Established 1899 Truant Kids In The Sun's Family Re?. J. G. Gtrt'i Tells Hov Come Comets in the Sky - A NEW COMET IS HERE The Far Distant Planets Lasso Comets with Gravitation Ropes and Make Them Come Back Written for the Democrat. The appearance of a comet in the western heavens last week was a beautiful sight and inspires the writer to give vent to his feeling in an article on comets, as astronomy teaches us of them. Comets are in a general way the scatterbrain, sensational members of the heaveitty bodies, for they come in from some where, dart arotfnd the sun, and then shoot off into Some of them are adopted into the planetary family and remain with us. skirmishing from the sun to Uranus and Neptune, and back again. There have been about 700 comets listed by astronomers, 400 before the year 1600 A. D. and of course visible to the naked eye. as telescopes were then un known At present it is a cqjn mon thing for an astronomer to find a new comet and there is hardly a night ore is not visible, by telescope. In the sun's family there are 270 comets, and 26 of these have come back within 100 years after a visit, though some get lost and escape from the sun, and go off to Dlay truant. The reason the comets come back is because one of the large planets, Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn or Neptune, see the rascals try ing to get away and lasso them by gravitation, and turn their heads back toward the sun. The 6-year comets are bosfeed by Jup iter, the 33-year comets by Uran us and the 75-year comets by Neptune. HaUey's comet is one of the 75 year class. A comet means 4i a hairy star" and con sists of three parts, the nucleus, or «tar, the cloud around it, and the the tail, the cloud or "coma,", which means hair, surrounding the star, is from 40,000 to 100,000 miles in diameter and singularly this cloud gets smaller as it ap proaches the sun. - The star or nucleus is 6,000 to 8,000 miles in diameter and sometimes is re duced to 100 miles. The cloud and star undergo rapid changes, It is estimated that the weight of the average comet's head would be as much as an iron ball 100 miles in diameter. The tail is the most beautiful feature, of course. Its length is seldom less than ten to fifteen million miles while the great comet of 1882, which was visible in daylight, had a tail one hun dred million miles long and its diameter was 200,000 miles at the head and ten million at the extremity. You would think such an enor mous affair would be heavy, but the truth is the tail of the comet weighs less, comparatively speak ing, than the air left in the best vacuum possible to science. That is to say, a hogshead of comets tail would weigh less than a gal lon of vacuum air, and that is rather light, as a feather falls in a vacuum, like a rock; The head of a comet is likely composed of small heavy mete oric stones very widely separated and enveloped in gas. The tail i is thought to be these rocks powdered till they become a mere gas, and thrown off by the comet, and thus we infer the j comets are growing smaller each j time they visit the sun. Halley's comet is one of the largest. It was the first comet whose return was predicted. This prediction was made by Halley, an English astronomer, a friend, and co-corker with Sir Isaac Newton, Newton's discov ers of the law of gravitation led Halley to believe comets were in fluenced by the planets and he fixed 1759 as the time this one could be expected, and come it did Nov. 13, 1759. Halley found records of the comet had been made in 1066, 1145, 1301, 1456, 1531, 1607, and so concluded it was a regular visitor to the sun everv 75 to 77 years. It last ap peared in 1835 and was predic ted to return about 1911. Hal lev 's comet is the - most brilliant of all the comets appearing peri odically. As we view this new sight in the heavens we are con strained td declare with David: ' 'The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament show eth his handiwork." J. G. GARTH. THE HICKORY DEMOCRAT ———— / , > - • ,>• Mr. Stine's Bible Class Along with Charlotte, Concord, Salisbury and Statesville, the city of Hickory is enjoying the privi lege of an interdenominational Bible study class in which the international Sunday sehcol les- are used, so that it gives teachers a splendid chance to prepare for the lesson. This class is taught by Mr. N. A. Stine, of Altoona, Pa., a gentle man of 17-years experience