Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / March 12, 1911, edition 1 / Page 4
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THl OHASLOTTE NE^S MARCH 12, I9U The Charlotte New Publtshen anfl Sunday l?y THE mm's nvm.tnm'SQ co. \V. C. Dow#, Vr««. and ie«. ’Mgr, Tclrphonrai City a.lltor Puiitrcs* Oltlof ... Job Offlce .... ... a?’ :!.! 11* J. C. PATTON Editor A. W. CALDWEIX City Editor A. W. OURCIa . Atlv^rtlrtnR Mgr, «T7R»r>!lPnOX HAT*# r>» rfcnriott* tMHy nA'l I'utidajr. fMa ^'x mcvitOA r-sjl 'i hi«* mAOtll I'n* ir(»*k .12 B^ra9«y Only. ■-.* T*»«f '' ucrttMk c^atiui ja.oo 1.00 Jto TJkt- W'^ekly, t're * sij mocttik ;r 'ri'.-cr >DAO*'**»air«C. ! he urtenticr. of tun puoilc Is re- «: i ;7ul!v v'tvael to tM« followlnR: Irt fuTure, Obituary Notices. In Me- r'Orlai. r-i:cfcnt;». Car.'i* of Thanks. escouslnsr tho cr\use ot p r:-|Tn»i* erterprlB^ or a political * -.1 :Uh;« KQil Ilk*^ .natter. will b« .S.'Kp't ', at the rftt" of flvi% cent^ k i.r-. I'Ksre will >• an deviation from 1; -^ I'tie. SLNDAY MORNING. MARCH 12, 1911 ♦ ♦ THE OUTDOOR CRANK. ♦ '.or ■5''r';!'5 oiiuiii'ir?; ^ i;i>(l siujres; ♦ : dnx ho poes ♦! m;- .■’•i-.i.-u'-st of hoves. I Ho • ^ '.alos >if : I. ;i- ^ t ^ hilo rorrfnts ♦ j ii; ' v.-i'u' ;l '\vn in ♦ | n’:-: (in his ♦[ n;; i 'CO " .t ' 'U l'i.'> TdOS: I iio .--‘niMl f ; -'H ■ ■!! ’inri' tho ♦ (lawn. iiuMii^h nearly ♦! :rc'zc. 1 ■ t , (iisdain j fit- -m; . -. liK'.t they ; ui!! t:- ^luuil'er dry. away ♦; f-M'ui . ' a..il r-'Mi "fbis latul ,,f ^ :;iui iih'n may ♦, nddis - !'f ;nay join the owls ♦! : tul ■'!■..(>r r.■\\!^, and rov'st np ♦! n a ;;rt- Oi .!i > iiK\y lu’.nHuv ♦ j (ior:' -uh.M'f snakes and sroinid- i o^-; >1p- ■. I I- on liooks ♦' ::i (|'..lfi i-''oK'. or 'nrath tho ♦ ,-iaIi 0 ('lot'p. ^’ut whon thoir >!('■!' i~ (''cr. and they liave ♦! I'oased 'o snore, they t^honhl be ♦! drownf d i!' tlicy po round their ♦! ludplf'S ii’ieiids to bore., ♦! — W.M.T M ASOX. ^ ♦ a\'pyi'i-’“t- l^^n. by (George ♦ Matthew Aaaiu.'..! ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ \\ f‘ rxpoci to see Colliers ic-lebrate , in! . :i . i'ir .. lifU- r--Ti' ■'.-■ate io sell jubt l.dw ! 'I'i;-' Kroi hoi'’ in the wall emerges f.oni ui'sciirity. \-i;ni:in Ha: "00,1 no doubr feels bet ter thaw i \» Atlaiiin lifts be in ha.-iunu: in liio Vai' smilf*. S[.iir,-: .‘;!:ov. nr, i ; juai wiliing- il - > to .t'.'.'. Charlottt roal e^taio is taking t'lo triiil oi tl;t- ('ow o'.or the nMon. i'he ^hintly Horuct.s arc preparing To slid:; ihcii’ wa\ to \?c-to-ree. \\ h.ii i ;!»' iiFe? If we flosrged Mcxico :ii( ie'u t.'O litrif to crow over. oii,e u, thi)ik ai)Oiit it, we believe (■'ir old fr|f lui I)v. Cook also plead ‘ill hf alth.” A nnvif f* wiio d'ios not appeiociato n j.ardon enou-h to behave himself dc;t3 not deS'frve one. There is lo lark of evidence that, Sharon town.'hip does not projiose to stand tor Hunda> rook fighting. We are in momentary frar lest the troo[)s mistake the Hoii.^ton Font lor a 1 evolnt.ionl.-' nnd nuptiress it. ARhe\ille has just, cantured a “large black eagle.' Ii is up to \Vilmihgtf)n to give UR a good fish st.orv. the mule vindicated. For a time it began to appear that modem day inventors had formed a deep laid conspiracy to swat the mule off the face of the map. W’hat with the Invention oT automobiles, air craft and numeroiia other agencies for quick movement it began to look as though the mule would be gradually discarded to make room for more rapid going agencies of locomotion. Not so. Tho mule persists in staying put. Resting supinely in the knowledge that with all of their speed and beauty modern day inventions are devoid of many of his own attributes, the mule indiffer ently defies science to put him out. Instead of depreciating in value, it appears that the public demands the mule to such an extent that it is wil ling to pay twice what was once paid. roUimbus, Ga., is quite a mule mar ket. and this illuminating little mar ket dope only goes to strengthen the belief that Maud is here to stay; “With the price higher than ever, the demand for mules has been great er than over before in Columbus, a ty pical Southern trading and planting center, this season. Maud is indeed queen, for with all her fauUs the folk who till the soil love her still and must have her at any price. It has tost almost as much to buy a pair of good nudes as a small house aud lot. Sales at .