North Carolina Newspapers

rrrv f NEWS. -i VOL. XXIX NO. 4638 CHARLOTTE, N. C, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 13, 1904. PRICE: 3 CENTS I II I rM H I I I I I I II M 19 fl v rv ' c tr h v k . a r a IE I JAPANESE RSHIP WAS SUNK PORT AUTHUR This is the News Sent by a Witness to the Fight The Japanese are Always Secre tive Regarding their Casu aMtles. Rumor of the Sinking of a of a Japanese Merchant man by Four Russian War-Ships-No News of Vladi vostok Squadron. (By Associated Press) St. Petersburg. Feb. 13 Russia is evidently not prepared at this time to give an answer to the U. S. to Secre tary Hay's note on the subject of- the ruitrality of China. As previously stat ed in these dispatches hostilities must bt?u:i, the military authorities must btousulted. and the Czar doubtless will refer the matter to Viceroy Alex itft'. if he has not already done so. Rus ia it can be said, is certainly as anx ious as the U. S. that the war cause no uprisings or disorders in China, indeed, the attitu-ie of China is -already caus ing some misgivings here ;as she has iiot. yet declared her neutrality. It is thought that the action of the Japanese in flooding Pekin with pos ters relating to their victories is part of a well laid plan projected to break down Russia's prestige in China for the mirpose of ultimately effecting the union of the two races, which would make the "Yellow peril" a reality. Germany and Great Britain, it is un derstood both report sympathy with its purpose but with an important reser vation concerning Manchuria, which is now the theatre of war. Germany's views in this respect were anticipated ku Great Britain's failure to give Sec retary Hay unqualified support has caused surprise here. Significant Silence. London. Feb. 13. Complete silence lias fallen over the far . East. Net a word of news is to be had here except the report given out at the Japanese legation of the shelling of the Russian warships and the report from Viceroy Alexieff cf the blowing up of the Rus sian torpedo transport Yenisei. This long silence has given rise to the belief that important events are transpiring. The correspondent of The Times at nei Ha: Wei, in a dispatch dated February 11, says the steamer Fu Pirfg. which is taking refugees to Shanghai, has brought the following account of th3 Fort Arthur engagement. The officers of the forts were absent from their stations, so retaliation was impossible. Daylight showed two Rus sian battleships and one cruiser ap parently total wrecks. The Japanese attack was resumed in the morning when another battleship was' disabled and beached. The flref rom the forts compelled the Japanese to retire. The Russians appeared to be completely demoralized and their torpedoes were useless against the Japanese. The Fu Ping, which was flying the British flag, moved out as she held a Russian permit to go. The Russian guaruship, however, fired three shells at her, which are said to have wounded five of her Chinese crew. Captain Gray, commanding the Fu Ping, board ed the guardship and obtained permis sion tj proceed, after he signed a prom ise not ct divulge what had occurred. The Russians said they were very sorry they had fired on his ship. German Diversions. London, Feb. 13. The St. Peters burg correspondent of the Daily Tele graph claims unimpeachable authori ty to declare that in the event of Rus sia beinsr ripff-atpri in thp Far T-last Germany will make a diversion in her favor likely to have far-reaching result. Russian Transport Sunk. St. Petersburg. Feb. 13 A report has been received from Viccrov Alexieff saymg that the Russian torpedo trans i10 t lenisel has been blown up as the sult of accidentaly striking a mine at crt Arthur. The Yenisei sank and LaiH. Sanoff, three officers and SI men "ere lost. Report Denied. 6t- Petersburg Fph IS Thn Ass J'ated Press is authorized to deny the report that the Japanese have landed run Arthur with the loss of two 'wraents. Nothing is known here wiciaiiy of the movements of the thr Oslock squadron but reports at it had sunk Japanese transports "Won San and destroyed Hakkoda e generally discredited. As pointed w n is impossible for the souadron AW l tw Places at once. Victory stnri si!ence aD0,it the Vladivo fa,.rK f squadron is explained bv the wat being empowered to dispose ,L LDe Shms HTlrl rne-r. u III? k 1 Ulcu "HUUUl CU11S Ul I" ! valuable qiiarterS WOuld be givinS ai thur S- PS ensaged at Port Ar-! lent' m ?nyae teleeram from a resi-l out 5fAe "sThip smk' Tt is Ported : to ai" h th JaPanese are not likely, trn i - "." a. haio ciuvi it ig recalled at taring the Chines - w,r tf i, i Pane he wore most ttieii secretive about1 W '' iai.cie?