in this kind of work. He is in the South only for the winter, until about the first of April. While the Sunday school lesson is taught, the class is not intend ed 8 lone for teachers but for ail people who desire to study the Book. It is not merely a normal class lesson but fche aim is to get at the lessons of the Lesson. Mr. Stine's headquarters are in Z\VA rlotte. He begins in Hickory Monday afternoon, is in States ville Monday night. Salisbury Tuesday night, Concord Thurs day night and Charlotte Friday night. No collections are e /er taken but free will offerings for the support of the work may be left in the plate at the door. All the people of Hitkory or of the county are invited to attend these classes. Edith Items Correspondencejjf the Democrat Edith, Jan. 26. —On December 23 last Mr. John Fry and Miss Jane Sherrill were married at the residence of S. Wilkinson, J. P. There is visible improvement in the Democrat which we are glad to note. Owing to the extreme cold freezing weather the farmers are not advancing their work as fast as common. Wheat and oats are not showing much. The general report is that wheat hasn't a good stand. We are glad to see that the price of cotton is tending down ward. It will help to keep the acreage for this crop in the bounds of reason. We want our manufacturers to have cotton to keep them running all the time and hope for them good prices for cheir products, but we don't j ever want to see them again 1 curtail to lower the price of the raw material. We said when many of them did that that they had it in ther power but we also said then they could not curtail their stomachs and their exam ple would be followed and many innocent ones would suffer. Hence the cry of the high cost of living. , We hear there are several ap plicants to enumerate the census. The chairman of the Republican executive committee of Mountain Creek told me he had refused to endorse for some of the appli cants. I have been keeping house nearly 45 years and have never had a call from one of these officers yet. I may get a call this time. If I don't I'll feel like sending my report to head quarters myself, and will be pretty apt to do it. SUBSOILER. The C. A. Munroe Scholarship Fund To the Editor of The Democrat: For several years we have felt that the most fitting and most fruitful work that the Churches and Home Mission Societies of Concord Presbytery* could do would be to establish an endowed Scholarship of $l,OOO or more in the Lees-Mcßae Institute at Ban ner Elk, and call it the "C. A. Munroe Scholarship Fund" in re cognition and appreciation of the long, untiring and successful work that this faithful servant of God has done for the cause of Home Missions within the bounds of Concord Presbytery. This matter is one that we be lieve every church and Home Mission Society, and many indi viduals, both in the Presbyterian Church and in other churches within the bounds of Concord Presbytery, will take a very great pleasure in helping It has already been fairly and encouraginly launched by a most liberal contribution from Lenoir Church. And Mr. J. H. Beall, cashier of the Bank of Lenoir, has consented to act as treasurer of the Fund, and to see that it is wisely and safely invested. • We should like to have the Fund in hand as soon as possible, so that the interest will begin to ac crue before the next session be £ins , " i . Will everyone who feels an in terest in the establishment of this Fund, and the perpetual good that it will do. measure their in terest as far as possible in dol lars and cents, and send them to Mr * Beall. EDGAR TUFTS. Children Cry FOR FLETCHER S CASTOR! A HICKORY, N. C. § THUftS&AY, FEBRUARY 3, 1910. Transplanted Hickory Sprouts One in Philadelphia Yields A Hard NuMo Crack THIS IS SPROUT NUMBER 1 A Dainty Darling from Down Home Here Asked a Hard Question the Storm Played Havoc Written for The Democrat. Hickory, a name significant of much that's good in wood, fits nicely, too, when applied to high grade humans. Indeed, it fits them better. Almost any tree, if healthv and young enough, can be transplanted bodily to congen ial soil and climate, there to thrive as if upon its native heath. But did you ever stop to think before that even the Sprouts of Hickory humans transplanted to some distant environment very different from their own. would grow and tnrive there most at tractively? Well, it is true. One such little Hickory