THE CHATHAM RECORD H. A. London EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR Terms of Subscription $1.50 PER YEAR Strictly in Advance THE CHATHAM RECORD Rates of Advertising One Square, one insertion - - $1.00 One Square, two insertions - $U0 One Square, one month - - $2L50 For Larger Advertisements Liberal Contracts will be mad. VOL. XXXVIII. PITTSBORO, CHATHAM COUNTY, N. C, MARCH 15, 1916. NO. 32. ill u iCv axvv k p f iCV veii T THE WORLD OVER happenings of This and Other Nations For Seven Days Are Given. THE NEWS OF THE SOUTH What Is Taking Place in the South land Will Be Found In Brief Paragraphs. Domestic The mammoth plant of the Yaryan Rosin and Naval Stores company was practically destroyed by fire, with a loss of $750,000, at Brunswick, Ga. The plant will be rebuilt. Henry Gassaway Davis, nominee on the Democratic ticket in 1904 for the vice presidency, is dead in Washing ton. He was a great railroad builder, and was considered an expert in high way development. He was a delegate to six Democratic national conventions and a member of the Pan-American railway commission. Two bills passed place the New Jersey house of assembly on record in favor of military training in the public schools. Atlanta, Ga., experienced its sever est hailstorm since October, 1910 ; huge pellets, driven by a high wind, smashed plate glass windows and sky lights, practically putting a stop to all business for the time being. A petition placing Theodore Roose velt in nomination for president and H. W. Johnson of California for vice president in the primaries to be held in Montana, April 21, as Progressive party candidates, has been filed with the secretary of state at Helena. Local option won over prohibition in Vermont by a margin of 13,164 votes. Six prisoners lost their lives and about forty others were seriously in jured by being burned in the city jail in a fire caused by the exploding of a large tub containing a solution of gas oline and kerosene used for extermi nating germ-carrying vermin, at El Paso, Texas. Most of the victims were locked in cells surrounding the bath quarters, where the fire started. Roy Scruggs, the seven-year-old son of an orchard overseer at Cornelia, Ga., met death in a most unusual manner by eating snow found on a barrel containing a spray mixture used in the orchard. Enough poison was drawn into the snow to produce death in less than twenty-four hours. Washington Francisco Villa, Mexican bandit, raided United States territory, with 500 men attacking Columbus, N. M., and killing at least sixteen American and firing many buildings before he was driven across the border. The thirteenth United States cavalry fol lowed the marauders into Mexico. President Wilson has ordered Amer ican troops across the border, with the emphatic instructions to take Villa, dead or alive. An adequate force will be sent. The period of "watchful waiting" is over, and action is now the watchword. It is stated that the bor der is honeycombed with Mexican spies, and the utmost secrecy will be maintained regarding the movement of troops. The state department has been ad vised that the Russians have landed a large force on the Black sea coast of Asiatic Turkey and the occupation of Trebizond is imminent. The United States consul has taken over the ar chives of the German consulate, the German consulate having fled. Approximately a billion and a half dollars for new ships and an annual upkeep of $760,000,000 is what Admiral Fletcher estimates it would cost to carry out the navy general board's recommendation that the American navy should equal the most powerful fleet afloat by not later than 1925. Unofficials reports have reached Washington from the west coast ot Mexico that Mexican de facto govern ment officials had disposed of five reb el generals captured in Sonora by dropping them over the rail of a ship on which they were being taken to Manzanillo. It is stated that they were executed. There are no further details. A dispatch from El Paso, Texas, states that reports reaching there from Juarez that two Americans, named Franklin and Wright, were kill ed by Villa bandits at Pacheco, be tween Casas Grandes and Janos, Chi huahua, have been confirmed. It is stated that the men disregarded warn ings sent to American citizens north west of Chihuahua, and as a result lost their lives. Joseph H. Shea of Seymour, Ind., has been nominated by the president for ambassador to Chile. It is announced in Washington that the three Americans Mrs. Farrell, Miss Mitchell and Dr. Henry Forbes reported to have been mistreated and interned by Bulgarian authorities in Monastir, have been released. Germany has made a further ex