Established 1899
k The Cheapest and Most Pop-
s| ular Place in Town
| is = |
| |THE _ UNOERSBLLINO| &
8 iSToRE] 8
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Lives up to its name every day in the week, We j»
have no special sale, We put up no bluff, We J?
have no green sign in front, We don't have to v
raise money by any specified date, W» do a strictly J?
underselling business right along, . We soli strictly
|J first class goods for a little money, To convince V
U yourself of this you need only look at the following Jr
| List Of Prices 8
Which are only a few from our large and well se- §
C? lected stock. HI O
k =. b
O 50c. Undershirts for 38c. 35 or 25c-Undershirts for
18c. Men's 50c. shirts for 35 c, Men's 35c shirts for
eßee 18c. 50 and 25c. suspenders for 18c. Large lot of ra
boys wash suits sold elsewhere from $1.50 to $2.00,
our underselling price 50 to 75c. Ladies panama
skirts sold elsewhere $3.00 to $3.50 our selling price f)
$1.75. Ladies skirts sold elsewhere for $2.00 ®ur un-
derselling price 98c. #3
SJ ==z=z==== q
| All Clothing, Shoes, Hats, Etc. will 8
K be Sold for less than by those X
who make special Sales £
§§§ Men's 10c hose for 4c, Ladie3 10c handkerchiefs for O
3c, Large line of Men's Straw Hats to be sold re- A
gardless of cost. Best Line Sweet & Orr Overalls d
' on Earth. White vests worth 3.00 to $3.50, our sell- O
ing price $1.45. ©
Look For Red Hag In Pront §
O SATURDAY. 0
® V
| The Underselling Store |
b L. E. ZERDEN, - Proprietor
4OSOOQOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO»^
How to Increase the Yield of Fruit
Increased fruit crops are more often the result of good manage
ment than of good luck. Fruit trees and fruit plants need a liberal
supply of
Virginia-Carolina
Fertilizers
The trees absorb plant foods—that is, nitrogen, phosphoric acid
and potash—from the soil just the same as any other crop. Experi
ence has shown this over and over again. This truth has become so
well recognized that" return to the land what the tree removes if you
would expect the best results " has become an axiom with the best
growers.
Apple, pear, peach, orange and other fruit trees soon respond to
careful fertilization. But be sure to use the best fertilizers.
" I made a test with other companies' fertilizers," says Mr. H. O.
Lowry, of Manatee County, Fla., " and yours proved to be the best.
The yield where I used Virginia-Carolina Fertilizer, was just twice as
much as where the other two companies' fertilizer was used."
Hundreds of users say Virginia-Carolina Fertilizers are cheapest
because of their good qualities—give better satisfaction and quicker
results.
Many facts of great interest and value to fruit growers are pub
lished in the new 1909 Farmers' Year Book, a copy of which will be
sent free on application to any of our sales offices.
Virginia-Carolina Chemical Co,
Norfolk, v' a Va Durham, N. C.
Columbia SC. fMfgjniatarolhia* Baltimore?Mi "
Atlanta Ga. - |W I II MM Columbus, Ga.
savannah, Ga. Co. Montgomery, Ala#
Memphis, Tenn. tertTShreveport, La.
j Summers T
Draying and transferring done promptly
and reasonably on' short notice. Special at-
tention to baggage transferred. Experienced
and courteous white drivers,
J Calls Answered at All Times.
\ SUMMERS TRANSFER CO.
J Phone 192.
THE HICKORY DEMOCRAT
HICKORY, N.C., THURSDAY. JUNE 10, 1909.
FOR HOME INDUSTRIES.
Why an Outside Electric Com
pany Should Not be
Brought to
Hickory •
This following letter was read
by Col. Thornton last Fridav p.
m. at a meeting of the mayor and
board of aldermen, when he ap
peared before them by invita
tions in regard to allowing some
or the citizens to form a com
pany and take current from the
Southern Power Co. outside the
city limits toward Brookford and
bring the current into the city
and furnish it lights, as against
the Thornton Light and Power
Co.
To the Mayor and
Beard of Aldermen;
City of Hickory.
Gentlemen:
We learn from outside sources
that there is an outside applica
tion before your honorable body
for permission from you for elec
tric current for power and light
ing, from the Southern Power
Company, to be brought into and
distributed in the City of Hick
ory. We respectfully represent
to you that:
The Thornton Light and Power
Company is a corporation duly
organized under the laws of
North Carolina and doing busi
ness in the city of Hickory under
its corporate rights, and is en
gaged in operating an electric
light plant, and is distributing
electric current for lights and
also for power, whenever desired
under a franchise granted by the
mayor and board of commission
ers of the town of Hickory on
Oct. 23rd 1888 to A. A. Shuford,
D. W. Shuler, H. D. Abernethy
and J. A. Martin for and during
the peroid of 30 years from that
date, and which right the
Thornton Light & Power Co ac
quired title by purchase and
transfer in a legal and lawful
manner, and entered upon its
rights in February 1903, and has
so continued until now. It has
complied with all the|terms and
requirements made and provided
for in the grant or franchise as
aforesaid, and has faithfully and
fully furnished to the City of
Hickory and to all of its citizens
who are desired,, its electric cur
rent, and of the best efficiency.
