North Carolina Newspapers

THE . K6? COURJER Leads In Both News and v v Circulation. T5he COUR.ILR Advertising CoIurn Bring Resu Issued Weekly. PRINCIPLES, NOT MEN A.00 Per x ear VOL. XXXVI ASHEBORO, N C, THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1911. No. 2 COURIER. 4S n NO NEW COUNTY NEEDED Strong Reasons Why Piedmont Coqnty Should Not Be Formed "Randolph County lies, almost, at the geographical center of the State, being about 27 mileB by 28 miles, covering about 728 square miles of ter ritory, bounded on the north by Guilford, on the east by Alamance and Chatham, on the west by Davidson and on the south by Moore and Montgomery Counties, i The county seat is Asheboro, which is located at almost the exapt center of the County. Property listed for taxation for 1910, was valued at about $7.000,. 000.00 and the population is 29,491. ' Randolph is one of the eight counties of the state which remains with its lines unbroken and straight, preserving its original integrity since about the year 1779. The citizenship of the County, while being fully alive to the material advancements and requirements of the present progressive age, are conser. vative and cautious, believing it well to profit by the experience of her richer sisters, and adopt their more progressive methods, rather than ex pend her resources in untried and unproven internal improvements. The sentiments and inclinations of the people of Randolph are now very decided in the matter of building good roads, and bills for the ad vaacement of same will be presented to the present session of the Legis lature. With a system of good road a, radiating from the county seat, there will be no County in the State more compact or more convenient for its citizenship, in matters of direct and quick communication for both soaial and business purposes, the most remote corners of the county beiug no more than 19 miles distant from the Court House and County Seat. . It is now being proposed to uismember this old County by taking eff her north-western comer, dipping down into within eight or ten miles of her county seat, stripping her of some of the most valuable propeities and kling from her a large number of citizens, among whom are some of her most esteemed and valuable people. The territory, which it is proposed to take from the County of Ran dolph and include in the said new county, is the whole of Trinity Town ship and the greater part of New Market Township, including property, estimated from the returns of taxable values for the year 1910, of value to the extent of almost $700,000.00, an amount equal to one tenth of the total tax valuation of the whole County. One of the arguments, favoring the establishment of the proposed new county, used by its advocates, is inaccessibility of the territory in volved, to the present county seat, Asheboro. Answering that argument it is necessary only to say that no point in Trinity Township, the north western township of the county, is further away from railway transporta tion, where three passenger trains, each way, daily, may be had in direct, quick reach of Asheboro, than the same territory is distant from High Point, the proposed county seat of the proposed new county. The same railway, with the Bame passenger facilities, passes directly through the territory proposed to be taken from New Market Township. Therefore the claim of inaccessibility to Asheboro, for the citizens of the territory involved, is not sound. How, then, are the citizens of Trinity and New Market Townships in Randolph County, to be benefitted by the erection of the proposed new county, and their being included therein? The present rate of taxation in Guilford County is 79 cents on the $100.00 of valuation. The said County of Guilford has outstanding bonds to the amount of $300,000.00, issued for the building of good roads. These bonds will, of course, be paid by Guilford County, but the pioposed new county takes of Guilford territory, the whole of High Point Township, part each of Deep River, Jamestown and Sumner Townships s These Townships are supposed to have benefited by the building of good roads in Guilford County, under the afore-mentioned bond issue, and they could not be expected to, reasonably, object to the assumption and payment of their proportionate part of the said debt of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000.00) in the event of the establishment of the proposed new county,-but is it reasonable or fair for those citizens of Randolph County, it is proposed to take into the new county, to bear equally the burden of this large debt, which the new county will be com pelled to assume, with those, townships in Guilford? The citizens of Trinity and New Market Townships have never derived a penny's benefit from the good roads established and built by the County of Guilford, whereas the Guilford Townships included within the boundaries of the proposed tew county, have already reaped the benefits thus derived. Again, official figures show that High Point Township, Guilford County, is a "pauper" township, in the sense that it takes more county revenue from Guilford's treasury than it pays in. Herein