Sprout, something more than four years old now, is proving it as truly in her own sweet, demure, ques tioning way as are the other and older Hickories in (he Philadel phia grove where she grows. Let's call her Madge, to avoid betrayal of a modest, sensitive personality, and learn our own little object lessor, from her. Recent y there came a howling, j saturating storm, a deluge that! fairly beat upon her beautiful; new home till the penetrating winds drove the million rain drops through the new and -unevenly capped metal roof of the proudest bay window on the*storm side of the Drop by drop, till bucketfuls un reckoned were merged, the rain drops beat in and crept and leakedT till they had loosened nearly all the ceiling of the fine sitting-room opposite the ill capped bay, Down at last came the plaster with a crash that smashed things and sounded not unlike the crack of doom in the midst of that furious storm. Just back of the sitting-room' lay little Madge Hickory in her: own Mother Tree's room, a suf- j ferer with high fever from ton- 1 silitis. The crash of the ceiling; brought on convulsions, and the Parent Trees greatly feared that' the work of the storm had men aced the precious life of their lit tle Hickory Sprout. She recovered in a day or two, however, as such sound Sprouts will, and thii is what she set about to learn: "Daddy, do you reckon the Lord sent the storm that dropped our ceiling and scared us all so?" "Ye-es, child, I-I expect He did." "Then, daddy ;He ought to have known better; He knew I was sick." It was the old, old puzzle; but observers just outside the grove could see, only a few days later, that the fury and strain of the storm probably had already strengthened all # that Hickory group including the transplanted, tender Sprouts. Storms have that habit with the best of woods; and she is good Hickory. Then, of course, there are oth er trees beside Hickories that need strengthening—giga nti c, deep-rooted human Oaks, half century Elms, and the like—and the storm comes to toughen them as well as the tender transplanted Hickory Sprouts. N. B. H. Philadelphia, Pa. February "Everybody's" "The Beast and the Jungle,"' the exposure of the corruption of the great corporations in Col orado, by Judge Ben B. Lindsay, continues in Everybody's Maga zine thie year. Judge Lindsay is a fighter, honest and courageous. The world knows how successful he has been in + he rescue of bad boys in his juvenile court. He hits out from the shoulder, and every line of his writings counts. He is following the trail now to the very doors of the National capitol. February Everybody's has a valuable article on "Nervous ness, a National Menace," by Samuel McComb, D.D. It is $1.50 a year, 15 cents a copy. The Ridge way Co., Union Square, New York city. For rheumatism, rheumatic twinges, pain in the back, weary back or urinary troubles, take Pinules, the new kidney" remedy. Pineuhs help the kidneys to pa?s off uric asid poison from the system* Sold by W, S. Martin. THE RIG'ilT MAN » Dr. W. H. Nicholson, New President of the Chamber of Commerce Hickory has fortunate in her choice of a president for her new boosting, club. To this re sponsible place Dr. W. H. Nichol son has been heartily and unani mously cfhosen, as l as already been told in these columns. The Democrat takes pleasure in pre senting herewith a picture of Dr. Nicholson. It is-true it shows him a little bit ycmgei than he is today,, although he is still a voung man in spirit and energy. Dr. Nicholson • has already proven himself to be a man of the best .it, combined with fine tact. He knows how to tackle a knotty problem. At t,he same time he is a true booster. His address before the Chamber of Commerce after his election j waS a gem. The Democrat tried to get it to print but Dr. Nichol son is a modest man, and would not let his paper be printed. Some may think that real en ergy and modesty do not go; together b it when one thinks the J thing through he will realize that j a man who is not really modest j does not make- th,e best impres-\ sion on a newcomer and therefore ] is not the man to lead the! boosters of a town. Tnis is what" Dr. Nicholson is,; No citizen of Hickory could have j '' '** IW i been chosen who vould make a 1 finer impression stranger.! Of fine physique, of fine presence, I every fibre of his being consist-! ing of the threads which make ■ up a true Southern Christian : gentleman. Dr. Nicholson is the : man to lead us in the elfort to j make Hickory the metropolis of j the beautiful Catawba valley in which we have our fortunate homes. If Hickory people do not j rally to his aid and make things i hum in the wav of town-building, they will never do it under the leadership of anybody else. Dr. Nicholson was born in Franklin county and came to his lifework with that strength which results from having walked the furrow between plowhandles and j pulled the bell cord over the | backs of Pete and Kit. He grad-1 uated from Trinity College in 188-3 and studied medicine at the University of Virginia and the University of Maryland. He practiced his profession for 10 years at Louisburg, coming to Hickory to make his home in 1901. The first home of Dr. Nichol son was Edgemont Farm, a beau tiful property one mile out of the citv which he still owns. Dr. Nicholson married Miss Genevieve Perry, of FrankWn i count.v. The d6ctor is a steward in the Methodist church of this city. His home is now the for mer home of Judge C. A. Cilley, a fine two-story residence in the heart of the city. He has retired from active practice of his pro-, fession. "Let us all help Dr. Nicholson to help Hickory hump herself." Casey-Hammond Miss Sarah Bessie Casey and Mr. Edward HammoiTd, of this city, were married at the resi dence of Rev. J. D. Harte on last Thursday evening by Mr. Harte. Those who were priviliged to witness the ceremony were Mrs. Hutchison, Miss Fannie Wilfong and Mr. Zeb Buchanan. Mrs. Hammond took the evening train for Asheville. Miss Casey is anattractive and cultured young woman, orginally from South Carolina, and Mr. Hammond is a member of the prosperous firm of Hammond & Johnson, of this city. Their friends are wishing them a long and happy married life. An excellent cough syrup is Eees Laxative Cough Syrup. It gently yet freely moves the bowels, thereby driv ~lng oat the-cold, and at the same time it heals irritation of the throat, andlhus stop the cough. Children like it. §QU by W, S. Martin. A Good Old * Timey Snow Laj Sii laches-Deep and the Kids Had Coasting HALF A DAY FALLING The First Big Snow in Hickory - for Seven Years Past Came Last Friday Morning A beautiful old-fashioned Brushy Mountain snow came dowa on Friday and covered the ground to a depth of half a foot. It had heen damp and drizzly .hursday night, and a fine, powdery rain was sifting down on Friday morning about 8 o'clock. Everybody was wishing for a gr od old-tuney snow but they were shaking their heads and saving it couldn't snow be caus Q it was too warm. But it wasn't. For about 9 o'clock little white flakes began to fall, then they grew- larger and larger, until they began to come down as thickly as they must have done over the head of Commander Pe ry when he stood at the North Pole. As the Little Roy who has just moved to Hickory from Charlotte, and who had never seen a snow before —i that is a decent snow —looked out 1 "of the window, he saw the white j flakes falling'against the leaden ! horizon ii!i it looked like Nature j was putting on a great, white-! flecked bridal veil, as if she was about to be married—about to be the bride of Winter. They were eoming down like they did in that picture in the Little Boy's' story book where the Finlander was driving his hors-sso furious ly through the fierce storm with a pack of wolves on his trail. Tie Little Boy donned his brown overcca vvi h the big brass, buttons, took his shovel and went i out into the very teeth of the 1 snowfall to build a snow man. j It was the first snow man he ever i built. How he did pile on the! snow, and roll snow balls all over the yard, and fall down into the! cold white eiderdown of the skies | and rollick and roll ! And the big flakes fell steadily without interruption till about 1 o'clock. They nut a white night cap on the learned bald head of Lenoir College's massive dome. They spread a big white sheet over the wheat fields tucking in the little green baby shoots of wheat under the covers to keep them wai m and healthy. It made sleigh bells ring in Hickory on Saturday, and gave the boys and girls the first coasting they had had in about seven years. g Catawba's Next |j Door Neighbors | • €-€-€- Mrs. Sallie Hoyle Jones died in upper Cleveland county and was buried on the 24th, ult. Mrs. Jones was the widow of the la mented C. D. Jones who was murdered some years ago by the