Ihe right was granted as an
exclusive privilege for the
period named. The Thornton
Light & Power Co purchased it
as such and after operating in
peace under it acquired a vested
right. It expended many thou
sands of dollars in developing
the plant, and in nurturing the
city's growth, even at a loss and
personal sacrifice of the stock
holders of the company.
The Thornton Light & Power
Company has patiently and dilli
gently labored, even at a loss, to
foster the growth
and developement, along with
the city, from a non-remunera
tive business up to the point
where it will probably become a
paying business. Thus then it
would seem to present such a
case as that of a father or a
mother deserting a son or a
daughter before the boy or girl
got old enough or big enough to
be able to take care of them
selves. Aside from the legal
rights of our company in this
case there is a high toned, hon
orable moral obligation on the
City ®f Hickory to protect the
Thornton Light & Power Co in
all its rightsand privileges as
originally granted, instead of al
lowing or authorizing any one
to destroy the business which
took care of the City of Hickory
and nurtured it in its infancy,
and at a loss. It is unreason
able; and looks so on its face,
that the City of Hickory could
afford to do so or would do so.
The agitation for it has the ear
marks of enviousness. But that
ought not to prevail. There is
no logic or reason of any kind for
it. There is no room on the
streets and avenues for either
another set of poles or another
string of wires.
The Thornton
Co is furnishing electric current
in Hickory to meet every de
Trouble Makers Ousted.
When a sufferer from stomach trouble
takes Dr. King's New Life Pills he's
mighty glad to see his dyspepsia and
indigestion fly, but more hes tickled
over his new, fine appetite, strong ner
ves healthy vigor, all because stomach
liver and kidneys now work. 25c at
C. M. Shufords, W S. Martin, and
Moser and Iutx.
The Old-time SJager.
We liked the old-timef meetings—on
Jordan's banks iostajid
And casta wishful-eve faqipff into the
promised land; .
The old songs ef sal vation -—•al vation full
and free — +■
That great old tune: "Amazin' grace,
that saved a wretch like me!
I recollect them old, hymns that
used to float 50 higtu
They seemed to shake tile windows in
the everlastin' skyl „
For when we heard the preacher say:
Some brother raise the tune,"
\Ve always knew "Amazin' grace" was
comin' mighty «oonl
Somehow, this new' stylt singin' is
rather out my line, .
Although they sometime* lines it out
an' axes folks ter jinefc.
I lost my voice completely, and with
a kind o' sigh
Seek Jordan's stormy banks of old,
where my prosaessuAs lie!
There's more than folks imagin, I tell
you in a song;
It's still the same 613 goafel» but they
try io twist it wrong;-.;
Leastways, the old folks think so; but
what's the use to sigh?
So long as its the Gospel, we?H get there
by an'by! - 'H
mand made upon it. We have
tried to obtain service for a day
current so that we could operate
in the day as well as doling the
night time. We made a contract
with the City of Hickory to
operate all night and at the same
price we were receiving for only
a one half of midnight run. Al
though that entailed on us a loss
we did so thinking, though, it
seems, childishly * thinking:
"There's a better day eommg."
The franchise allowed a charge
of 8.00 per month per arc lamp
for a midnight run. But we
never ask that much for even a
full night run. Some of our
company are expending money,
laboring and hoping to make a
very elaborate and quite exten
sive hydro-electric developement
at a very earlv date on the Cat
awba river at Hickory and for
the benefit of Hickory. Just be
cause some others can't do it is
no reason for judging that
another can't do it The pre
liminary arrangements for the
developement are nearly all com
pleted. It is in the hands of the
contractors. It will take only
seven months to construct and
put it in operation, Them the
Thornton Light & Ferrer Co will
have hydro-electric current of its
own for both light and" power.
And it will also be Hickory's
hydro-electric plant, and it will
be primary current for every day
and night in the year for all the
time, and not just simply a sickly
flickering secondary current
for power for only 9 or 10
months in the year. We have
offered, and still offer and now
offer, to operate our steam plant
in the day time, as well as night
if we can get the service; and at
a price less than the price the
Southern Power Company re
cently quoted us for a contract
to pay them for their current
We haye endeavored to get suffi
cient power service in Hickory to
enable us to operate in the day
time and will do so just as soon
as and whenever we can get it.
We want to do it. The truth of
the matter is, we constructed our
steam plant it was in 1903 ex
pecting and believing that we
would do the water pumping for
the city, and aided the bond issue
with that understanding. We
intended to dig large wells on
the west end of our power house
lot and furnish abundant and
pure water for the city from
those wells, but the city acted
differently.
We endeavored to get the
Southern Power Company to ex
tend its transmission lines to
Hickory and furnish us a ser
vice but they declined, rather
curtly. That was a year ago and
also previously, over two years
ago.