- e tclea-anh- linn HeW, f th0 Y&1 River fr the "1 6 br--ken whif h accounts he absen if direct news of tne naval engagement at CJiPmni blowing up of the Russian torpedo t ansport Yenisei, as the result of striking a mine was sent yesterday but not given out til! the names of the officers killed were known. The first teexing of depression is disappearing and entire confidence is expressed in its ultimate success of the " Russian arms. San Francisco Sails. Port Arthur. Fph ia ttt,5,i o cruiser San Francisco which arrived Wednesday from Beirut sailed today for Bombay and Yokahoma. Chinese Neutrality. Tokio. Feb. 13 TTia m-no claimed neutrality yesterday of that country curing tne war between Russia and Japan. John Hay, Diplomat. Washington. Feb. 1?,. Th state Department today issued a statement after a preliminary exchange of views Detween this government and other powers interested in "Chinese mattrs. Th Department Pehrnarv in aont tvio following instructions to the Ameri can representative in St. Petersburg, Tokoi, and Pekin: "You will express to the Minister cf Foreign Affairs the earnest desire cf the United States government that in the course of mil itary operations now begun between Russia and Japan, the neutrality cf China, and in all practical ways her administrative entity, be respected by both parties, and that the area of hos tilities be localized ?s much as possi ble, so that undue excitement and disturbance of the Chinese people may be prevented, and the least pos sible loss to the commerce of world be occasioned." Signed, JOHN naY. COLORED WOMAN'S ESCAPE. Remarkable Escape of a Negro Wo man Vho Jumped From a Train. (Special The News') Statesville, N. C, Feb. 13. While No. 30. the fast train from Asheville to Statesville, approached 'Connelly station this morning, a negro woman, under seme hallucination or intoxica tion, walked to tne platform of tne car and leaped into the air. The passengers were much excited, cf course, and f the conductor signalled the train to stop, and then to back to the spot where it was supposed that the negro's dead body would be found. To the surprise of everybody the woman was found to be alive and not hurt enough to prevent her getting into the train herself. She boarded the train this side of Asheville, and was bound for Plotts. ADMIRAL TOGO'S OFFICIAL REPORT The Japanese Admiral is Ap parently as Modest as is Brave - An Admirable Sketch of the Naval Bat tie. (By Associated Press) Tokio, Thursday, Feb. 11. Vice Ad miral Togo's official report cf the at tack of the Japanese fleet at Port Arthur, reached Tckio late this after noon. The report was written at sea, Feb ruary 10, at a point undisclosed by the Navy Department. The report briefly and modestly recounts the Japanese victory. Vice Admiral Togo left the battleground not knowing the full ex tent of the damage his torpedo shells had inflicted but he was evidently con fident that the Russians had suffered heavily. A translation of Vice Admiral Togo's report follows: "After the combined fleet left Sasebo on February 6, everything went as planned. At midnight Feb. 3, advance squadron attacked the enemy at Port Arthur. At the time the enemy's ad vance squadron was for the most part outside of Port Arthur. Of the advance sauadron at least the battleship Poltya, the protected cruiser Askcld and two others apneared struck by our torpe does On February 9th at noon our fleet advanced in the offing of Port Arthur bay and attacked the. rest of the ene my's ships about forty minutes. The result cf the attack is not known but it is believed considerable damage was inflicted and I believe that they were greatly demoralized. They stopped fighting about 1 o'clock and appeared tc retreat into the harbor. In this ac tion the damage to our fleet was very slight and our fighting strength .is not in the least damaged. ' The number of killed and wounded was 53. Of these four were killed and 54 wounded. A report of the engage ment of the squadron at Cnemulpo has probably been sent to you already di recently by Admiral Una. "Our advance squadron bore the brunt of the enemy's fire and after the attack, for the most part rejomed the main fleet. The Imperial Princess on board the ship is unharmed "The conduct of all officers du ring the action was cool not unlike , that during ordinary maneuvers. Since the battle their spirits have been high but their conduct was very calm during tne ,.ir.o- OWing lO a oauie. J. ma ui"iU'"01 . i-.ppn no heavy south wind, there has been no communication between the ships ana no detailed has been received from each vessel, so I merely report, the advance facts- ' .;,t at the Baltic The Yenisei was hit at tne d