planation to the United States of the position it has taken in regard to arm ed merchant vessels of the entente allies. Germany concedes that inter national law makes no provision for the use of submarines. Newton D. Baker, 44 years old, for mer mayor of Cleveland, has been se lected by President Wilson for sec retary of war. He is a leading lawyer of Ohio, and was born in West Vir ginia. He is understood to be in thor ough accord with the president on the preparedness program and foreign Questions. MPORTAN NEWS President Wilson completely and decisively won his long and sensa tional fight to compel congress to ac knowledge that it stands behind him in the submarine negotiations with Germany. From the very outset of the fight, the president's supporters, with out regard to party, swept over the opposition. Administration officials are concern ed over the reports that Henry Mor- genthau, American ambassador to Turkey, might resign. It was under stood some of the ambassador's friends are urging him to remain in this country to assist in the next pres idential campaign. Ira Nelson Morris, present United States minister to Sweden, is being mentioned as ambassador to Turkey, in the event Ambassador Morgenthau resgins and returns home. Foreign Serious rioting has occurred in Co logne, Germany, as a result of the heavy losses of the German troops in the battle of Verdun. Artillery had to be placed in the streets to ovrawe the crowds. General Carranza, head of the de facto government of Mexico, will not make a statement yet in regard to the situation resulting from the raid on Columbus, N. M. The public haa not been advised of the raid. Winston Spencer Churchill, former first lord of the admiralty, now a colonel and fresh from the trenches, sprang back into the parliamentary arena in a daring speech, answering First Lord of the Admiralty Balfour, in the English house of commons, who had just presented the naval esti mates. Churhcill declared that the ad miralty lacked driving force, and that it must be revitalized before it was too late, by bringing back Lord Fish er, the former first sea lord, to head the admiralty administration. The Spanish steamship Principe de Asturias has been sunk by striking a rock off the coast of Brazil, near Santos. Three hundred and thirty eight passengers and 107 members of the crew are reported missing. It is stated that 87 members of the crew and 57 passengers were taken to San tos. European War Russia is making preparations to use the recently captured harbor of Riza as a naval base for the advance on Trebizond, from which it is 35 miles distance. The Turks on the Asiatic coast are terribly handicapped by incredibly bad land communications. According to official German casu alty list, Germany has lost 2,67,372 men in the war. The Germans have retaken a part of the Corbeaux wood around Verdun from which the French had previously ejected them. The enitre region of Verdun contin ues the scene of intense operations. West of Douaumont and the sector em bracing Vaux have been points against which the Germans have launched vi cious infantry attacks. Fighting of great violence between the French and German infantry has been in progress from Bethincourt northwest of Verdun, to the Meuse, and east of the Meuse from the south ern slopes of the Cote de Talou to the Douaumont region battle fronts ag gregating about ten miles in length. A continuation of the German drive northwest of Verdun is declared by Berlin to have netted the Germans French positions over a fornt of near ly four miles, and virtually two miles in depth, and enabled them to capture 58 officers and 3,277 men. In the Corbeaux woods, which was occupied recently by the Germans, the French launched a heavy counter at tack and drove the Germans out of the greater part of the position. In the Woevre district southeast of Verdun the Germans have forced the French to surrender their hold on out lying positions they held in the vil lage of Fresnes. Here the Germans assert they captured 700 prisoners. Russians warships are particularly active in the Black sea, bombarding the coast towns, and the continued progress of the Russian forces is evi denced by the capture of the town of Riza, which lies about 35 miles east of Trebizond, one of the important objectives of the Russian army. Major General von Lot ?r, com manding the German artilleiy division at Verdun, is reported to have been killed in action. Driving hard against the French line northwest and southeast of Verdun, the Germans have been enabled to make additional gains toward Ver dun, but with extreme heavy casual ties. The occupation of a portion of the Corbeaux wood near