The Thornton Light & Power
Company has not violated its
contract with the city of Hickory
ana has fully complied with each
and every provision of its fran
chise, and has put itself to extra
pains labor and expenditure of
money to furnish the best elec
tric lights that can be had, and
there has none, anywhere, been
better.
Therefore we must, and most
earnestly and confidently, trust
ing implicitly in your honor and
spirit of fair dealing, and in
equity and good conscience, re
gardless of the legal aspects of
this most solemnly protest
against the granting of the appli
cation.
Yours very respectfully,
M. E. THORNTON,
President,
Thornton Light & Power? Co.
HICKORY AWAKE.
Some of The Improvements in
Progress and Suggested.
Mr. W. L. Gilbert, secretary
of the local chamber of commar ce
contributes the following to a
recent issue o£,the Washington
Herald-'—Until recently fewpeo
pie knew of Hickory as one of
the chief cit)"es of Western North
Carolina, next in size to Ashe
ville, and second to nona in the
matter of climate.
The awakening came during
the past year. Its natural ad
vantages, dormant power, and
great possibilities were practical
ty unrecognized, except by a few
more progressive citizens, whose
first step was to organize a cham
ber of commerce. The result
came by means of advertising by
newspapers, and descriptive
booklets issued by the Hickory
Chamber of Commerce. This in
duced strangers, mostly health
seekers, to settle here, while
others came but were turned
away on account of inadequate
'accommodations, which made it
plain that another step must be
taken, hotel occommodation*
must be provided, and through
the efforts of the chamber of
commerce, a modern hostelry is
now under construction and
Hotel Huffry will be for
guests by July 4.
With the advent of ch°ap and
ample electric power, which will
soon be supplied by hydro-eiec
tric development on the Catawba
River, four miles distance,' ihe
city will become a manufactur
ing center. In fact the way w.:,s
already paved, numerous manu
factories such as cotton mills,
furniture, wagon and pump fao
being operated profitably even by
ateam power. The proposed plant
will supply, when fully develop
ed. 10,000 horsepower, and is
to be in operation January 1,1910
The city is arranging to ex
pend $35,000 in the improvement
of its streets and sidewalks, al
so to appropriate $15,000 for in
creased public school facilities.
Not only will we have good
streets, but the work of building
good roads will be taken up by
Hickory township and extend in
till directions. Farmers, recog
nizing the advantages of better
roads, have taken a step forward
in developing their farms: farm
ing is being conducted along
scientific lines, especially in mat
ters of truck-farming and diver
sified crops.
A large number of families,
fleeing from the bitter cold of
Michigan, found in Hickory last
winter a pleasant refuge. So
well pleased were they that they
expect to return next winter and
bring other friends.
Summer visitors are arriving.
Catawba Springs Hotel, eight
miles distant, opened May 15
and many guests are expected.
The Cliffs, a meal station on
the C. &N. W. Railroad, four
miles away on the Catawba
River, will be made attractive as
a pleasure and picnic ground.
The Cliffs Investment Company
propose to build a nice hotel with
pavilions and places of amuse
ment on the summit of the Cliffs,
and to beautify the thirty acres
of already picturesque grounds
by electrifying the C. & N. W.
tracks between Hickory and the
Cliffs, to accomodate the crowds
which it is expected will ire
quent the grounds.
Hickory was the smallest city
to send a representative to the
Southern Commercial Congress,
and the people are proud of the
fact.
They feel that they have al
ready received benefits H due
directly to that organization. The
spirit of that congress has stimu
lated Hickory to greater achieve
ments and she proudly catches
up the slogan: "A greater na
tion through a greater South."
The one story shack formerly
occupied by the Southern ex
press company has been torn
down this week to make room
for the new building which is to
extend over its site.
- ■
Could Not be Better.
No one has ever made a salve,
ointment, lotion or balm to compare
with Bucklen's Arnica Salve. Itß the"
nbe perfect healer of cuts, corns,
ourns, eczema, salt rheum. For sore
eyes, cold sores, chapped hands its
supreme. Infallible for piles. Only
25c atC. M. Shuford, Moser & Lutz,
and W. S. Martin*
Democrat and Press, Consolidated r905
| UNDER THE GREEN- |
I WOOD TREE |
I sotxaet I
I Hatcher furniture Co. I
* Complete Home Furnishers 2
H HICKORY, N. C. jjj
1 ..AD VERS ITV~j
1 " .31
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J ; A* Lesson for all —1 here is a s-trong lesson JjT ||
';i for those who save, for, to save money for \v £g
P"N the benefit that the habit instills: to save |s
r-yY for the children, for business prosperity, Q g|
f. i UU for old age when rest is necessary, and M H
2§ fl for individual comfort and for the happi- IS
Iff ness of those dependent on you; one or ||
|j| all of these lessons is of vital importance |l
j|| fgi to you. May we not help you in this m Kg
H Cwj matter? *3
i ' |jj |
| The Hickory Banking & Trust Co. |
jj
U » as many that cost double.
ff MACE RSIODES 5
u. Jewelers and Opticians jj
ft Hickory, ; ; _N. Carolina fl
» Hammond & Johnson »
W HICKORY, N. C. «
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