Established 1899
Commission j
- Government:
Committee ol Ten Appointed to
Draft Nei Charter.
In a well-attended mass-meet
ing at the opera house last Thurs
day night the citizens discussed
the advisabilitv of a commision,
form of government for Hickoiv.
and appointed a comrnittee of
ten to draft a new charter pro-,
viding for such government.
The charter is to be reported
back to the citizens in a mass
meeting.
This committee consists of:,
Dr. W. B Ramsay, Messrs. J s D. [
Elliot, J. L. Riddle, J. W. Shu
ford, S. M. Hamrick, Judge W.
B. Council!, W. J. Shuford, vV.
B. Menzies, Rev.W. A. Deaton
and J. W. Blackwelder.
A sub-committee consisting of
Judge Councill, Rev. W. A. Dea
ton and Mr. W.J, Shuford, are al
ready at work on the first draft
of the charter whicH will be re
ported to the committee of ten
and every provision earfully gone
over by them before the rinal
submission to the entire mass
meeiing again.
The following letter from
Mayor W. H. Gibbes, of Colum
bia, S. (?., to Secretary Joy is
self-explanatory: ?
"We are sending ytxu a dozen
copies of our charter as request
ed, and also a few circular let
ters and copies of report on Des
moins charter.
"In regard to the adaptability
of Commission Government to a
town of four thousand people,
the writer can only say that such
a form of government is success
fully used in many cities of that
size and smaller. Of course in
such case your charter should
provide for not more than three
commissioners. "
The following is the prepared
letter hich is sent to the many
inquires about Columbia's char
ter
Columbia, S. C., Jan. 26, 1911.
Dear Sir:—So many letters are
being recieved at this office ask
ing for Columbia's experiance
with Commission Government
that you must pardon my send
ing you a reply prepared in an
ticipation of your inquiry, the
reciept of which is hereby ac
knowledge.
We have a Mayor and four
Cou.ncilmen and elections are
held alternately each two years,
at one time for two Councilmen,
and at the next for the Mavor
and the other two, the term of
office being four years in ail
.cases.
We have the Initiative, Refer
endum and Recall, all upon a
twenty per cent, petition of the
total vote of the last preceding
primary election.
Our voting qualifications for
tthe primary are the same as for
tthe general election, viz.: a state
.residence of two years, county
one year and city four months
before the next ensuing general
election, together with the pro
duction of receipts for all taxes
then finally due and payable.
As to the justification of this
Government in Columbia, it is
hard to find a stronger one than
the statements of members of
the preceding Council. When I
went to two of them for an ex
planation of their budget before
publishing the appended finan
cial statement I was informed:
First: That bills payable
; amounting to $53,000.0J and se
. cured by an assignment of taxes
•were not placed in the budget of
•.the year's expenses because
:their appearance would destroy
;the "balance" and "injure the
city's credit."
Second: That the income foi
the year 1910 had been "purposly
underestimated," because ii
there appeared to be a surplus
there would be a grab from all
sides for all the money in sight
by every department.
Our financial statement shows
that during the incumbency o!
our predecessors for four months
and eleven days of 1910, they
spent- a total of $266,591.93.
Deducting from this amount bills
payable and and past due inter
est of the year before, and al
money spent for permanent im
proverr.ents, we lind that thej
seem to have spent what seemi
to be a net amount of $169,468.'
09 for running expenses, - ort
rate per annum of $468,536.00.
D irir.gour administration ol
a'-'-..;-, months and twenty days
in IJIO, we spent $187,107.4(
> rors, or $167,435.04 after de
dii(t«'g permanent improve
m ! is. which indicates an ex
pe f.i ure pr annum of $262,-
3 0 0X
It vil be noted that our pre
decessors started the year wi*h £
past due interest debt of $27,945
IKE HICKORY DEMOCRAT
and biils pavable ol $53,00^.00.
Our Council ha* started the
year with a.cash balance of $19,-
004 35; wich a prospective excess
of income over running expanses
ot $117,805.00. or a .total of $136 -
BJ9 35 availaoi* fo imp "overmrt
in 1911, and wita an- anticipatea
saving in current expenses, in
crease in _ efficient collecting of
cicy dues and underestimated
incomes for safety which, to
arether, will amount to at least
350,000.00 more which will go to
swell our income and reduce
taxes i;-1912.'
' Tnerefore we are now finally
;n a financial position to state
not what we hope or expect to
GO, but that we WJ will go ahead
from this time forward with city
baudmg and rehabilitation.
