North Carolina Newspapers

Great Financier and World's Phenomenal Railroad Organizer Passes Away At His Princely Home At Arden, New York. Anion, X. Y., Special. Edward H. Harriman, ilv? greatest organizer of railroads the world lias ever known, met the only lasting defeat of his ac tive life Thursday at the hands of death. Secluded in the magnificent home on Tower Hill, surrounded by members of his family, physicians and nurses, he succumbed to an intes tinal disorder Thursday afternoon after a fight against disease which will rank for sheer grit with his re markable struggles in the financial world. The time was given to the world as 3:35 p. m., but Mrs. Mary Simons, sister of the dead man, said that the end had come at 1:80, more than two hours previous. Whether this appar ent discrepancy has any bearing on the current belief that every effort was made to lessen the influence of the financier's death on the New York stock market is problematical. But it is significant that the time of his death as officially 'announced was just 35 minutes after the trading had ceased on the exchange. Mr. Harriman died peacefully and almost to the end his brilliant mind retained its integrity. After a re lapse on Sunday he sank steadily and soon after the noon hour Thursday there came a relapse which marked the approach of the end. His wife, two daughters, the Misses Mary and Carol, and his sons, who have been constantly with him. No spiritual adviser was at hand. The swiftest automobile in the Har riman garae had been despatched for the Rev. Dr. J. Holmes MeGuiness an Episcopal rector of Arden parish, and Mr. Harriman "s personal chap lain, but Dr. MeGuiness was not at home. When found later, although rushed up the mountainside at break neck speed he did not arrive until death had come to Arden house. With the secrecy that has been maintained at the Harriman resi dence unbroken to the very end, news of Mr. Harriman "s death was convey ed to Xew York before it came to Arden and the vallev below. Without pomp or ceremony E. H. Harriman was interred in the lit tle country churchyard beside his oldest son, E. H. Harriman, Jr., at Arden, Sunday at 3 p. m. Rev. J. Holmes McGuirness, rector of St. John's church, conducted the cere mony in the Episcopal church. Short services at the Arden house were held at 2 o'clock preceding the burial. The active pall-bearers were C. T. Ford, superintendent of the Harri man estate: I. W. Mandige, head car penter of the Harriman estate; E. P. Schultz, master mason of the Arden house; William Robbins, superinten dent of the Arden farms, and W. A. McClelland, superintendent of stores of the Harriman estate. These men "were pall-bearers according to Mr. Harriman "s wish. Mr. Harriman was born February 25. 184S. and was therefore in his C2nd year. Mr. Harriman, like many other men who startle the world, came up from poverty and started out with little education, but step by step, with an unflagging ambition, rose to be a factor to be recknoed with by the great financiers of the world. At the time the Union Pacific stock was going begging and the road was the despair of many moneyed inter ests, whose brains and capital had failed to place it on a paying basis, Harriman, backed by Kuhn, Loeb & Co., and Standard Oil interests, un SOUTHERN COLLEGE FOR Columbia, S. C, Special. Fire at 2:30 o'clock Wednesday morning totally destroyed Columbia College, built by popular subscription from Methodists all over this State. The plant was valued at $250,000, and was insured for $7o,000 with $10,000 more on equipment. ' The property was bonded for $00,000 and there were about $20,000 more in floating debts. THE ROOSEVELT TO BE IN New York, Special. Commander Peary's ship, the Roosevelt, will be one of the features of the Hudson Fulton naval parade on the opening lav of the celebration. The follow- ing telegram was received here Fri - "Sydney, C. B., Sept. 10. "Hudson-Fulton " Celebration Com mittee : "Peary Arctic Club applies for position for its steamer Roosevelt with the North Pole in tercentennial parades. "H. L. BRIDGMAN." NEW YORK STOCK MARKET New York, Special Wall Street's response Friday to the death of Ed ward H. Harriman was a bouyantly strong stock market in which se curities made sensational gains aad held them to the end. The volume of business was enormous well over 1,500,000 shares and to this vast amount the better known Harriman stocks, namely Union Pacific eomman and Southern Pacific, alone contrikut- dertook the rehabilitation of the rail road. He secured a controlling in terest, reorganized the management, and through his transcendent genius! converted the bankrupt company intc one oi u:e oesi dividend-paying roads in the country. In this and later, when he took hold of the Southern Pacific, Harrima.n 's policy was one of lavish expenditure, which made the properties as near physically per fect as possible. The matter of div idends was allowed to wait upon their perfection. This policy has continued on all the Harriman lines, and to it has been added a close study of the territories adjacent to the property and which contributed, or could be made to contribute to their