$S00 have been recorded here xvitliin the nast few weeks, and a oot- ta.ue witli honoysuekle vinos thrown in for :rood measure is not much more oxiiensive.'' Tho Atlanta Georgian sees in the >'i,uns of- the times bright prospects of profit from mule culture, and says; •'Atlanta is the second mule market in ihe I’nited States. Through it pass each. >oar 60.000 tnules whose value is $rj.000.»00. and yot this sup’ply comos not from Georgia, but to Georgia frotu other stares. Georgia raises haidl.v a fraction of llie number of mules iliat supplies its needs each > ear. It is also evident from tlie nature of the dei'.iand that just any sort of mule won't do. Any sort of a mule, it is t.rue. may bring a price, but the kind there is iirofit in raising and the kind the farmers of the state should turn their a'tention to is the kind told of in the disi)atch—a pair worth as mucdi as a houve atid lot. The highest quality of course bring;' the hi.^he.-^T price and would make the mule-raising industr.'. in the state most in’otitable. Let Georcia make hay while the sun bhinos on the day of the mule.” We have always rather admired the mule—at a distance, lo be sure, but none the less fondly, and that. Baalani, has defied science anci hold his pew is not Imd news at all. Not so slush> and aifoctionate as his more dignified relation, the horse, nor yet cursed with any of those earmarkings of igno miny distinguishing his other relation, the donkey, the mule occupies a hujipy medium, coml)ining those sturdy vir tues of strcngi^i and endurance with a uignitied sense of so’.f vesiioc which at once thwarts tho advances of the fic:;h. The automobile is all right, but it can’t follow the corn row; nor can the aeroplane. And just borau.^e there is a largo niche which cannot be filled ex cept by .Maud her place in agriculture, as well as literature, is secure for many years to come. \Vhile not ex actly a thing of beauty, the mule is none the less a joy for ever—an as set of farm life which can always be (ounted upon to kick the absent mind ed or draw thf load at which the horse balks. Long life to the mule. ♦ Gentle Raps at The News ♦ ♦ ♦ Reason Why He Left. Speaking of the fact that Char lotte’s new weather man came from Charleston, the Charlotte News has “no desire to hold that against him,” but thinks it “one of the wisest moves of his life." They had to order him there—Charleston New's and Courier. Cock Fighting. They, even have cock fighting np in Mecklenburg, and on Sun-day at that. Last Sunday offlceil5 got wind that a pit was going on a few^ miles in the country, and they went out to pull it. About fifty spectators were on hand and the officers bag.ged nine teen of them. Patton should be teach ing his folks better.—Greenville Daily Rellector. Beyond Us. Since Clark, of the Raleigh Even ing Times, has talked of how the femininity crowded the galleries of the capitol and charmed the legisla tors, because Patton, of the Char lotte News, butted-in, and because vsi? do not want to precipitate a fami ly row on any married legislator. Ave remain quiet as to explanations, but, at the same time, will ask Patton to tell us v.'hy the legislators at the fiaisii yesterday so tenderly sang (ac cording to dispatches) ‘’The Girl 1 Left Behind Me.”—W’ilmington Dis patch. SUNBEAMS. (From 15altimore Sun.) “Jim’’ Guffey talks like a man who is determined to show^ the demorals t)f Pennsylvania he is the fellow on the inside or tiie gate with his fing ers in the collar of the bulldog. From Other Sanctam Abundant Water Power. “One-fifth of North Carolina’s fac tories are now operated by electrici ty,” says a news item. The great bulk of this electricity is generated by w'a- ter power, of w'nich the Old North State has a Bufficiency to turn not only all the industrial wheels within its limits but all those in the South. It is a natural resource of incalculable val ue which can not be too zealotisly con served. The same thing is true, in greater or less degree, of the majority o fthe Southen states.