused Regrettable Situation. Will Investigate to Find Where to Place the Blame. Washington. The decision of the majority members of the house rules committee against the creation of a standing comnr.ttee of the house on woman suffrage landed like a bomb shell in the ranks of the national suf frage leaders gathered here. Both the Congressional committee of the Na tional American Woman Suffrage Association and the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage have been pressing the matter; but a radical dif ference of opinion betwen the organi sation was indicated by the comments ments tonight. The Congressional Union, at a hur riedly called meeting adopted unani mously a resolution declaring the meeting "regarded with indignation," the action of the Democratic members of the rules committee. In refusing to create a committee to . consider the justice and expediency, of extending self governing institutions to women. Mrs. Antoinette Funck, lobby mem ber of the Suffrage Association, took exception to the attitude of the Con ressional Union. "I am fearful lest the avowed policy of the Union to strike at the Democratic party as a whole," she said, "may. have contributed to this most regrettable situation. It is the intention of our committee to re main entirely nonpartisan and to sup port at primaries and elections Na tional ofcers who show a friendly dis position toward us and neyer to op pose any candidate unless he has ig nored a well defined sentiment for suf frage among his constituents." Mrs. Funck declared that under the caucus system four members of the rules committee had been able to de feat the will of the whole committee. Assurances had been received, she added, that a reconsideration would be sought by suffrage sympathizers who are members of the Democratic house caucus. We then will be able, at least," she said, "to put the blame where it be longs." Clearing House for Farmer. Washington. "Co-operation, among farmers instead of competition, that the farmer may receive the whole of the consumer's dollar for his product instead of 35 to 45 per cent as now is the case" is the aim of a bill intro duced by Senator Borah to create an "agricultural capital" or clearing house to be run by farmers under gov ernment charter or subsidy. The bill would furnish machinery for scientific marketing and standardization of farm producers irrespective of government control. It created quite a stir in the senate, Senator Borah explaining later that he had not written the measure, but had introduced it at the request of E. H. Rettig. Has Little Opposition. Washington. Little opposition to the agricultural extension bill devel oped in debate in the senate;. Senator Hoke Smith, in charge of the bill, an nounced he would seek a vote soon. Senator Smoot said he had intend ed to amend the bill to provide for demonstration work in buying and pre paring food by housewives, but had re frained because it might handicap the measure in the house. Senator Sim mons offered an amendment to appro priate immediately $500,000 instead of $300,000 for the work and authorize an ultimate appropriation of $5,000,000 annually instead of $3,000,000. $600,000 For Richmond Building. Washington. An appropriation of $600,000 for an addition site for the Federal building at Richmond, Va., is provided in a bill introduced by Rep resentative Montague of Virginia- Will Not Investigate Striks. Washington. Democrats of the Jouse Rules Committee decided against ordering Congressional inves tigation of strikes in the Michigan copper field and the Colorado - coal district. Republicans and Progres sives .tried for a meeting of the entire committee, but the Democratic ma jority in private conference voted that no investigation resolution be report ed. Democrats of the committee con cluded there were no question in either strike concerning the Federal Government. Steamer and Crew Lost. Hamburg, Germany. No doubt re mains that the German steamer Acilia is lost witb its crew of 48 and 50 passengers. A telegram from Punta Arenas, Chile, received here says that the bodies of two of her officers were picked up among a mass of wreckage in -Moat ' Channel, north of Picton Island, Terra del Fuego. Indians in the vicinity declare that a big steamer sank there sometime ago. The Acilia was a vessel of 3,600 '.ons net, built in 1900, and chartered ay theiKosmos line. RANKS Hews Items of the Old Elorth State Catawba Warehouse Ready. The Farmers' Union meeting in Newton recently was addressed' by Mr. W. B. Gibson, president of the Farmers' Union in Iredell county and a member of the state executive com mittee. The stockholders of the warehouse authorized the directors to begin business at once. They are now looking for a good manager and