welfare. Harriman 's most spectacular per- lormance and that which made his name familiar to all the reading pub lic was in May, 1S91, when he "strug gled with the Morgan and Hill in terests for control of the Northern Pacific. On May 9 of that year the historic Northern Pacific corner re sulted in the stock of the eompanv going to $1,000. At the "show down''' Harriman produced $78,000,000 in stocks. However, the Hill-Morgan people held .the whip-hand through a by-law of the company which permit ted the retirement of preferred stock at any time. Of his holdings $41, 000,000 was preferred, but Harriman secured a compromise and he and some of his associates were elected to the Northern Pacific directorate. Hamman, it is said, controlled 18,000 miles of railway, or six times across the continent; that these lines employ 80,000 men; that, in addition, he directed 54,00C miles of steamship lines, making 72,000 mile of trans portation in all; that one could go from .New York to Hongkong without ever leaving the Harriman lines and that he could return by another route on Harriman lines nearly all the way. Financiers in recent estimates of Harriman 's personal wealth have varied all the way from $50,- 000,000 to $100,000,000. He was, of course, a large holder of securities of the various corporations with which he was identified, including in addi tion to the Union Pacific and South ern Pacific systems, over a score of smaller or tributary properties, not only in this country but in Mexico as Avell. Report credited him with large personal holdings in various railroad systems. His real estate holdings in this city, were compara tively small. His home at Arden is said to represent an outlay of over $2,000,000. "My railroad methods," said Mr. Harriman once, 'are to serve the pub lic, and to give it good service at the lowest possible cost, with, if pos sible, "ho favoritism. It gets its money's worth from me. My method is to give the public the best equip ment, the best time, the best track." Shock to Progress of Suth. Chattanooga, Tenn., Special. Jas. U. Jackson, of Augusta, Ga., one of the business associates of the lafc; Edward H. Harriman, and part own er of the Augusta street railway sys tem, in speaking of the great finan cier's death said: "I do not know what the policy ol Mr. Harriman 's successor will be, but I know that his death will be one of the greatest shocks to the pro gress of the South that could have been received. I am in a position to know that it was Mr. Harriman 's in tention to use his Hlionis Central and Central of Georgia lines for the de veloping of the South 's resources and to further the interests of the more progressive commiwiities. WOMEN CONSUMED BY FIRE A liquidation would leave nothing but the rock foundation and the grounds; but arrangements are going right ahead for rebuilding and the opening for the present session in the Colonial hotel property, the former plant of the college. The fire was evidently caused by the cross circuit ing of wires in the northwest dormi tory. HUDSON RIVER PARADE A favorable reply was promptly sent, and the Roosevlt will be as signed to a place of honor close to the Half Moon and Clermont, which will lead the parade. In all probabil- ity Peary ilimself be on boardj together with the members of the Peary Arctic Club, and possibly other distinguished explorers. Dr. Cook, it is expected, will be in New York City at the time, but the celebration committee regards it1 as unlikely that he will be invited to join the Peary party. IS BUOYANTLY STRONG (Cd over one-third, while other prop- erups in wincu me aare magnet was more remotely interested added prob ably as much more to the sum total. The day resulted in a complete route of the short interest, which was prob ably more extensive than even the best informed had imagined. Even before the opening here it was evi dent from the tone of American se curities in London that the strongest support was forthcoming. , SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT Both the North and the South Have Had a Season of Unparalleled Ac tivity Statement Showing the Pro duction and Consumption by the Mills of the Southern States. New Orleans, La., Special. Supple menting his report on the cotton crop for 1908-'09, as issued on August 31, Secretary Hester, of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange, Tuesday made a detailed report of the crops of the different States as follows: . Alabama 1,428,000, against 1,171,000 last year. Arkansas 1,052,000, against 787, 000. Florida 75,000, against 60,000. Georgia 2,118,000, against 1,964, 000. Mississippi 1,673,000, against 1, 496,000. Louisiana 485,000, against 673,000. North Carolina 747,000, against 689,000. South Carolina 1,298,000, against 1,226.000. Tennessee 426,000, against 335,000. Texas 3,819,000, against 2,221,000. Oklahoma 704,000, against 950,000. Total crop 13,825,000, against 11, 572.000 last year. He puts the spindles in the South at 11,255,787, including old, idle, and not complete, against 10,661,308 last year, an increase of 594,479. Referring to the consumption by American mills Mr. Hester says that North and South they have