--Virginian- Pilot. A Burning Shame. There was a time in the good old state of North Carolina when only the very rich could commit the crime of murder and come out of the crucible of the courts unscathed. If the pres ent tendency of our courts continues, the time will come when any poor dev il will be able to kill his enemy, have a farce trials be acquitted and have his name enrolled in that peculiar hall of fame frequented by criminals and near-criminals. Human life is entirely too cheap in Davidson county. How long will court trials continue to be a mere farce in murder cases where the defendant, or his people, happen to have a little money?—Lexington Dispatch. Poor old Dor Cook has w'aited ail this time to tel! Admiral Peary just what he thinks of him in the plain language of truthful .Tames. Mr. Ballingv^r no doubt feared the next congress would not be so liber al with its wiiite wash. There are more things in heaven and eariii, l^oratio. than were ever dioam-t of in "rncle Joe” Cannon’s jihilosophy. Some peoide couni Bailey out, some count him in and some think he is no accoiint anyway. 'I'he dedication of the big Roose velt dam ought to be an interesting oeremony to those who have been trying to shut him off. Why doesn’t the Mexican revolu tion take a lesson from the .action of congress and adjourn? Better stop .going to Washington and spending yoi;r money, or Judge llarlau will get after y’u. Mr. Loiimer's home-coming was al most as impressive as a stage claque. Every Norman Hapgood has his day. Who’s in the limelight now? Do you Easter shopping early. The Woman’s Betterment Associa tion. We hope there Avill be a large at tendance of the ladies of the city at the Central graded school building this afternoon and that plans will be put on foot that will result in a better and cleaner Concord. The woman can do much tow^ard bettering health conditions and beau tifying and improving the city. There is a w’ork for them to do too w'hich need not be circumscribed in these limits. Concord needs many things, and who are more capable of finding out what she needs and of accomplishing the v.orU needed than the intelligent, self-sacrificing and pivblic-spirited wo men who make their homes in her limits? When tliese ,?;cod women become ful ly aroused to the task they have un dertaken. things are going to come to pass in Concord. The value of such an organization as they have formed cannot be overestimated and its possi bilities of accomplishment are far- reaching. In many cities of the stat^ similar organizations have worked wonders. In Gastonia the work of the Woman’s Betterment Association has been marked. In Raleigh, Winston- Salem and other cities, great good has been done, and things accomplished which but for this agency would have been left undone. What has been done in these and other cities can be done in Concord. There can not be found anyw'here a band of women Avho are capable of ac complishing more than the w'omen who are interested in this movement here. We bid them God speed, and promise them our earnest support in the great Work they have undertaken. —Concord Tribune. district court of appeals rendered the strange decision that it was not un lawful to extort money from a dis reputable place. In Ruef’s second trial, on the charge of having bribed a number of[ the supervisors of San Francisco in the application for a trolley fran chise, the jury disagreed. On March 20, 1907, after six months work by Assistant District Attorney Francis J. Heney and Se cret Service Agent 'William J. Burns, the gi'and jury returned sixty-five In dictments against Ruef for bribing supervisors to grant street railway, gas, electric and telephone franchis