Verdun would in dicate that the Germans have advanc ed over three miles since they took the town of Forges. On the western front the enemy ar tillery, according to Russian reports, carried out an intense cannonade in the district southeast of the Island of Dalen, using balloon in the can nonading. On the Caucasian front the Rus sian troops continue pressing the Turks from Mapavia, On the Persian front the Russians occupied Cola, 26 miles west of Ker manshah. The Russian Black sea fleet, is ex tending its operations far to the west ward of Trebizond, and has bombard ed the mouth of the Terma river, where a fleet of sailing vessels had taken refuge. Thirty miles east of the Terma the fire of the warships de stroyed barricades and depots and many Turkish ships. Along the coast line the Russians during the last few days have sunk more than thirty sailing vessels laden v-.th war supplies. CARRANZA ISSUES MANIFESTO TO U. S. AMERICANS MUST STAY OUT UN LESS THSY GRANT HIM SIMI LAR RIGHTS. MUST E A MUTUAL AFFAIR United States Must Not Send Armed Force After Villa Without Recip rocal Privilege. . Mexico City. General Carranza is sued a manifesto to the Nation declar ing that under no circumstances would the Mexican Government grant the right to the United States to vio late the Mexican territory by sending in an armed force in pursuit of Villa without consent and the reciprocal privilege being first obtained and ad mitted. "I am sure that I interpret in this matter the national sentiment and that the Mexican people will comply in a dignified manner with their duty bo the sacrifice what they may, to sustain their rights and sovereignty if, unfortunately, this drags us into a war a war which the United States can never justify. We will not be responsible for the disastrous conse quences. Upon the heads of the traitorous Mexicans who within and without this country have labored to produce this result, will fall the inex orable justice of the people. "Because of the assault which Fran cisco Villa and the bandits who oc companied him made on the town of Columbus, in Aemrican territory, burning houses and killing some of the inhabitants, soldiers as well as civilians, the international situation in these moments is very delicate as the North American press have ex cited their people against Mexico and the government of that country has discussed the situation in the Ameri can Congress, members of which have advised intervention. "The constitutional government which I have the honor to represent is also occupied diligently in an ef fort to solve this delicate situation, trying at all costs to maintain the dig nity and sovereignty of Mexico. Historical Precendents Cited. "I have addressed the Government of the United States through the for eign office, stating that the invasion of Villa has historical precendents, as in the years 1880 and 1886 two par ties of Indians coming from the Unit ed States invaded Sonora and Chihua hau, committing crimes and depreda tions on the lives and properties of Mexicans.- "It was then agreed between the governments of the two countries to permit the respective passage of arm ed forces, resulting in the extermina tion of the Indians. I have asked the American Government to pursue a like course in order to solve future difficulties, should they arise, noting that Villa and his companions are a group of bandits, whose acts the Mexican Government or people would not be responsible for, and that his reproachable conduct is due to insti gations of the reactionary element, that, lacking patriotism and convinc ed of its defeat, is trying by all means to bring on armed intervention. "I ' have not yet received the answer of the American Govern ment and from the reports of my chiefs along the frontier I learn that the American forces are mobilizing to pursue and capture and deliver him to the Mexican authorities; that the expedition is in the nature of a puni tive campaign, and that the sover eignty of Mexico will be respected. "The constitutional government has given instructions to its confidential agent at Washington immediately to make representations that under no circumstances will any motive, be the reasons or explanations of the United States what they may, justify the armed invasion of Mexican terrttory without reciprocal rights being grant ed to the Mexicans and that not for an instant will the invasion of Mexican territory or an outrage to its dignity be tolerated. "I am sure that in this I interpret the national sentiment and that the Mexican people will worthily comply with their duty, be the sacrifices what they may, to sustain their rights and sovereignty. If, unfortunately, we