had a sea son of unparalleled activity. In no past year, he states, have they con sumed so much cotton, and phenome nal su the extent of the business has been it has not reached the limit of their capacity. The money value of the past com mercial crop, he states, is in round figures $683,794,000, showing that while the number of bales marketed was. 2,243,000 bales more than last rear, the increase in money received was but $11,509,000, equivalent to $5.11 per bale for the excess, and yet Mr. IK'ster contends that considering all the circumstances, if ever a crop was sold at a good round price, it was the one under review. In the South Mr. Hester makes the consumption 366,596 more than last year, and 120,765 over the year before last. Twenty-one new mills are building in the Southern States, and including additions to old establish ments, 10,000 new looms and 511,294 new spindles are under way. The year's consumption has been divided as follows: State. Consumption. Increase. Alabama 251,871 46,261 Arkansas 6.038 2,190 Georgia 556,119 74,757 Kentucky 26,290 1,694 Louisiana 17,244 3,331 Mississippi &8,691 3,529 Missouri.. . 14,826 6,449 North Carolina.. .. 759,295 130,414 South Carolina .... 700,352 75,806 Tennessee 69,211 9,154 Texas 42,456 8,675 Oklahoma 2,568 954 Virginia 77,921 3,382 Total 2,559,873 366,596 In conclusion, Mr. Hester says the facts concerning this remarkable year in cotton consumption speak for them selves, but it is safe to say that, had they been estimated instead of plain unvarnished truths, even extremists would have been justified in classing them as exaggerations. In the South he savs: "We have brushed 2,600,000 bafirf closely dur ing the past year and this close on the heels of the panic with 215 out of a total of 786 active mills from one to two months late in getting under headway. Most of the new not com plete spindles will be in working or der before the coming year's close, and with these on the basis of the 1904-'05 consumption per spindle the capacity of the Southern mills will be something like 2,800,000 to 2,900,000 bales." " ' Marshal Killed By Blow. Jesup, Ga., Special. Marshal G. B. Pope was killed Friday afternoon by a blow over his heart . ia a des perate struggle with Edward Tyre, Brantley Tyre and Jas. Tyre, prom inent young white men whom he was attempting to arrest. It is not known which one of the Tyres inflicted the fatal blow. All were arrested as they attempted to escape and lodged in "Wayne county jail. Say Stories Agree. New York, Special. Scientists and explorers here comparing the latest dispatches regarding Commander Peary's achievement with the reports which Dr. Cook has sent out were very generally agreed that Peary's findings seem to confirm Dr. Cook's story in several significant particu lars, thus far raise no points of dis agreement. " Thes dentists were more positive than ever that the contro versy can be settled beyond reason able doubt by an inquiry before a recognized scientific body. Could Have Been Worse. "The thing might have been so much worse than it was," said Dr. Daniel, with reference to the burning of Columbia College, lying in bed nursing his aching feet and patting a burned place on his cheek, but smiling good naturedly through it all. "Had the fire come in the way it did at the hour it did when the college was full ef girls two weeks later, we might have seen sights that wodd have wade strong men weep. PEARY AT POLE TOO Dispatches Flash Over the Wires Monday. REACHES GOAL APRIL 6, 1909 Several Messages Sent Including One to Mrs. Peary Leave No Doubt of Their Meaning Did Not Know of Dr. Cook's Discovery. New York, Special. From out the Arctic darkness there were flashed Monday the messages which stun ned the scientific world and thrilled the heart of every layman. From the bleak coast of Labrador Peary gave to the world the news that he had attained his goal in the far north, while at the same moment in far off Denmark Dr. Frederick A. Cook, of Brooklyn, was being dined and lionized by royalty for the same achievement. Undeniably Yankee grit has con quered the frozen north and there has been created a coincidence such as the world will never see again. The Americans have planted the flag of their country in the land of ice which man has sought to pene trate for four centuries and each, ignorant of the other's conquest, haa flashed within a period of five days a laconic message of success t the waiting world. The following telegrams tell the fact that there is a story coming. New York, Special. Peary h succeeded. "Indian Harbor, via Cape Ray, N. F., September 6. "To Associated Press, New York. "Stars and Stripes nailed to North Pole. (Signed) "PEARY." "Indian Harbor, via Cape Ray, N. F., September 6. "Herbert L. Bridgeman, Brooklyn, N. Y. "Pole reached. Roosevelt safe. "(Signed) "PEARY." "Indian Harbor, via Cape Ray, N. FM "I have tm pole April 6.