es. He w'as put on trial August 26, 1908. It took seventy-two days to secure a jury and the trial was in progress 106 days. During the trial Heney w'as shot while in the court room by an ex-onvict drawn for jury service w'hose record Heney exposed. The ex-convict committed suicide in jail and the special oilicer in charge of him was mysteriously drowned. Ruef w'as convicted December 29, 1908, and sentenced to fourteen years’ imprisonment in the San Quen tin penitentiary. He was released on bail eleven .months later on the cer tificate of physicians that his lungs w^ere w^eak. On November 23 last his conviction \vas upheld by the district court of appeals, and on January 23 the 'state supreme court granted him a rehearing of his appeal for a new trial at its term next July. One of the justices, Henshaw', hov/ever, admitted that he had signed the or der before the case was finall.v sub mitted to the court, at which tim.e ho was in California, and last w'eek the su))reme court suddenly reversed itself and Raef’s hopes came to au end.—New York World. The Mecklenburg Scotch-hish In the War of the Revolu 'uon The Mecklenburg Scotch Irish in the War of Revolution,” was the subject of a paper read before Charlotte Chap ter, D. A. R., at the meeting at Mrs. L. W. Sanders’ Friday afternoon. Mrs. Brown is a talented decendant of the noter “Scotch Irish in the War of Revolution.” She knew her theme In heart, and in brain, and therefore M[rote most engagingly. The paper fol- lo'^s; Didn’t Understand. “Mary Garden scouts a wig,” Is the latest gag. And all the time we thought it w’as She wouldn’t wear a rag! —Commercial A])peai. The punstifferous malefactor of the Durham Sun gets rid of this: ‘•A gin who received a number of blow.s on the head from a burglar owes her life to her r.ossession of a fine head of hair, fiob Phillips, Jim ("owan or .lack T^atton might say this was a hair’s breadth escape. But it shows! also the necessity of having a good suiipl.v of hair In the proper place.” Aside from the hairrowing features of this ljurglary stoiy, we see no oc casion to thus remind Phillips of the hairs that are not. Unlike the woman in the case, it is impossible for the bachelor, beset with the inflrmitives of a.ge, to erect a bulwark on the place where the hair ought to grow to soften the swat of the footpad, and there’s no use rubbing in the fact. Since Mr. lialliti^er has given the rue, it may be that Lorrinier will dis cover evidence of impaired health. The Greensboro Telegram has been done all over anew—now rtms double column heads and improves in ap pearance daily. Good luck to you, Lditor Fain. With all of its faults tho Durham Suu Is a good shot. This hits the bullseye; “We hope Mr. Ballinger s health is not as bad as his record.” Mexico Bouldn’t have attracted so much attention otherwiso, even if it had a governor like the one in South Carolina. With no obstreperous legislature lo rail upon. Editor Daniels will now en gage hlms«lf In swatting dull caro on the snout. “The tooth brush was Invented in Charleston.”—Charleston News and Courier, And there the matter ended. Georgia Is refusing to let Green and Gaynor swear they are paupers. Geor gians are accustomed to taking such things for granted. With 20,000 handsome soldi« rs near by, those auburn haired widows of hungering Houston have their first real opportunity of falling in love at first •«iffht. Suffragettes should contemplate the i little jatint to San Antonio since they | are on a route which will include them | in these little military pleasantries. A dispatch says “President Taft stopped in Augusta for a brief period of rest.” 'I'he President herein showed great discretion in picking a resting place. A JAR OF GINGER. Is winter lingering in the lap of spring? No. little children, winter is crowding spring off the Morris chair.— Cumberland News. Our idea of absolute independence consists in eating onions and not giv ing a darn wiio knows it.—Philadelphia Inquirer. If the Mexican revolution serves to give needed exercise to the United States army Its mission will not have been in valn.