works- in 1899. She has 2,50J tons a placement and could steamM knots. Her armament censtea ul . pounder and six three poundei quxCK firing guns. TOGO." j ((Signed) . CARNEGIE AND CLEVELAND. The Latter Writes a Letter and the Former Makes a Speech at Hampton. (By Associated Press) New York, Feb. 13. Negro ' indus trial education and its bearings on the race problem were discussed here tonight at a meeting, of the Hampton Institute by Andrew Carnegie Pres ident Elliott, of Harvard, Booker T. Washington, of Tuskagee Institute, and Principal Prissell, of Hampton Institute. Mr. Carnegie presided. Ex-President Grover Cleveland sent a letter saying: "All our people, and every section of our country, are deeply concerned in the better equipment of the negro population for self-support and use fulness. There should be a general agreement as to the neessity of their improvemnet in this direction, and all good men should continue in the manner best suited to their several circumstances to the accomplishment of this beneficent result. , "Different sections of our country are affected in uifferent degrees, and with greater or less directness, but it seems to me that all must concede that no agencies can possibly do bet ter service to the cause of negro amelioration than in the institutions in which they are taught how to be self-supporting and self-respecting. Such institutions as these which have demonstrated their efficiency and which prove their merit by an exhibit of successful effort, should . be con stantly and generously encouraged and assisted. The extent to which this is clone may well be accepted as a test of our sincerity in the cause of negro improvement." In opening the meeting Mr. Carnegie said in part: "There never was, so "far as I know, an intelligent, worthy, kindly north ern man, who became conversant with the conditions., who did not sym pathize deeply with his sorely tried orethern-of the fccuth,( and see that only through cordial cooperation with them is the needed work of raising the negro to be successfully accom plished. "After all is said and done, the im provement of the South, white and black, must be accomplished by the best educated element in the South, which is in sympathy with our views, and seeks the steady, though perhaps slow, elevation of both races; not the continued degradation of either." Booker T. Washington, speaking of the problem from a moral and relig ious point of view, said: "Not a single graduate of the Hamp ton Institute or the ' Tuskagee Insti tute can be found today in any jail or ' State penitentiary. The records of the South show that ninety per ent. of the colored people in prison are without knowledge of trades and 61 per cent, are illiterate. This state ment alone disproves the assertion that the negro grows in crime as his education increases." SECRETARY MOODY Takes Issue With Gorman on the Lesser Navy, (By Associated Press) New Y'ork, Feb. 12. Lincoln's birth day was celebrated by the Republican Club of 'New York by a banquet at the Waldorf tonight. Many expres sions of sympathy were heard when a letter of regret from Senator Hanna ws read. President Roosevelt sent a message eulogizing Lincoln. Secretary of the Navy Moody was the principal speaker. He replied to Mr. Gorman's recent speech on naval policy, quoting the late Mr. Whitney in favor of a strong navy and saying that Annapolis graduates were not swashbucklers swaggering around the world with a chip on their shoulders. "I like to repeat what I have heard our great ad miral say so many times : "'We have as good ships; as good officers as any navy and we -have the best enlisted men in the world." Secretary 'Moody referred to the war in the far East, saying that under no circumstances he could conceive that there was danger to the peace of our own nation. CHARLOTTE FIRM INCREASES CAPITAL The Allen Hardware Company Increases Capital Stock to $100,000 Executive Com mittee ofTtachers' Assem- bly. (Special The News) .'Raleigh, Feb. 13. The 'executive committee' of the State Teachers' As sembly met today and decided that the next session will be held June 8th at a place to be selected at a special ses sion next week, Prof. J. B.'Carlyle, pre siding. The Secretary of State issued an amendment to the charter of the Allen Hardware Company, Charlotte, author ing an increase capital to $100,000. D. E. Allen is president and Frank J. Oliver, secretary. At a meeting of the North Caro lina committee on the Cec :.es scholarships held today it was de cided to extend the time for receiving the applications until March 1, and to hold the examination at the State University cn . March 9. President F. "p.