- Expect arrive Cheateau bay September 7. Secure control, wire for me there and arrange to expedite transmission of big story. (Signed) "PEARY." April 6, 1909 the date that Peary planted the flag at the Pole and April 21, 1908, the day that Dr. Cook unfurled the stars and stripes a year before, consequently become the car dinal dates upon which exploratiou of the far North will rest hereafter. Though separated by nearly a year, the same feat was accomplished by two Americans, neither of whom was aware of the movements of the other. Cook says that he found no traces of Peary in the moving ice and ac cording to word which was received here through Capt. Robert Bartlett, of Peary's ship, the Roosefilt, late Monday night, Peary likewise found no signs of his reputed predecessor. However, this phase of Peary's ex perience will not be thoroughly clear ed up until a statement is obtained from his own lips. A Washington dispatch says: Commander Robert E. Peary, al most three years ago prophetically outlined his view of the value and in terest attached to the achievement he announced in the dispatches Mon day. The penetration of the frozen heart of the Arctic circle, the news of Peary's feat folIoAving close upon the heels of Dr. Cook's planting of the American flag at the same spot, evoked enthusiastic plaudits in Wash ington. Everywhere among army and navy officers and scientists and official Washington, generally, only words of praise were spoken. Dr. Cook was intensely interested at the cablegrams and sid: "That fs good news. I hope Peary did get to the Pole. His observations and reports on that region will confirm mine." Asked if there was any probability of Peary 's having f onnd the tube con taining his records, Dr. Cook replied: "I hope so, but that is doubtful on account of the drift." He added: "Commander Peary would have I reached the Pole this year. Probably while I was in the Arctic region last year his route was several hundred miles east of mine. We are rivals, of course, but the pole is good enough for two. "That two men got to the Pole abng different paths," continued the explorer, "should furnish large ad ditions to scientific knowledge. Prob ably other parties will reach it in the next ten years, since every explorer is helped by the experience of his predecessors, just as Sverdrup's b servations and reports were of im measurable help to me. I can say nothing more, without knowing fur ther details, than that I am glad of it." Fleet's Battle Practice. Norfolk, Va., Special. The Atlan tic battleship and cruiser fleet had highly favorable conditions Monday for their rough water battle practice work, as a northeast wind was blow ing 20 miles an hour, but unfortu nately one of the larger boats having ibeen penetrated by shells from the o ju. v. : i t ulb guiis ui. me fcuips, uecttme water logged and had to be brought in for vepeuK. k MAN AGAINST MAN IN POLAR DISPUTE Only Negro and Eskimos Ac company Peary. WHITE MEN NOT ON THE TRIP This Information Encourages the Supporters of Dr. Cook Geogra phical Society Maintains the Atti tude of "Keep Hands off" for Present. The Washington, D. C, Herald, of Saturday says: It is now merely the word of one white man against that of another. The great polar controversy has re solved itself into a question of the personal veracity, respectively of Dr. Frederick A. Cook and Commander Robert E. Peary. According to the statements of each over his own signature, neither was accompanied by a member of his own race when he is alleged to have planted the Stars and Stripes at the north pole. That Commander Peary had with him only his negro body servant, Matt Hensen, and a handful of Es kimos, when he made the last stage of his journey toward the pole, and that he had sent back the only re maining white member of the expe dition when he reached latitude 87.8 was not known until the first install ment of his detailed story of his trip was published on Saturday. One of the principal arguments made by the Peary supporters against ROBERT E. PEARY. the acceptance of Dr. Cook's claims to the discovery of the pole was his own admission that he was unac companied by any white man, and that, aside from the records of his observations, the only corroborative evidence he could produce would be the testimony of the two Eskimos who were with him on his final dash. Now it appears from Commander Peary's own story that he himself was in a like situation. Aside from the negro Hensen, who had been his "Man Friday," for the past twenty years, his sole companions were four Eskimos. There was no white man with him who can now take the wit ness stand and testify to the accu racy of his scientific observations above the lattitude of 87 degrees and 8 minutes. It is needless to say that this de velopment has brought great en couragement to the camp of the Cook followers. They are expressing re newed confidence that when the data of the two men are presented to an unprejudiced jury of scientists, Dr. Cook's Avord Avill be accepted with equal credence to that of Commander Peary. According to Peary's oavu story, when he started from Capo Columbia there were se-cn members of the party, seventeen Eskimos, and 123 dogs. The members of the - expedi tion were: Peary, Goodsall, Mac Milkn, Borup, Marvin, Bartlett and Hensen. From time to time, as the explorers proceeded nortliAvard, Peary sent different members of the expe dition back, either in command of