-^New York Morning Telegraph. “No, genlleuien,” said tho blond boss, as his (;olleat!;ues mado motions to ward the national pocket, “this, at least, is iny treat.”—Detroit News. Soon we will hear of other dead locks in the shape of games called on account dT darkness.—Norfolk Landmark. Farmers. The wisdom of the i)hilosopher Job, as well as a share in his wide rep utation for i)atienc{\ should be cred ited to the American farmer in these ilays wiien all the knowing ones—col- lege-brod. sol!’-made, and nerthcr. with ourselves included in one oi these classes—are assisting in a movement to improve agriculture. Rather a he roic picture the farmer makes: tak ing every variety of advice, silly or sound, in the best spirit, trying some costly experitnents, doing a lot of extra manual labor, wading through much heavy literature. For an example of irony in the matter, it is easv to recall that railway pres idents ha\e been particularly free with advice to the farmer upon econ omy in management and the prin ciples of conservation. Says the man ager of thousands of coal-w^asting lo comotives to the owner of a field full of rotting cornstalks: “My good man, you ought to build a silo.” The farmer s wisdom iies in this, that he weighs the advice and acce])ts if. Railw'ay officials sometimes have more temper and less judgment. The farmer’s ])atience might not sustain him so w'ell were it not bolstered with humor. No other calling better enjoys a jok'e. We would j)ray some of the jokers, particularly the vau deville monologue artists, to turn over a new' leaf in .Toe Miller—the last page preferred—and then go out to take a look at the subject of their jests. In his Sunday meeting clothes, w'hen he comes to town with hi.T wife to hear Melba, try to pick him out at first glance from the city men in tlie concert hall. At a cattle sale tind if, on sight, you can tell thee ity stock-yards man from the rutal customer. Go to the photo grapher’s shop in a college town; shuffle some group of pictures of de partments; then see whether it is easy to tell the farmer’s sons in the scliool of agriculture from the ‘‘en gineers*’ or the “medics” or the “laws.” There is a fairly widespread delusion that there is something de sirable in appearing “citified.” Wliy not reverse the standard? You see, on one hand, a young fellow in a soft shirt and corduroys and high-topped boots, with health in his cheeks and light in his eyes. The spring wind that flaps his wide felt hat brim blows over forty back acres that are in the boy’s own name. For a con trast, out of a subway exit bounds his city brother, whose capital and resources are a rosewood stick and a new spring top-coat. His face is pallid with excitement at the peril of missing a minute of the act of a new Hindu dancer. Which young man should be the standard for emula tion?—Collier’s Weekly. Speaker Dowd Made Good. (Charity and Children.) Speaker Dowd made entirely good, of course. He always does. He has great common sense, excellent judg ment, a fine vein of humor and a kind heart. It has been a long time since the house had a better presiding ofli- cer and he retires with the good will and esteem of all his brethren of the house of representatives. i ^'Moral Development.” At a meeting of the board of al- denneii of Charlotte* this week ‘ Tho Royal Club” was granted license ‘ to allow' its members to keep in toxicating liquors in private lockers.” The request for the license stated, it is reported by the Charlotte News, that the club wa^s or.ganized for “so cial and moral development.” Accord ing the members of the club the priv ilege of keeping booze will of course promote their “mcral development.” The use of booze as a promoter of morals is i)robably not ful!.y appre ciated. but the members of the Royal club are doubtless better informed on that point than the general public.