are dragged into a war, which the United States can never justify, we will not be responsible for the disastrous con sequences, but will serve as instru ments for Mexican traitors within and without our country who 'have long labored to produce this result and upon their heads will fall the inexor able justice of the Mexican people." Three Regiments Get Orders. Washington. General Funston asked the war department for four additional regiments of cavalry for patrol duty on the Mexican border. General Scott, chief of staff, immedi ately issued orders for the First Cav airy at Monterey, Cal.; the Eleventh, at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., and the Twelfth, at Fort Robinson, Neb., to proceed at once to the border. The Fifth Cavalry, at Fort Myer, Va., was ordered to hold 'tself In -eadiness to move. AMERICAN TROOPS CROSS RORDER PRESIDENT ORDERS UNITED STATES TROOPS TO CAPTURE 'OR KILL VILLA. AID CARRANZA GOVERNMENT General Funston Will Lead 5,000 Men on Expedition Into Mexican Territory. WILSON GIVES ORDERS Washington. President Wil son ordered American troops over the Mexican border to cap ture or kill the Villa bandits who raided Columbus, N. M. Major-General Scott, chief of staff of the army, announced that the expedition would con sist of not less than 5,000 men all of whom are available on the border under Major-General Funsten. Washington. American troops were ordered across the Mexican border by President Wilson to take Francisco Villa and his bandits dead or alive. Under the direction if not actually the leadership of General Funston, who ended the Philippine insurrection by taking Aguinaldo single-handed, Amer ican columns are moving into Mexico. They go to meet about 3,000 guerrilla troops in a mountainous region from which Carranza troops have fled. Whether this long-deferred armed action which begins purely as a puni tive measure to clear northern Mixi co of menacing bandit bands over which General Carranza has no con trol shall grow into a general armed intervention or occupation, in Mexico, depends in a large measure upon Gen eral Carranza and the Mexican peo ple. It begins with President Wilson's declaration that it is entirely in aid of the Carranza Government and with out thought of aggression. This state ment prepared by the President him self, was given out at the White House: "An adequate force will be sent at once in pursuit of Villa with the sin gle object ef capturing him and put ting a stop to his forays. "This can be done and will be done In entirely friendly aid of the con stituted authorities in Mexico and with scrupulous respect for the sovereignty of that Republic." President Wilson's decision to de part from the policy of watchful wait ing, hastened by the Columbus massa cre, was anonunced after it had been unanimously approved by the Cabinet and Administration leaders in Con gress. The President's position was explained fully to the latter, who agreed that he would not be embar rassed at this time by discussions of a minority which might arouse trouble in Mexico. After a brief Cabinet meeting at which the President was described as being as determined to eliminate Villa as he was to eliminate Huerta, Sec retary Baker hurried to the War De partment and his first act in office sent orders to the border troops. Soon after the Army general staff assembled and conferred over the plans, long drawn and perfected since the Mexican situation loomed up as a disturbed to the peace of the United States. General Funston telegraphed, urg ing utmost secrecy of the Army's plans. The border is honeycombed with Mexican spies, and it was agreed that the expedition would be pushed to success by keeping Villa and his men ignorant of its movements. It is possible that no correspondents will be permitted to accompany the col umns. At any rate a strict censor ship will be imposed. American Rancher Killed. Bisbee, Ariz. An American rancher was killed when a band of approxi mately 200 Mexican bandits crossed the border southeast of Osborne Junc tion, Ariz., according to reports reach ing here. Headed for IV rmon Colony. El Paso, Texas.- -Villa is headed di- rectly for Casas C randes, Chihuahua, in order to attack the 500 Mormons settled in that sec ion, according to a Juarez by General. report received at Gavira, from Genu :&l Bertaini. Carranza Troops Near Border. Columbus, N. M. Twelve hundred Carranza troops, ! lying a black and white flag to distinguish them so that American soldiers would not. mistake them for bandits, reached Palomas, six miles south of Columbus. Villa Contemplated Invasion. Columbus, N. M. An invitation to Gen. Emiliano Zapata to march north and join in an attack on the United States was sent by General Villa in January, according to a copy of a let ter found among Villa's captured pa pers, "I shall not expend another shell on brother Mexicans. ' Villa wrote in the letter, "but wiU prepare and or ganize to attack tfle Americans on their own soil and lit them know that Mexico is a land r f the free and the tomb of thornles- crowns and traitors." 