as soon as one caiTbe secured busi ness will begin. They will handle fertilizer, lime, salt, sugar, all kinds of farm implements, buggies, wag ons, etc. They will also ship sweet potatoes and other farm produce in carload lots. Gets Farm School. . At a postponed meeting of the Mecklenburg County Board of Edu cation held a few days ago in the office of County Superintendent Mc Cluskey, the offer of $26,007. by Pine ville was accepted , and the board vot ed to recommend the county farm life school for this thriving locality. The fight between Dfcrita, Pineville and Huntersville was exceedingly warm, for each of these fertile sec tions of the county were anxious for the school and all had made strenu ous efforts to land it, the work during the past month or more being carried on with vigor in each of the three districts. Freight Hearing Tedious. Freight Traffic Manager L. Green of the Southern Railway was on the stand nearly three hours in the in trastate freight rate hearing at Ral eigh and scarcely more than got started in the presentation of his evi dence, it is said. H is following lines of evidence designed to "show that the Southern's present freight rate revenue cannot stand the big cuts prescribed in the Justice act through applications of the Minnesota rates, and is developing exhaustive presentation of Carolina freight con ditions compared with Minnesota and other territories. Building County Roads. The Rutherford County Road Com missioners have recently met and made plans for pushing the 'road work. As soon as it will do at all sand will be put on the roads graded. Contracts for 50 more miles of grad ing will soon be let. A Progressive Dairyman. R. L. Shuford, Catawba's largest dairyman, is engaged in placing an oveshot wheel at his dairy and butter house, which will dnve his separator and churn. NORTH CAROLINA NEWS NOTES. W. A. Gibson, postmaster at Bry sonCity and A. M. Sanders, postmas ter at Smithfield, were confirmed by the Postmaster General. The girls of Buncombe county are to be organized into tomato clubs. The decision was reached a few days ago by the county officials and $100 was appropriated to be used in the organization of these clubs. Just before Durham court adjourn ed the jury in the Rhodes case re turned a verdict giving G. A. Rhodes $200.05 damages account of the Dur ham emptying sewerage into Black well's branch, which flows by his farm. , The annual meeting of the stock holders of the Wilmington Savings & Trust Co. was held a few days ago. The old directors and officers were re-elected. The past' year "has been a trying one, but President Taylor's re port showed that the company had made a net profit of 33 pe rcent Catawba county is the leading county in the state in the way of co operative industries. The Catawba Creamery " located at Hickory, the Farmers' Union Warehouse at New ton and the Sweet Potato Growers' Association for the county are organ izations that every citizen of Cataw ba county is proud of. At a special session held a few days ago the Asheville Pastors' As sociation decided to wage war on the Sunday afternoon concerts which are being given at. a local theater at fre quent intervals by the Asheville Band and Orchestral Club. Up to January 1, 1914, the num ber of bales of cotton ginned in Meck lenburg county" was 29,183. At the same point one. year ago the number was 26,835. The advertised sale of Goldsboro bonds for municipal improvements to the amount of $103,000 came a few days ago and the Board of Aldermen accepted the bid of Tillottson & Woolcott Co. of Cincinnati for $80,000 of the issue at par, on which they agreed to pay a premium of $70 and accrued interest at time of delivery. The remaining $23,000 of the issue will be sold later. The Asheville Association of Grad uate Nurses was formed by the train ed nurses of this city arra meeting which was held at the superintend ent's 'offices of the Mission Hospital recently. At an informal meeting of the principals of the various high schools of the county, held in the office of County Superintendent E. P. Hall at Gastonia, it was finally and definite ly decided to have a county com mencement of the public schools in Gastonia at a date to be named later. It will, in all probability, be early In April. SMMTSOIOOL Lesson . (By E. O. SELLERS. Director of Evening Department, the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago.) LESSON FOR JANUARY 25 SERVING JESUS. LESSON TEXT Luke 8:1-3; 9:57-62; 10:38-42. . GOLDEN TEXT "Inasmuch as ye did It unto one of these my brethren, even, the least, ye did it unto me." MattJ 25-40. ' The first section of our lesson text has no connection with the other two.' It is taken from a time several months previous to the time of . the Perean ministry and was undoubtedly chosen as &n Indication of the company who traveled with Jesus and his disciples, and who provided for his needs. We must remember that Jesus was not supported by a board, a church, nor by some philanthropically Inclined fellow citizen. It is to the second two sec tions therefore that we devote our chief attention. Different Classes. J ' I. Those who would follow Jesus, &: 57-62. Read carefully Matt. 8:19-22. 