— Statesville Landmark. Toothpicks. Has the country stopped picking its teeth ? That is w hat the Maine manufactur ers would like to know. For Maine makes three-fourths of the world’s toothpicks; and she cannot sell her output. Nobody knows what is the matter, but the bottom has dropped out of the market and the big mills are curtailing their work; and are even contemplat ing making matches of the surplus stock. The owners say they cannot stand the fall from $3S to .'58 a case at wiiolesale, for that is what has come to them in the past few weeks. If they could explain the cause of this decadence of the ])ick, if we may give it so lofty a term, they might ho])e to remedy it: but it seems one of these modern ma steries, like the age of Anne, or the disappearance of Dor othy Arnold. But we cannot believe that Maine, like Othello, has lost her occupation. Some social eccentricity, some sp'asm of “good form” may temporarilyostra- cise the little wooden crowbar; btit the w'orld is used to it; it will “come back.” and the Maine factories will be run ning full time. For the toothpick has been with us always and is one of the pillars of civilization I—Commer cial Appeal. The Mecklenburg Trip. For a third time The Dispatch car ried a special train load of ffarmers to Charlotte and Mecklenburg county and the trip Saturday w^as indeed a succession of successes from the time the train left Lexington until its re turn Saturday night. The w'eather was ideal and the party was also ideal. There was no disorder and no hitch in arrangements anywhere along the line. The Dispatch and its guests, are under many obligations to the city of Charlotte, the Greater Charlotte Ciub, Mr. C. C. INIoore and the other mem bers of his entertainment committee and to Mr. E. B. Moore, proprietor of the Selwyn and owner of the Selwyn Farm. Nothing was left tmdone to make the whole day a complete suc cess and the farmers really had the time of their lives. They saw things and heard things that will be of in calculable value to them and to Da vidson county. They are the sort of folks that believe in passing a good thing along to their neighbors and they will not keep to themselves the lessons that they have learned. If they help to spread the interest that is being manifested in good roads and in better farming. The Dispatch will feel amply repaid for all the expense and hard w’ork that it took to maRe the trip possible. The newspaper men of the Queen City were more than kind and vied with each other in showering coui*te- sies upon the visitors. Their many kindnesses will not be forgotten.—Lex ington Dispatch. A pie in the hand is worth two in the bakery.—Greensboro News. The Galveston News, after mature deliberation, has handed out this one; “The w'ay to a man’s heart is through bis stomach, and to his pocket is through his appendix.”—Greensboro New's. The President’s Blunder. The mobilization of 20.000 United States troops on the Mexican frontier has startled the world arid alarmed :\Iexico, our friendly neighbor. The Washington government tries to ex plain it aw-ay, but its explanations are not accepted as frankness but as duplicity. President Taft is being se verely criticised in America and Eu rope, but probably he is not to be blamed. Some of his fool friends laid wake o’nights studying up something else to make him put his foot in it. It is quite evident that an infusion of new judgment and a different kind of diplomacy is needed in Washington.— Wilmington Star. Do the w'omen wmo wish to vote also desire to engage in the friendly maneuvers at San Antonio?