Tiiese statements are not mad :
.o disparage our predecessors,
who were good men under tne
handicay of a defective system.
Taey are made simply to show
that, in the short sp*ce of seven
months and twenty days, there
have been accomplished under a
perfected form of government,
and its proper administration, re
sults that seem not to have been
possible, or which at least were
noc approximated under the o d
political ward plan.
To the method more than to
men belong the results, which
tend to establish the RAISON
DE'ELRE of Commission Govern
ment. Almost invariably we are
asked as to the satisfaction of
the cifcsens.
We can only say that the Recili
has not been invoked, and that
we daily receive encomiums from
those whose ' 'well done' is worth
while; on the other hand, we hear
frequently of unfriendly criti
cisms.
It shall be the aim of this
writer to deserve in some meas
ure these words of cheer from
his friends, and so to work for
the good of all that unfriendb
critics may alter a time become
disarmed in the light of good re
sults.
With a sincere belief in the
splendid potentialities of co nmis
sion government, and, the wish
that its blessings may continue
with Columbia and extend to all
the Civic Communities of the
land. I am.
Sincerely Yours, -
w. H. GIBBS, M iyor.
Additional word commending
the plan of "Government Com
missson" will be found in the
following letter:
High Point, N. C. February 11-11
Mr. A. K. Joy, Hickory, N. C.
Dear Sir:—Complying with your
request of yesterday I am send
ing you under separate cover by
, this mail six copies of our new
charter for the use of your char
ter committee.
I am very glad indeed to be able
to serve you and would thank
you to call the attention of your
.committee to our charcer and
i have them make a careful exam-
I ination of same. This charter
has now been operative nearly
two years and we are thoroughly
pleased with it in every respect.
It has placed our city government
i on a very sound financial basis
land for the first time in the his
tory of our town we keep easily
1 within our income.
There is just one feature of
our charter which could be easily
s improved upon in my opinion and
that is in reducing the commis
sioners for same. This was the
» only weak point on which we
. had to submit to a compromise
i with some of the people here
: when our new charter was being
» formed, and that was to still per
t mit two representatives from
» each ward. If you can hold your
number of departments down to
. not more than four, with only
r one man for each, this will be
f very much better.
, If I can be of further service
I to you in this matter I will be
t glad to hear from you.
Yours truly.
FRED N. TATE, Mayor.
3
Memphis Lady Writes
' Memphis, Tenn. —Mrs. Emma D.
Looney. of Memphis, writes:"l suf
j fered misery for nearly eight years.
. Since takinp Cardui, I am much
{ stronger, and I haven't missed a single
meal. I hardly know_bov7 to express
my gratiude." Don't worry about your
g symptoms — Cardui goes deeper down
What you need is strength will unable
j you to throw off female troubles and
will prevent the headache, backache,
. dizziness and other symptions that you
; now suffer from. Cardui helps you,
* get it. 19
R. E, Haynes, of Spencer,
has invented a motor plow
. butlt on the rotary disc plan and
is operated by a gasoline engine.
Haynes is a machinist in theem
" ploy of the Southern at Spencer
I and has invented a number of
'I machines.
HICKORY, N.C., THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 16. 1911.
Henry F. Llppltt, Successor to >
1 Aldrich, Is Rich Manufacturer
y'.
A ■nj&Brafl jlp||
HENRY F. LIPPITT, efcoaea to weeeed Nelson W. Aldrich In the
United States senate, betong* t« • prominent Rhode Island family,
but bis fame, except among those acquainted with the cotton manu
facturing business or tboss Interested In yachting, has not extended
far outside his native state- Ha has been identified wltb the Republican party
In Rhode Island all his l|fa» bat has principally devoted himself to the textile
business, being proprietor of serosal cotton mills. He Is a brother of Charlee
Warren Llppltt, who was gorer—r ef Rhode Island fifteen years ago, and hla
father, for whom be was namad, was previously the chief executive of the
state. Mr. Llppltt won by a bare majority on the joint ballot, though he had
the backing of the "organisation" Republicans. He lacked one of a majority
In the house, but the senate gavs Mm two more than a majority, which gave
hlm victory. Mr. Llppltt Is a member of the New York Yacht club, and he
owns several fast boats. He net only owns but soils tbem, being a real
yachtsman who ean handle the tiller and direct the set of tbe tails. He wa>
aboard Sir Thomas Llpton's yacht Shamrock as the representative of the New
York Yacht club when Llptoa made his first attempt to "lift" tbe America'*
•up. As the successor of Senator Aldrich, tong a commanding figure in thv
■•mat* UfyUfs NWH wtß k* watched with interest
Ivev Dots.