- Venable, of the University, pre sided, f Prof. Carlyle, of Wake Forest; ; Prcf. Mims, of Trinity, and Prof, j Douglass, of Davidson, were the com I mitteemen present. S HOT UNANIMOUS FOR THE CONSTITUTION Only Eighty Exscutive Offi cers is-a Condition That Strikes the Panama Pa triots With Dismay-Army of one Hundred Men. Dr. Amadore Slated for the Presidency- The New Re public has Spent Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars Since the Revolution." (By Associated Press) New York, Feb. 13. A Herald dis patch from Panama says that follow ing the resignation of Minister of War Obarrio all employes of the de partment have given up their posi tions. Their resignation followed the action of the Constitutional Conven tion abolishing the office. This is the first movement in the reduction , of ex penses. The Republic has spent more than seven hundred thousand dollars since it was formed double the in come. The Government is to have on ly four ministers to reduce the army to a hundred men and some soldiers will be transferred into the National Police. Office-holders are dissatisfied at the purpose to have only eighty men fill all the offices of the executive branch of government. The constitu tion is not entirely complete. Dr. Amadore will be elected President Monday. The date cf the inaugura tion has not been sefft. HANNA'S CONDITION IMPROVED. The Latest News is That the Distin guished Patient is Better. (By Associated Press) Washington, Feb. 13. .Senator Han na's temperature continues high. The high altitude and the fact that his fever does not yield to sponge baths has given concern. While his general con dition is better than at 6 o'clock last night, it is not so good as yesterday morning. Throughout the night oxy gen was given at into vals o about o.:e hour. The Senator continues drowsy. ' It is not believed the patient can withstand the fever at so high temperature and the fight is being made to reduce this. His stomach is in good condition and he is able to take nourishment. The Senator has shown wonderful vitality. It is said the recovery from the sink ing spell yesterday was a most remark able one. The case is regarded as most critical, but not hopeless. Washington, Feb." 13. The follow ing is the bulletin issued at 9:30 this morning by physicians: Senator Han na had a comfortable night. Tempera- j -i n i r i -t r . lure lvi.v, puise izu, respiration Taking nourishment well. Washington, Feb. 13. At 11 o'clock word camef. rom the sick room that' Senator Hanna is resting quietly. Phy sicians regard his condition as good if not better than at the same hour yes terday. v Condition Improved. , Washington, Feb. 13. There is a re port from Senator Hanna's bedside that his temperature is improving as the result of efforts since this morn ing to reduce it. -His condition is con siderably improved. 4 Last Bulletin.' Washington, Feb. 13. At 2:30 Sena tor Hanna's brother said: "My brother's temperature has been reduced to 100 8-10, and all conditions are favorable." : -A. RELEASED ON BOND. Men Involved in the Coal Creek Riots Released From Jail on Heavy Bond. (By Associated Press) Knoxville, Feb. 13. Judge Sneed in the circuit court today granted bail to those under arrest charged with mur der and assault in connection with the troubles at Coal Creek last Sunday. Reed and Bolter were released on five thounsand dollar bond and Burton in a ten thousand dollar bond. The Cpai Creek Coal Company which employed the men as guards signed the bonds. NEW YORK COTTON. The Market is Pretty Steady With Professional Trading of Saturday. (By Associated Press) New York, Feb. 13. The cotton market opened steady at a decline of eight points to an advance of eleven showing steadiness as the call prog ressed. While the local market was steady there was a break at New Or leans and fear of further complications in the Far East tended to increase the offerings soon after call. The latter market ruled quiet and irregular with trading largely professional, common to Saturday. Fire in Topeka. (By Associated Press) Topeka, Kan., Feb. 13. Fire today destroyed the Parkhurst-Davis Com pany's building and the Sells' building adjoining occupied by the McCormick Harvester Company. The loss is $400, 000." No lives were lost. The fire was started by the explosion of chemicals in the Parkhurst building. Mrs. G. M. Morris, of Mooresville, who has visiting her mother-in-law, Mrs. J. J. Morris, on East Avenue, has returned to Mooresville. TEMPERANCE EDUCATION. Anti-Salcon League Plans Series of Important Lectures. Mr. F. R. McNinch, a member of the executive committee of the Charlotte Anti-Saloon League, made a state ment today as to the plans of cam-' paign mapped out