0. S. TROOPS KILLED BY VILLA BANDITS " VILLA AND BOO MEN CROSS BOR DER AND RAID AMERICAN TOWN. 16 KILLED MANY WOUNDED U. 3. Troopers Follow Villa Bind Across Border. Washington Be hind Co!. Slocum's Action. Columbus, N. M. Francisco Villa, outlawed Mexican bandit, raided Uni ted States territory. With 500 men he attacked Columbus, killed at least 16 Americans and fired many buildings before he was driven back across the international border. Not less than' 250 troopers of the Thirteenth United States Cavalry fol lowed the Villa band into Mexico. Re ports to Col. H. J. Slocum, command ing United States troops at this point stated that Villa had made a stand 15 miles south T the border where spir ited fighting ensued. In this engage ment an unnamed private was killed and Capt. George Willias, adojutantof the Thirteenth Cavalry was wounded. " The small detachment of troopers under Maj. Frank Tompkins and El mer Linsley, fighting dismounted made a determined stand against the renew ed Villa attack and at last reports were holding their ground. The raid on American territory proved costly to the bandit chieftain. The bodies of 18 bandits, including Pablo Lopez, second In command, had been gathered and burned before noon and troopers reported and undeter mined number of dead still lying in the brush. Led to the attack under the slogan: "Death to the Americans," Villa's followers fought with desperation. Just before dawn they crept along ditches, skirting the United States cavalry camp and rushed the sleeping town, firing heavily. The first volley brought American troopers into almost instant action. While a portion of the raiders engaged the cavalry, others began applying the torch and shooting American civilians who ventured from the buildings. Lights In homes and public buildings immediately became targets for sni pers posted at Villa's direction. Other bandits creeping close to American homes, enticed a number of civilians into the open with English spoken in vitations. A number of fatalities are attributed to this ruse. Stores were looted, oil was poured upon frame structures, and the match applyed by still other bandits. The postoffice was raided, furniture smash ed, but the looters secured only one small registered package. The casualties of the Thirteenth Cavalry in the fighting at Columbus were seven killed and six wounded. Villa's total losses in the day's fight were estimated in excess of 100 killed and twice as many wounded. American soldiers killed: Frank Kendvall, horse shoer, Troop K; Sergeant Marg A. Dobbs, machine gun troop; Corporal Paul Simon; Sergeant John Nievergelt, band; Cor poral Harty Wiswail, Troop G; Fred A. Griffin, private, Troop K. The wounded: Jesse P. Taylor, Troop F; Thomas Butler, Troop F; Theodore Kalzorke, Troop L; Michael Barmazel, machine gun troop; John Yarborough, Troop K; James Venner, Troop M; John Keogh, Troop G; Lieut. C. C. Benson, Troop G. The known civilian dead:- A. L. Ritchie, hotel proprietor; Walter Walker, customs rider; Milton James, Mrs. Milton James, J. S. Dean, C. C. Miller, druggist; W. R. Walker, guest Central hotel; J. J. Moore, merchant. British Asked for Information. Washington. The United States has asked Great Britain for a copy of the confidential instructions to command ers of British merchant vessels, which Germany claims prove that merchant men armed ostensibly for defensive purposes have orders to act offensive ly against German and Austrian sub marines. The request is understood to have been made through Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, the British ambassador. Squarely Behind Slocum. Washington. Washington stands squarely behind Colonel Slocum in sending cavalry into Mexico in pursuit of Francisco Villa and his band of outlaws who raided Columbus, N. M., murdering American soldiers, and cit izens. Secretary Lansing informed the de facto government of Mexico through Elisco Arredondo, its Ambas sador designate here, that he trusted no objection would be mavde to the action of the American troops, they having followed what is known Id military circles as a "hot trail." Germany Adds Portugal to List. London. Germany has declared wai en Portugal. Thus 13 countries now are engaged in the international strug gle. Declaration of war