—Baltibore Evening- Sun. The End of a Corrupt Boss. It has been four years and three months to land Abe Ruef, the arch- grafter and former boss of San Fran cisco, in the penitentiary. He has stood trial three times, he has con fessed twice in court to different crimes, he has been in and out of jail for various periods, once a fugi tive from justice and part of the time under bail amounting to $1,- 500,000; for over two years he has been under sentence to serve four teen years in state prison; but only this week, having exhausted every resource of the law, was he com pelled to don the convict’s stripes at San Quentin, On November 16, 1906, Mayor Schmitz and Ruef were indicted for the extortion of money from French restaurant-keepers who paid Ruef large suras to secure licenses in or der to save their places from bein^ closed as immoral. On the stand money was paid and how much. Schmitz was convict ed, Ruef pleaded guilty and both were sentenced to five years’ im prisonment; but in May, 1908, the The first settlement of the Scotch- Iri&h in North Carolina Avas in the year 1735, though it is stated in Rev. Dr. Foote’s Sketches of North Carolina. There were some Scotch families on the Cape Fear as early as 1729. They were so offended by the axactions ot government under. King George, 2nd, and deprived of the great privilege of worshipping God according to the dic tates of their ow'n consciences, so they felt compelled to leave all the en dearments of their native land, for the freedom to be^njoyed in a new w'orld. In the year l’ira4 Gabriel Johnson was sworn in at Brunswick as governor of North Carolina. He was a Scotchman of good birth, education and a better man than many who preceded him, so during his term of office the beautiful and healthful middle portions of North Carolina began to fill with Scotch- Irish, Scotch and Germans. Those call ed Scotch-Irish it is known that they were pure Scotch, and the misnomer originated from their moving, to the north of Ireland, and from there emi grating to Amrrica. In coming to America most of the Scotch landed in Philadelphia. Soon the best lands of Pennsylvania were taken u]) by them. Then the seeker.s after good lands and a milder climate turned Southward. Across Maryland, down the Valley of Virginia, the line of wagons thinned, as the sharp-eyed Scotch pounced here and there on rich and beautiful mea dow lands on the streams, all open to them, or took possession of cosy nooks in the hill country. Southward the stream rolled until it reached North Carolina, and these sturdy folks spread cur Mecklenburg, and other counties. While residents of Ireland, the secretary of state described these ])eople as being able-bodied, hardy, brave men, very religious and greedy after lands-. - They kept their Presby terian religion, for they brought their ministers with them, and churches and school houses followed them, as sha dows follow'ed the sun. They kept warm their fighting Scotch blood and were strangers to fear. So, Avhen our state was invaded by British foes dur ing the Revolution there was no pal ing of cheeks. There Avere many gallant officers in that war from Mecklenburg county. Among the most prominent was Gen. Wm. Lee Davidson, who did signal service. Davidson College w’as named in his honor. He fell at Cowan’s Ford, on the Catawba river, shot from am bush by a Tory. Another man con spicuous for bravery was Wm. Polk, and many others, too numerous to men tion. Wlien the British army entered Charlotte on the 26th of September, 17S0, seeing so fev.' troops to resist them, their commander felt secure in the sugdugation of the whole South. South Carolina and Georgia had been overrun by them; Charleston was in their hands and the Battle of Cam den had been for them a signal vic tory, but they had already learned something of the desperate bravery of the men of Mecklenburg before reach- ing our little towm. Concealed marks men fired at the orderly red-coated veterans as they marched through the woods, and many a brave Englishman fell, to leave bis bones in the Ameri can forest. The brigades of Generals Davidson, and Sumpter had moved towards Sal isbury before the approach of Cqrn- w'allis, and only 150 of Colonel Davie’s men remained at Charlotte. Young Joseph Graham, who had been in Davie’s command in furious engage ments w^as ordered by him to take command of such volunteers as might assemble there. Fifty-six men were organized into a company of cavalry, and Graham was appointed Captain, George Locke, lieutenant. This brave little band of men made their stand at the