lies the necessi ty for additional taxation, beyond the present rate in Guilford of 79 cents, to maintain the needs and necessities of the proposed new county, with High Point as its county seat. The rate of taxation in Randolph is 66 2-3 on the 100.00 valuation. The caunty has no bonded debt whatever, and peace, quiet and content, ment reign within her borders. Modern ideas of progress and improve, ment are being worked out and acted upon. Farm demonstration work of the highest type of intelligence is being carried on to an extent, through, oat the county, second to no other county in the State. The building of good roads to every part of the county will soon be an assured fact, which "with the thirty five (35) special tax School Districts in Randolph County, will put her in the front rank of progressive, live, educated, wealthy counties of the whole State. v Randolph County has only recently completed and occupied a new oourt house in Asheboro, the structure being a matter of pride to every oitizen of the county. It is equipped with fire proof vaults of the most Modern pattern, and was built without the levying of any special tax or the issuance of any bond, and the total indebtedness of the county, for all purposes, is less than $23,000.00, with assets, as per stated recently is sued by the County Commissioners of more than $35,000.00 in excess of all liabilities, not including the bridges and public school properties of the county, the value of which is more than $97,000. V ' Many of the foremost citizens of Trinity and New Market Town ships are opposed to the establishment of the proposed new county, and ninety-nine per cent of the citizenship outside of the interested territory are opposed to its formation, as it would be a cruel and useless mutilation and dismemberment of a grand bid county, oapable of, and growing into, a common wealth second to none within for the satisfaction of the civic ride and personal ambition of the Town of High Point and the selfiih interests of a few of its citizens. Again, if it were right and proper to cut up and maim a great county, like Randolph for the purpose of making new counties, there are reasons and arguments quite as specious as those presented by High Point, for the establishment of a new county at our south-western corner, where there are no railway facilities within the county, thereby gratifying the ainti Hon of a growing town in the corner of an adjoining county. The same conditions exist in respect to the soath-eastern corner of Randolph County, where it has been suggested a new county be formed, and the citizens of Liberty, a growing town county have agitated the formation Guilford, Randolph and Alamance with Liberty as the county seat. All these locations are equal distance from Asheboro as Trinity, the most dis tant in the territory proposed to be embraced in the proposed new county of Piedmont, but unlike Trinity, in that neither of them are possessed of the latter's Bplendid railway facilities for reaching Asneboro, thfy would be, upon the sole ground of inaccessibility, more entitled to consideration than the applicants for the proposed County of Piedmont. In the absence of positive proof of material advancement, substantial gain to all citizens involved, the Legislature would most wisely lay the bill, for the proposed new County of lasting good may be accomplished by and ambitions of a community seeking such a measure, the same being opposed almost unanimously by all interests surrounding the same, as well as by mar y included within the proposed new borders. Protest Against RANDOLPH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PASS RESO LUTIONS OPPOSING NEW COUNTY Whereas it has come to the notice of the Board that there is a movement on foot to erect a new county, which, it is proposed, shall embrace a part of what is now Randolph County; the Board views the movement with disfavor on the; following grounds, among others: The present geographical arrangement is of long standing. Many sentiments cling around it. There will, in the event of the erection of a new county, be many inconveniences and annoyances changes, which should not be entailed without good . reasons. Up on careful consideration we do not find any reason or cause except the ci'ic pride of the City of High Point- While civic pride is to be commended, it is not, in our opinion, asufficv?ut cause or reason The expense of erecting a new county and providing proper buildings will be a heavy expense. houses, which the territory in question use and in part lowns, are sufficient for its needs, this additional outlay will be an unproduc tive dead expense. From another point of view the injustice to that part of Randolph County embraced within the pro posed new county. Guilford has a bonded indebtedness of $300, 000, a considerable part of which represents expenditures in High Point and adjacent Guilford -Townships. Guilford will expect a new county toassume its proportionate part of this indebtedness. This will mean that those who called upon to help pay this bonded incurred for their benefit. Kandolph (Jounty is one ot the tew counties which has no bonded indebtedness. In