by the committee at its recent meeting, as follows: "I have been requested by the exe cutive committee to make a statement of our plans. We have decided, to con duct a sort "of campaign of education along temperance lines for the next two or three months. This work will be done quietly, systematically and thoroughly, and we will ask all of the pastors cf the city, to take part in the work by preaching special sermons on temperance. "The first of this series of temper ance sermons or addresses will be de livered by Rev. W. W. Orr, D. D., at the A. R. P. Tabernacle on Sunday night, the 21st, instant, and each suc ceeding Sabbath a special sermon will be preached in various churches of the city. "When this series of addresses has been finished" the petition for an elec tion will be presented to the Board of Aldermen, and then an active cam paign will be prosecuted from that time till election day." Gross Ignorance. (By Associated Press) Pensacola, Fla., Feb. 13. The Con gressional committee appointed to investigate the charges against Feder al Judge Charles A. Swayne, met here today. The morning session was devoted to the introduction of records by tl'e prosecution, showing the icompetency and partiallity of the-4 juuge. Only three witnesses were heard, and their testimony tended to sftow that Swayne, not being a resi dent of the judicial district, and that his decisions indicated groos ignor ance; also that his absence from the district greatly delayed and inconven ienced litigants. They also testified that persons having cases before the Court' engaged United States Com missioner Tunison, -for the reason of his influence with Judge Swayne. Raleigh Letter. (Correspondence The News) RALEIGH, FEB. 13. Gov. Aycock says the proposition he now has for the lease of the At lantic and North Carolina railroad is by odds the best he has ever received for the property, but he gives no in timation of any Jikelihood of his changing his determination announced some weeks ago not to lease the road under any consideration. The propo sition pending is from Capt. V. E. 'Mo Bee, J. W. Edwards and others. Tho particulars of the proposition are not made public. The Superintendent of Public In struction has issued warrants for the establishments of 17 new school li braries. There are one each for Alex ander, Martin, Pasquotank, Johnson, Durham, Craven, Brunswick, Beau fort, and six for Alleghany. Then there are two supplementary libra ries for . Alleghany,, and one for Dare. Pitt gets three new libraries. , The remains of Major William B. Gulick were brought here today from Columbia, S. C, for interment. The deceased was for years a resident of Raleigh. He was cashier of the first national bank ever organized in Ral eigh, and was appointed by Gov. Ellis as commissary for North Carolina State troops during the war. He ed ited a Democratic paper in Washing ton, N. C, before the war. News has been received here of the horrible burning to death- cf Miss Helen Blake, a maiden lady who lived alone on her farm seven miles from Raleigh, yesterday. She was heard screaming, and when neighbors reached the house her body was found in the floor horribly burned; so bad ly, indeed, that some of the bones protruded through the charred flesh. It is though that her clojhing caught from the open fire-place. . BOLD ROBBERY AT COLONIAL CLUB The San Francisco Club Finds its Members Held Up and Tied by Masked Men who Take All Their Watches and Small Change- (By Associated Press) San Francisco, Feb. 13. Five men entered the Colonial Club last night, frequented by sporting men, and while one remained on guard the others lin ed up the inmates against the wall with hands up and relieved them of money and valuables, nineteen hun dred dollars in all besides watches and jewelry. They took the keys of a bank from one the men and secured five hundred dollars from it. Then they bound the victims face down on the floor and escaped. There is no trace of the robbers. Suicide Caused by Grief. (By Associated Press) St. Louis, Feb. 13. Wm. J. Lemp, President of Lemp Brewing Company, committed suicide today by shooting himself through the head. It is sup posed this hed been caused by grief at the recent death of his son. CHANGE INSURANCE, v County Board Education Tskes Bull by the Horns. ' The county board of education at their last meeting received notice from the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Com pany of their decision not to take any more insurance on school houses after January, 1905. The board immediately took the bull by the horns and at the same meeting ordered thecounty super intendent to make arrangements to place the insurance elsewhere at