intersection of Trade and Tryon streets. They had a severe skirmish w'hen attacked and for long hours kept the whole British army at bay. Colonel Davis, in command of this little force, determined to resist them with but little hope of victory, but merely to show' the Britj • the spirit ol the people he lu, tend with, Cornwallis’ suri)f , hot reception made him tor;. “a hornet’s nest,” and wvoi. the counties of Mecklenbun, i an more hostile to Knglaiii: in America. We have ther= r ■■ to claim the turning point ii; • ] itionary w'ar took place in ^. victory at Kings Mountain Those battles proved xo were an unconquerable fo, hand-to-hand fight Avith small fire-arms. Against numbered foes they had to r. their headlong way up Ti , The fierce and bloody dva:; had murdered their ])rii^., ford’s defeat in the \V;ix: were keeping the two Graham and Locke, in sure and predestened iiro.', almost boys—LieutenaL 23, though a marriod ma;. ham had not completed iri The pursuit continued, aiu! escape was bri.ght I'or a ti.: : Tories pointed out a slion enabled the pur.suers ahead of the fiyin.a rebe • passed Sugar Creek chart: own place of worshi]), wi. beside his Avidow^ed mo'i: after Sunday, and sorei.x his young heart probabl, prayer to the God of hi^ ^ help. Beyond the chur. i. exhausted horse rises lii- : dragoons are close bei:': las lie reaches the suini.iii I taken. V\’i:h pistol an;i 'attacked; the fierce vi( , I quarter; they are Tarloto,: I soon the boy falls, a'■ j pieces, as they believe, ■ r . {him for dead, they galUiti • I take young Locke, who, i; but Avas soon overtaken: into the Avoods and iiere, of a son of Mr. Matthew .1 in a beautiful grassv, trt-c loAv, the brave young though Graham had ro sabre cuts and tAvo pis'i 1 r; fainted from loss of blood t i I and temperate young lito to extinguish. He crawled ' . Ion the home-place of ?.!rs. . - j ander, near by, to slak: and Avas found by her anti tak; i. : I home. She dressed his ■ concealed him in her home enemy. As a reward for sa\ ii ■ ; of their father. Gov. V\'in. then a United States sei.a^ :: Jas. Graham, a member of c> : - in the year 1851, Avere instrui:;^ n. getting Mrs. Alexander a . pension for life. The crowning jf;Iory of ,M- > ki'■ county, and lo Avhich all >! uirn with pride, is our !)(‘ci;!ra ' Independence, Avhich am-.'-ia’rU Battle of Charlotte five year:. D. H. Hill, in his liistoiy o’ Carolina Avrites thus of it; ‘ 19th a tired rider reaclu v Avith neAvs of the bloodshed a. ington. He found the liMle croAvded w'ith people Avho a there to attend a moeiin.i; . Thos. Polk, colonel of tlie oi On hearing of this battle th'" > . •Let us be independent.’ O;: 'day. May 20th, 1775. these lesi- ! A'ere signed by the member^-, a?;" lat the court hou.se door. Tp iburg farmers boldly doola: -'1 j selves free men and Averc d ^ ministers, two lawyers, arid i them w’ere said to have bee., ■ i-' I the Presbyterian church '! ; of 25 signers wliose nain:'s- scribed on the monument , :.r court house. S' \ it * li"' Ivv q our WIT IN CAPSULE FOB QiJXi I ’V rd 'ommi Wiih (\ o/o It is hoped Unat the candidates for congress, ducks” they are called, av:;: ■' about Washington, quao'-’^n something to do. The n ■ ' sights at the national cardin' has-beens.—Richimmd Ti^ - ^ If Postmaster-General i had attacked the “liov.f^i : > arid “Hoaa' to Behave' ■ ' of the magazines insteai! ’ vertising sections the i':- ■ ization would have hern . terrible.—\Vashington ‘ The world misunde; ' complaints Elinor Glyn. V\ hope so.—Manchester (X A Flock Of *%ame Ducks' V fteliljc t\pm. Triage 1.; CHI prominent public men, who retired to private Ufa at the close of the six- ty-flrst con5n*ess/March 4th. It will bo “Admirar' Peary aftei? this, but anothtr intPtpId polar ex* plorep will have to stub Rleng as just Leula RepubUe, v:rd W nif V (• • 1 lool i'!-a ,o • -nern ;'>out . '-:eat( yest Oi 8 'I'ostirer mai “^^tead
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 12, 1911, edition 1
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