fact the county has no indebtedness except $22,575,00 incurred to pay for the new court house which should be ample for fifty or a hundred years to come. The tax rate m Guilford is now higher than in Randolph. With the heavy initial expenses, the citizens of the proposed new county may confidently expect the rate of taxation in Piedmont County, if it shall ever exist, to be still higher. High Point, which will surely dominate, will follow its Guilford training. On the score of convenience there is no need for a new county, because all parts of the proposed county have unusually good facili ties for going to and from the present county seats. The industrial developments of the recent past have shown that it is more economical to operate a few large businesses than many smaller ones. County government is certainly a business a very complicated business. To split up old counties to make a larger number is flying in the face of the teaching of modern business experience. And again- Randolph knows she will lose many of her best citizens if the new movement goes through; and she will not lose them without protest- Wherefore it is Resolved, that we place ourselves on record as against the proposed new county. And it is further Resolved, that the Clerk to the Board be and he is hereby instructed to send copie3 of these resolutions to our State Senator and Representatives. . H. T. CAVINESS, This Dec. 6. Chairman Board County Commissioners of Randolph County. By order of Board. Other New Counties. High Point and Raeford are not the.only communities that want new counties. Recently a meeting was held at Oak Ridge to consider plans for formation of a new county out of parts of Guilford. Rcckingham, For syth and Stokes, with Stokesdale as the county seat, Jarvis is the name proposed in honor of Governor J ar vis. The.proposed county will con tain 200 square miles and 1200 in. habitants. The Forsyth county commissioners have adopted resolutions against the formation of this new county. An effort is being formed to es tablish another new county out of the Southern part of Mitchell to be named in honor cf Ex-J udge A. C. Avery. v ' the borders of the Old North State in the north-eastern corner of the of a new county, taking a part of Ptedonat, .upon the table, for no satisfying ;tbe local self interests New County Time has given its approval. in making such considerable As the present county court new arrangement will work an are now Kandolph Uitizens will be indebtness, which has not been Mr. W. A. Graham Clark, son of Chief Justice Walter Clark, of the Supreme Court of North Carolina, has been transferred is commercial agent of the Department of Labor and Commerce to the more impor tant position of textile expert of the tariff commission. Allen J. Ratlin, banker and promi nent business man cf Hillboro, died in a hospital in Philadelphia where he had gone, for treatment. The deceased was a grandson of Judge Knmn and in the commercial world occupied a position akin to that of his illastious grandfather, in the Judicial circles. In a wreck on the Southern near Chula, Va., recently, 15 cars loaded with freight, were demolished. OPPOSE COUNTY. MEMBERS GUILFORD BAR ACT Guilford Representatives Will Be Requested to Act in Accordance With Sentiment of the v County. The members of the Greensboro bar met last Saturday a id adopted the folio wiog resolutions opposing the new county: Whereas, Certain parties residing in and near High Point have applied to the general assembly of North Carolina for a new county; and Whereas, The undersigned, mem bers of the bar of Guilford county, residing in Greensooro, N. C, are opposed to the establishment of the new county, and are of the opinion that it would be impracticable and unwise to create the same and be lieve, from the information that we have, that the citizens of the terri tory of Guilford not included, and some of those included in the pro posed new county are opposed to the creation of the sanit; now there fore, be it Resolved, On this, the 7th day of January, 1911, the undersigned members being present and voting, that A. M. Scales, John N. Wilson, E. J. Justice, John A. Barringer, T. J. Murphy and G. S. Bradsbaw br, and they hereby arp, appointed a committee to prepare suitable reso lutions against the establishment ot said new county and the taking of any of the territory of Guilford county for such purpose, and that said committee be and they are here by instructed to appear before the board of county commissioners at their next meeting for the purpose of asking said board to pass resolu tions objecting to the creation of such new county and to do whatever may be in their opinion necessary to inform the members of the legisla ture of the sentiment of Guilford county in regard to , the establish ment of such new county. Resolved, further, That the secre tary of this meeting be, and he hereby is, instructed to send a copy of the resolutions to the members of the legislature from Guilford coun ty, and that a copy be sent to the local papers and to the News and Obseiver for publication. Southern Milling Company The Secretary of State is issuing a charter