once. There are 21 policies on school houses insured with the Farmers' Mutual, but these will probably be placed with a local company this month,, as all nego tiations have about been completed with the local insurance company's representatives. It will be remember ed that cn last Saturday the directors of the Farmers Mutual ordered $1,200 insurance paid cn Bain Academy, re cently burned, but the board of direc tors likewise concluded that it would not be wise for them to continue to carry insurance on public schools or churches. SEVERE WEATHER NORTH. Capt. Tucker of Southern Says Last Night Was Record Breaker. Capt. R. A. Tucker who came in this morning from Washington on No. 39 tells a News representative that in his judgment last night was the coldest and most severe of the entire winter. Capt. Tucker says that the cold throughout Virginia last night was in tense and the country for many miles south of Washington is covered with snow and ice. Capt. Tucker's run is between Wash ington and Charlotte. OPENS OFFICE. The i Life Assurance Co. of Cana da Represented Here. The Sun Life Assurance Co., of Can ada has opened a branch office at 217 North Tryon street. The district man ager of this well-known company is Rev. B. F. Estes, formerly of Laurens, S C, who located here last fall. Our old friend. Mr. John Hirst, an ex printer in whose office the first issue of The Charlotte News saw the light, is connected with this company. Some years ago he gave up the stick and rule and has since made a success writing insurance. Mrs. Barron's Sister Paralyzed. Mrs. A. C. Barron received the intel ligence today that her sister, Mrs. Jno. B. Blackley, of Staunton, Va., had suf fered a stroke of paralysis. The mes sage did not state how seiious Mrs. Blackley's condition was. THE AMERICA Great Britam Wants to Know if the "Administrative En tity" Includes Manchuria --The Powers Will Act in Concert- . (By Associated Press) Washington, Feb. 13. To Russia and Japan the Washington government suggests 'the propriety of limiting hos tilities within as small an area as pos sible and of respecting the neutrality and administrative entity of China, that China may be free from disturb ances and foreign interests there from menace. This the Associated Press, is en abled to give as the substance of the note addressed by Secretary Hay ch February 10th to the St. Petersburg and Tckio governments. On February 8 in a note to Germany, Great Britain and France, Mr. Hay invited these pow ei& concurrently to address Russia and Japan with the same suggestion and on February 11 this invitation was ex tended to Italy, Austria-Hungary, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and Bel gium. Germany was the first to respond with a prompt acceptance of the invi tation and the promise that she im mediately would address the two com batants. Great Britain was heard from next expressing adherence to the principal laid down in the note, but principal ma! acceptance, pending an answer in quiry whether the "administrative en tirety" of China involved Manchuri, Japan was heard from quickly with the answer that she would act readily the suggestions of the U. S. if a simi lar promise could be obtained from Russia. Italy-Hungary and the Nether lands expressed sympathy with the idea and promised an answer after con sultation with other powers. There is reason to believe that Spain ana Bel gium will also accept that invitation. Russia thus far has been silent and the attitude of France is one of the station. This is the situation-last night. Meantime it is learned that Germany is addressing the combatants with a nqte in substance the same as that of Secretary Hay. Regarding the attitude of Great Britain, it is a -matter of re gret to the officials here that, as the princial is one for which the British have stood in the past so stalwartly. it should hold up formal acceptance of the invitation until it has learned fur ther details. On the highest authority it can be stated that there are no de tails to the note, as it would be mani festly .impossible to, hope for concur rent action by so many powers upon any but the most general lines. That the officials of the Washington govern ment' could have had in mind the neu trality of Manchuria is declared on the face of it to be absurd. Manchuria is recognized by this government with Korea to ba the natural theatre of the war, and. for that reason, primarily, the suggestion was made that hostili ties be restricted. T DEFIES FARMERS MUTUAL ANNUAL SESSION Mecklenburg Farmers As semble Today to Elect Offi cers and to Hear Reports of the Work in the Past Vear, Capt. Ardrly Re-Elected President - Company in Good Financial