5hree different classes are here repre sented: (1) The Impulsive follower (v. 57, 58). This is the man who is moved by a sudden desire to accom pany this marvelous Teacher, but like the man in the parable, does not sit down and count the cost ere he starts to build his house. This thought is emphasized when we read (Matt. 8:19) that this man was a Bcribe, one who would not be expected to make such a resolve. He must have been deeply stirred by what he had seen and heard In the life of Jesus. Such a resolve promised well, but it is soon revealed to him that he did not realize what was involved in his promise (v. 58). Jesus showed the man that to go "whithersoever" with him means to share his experiences, hi 3 fare, his quarters, and to receive the same treatment he received, 2 Tim. 3:12. It is a mistake to tell folk that the road of righteousness is a primrose path. The road of disobedience is a rough one, as the man who went to Jericho found, still the road of righteousness is a narrow one, Matt. 7:13, 14. Every follower of Jesus must be willing to take what he took, and to receive what he received, John 15:20; 1 Pet. 2:21. This sentence (v. 58) has done more to give us a comprehension of the earthly surroundings of our Lord than any other in the gospels, 2 Cor. 8:9. (2) The procrastinating follower (v. 59). Jesus did not forbid the first man, he simply showed him what was involved. This man, however, Jesus Invited to a place as disciple learner. That he was willing to accept is evi Aent, only he was not yet quite ready, "I will, but." It is not at all proba ble that this man's father was await ing burial; had his father but just died, and awaiting burial, Jesus would not have prevented. Rather he was indicating a father about to die and that he would follow after his father's ideath. Hence the sharp words of the Master, "Let the dead bury the dead." A proper duty, a sacred duty, but not so proper nor so sacred as to have pre cedence over the claims of Jesus, Matt 6:33; 10:37. Ever Ready to Serve. II. Those who did follow Jesus, 10:38-42. We now turn to consider this little company who were ever ready to serve our Master. From v. 58 we know that not every home was open to receive Jesus as was this one in Bethany, John 11:1. Though this was Martha's home (10:38), and there fore she felt the burden of hospitality, yet she did not hear the word as did her sister Mary, Mark 4:19. Martha was occupied with duty and Mary, with Jesus. Martha was occupied with many things, Mary was occupied with the "one thing needful." The result was that Martha was "distracted" (R. V.) , while Mary was at rest. Jesus wants his disciples, his followers, to sit at his feet and to learn of him. He knows all about duty's dull demand, but the one thing needful is, first of all, to learn of him. Martha's love prompted the service, but there was doubtless much pride that accompa nied it. Jesus, as we have seen, was pot cumbered with much comfort, and it is doubtful that he was desirous of a big dinner. Jesus does, however, commend communion with himself as being, "that good part" Afterwards, when death invaded that circle, it was Martha that had the most intimate dealing with our Lord, see John, chap ter 11, hence we conclude that she learned on this day the lesson Jesus sought to teach, viz., that in the life of quiet communion (Isa. 30:15) we shall receive that strength that is ab solutely essential, if we are to serve him acceptably. We must not allow the daily, legitimate demands of duty to interfere with a life of full, free, fel lowship with the Master. Summary It has never been re corded that Jesus ever complained o the hardships of life, yet he had hla intimates who were glad to minister to his needs. The call to companionship' with Christ, the call, "follow me," is the most stupendous program yet pre sented to man. The perfect disciple as well as the ideal woman, is the onei who is a blend of the divergent chart acters of Martha and Mary. It is at the feet of Jesus we are to receive that" equipment which is necessary for ef fective service. "Making excuses takes much time that had better be put inta 'making good." ,
The Chatham Record (Pittsboro, N.C.)
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Jan. 21, 1914, edition 1
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