was made by Germany chiefly on account of the re cent seizure of German merchant men interned in Portugues ports and Portugal's refusal to rescind this act ion and once more place the . ships under the German Bag. A long series of alleged breaches of neutrality by the Portuguese Government also -ifrere contributing factor GERMAN EXPLAINS POSITION TAKEN SHE WILL RESPECT INTERNA TIONAL LAW IF GREAT BRIT AIN WILL. NEW NOTE TO UNITED STATES Bernstorff Hands Lansing Formal Re view. President Wilson is Con sidering Next Step to Take. Washington. Germany made a fur ther explanation to the United States of the position it has taken in regard to armed merchant vessels of the Entente Allies. Count von Bernstorff handed Sec retary Lansing a formal memorandum which, after reviewing the events leading up to Germany's recent de cision to treat armed merchant ships as auxiliary cruisers, conceded that existing international law does not regulate the use of submarines, indi cated a willingness to conduct under sea warfare In accordance with the law prevailing at the outbreak of the war providing Great Britain and her Allies would regard the same laws, and expressed the hope that the peo ple of the United States, remember ing the long-existing friendly rela tions between the two nations, would appreciate the German position. The memorandum was submitted to Presi dent Wilson shortly after its receipt. It will be considered, together with other documents from the German Government in determining what shall be the next step of the United States in the submarine negotiations. There was every indication that the administration would be in no hurry to announce a stand as to the new policy of the Central European Pow er, or to pass finally upon Germany's latest proposal for a settlement of the Lusitania case. Echoes of President Wilson's vic tory in the fight to end agitation in Congress over the armed ship ques tion were heard on both sides of the Capitol. In the Senate Senator Stone, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, made a statement, after a conference with the President, an nouncing that oecause of the chance that his remarks might be miscon strued abroad, he would not make a spech he had prepared for delivery. He referred to the difficulties by which the executive was beset and de clared that President Wilson's su preme wish was to avoid the calamity of war. Administration officials indicated that the next move by the United States might take the form of an in quiry to Great Britain as to' the au thenticity of the German copies of alleged confidential instructions to British sea captains. Regarding the apparent discrepancies between the German and the British versions of the instructions, officials pointed out that the date on the German version was prior to that on the British version. It was said that future events would be considered in the light of orders now In force. CAN AFFORD PROTECTION. Notwithstanding Cost United States Should Have Powerful Navy. Washington. Approximately a bil lion and a half dollars for new ships and an annual upkeep charge of $760, 000,000 is what Admiral Fletcher, com manding the Atlantic fleet, estimates it would cost to carry out the navy general board's recommendation that the American navy should equal the most powerful fleet afloat by not later than 1925. ; The admiral's estimate was given in testimony before the house naval com mittee. Representative Callaway call ed attention to reports that Great Britain had added nearly a million tons to her fighting ships since the war began. He asked if the situation was not "hopeless." Admiral Fletcher thought not, adding that judging by its great wealth, the United States could well afford to give its Interests the same protection that other nations thought necessary. Brandeis Public Hearings End. Washington. Public hearings on the nomination of Louis D. Brandeis of Boston to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, were terminated by the judiciary subcommittee of the sen ate. The inquiry has been in progress for a month. The subcommittee gave no indication as to when it would re port to the judiciary committee. Tes timony of 39 witnesses was taken dur ing the investigation. George R. Nut ter, of the Brandeis law firm, was present to be heard but was not called. Judgs Gary Among Indicted. Youngstown, O. The Mahoning county grand jury ended tis investiga tion of strike riots January . 