Shape and is Prospering-The Number of Policies in Force. The annual meeting of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company was held this morningin the county court house. The report of the president, which was the chief feature of the meeting, was presented, as follows: Report by H. D. Stowe, chairman of the Executive Committee M. F. M. F. I. C: The Mecklenburg Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company has now been in successful operation for two years. The executive committee in making its first annual report twelve months ago, deemed it necessary, as a matter of in formation to refer briefly to the action taken in effecting a separation from the State Association and forming our independent local association. In this second annual report which the com mittee submits today, reference is made enly to the workings of the as sociation since the first annual report was made twelve months ago. The new tj-laws require a reserve fund of not less than $1,C00 to be kept on hand at all times for. the payment of insured losses and expenses. The first assess ment that was made soon after our or ganization was completed, has been kept in the bank for this purpose until the recent burning of Bain Academy, which building was insured in our com pany for $1,400. Besides this building," the company has sustained other losses amounting to $214.50, making a total loss 'of $1,640.50. These losses have more than consumed the reserve fund required by the by-laws to be kept on hand. The recent ' assessment of 50 cents cn the $100 was made to meet this deficiency and provide for the re serve fund that the by-laws require to be kept on hand. Our association is in tended to afford a mutual protection to its members and. the provision in the by-laws requiring a reserve fund to be kept on hand, is a good one. A member who may be burnt out needs his money at ence. In this way there can be no delinquenst as the assessments are paid in advance. Our association is growing steadily in membership and insurance. W now have 533 policies issued cover ing $423,145 of insurance, 58 of the above mentioned policies have been forfeited. The holders of these forfeited policies are now without protection until they pay up all arrearages artd. take the legal -steps-to be restored as are set forth ia the by-laws. As has been stated, our new associ ation has now been in force for about two years and is working well. We are now under the influence of no outside dictation. Our association manages its affairs in its own way and furnishes in surance to its members at cost. Th farmers of Mecklenburg are to be con gratulated for the splendid home or ganization which they have built up and as was remarked in the first annual report twelve months ago, "If we will only adhere strictly to business prin ciples a bright future awaists us." It is required of the executive com mittee to audit the books of the treas urer before each annual meeting of the association. This has been done and his books are found to be correct and in good condition. Owing to the fact that the walls of Baine Academy remain intaft only $1,200 was paid -cathe insurance pt $1,400. - i : The old officers were re-elected as follows: ' I - ' ' Captain W. E., Ardrey, president; John McDowell, vice-president; R. C. Freeman, secretary and treasurer. Board of directors: H. D. Stowe, W. S.' Pharr, S. T. Caldwell, Dr. H. Q. Alexander, Dr. W. P. Craven, J. IL McClintock, John McDowell. . Executive committee: H. D. Stowe, J. H. McClintock, W. S. Pharr. Illustrated Lectures Next Week. Evangelist C M. Howard w,ill give an interesting lecture, illustrated with 1C0 stereopticon pictures, on Sunday night at- Brevard Street 'Methodist church, and Tuesday night at East Ave nue Presbyterian church, and Friday night ?at the Second . Presbyterian church, and Wednesday night at Trin ity Methodist church. All are invited. Adults and children. No admission fee is charged. Lecture at .7:45 a. m.; A Painful Accident. .This morning as Mrs. M. E. Bangle was going "about her household duties she' stumbled over a bicycle and fell upen her wirst, dislocating it. Though, not a dangerous hurt it proved to be a very painful one and she will not have the use of the injured member for some time. ' - : . . -A 'r Long Creek Teachers Meet. An interesting meeting was held yes terday afternoon of the public school teachers in Long Creek township, at which a number of papers were read by teachers dealing with schpol work. The papers were carefully prepared and were of great interest to the teach ers. Those presenting papers were Misses Todd, Little, Bagwell, Neal, Mrs. Alexander and Mr. Wm. Faulk. .