Correspondence of the Democrat.
Feb. 13.—The Ivey Mill is
crowded with hands and every
few days they are coming in look
ing for work.
Everything in the weav&room
is working fine under the man
agement of Captain C. E. Cole,
the present overseer.
Arthur Wilson and family
from East Hickory moved here
last week in one of Dr. Nichol
son's houses.
The Wesley an Methodist shave
been holding a protracted meet
ing in their new church here
duringjthe past week ,the services
were conducted by Rev. Hill and
Swanly.
W. C. Flowers, who has been
the machinist at the Ivey Mill
for some time, has resigned his
work here and is going to Tenn,
to go into the lumber businos.
A number of persons from
West Hickory attended Newton
court last week. Some for trial
and others as witnesses.
Dr. J. J. Hicks was here tever
al days last week looking after
and inriproving his town property.
Mr. Mike Huffman, of Burke
county, was here last Saturday
visiting the family of Peter Buff.
Oscsfr Travis who has been
weaving in the Ivey Mill for
several weeks has resigned his
place and gone to Brookford to
work.
Henry Starres and wife, of
Brookford, were here Saturday
visiting Mrs. Starnes' father, J.
C. Bradley.
The entire stock of goods of
Norris at the Drum Store build
ing was sold at auction February I
11th. The goods were bought
by Mr. Z. B. Buckhannon at
$675.00.
Miss Clarrison Mitchell went to
High Shoal Saturday to visit
friends there. She will return
home Monday.
4 Parks Burch moved here a few
days ago and is working in the
Mill.
" Rev. W. A. Deaton filled his
regular appointment at the
Graded School House here Sun
day evening. There was a large
congregation present to hear
him.
Success to the Democrat.
IOTA.
A piece of flannel dampened with
Chamberlain's Liniment and bound on
to the affected paits is superior to any
plaster. When troubled with lame
i back or pains in the side or chest
' give it a trial and you are certain to
be more than pleased with the prompt
relief which it affords. Sold by All
| Dealers,
Catawba College Notes
Correspondence of The Democrat.
Newton. Feb. 15—The many
friends of Mr. Roger H. Dußose
will be sorry to learn that he has
been removed to Dr. Stoke's
sanatorium at Salisbury for es
pecial examination. Dußose has
been sick all of this week and it
is feared that an operation may
be necessary.
Prof. Buchheit is now at work
in Pennsylvania. He has been
gone only a short time but has
already visited several towns.
Last Sunday Prof. G. H. Smith
preached in the Methodist
Church at Startown. Last week
the Y. M. C. A. adopted the
model constitution drafted by the
international committee on col*
lege Y. M. C. A. work. The
committee on programs an
nounces the following speakers
for Sunday afternoon services:
Mr. S. J. Kirk, Feb. 19; Rev. E.
W. Fox, Feb. 26; Rev. R. A.
Lapsley,. Mar. 5; Mr. J. K. Mc-
Connell, Mar. 12; Prof- G. H.
Smith , Mar. 19; Mr. H. A. Fes
perman, Mar. 26.
The Philomathaean Literary
Society will hold its preliminary
contest for declaimers medal
! March 17. The following mem
bers have entered their names
for the contest: H. M. Wagoner,
B. W. Boyd, J. K. McConnell,
L. G. Limroth, E. F. Menius,
N. H. Fravel, S. J* Kirk, S J.
McNairy, Charles J. T Hillea ry,
and G. E. Plott. ' I
Mr. Avery Whitener is back
from Florida, where he spent the
i winter selling gasoline irons. He
has come back to plant his crop,
and next winter he will go again
to Florida. He went to the far
south of the peninsula, and
thinks that many tourists miss it
by not doing so. He is perfectly
delighted with the climate, the
country, the people and the up
to-date mthods of farming and
trucking. Those people are away
ahead of us, he says. For in
stance, he says they put fertilizer
in deep trenches, while we just
play with it. He couldn't say too
much about the beauty of the
orange and grape fruit groves,
and the kind of farming they do
I out there pays, too. The farmers
1 ride in automobiles all the time.
Let Your Wives Rest Sundays
Hotel Huffry solicits the cit
izens and families of the citv to
, take their meals on Sundays at
the Huffry.
I Special rates to families who
will make such arrragements.
Old Warwick
And Oxford.
Mrs, Beard Writes Charmingl)
ot Her Trawls in England.
The following is one of the
many charming letters which
Mrs. L. M. Beard has written
home, this one coming to Mrs.