negro, Lawson Howard. E. H. Lutz & Co. is a new mer chandise firm at Fallston, W. W. Dixon, of Belwood, up per Cleveland county, died Tues day, January 18. • Supt. Hill, of the Mooresboro Creamery spent Sunday here, the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. C. Mcßrayer. He reports the Creamery as doing a splendid business both in receipts and shipments. We are more than ever convinced that Shelby' trap ped her "lasses jug'" when we failed to established a Creamery here. Cleveland Star. An Address on Sabbath Ob servance Rev. Dr. McMasters delivered an able address on the necessity of preserving the Christian Sab bath at the Presbyterian church Sunday evening. The church was filled with people from the vari ous churches, for it was a union meeting. There is a branch of the | national Lord's Day Alliance in North Carolina, which is now three years old. Dr. McMasters welcomed the Sweep of the tem perance sentiment in the state but said that the observance of the Sabbath was • not keeping i pace with this other moral move ; ment, as it should do, for both 'goalong together. collection for the work was taken at the : ewd of the service. Children Cry FOR FLETCHER'S CASTOR IA Democrat and Press, Consolidated 1905 Must Disinfect Cattle The following is section (13) of the regulations for the control of contagious and infectious diseases of live stock in North Carolina: SEC. 13. Notice is hereby giv en that anv owner of cattle in fested with Texas or fever ticks (Margaropus annulatus) who does not follow the instructions of the Commissioner of Agriculture, the State Veterinarian."the Assistant State Veterinarian, or the inspec tors of the Department of Agri culture, and who does not disin fect the cattle and eradicate the ticks in a reasonable length of time, the Commissioner of Agri culture, the State Veterinarian, the Assistant State Veterinarian, or the inspectors of the Depart ment of Agriculture, will have the power to disinfect the cattle and eradicate the ticks, and charge the entailed expenses to the owner of said csttle. In case the owner of said cattle refuses to pay the said costs of disinfec tion and eradication, the Commis sionerof Agriculture is authorised to hold said cattle until costs shall have been paid in full, and, in default of such payment by the owner, to sell under the form of procedure ptescribed by the Estray Law of the State, suffici ent or all of said animals to liq uidate the expense of said disin fection and eradication. When Roosevelt Is Speaker (Extract from the Congressional Record of future date.) From tlie New York World. The House was called to order; with the Speaker in the chair; The gentleman from Tennessee rose promptly to declare He espoused a point of order, and he asked the Speaker that To settle it he'd wrestle him two rounds upon the mat. That ceremony finished, with vhe Ten nesseean downed, The Speaker donned his coat again and took a look around, Till thi gentleman from Wyoming his eye essayed to catch And recalled that he had promised him a four-round boxing match fo decide a little question of appropri tion for An irrigation project that had hung a year or more. Then the menjber from Rhode Island "asked the Speaker right to make Debate upon a bill for his constituen cy's sake. "I'll run you round 'he Capitol," the Speaker said, and then If you succeed in winning you can talk from 4 to 10." The gentleman from Deleware refused to yield the floor To the gentleman from Maryland, which quickly raised a roar. The Speaker called them up to him and made them fight it out In strictly prize-ring manner, and he refereed the bout. "I'll now apoint committes," said the Speaker with a grin. "We'll have a battle royal and the strongest ones shall win." The House then stripped to fighting logs, the desks were moved away, And the ruction was a corker for the balance of the day. At 4 o'clock the Speaker looked upon the panting pile. "Will some one move we now adjourn?" he murmured with a smile. The motion made he donned his hat, "And now come on," said he; "We'll take a jaunt of ninety miles and then all go to tea!" PAUL WEST. How To Select Seed Corn Commissioner of Agriculture W. A. Graham is sending out a special bulletin, full of valuable information, on "Winter and Spring Work in Selecting Seed Corn." It dosen't cost anything but the 2 cent stamp needed to make the application to the N. C. Department of Agric