so called supporting parties or for other reasons. Goodsall, Borup, Marvin and Bartlett each returned in charge of a quota of Eskimos, dogs and sleds. MaeMillan was forced to re turn on account of a frost-bitten foot. Finally when 87.8 north latitude Avas reached, Peary's sole Avhite compan ion Avas Capt. Bartlett, and f he was sent back from this point with two Eskimos and the necessary equip ment to supply him until Cape Colum bia should be reached. From there on Peary had Avith him the faithful Hen sen and four Eskimos. In the opinion of the Cook sup porters, the final records of Cook's observations are now just as worthy of credence as those of Peary. They contend that Dr. Cook's previous standing as an explorer renders his unsupported word of 'equal value to that of Peary. They do not regard the negro Hensen as a' factor in the equation. His long employment by the explorer Avould put him in the class of prejudiced witnesses, even if his lack of scientific knowledge did not bar him. While none but the most radical Cook followers seek to discredit Peary, they point with some glee to the statements made by Peary's sup porters after Cook's first announce ment of his discovery, that no ex plorer could hope to convince the world of the truth of his story unless corroborated by the personal testi mony of at least one other Avhite man. Court of Last Resort. What will constitute the court of last resort in the controA'ersy is still problematical. Various suggestions have been made, but it is likely that no definite moA-ement will be set on foot in this direction until the re turn of the two explorers to this country. The Coast and Geodetic SurA-ey's offer to act as abiter will hardly be accepted by Dr. Cook, in asmuch as peary Avas, in a sense, an employe of this institution, being on detached duty for it from the naA-al service during his trip. Both men are lecturers before the National Geographic Society, of this city, and as the attitude of this body has been one of "hands off" since Peary made his charges against Cook, it is believed that the tAvo ex plorers would be willing to submit their quarrel to the adjudication of an intenational board of scientists to be selected by the society. Already the Duke of Abruzzi, at one time the Avearer of "farthest north" laurels, is being prominently mentioned as the possible head of the proposed court. Crowds Cheer Him. Committees from the Geographical Society and the faculty of the Uni A'ersity of Copenhagen saw the ex plorer off. A director of the com pany OAvning the ship on Avhich Dr. Cook travels made an address m Avhich he thanked the explorer for the honor of leaving on a Danish ship. He said that Denmark believed in Dr. Cook absolutely. Dr. Cook replied feelingly. In the course of a conversation be fore lea-ing Dr. Cook said that he was walling to place his records be fore the American Coast and Geo detic Survey, proA'ided Commander Peary would do the same. He said there was no reason why he should be the first to apply for such an ex amination. Curtiss Wins Big Prize. Brescia, Italy, By Cable. Glenn H. Curtiss, the American aviator, who Avon the international cup at Rheims, captured the grand prize in the avia tion meet here Sunday. Curtiss made his flight for the grand prize Sunday, eoA-ering 50 kilometres (31.05 miles) or five times around the course in 49 minutes, 24 seconds. His share of the $10,000 prize is $6,000. Rougier, the French aAriator, also competed, making a fight of 50 kilometres in 1 hour 10 minutes 18 seconds. He Avas awarded the second prize. Curtiss also won the prize for quick starting, his time being 8 1-5 seconds. Leblanc was second in this contest in 9 3-4 seconds. Steamer Lauretania Lost. St. Johns, N. F., Special. Thril ling scenes attended the loss of the Allan line steamer, Lauretania, bound from Boston for GlasgoAV, which piled up on the rock near Cape Race dur ing a dense fog at G o'clock Monday morning. The A-essel is a total wreck but the fifty passengers and forty members of the crewe escaped to land after a trying experience. The steamer rebounded heavily when she struck, the shock throAving most of the passengers from their berths. Lynch an Innocent. ClarksA'ille, Miss., Special. Hiram McDaniel Avas swung to a tree early Monday because a mob of several hundred enraged citizens could not get his brother, Utah Nathan Mc Daniel, slayer of Policeman Walter Marshall. Nathan Avas caught in a swamp by a force of deputy sheriffs and hurried to Jackson, eluding the mob in waiting for the prisoner. "It's all the same, anyAvay," chorus ed the mob Avhen Hiram Avas discov ered, and he paid tvith his life for hia brother's crime. New York limes Loses. New York, Special. Judge Hand, in the United States Circuit Court, settled a norel legal controAersy Fri day in favor of The XeAv York Sun and The New York World, defendants in preeeedings brought by The New York Tim. Friday the Times ob tained a temportry injunction re straining The Sun and The World from printing any of Peary's cabled account of his discovery, which he had agreed to furnish exclusively to The Times but the court Friday disr eolved the restraining order.