for the Southern Milling Company of this place with S. L. Davis, of High Point, C. L. Cran ford and Virgil Presnell, of this place, as incorporators. C. L. Cran- ford will be manager of the new mill, which will be located between the store of Cranford Brothers and the Randolph Chair Company. The corporation will do the business of merchant mnlers. Fire at Trinity. The Washington Duke building at Trinity College, Durham, burned last Wednesday morning at 3 o'clock. The hundred students in the build ing all escaped, largely through the efforts made to awake them by H. R. Hunter, of Cary, who lost his personal effects on account of them. The belongings of many of the students, and some very valuable re cords of the college were lost.. The total value of the building was $100,000, partially covered by $40, 000 icsurance. Mr. Stewart Dead. Mr. O. R. Cox and H. B. Carter, members of the General Assembly, from this county, where two of the committee who passed through on Monday afternoon accompanying the remains of Representative J. L, Stewart, of Montgomery, who died in Raleigh Sunday. Others of the committee were Senators Armstrong and Reinhart and Representatives Kennedy of Sampson, Warren of Pearson and Houston of Union Mr. Stuart was a brave soldier in the Civil War in which struggle he lost one leg. He waa a mason and wasturied with Masonic honors. Aged 69 years. Depot Burglarized The depot at Millboro was broken into Saturday night and thirteen dollars in money was taken from the ticket box. Broaden York was ar rested and bound over to court as a suspect of the theft. NEWS BRIEFS. J. M. Dicks, of Greensboro, lost a barn by fire recently. 1 oes $3,500. A. C. Frank was found dead in bed at a hott 1 in Salisbury Monday nigbt. Mr. J. A. Gambleand Miss Dulcy Tucktr, i)f Eldorado, were recently married. Henry Tbdoipsoc's. large brick store at Henderson, N. (.". was burn ed last Friday night. Capt. E. C. Price, of Troy, and Miss Bertha Ingram, of Mt. Gilead, were married recently. A wbite man attempted a criminal assault npon a six-year old child in Greensbiro lasl Sunday. An electric trolly car line will be completed from High Point to Greensboro before the end of this year. Jacob S. L'pe, a well known farmer and ex-confederate soldier living at Landis, Rowan county, died last Friday, Fred Gattas, a negro boy near Pittsboro accidently shot himself while hunting. Nearl half of his face was shot tff. Perry Hewitt, a well known farmer living in Catawba county dropped dead while cutting wood in his yard last Friday. Congressman Pou givtsouta state ment that be has not withdrawn as candidate for membership on Ways and Means Committee. The condition of Ex-Judge S. B. Adams, who attempted suicide, is improved, is the latest from St. Leo's Hospital, Greensboro. Mrs. H. O. Bannister and 1? months old son, of Raleigh, were asphyxiated by the inproper light ing of an instantaneous gas heater. Davis Elkins, eldest son of the late Senator Elkins, of West Va., will fill out the unexpired term of his father in the United States Senate. Governor Kitchin has commission ed It. R. Clark editor of trie States- ville Landmark as a director of the State Hospital at Morganton to suc ceed the late C. H. Arm field. Virgil Hunt, who attacked a white woman on summit . Avenue m Greensboro one day last week, was captured Monday in Winston-Salem, attired in women's clothing. Claud Banders, a negro farm hand, is held by Wake county authorities on suspicion that he murdered his wife and two step children and the setting fire to his home to cover his crime. E. B. Fishblate, forinerlv a cloth- iBg merchant in Greensboro, but for several years a residen t of New York, died there January 5th. The re mains were brought to Ureensboro for burial. The Victoria Inn, one of Ashe- ville's oldest hotels has passed into the possession of the Ladies of Chris tian Education, a Catholic order, and will be known as Sc. Genevieve's College for young ladies. The county commissioners, the school board and a committee from Farmers' Union, held a joint session Monday and took action opposing the formation of Piedmont county, says the Greensboro Daily Record. Rev. R. P. Bryson, a local minis ter of the M. E. church South, met a horrible death on his I. Friday in the railroad shops at Spencer, by the falling on him of three pairs of engine truck wheels and xles, which were being lifted by a huge crane. Representative Harry Stubb, of I'.artin county, has introduced a bill to call a constitutional convention in May 1913, the purpose of same being to amend what is termed our antiquated constitution which is considered by some as insufficent for present conditions. Marshal A. Hudson, founder of the world wide Baraca movement and president of the National Ba raca Movement- will visit North Carolina in February and will make an address in Salisbury. There are more than 500 Baraca members in Salisbury. Representative E. W. Pon will not be a candidate for membership on the Ways and Means committee. This will give a clear field to repre sentative Claude Kitchen, whose election is now conceded. Mr. Foo will get the chairmans'aip of a goal committee. 4, ;: its:.