ull ur e. Every farmer ought to have it. The bulletin lays stress on the fact that the seed should be se lected from an ear that carries the same number of rows on all parts of the cob, and that has the rows of grain running straight and not broken. The grain should be sound. The best ear is the one that will give in weight the largest pro portion of sound corn when it is shelled. The bulletin goes on to analyze a grain of com in a very interesting way. It is illustrated with pi tures. Bright boys in the corn olub contests ought by all means to send for this bulletin. What greater gift or blessing oould one give than health and happiness. To your unhealthy friends gi/e Hollis ter's Rocky Mountain Tea, nature's greatest tonic remedy. Drives out dis ease, -brings back health and happiness; ( You 11 be surpriaed the good t'will do, Moser & Lutz, E. D. 8. Shuford Of Quitman, Tex. k Brave Southern Soldier, A SOD of Catawba ' BRAVERY IN BATTLE His Horse Killed Under Him At Corinth—Mr. J. H. Shuford's Valuable Sketch Correspondence of the Democrat E. D. B. Shuford was a son of Eli R. Shuford who was a broth er of my father Jacob Shuford. Ele was born in Catawba county. When a young man he was a student of Catawba College. About 1857, his father moved to Quitman .Texas, and his son fol lowed him to that place. He was called Dudley Shuford. He taught school in Catawba county before he went to Texas. I went to school to him a few days. Such is my recollection. Dudley Shu ford is well remembered by my brothers A. A. Shuford, W. P. Shuford, and John Shuford. When the war between the States commenced he was teach ing school in Prairie county, Ar kansas. He went to Little Rock and joined Col. Solen Boland's Regiment of Cavalry. This was the Third Regiment./ He served under General Price in Missouri in the early part of the war. He was then transfered east of the Mississippi river. He was elected orderly sergeant of his company. At the battle of Corinth his horse was killed while he he was riding him in battle. He said he had four horses killed while he was riding them in battle. At the battle of Corinth about eighty of his'com pany went in to the battle and about twenty-two came out alive. His regiment was then united with some other one. When the war closed he was Second Lieu tenant of his company. He served under General Jo seph Wheeler, General Hood, and General Van Dorn. He sur rendered under General Joseph Johnston. When the war was over he re turned to Quitman, Texas. He and his brother Alberto Poindex ter began to publish a newspaper at that place. His constitution was broken. The war had been too much for him. He died at Quitman, Texas, in 1866, and is buried at that place. His end was a happy one. His brother Pink Shuford lives at Oklahoma City, Okla. If any of our peple visit there they oughut to call and see Cous in Pink Shuford. He was a Con federate soldier and is the only living~son of Uncle Eli Shuford. Mr. Pink Shuford has a sister living at that place. She is the only living daughter of Uncle Eli Shuford. She will be glad to see any of our people if they come to the city. I am now in correspondence with Mr. Pink Shuford. I am writing up the historical sketch of the family of Uncle Eh Shu ford. J. H. SHUFORD. King's Creek, N. C. Craig Will Have Opposition Red Buck's Washington Letter to Char lotte Observer "You may say that Governor Kitchin will be in the race for the Senate." said a North Carolinian to me. J'l got it straight from a kinsman of his." This state ment was made without any so licitation on my part, and, know ing the source of its origin, I be lieve it to be authentic. "Locke Craig," declared a pied mont man, "will have to defeat two other candidates for the De mocratic nomination for Gover nor. lam told that W. D. Tur ner of Iredell, is going to enter the race, and Lieutenant Gover nor Newland, of Caldwell, will run." What a Cleveland County Girl _ Accomplished in Illinois From the Cleveland Star. The Star is in receipt of a letter from one of its good friends, Miss Bessie Grigg, of Mulberry Grove, Illinois, giving in detail what she accomplished last year by reason of her thrifty housewifery. Miss Grigg is a Cleveland county girl, a daughter of Mr. S. R. Grigg. This is her record for last year and a most excellent one it-is: — Butter and milk sold $286.17 Chickens and eggs sold 106.80 Guineas sold 3.32 Sundries 4.21 4 ~S4OO,SQ