7 in East Youngstown, by returning ind'"tments against Elbert H. Gary, and against six big steel companies. The indict ments charge Gary, the corporation of which he is the head, one of its sub sidiaries and four independent steel cnocerns, with conspiring to fix the wages of labor and to fix the price of iron and steel products in Mahoning County In violation of the Valentine antf-trust law. DEMOCRATS MEET L27 STATE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION WILL BE HELD IN RALEIGH THIS YEAR. HEARTILY ENDORSE WILSON Executive Committee Holds Meeting and Urge Re-election of President Woodrow Wilson. Raleigh. The Democratic Execu tive Committee, in session in the hall of the House of Representatives, sel ected Raleigh as the meeting place of the next state convention and set Thursday, April 27, as the date for the Convention. Precinct meetings will be held on Saturday, April 15, and county conventions on the Satur day following, April ZZ. Forty-seven members of the com mittee were present in person or rep resented by proxy when Secretary J. R. Collie called the roll. The meet ing was to have been held in the Sen ate chamber, but there was not room there for the members- of the commit tee and the Democrats that had come to look on and take part in the delib erations of the body and they moved over to the large chamber. Chairman T. D. Warren presided. After the reading of the formal call he made a short speech, in which he explained briefly and succinctly the workings of the new primary law, ad vised the members of the committee to familiarize themselves with every detail of the law and aid the county and precinct chairmen to master its every provision. He praised the mem bers of the committee and loyal Democrats all over the state for the good work done in the last election, when in the face of the very worst of conditions they elected 100 out of 120 members of the House of Representa tives and 43 out of 50 members of the Senate. He praised the record of the Democratic Administration, saying that every state office has been effi ciently administered,, that there has not been the slightest intimation of graft or corruption anywhere, nor anything that looked . like extrava gance. He contrasted the fine show ing of the Democratic officials with that of former Republican administra tions, which, he said, were marked by incompetence, extravagance and corruption. Build Road to Rldgecrest, Asheville. Commissioners of Bun combe county took two important steps for the betterment of roads in this county when they decided to start work at once on the road to Ridge crest and appropriated $30,000 for the improvements of roads in West Ashe ville. The commissioners had promised to give the Black Mountain district a definite statement in regard to the kind of road to be built to Rldgecrest, and a committee from that district appeared before the commission. The commission was informed that work would be started practically at once, that the road would be constructed of an eight-inch macadam base, surfaced with asphalt, and that a carload of machinery for work on the road is now at Asheville. The stretch of road to be built is 16 miles in length and the road is to be 18 feet wide. It will cost between $75,000 and $100,000, according to estimates. School House Burned. Statesville. The Elpikora school house of Chambersburg township, several miles east of Statesville, was burned with practically all its con tents. School was in session, but the fire, which started in the roof, had gained much headway before being discovered. In fact it was not known to the occupants that the building was afire until a piece of burning timber fell through the ceiling into one of the rooms. The teachers, Misses Callie Adkins and May Barkley, managed to get all the pupils out without Injury, but some had narrow escapes. The school library and two desks were all the furnishings saved. Night School Closes. Newbern. The night school con ducted in this city for the past CO days under the auspices of the Woman's Club will be closed. About 75 pupils were enrolled and the majority of these have been in attendance at every session. The closing of the school Is on account of the fact that the teach ers, the majority of whom are teach ers in the public schools and who have been doing this extra work with out compensation are tired out and need a brief rest. Good Road? B-ally. Wilmington. A big road rally, which is expected to have a beneficial effect on the movement to establish highway between Wilmington and Fayetteville, was held here, when 3peaking on "National and Estate Highways." D. M. Winslow, federal superintendent of road construction, addressed a large audience of men of the section interested. It is not un likely that the construction of the road will be aided by Federal funds, if the bill which has been reported favorably by committees THURSDAY APR