Chad wick from Oxford, England,
dated Dec. 1,1910:
I think you'll be interested in
Warwick and in Oxford, so I am
going to have a little chat with
you about these- two places.
Warwick castle is by far the
most imposing structure we've
seen. A magnificent winding
drive, cut out of the solid rock,
leads to the handsome gateway
with its numerous towers and its
portcullis partly lowered. Pass
ing through this a splendid view
rises before the eyes: On the
left, Caesar's Tower 148 feet
high; on the right, Guy's Tower,
127 feet, and in front, The
Mound, thrown up by the daugh
ter of Alfred The Great and cov
-r#>d with towers and battlements.
Within the Castle are moss
beautiful pictures by the world't
most noted Masters; in fact, there
are few things of our trip that I
enjoyed more than I have the
pictures. Loyola, by Rubens, I
can never forget. You feel, in
looking at it, i that the man
thought he was.right and you
can easily believe that he really
sought a death.
There was the Grimani table,
brought from Italy, with em
blems of the different honors bes
towed upon the Grimani familv,
designed in precious stones; such
as, the Doge's Cap, the Cardi
nal's Hat, &c.
We saw two interesting vases
in Warwick Castle. One was
,found at the bottom of a lake in
Hadrain's Villa; the other had
been used in Egypt on. the sum
mit of Wilometer. The former is
of white marble and is five feet
in diameter at the top and nearly
six feet high. On each of the
two opposite sides is the repre
sentation of a panthor'o skin,
and above this the heads of three
satyrs, the middle one having the
spear of Bacchus and the crooked
staff of the Angurs. In the
park were venerable cedars of
Lebanon, offsprings of those
brought from the Holy Land in
time of the Crusades.
Lord Leycester's Hospital,
Warwick, is very quaint It was
founded by Elizabeth's favorite,
the famous Leycester, who mur
dered his wife, Amy Robsart.
By the way, she is buried here in
Oxford in St. Mary's church. A
marble slab is near the chancel
and bears this inscription: "In
a vault of brick at the upper end
of this quire was buried Amy
Robsart, wife of Robert Dudley,
K. G., on Sunday, 22nd Septem
ber, A. D. 1560." We saw in
Kinilworth the "small octagonal
chamber" in which, according, to
Scott, she lodged. It made no
difference to be told that in all
probability she never saw Kenil
worth, for the magic of Scott's
pen is more powerful than the
truth of history.
But to return to the noble Earl.
The pensioners of the . Hospital
still, not only benefit by his
bounty, but actually wear the
identical silver badges granted
by him, the badge being the War
wick coat-of-arms: a bear and a
ragged staff. It seems almost
like a dream to sit on Sunday in
St. Mary's church, see these pen
sioners march in, and know that
the noble Earl slumbers near. I
should rather say, though, the
ignableEarl, for fearful things
are yet told of him. In St. Ma
ry's he and his third wife seem
to be sleeping the sleep of the
righteous; but there is the
thought of Amy whom he mur
dered, and then near him is the
recumbent effigy of his hunch
back son who, at his father's sug
gestion, was "made away with"
by his nurse. Yet despite it all,
those old pensioners and other
pensioners in all the years
then till now have been taken
care of through his generosity.
Verily, "There is so much bad in
! the best of us and BO much good
. in the worst of us that it hardly
| behooves any of us to talk about
the rest of us."
In St. Mary's church we saw
\ an old ducking-stool once used
j for witches and for scalding wo
men.
Our hotel was near this church
j and three times a day we. had
® the benefit of its sweet chimes.
- Each day the tunes were differ
) ent: Home, Sweet Home, Lasl
t Rose of Summer, Highland Lad
die Christ the Lord is Risen to daj
> &c. The church has a "Lepers
I Squint": three arches with bars ii
Democrat and Press, Consolidated 1905
front and at one side a narrow
slit through which, in olden times,
.ne lepers received cun.mu.uon;
precaution to prevent co 11*10:1.
In Warwick we paw the Mayor
to in state to church. In front;
of him was the mnce-bearer
wearing a long circular cloa* and
oearing the town mace. Near
at hand the town crier
dressed in red. The Mayor had
a large chain around his shoul
ders.
Near Warwick, too, I saw a
fox hunt. The hunters wore red
coats and white trousers.
I walked about ten miles, and
when I saw the whole crowd, la
dies and all, make their horses
leap a high .hedge I felt amply
repaid for all my exertion. I
suppose I must have shown I was
anxious to see it, for a gentleman
was kind enough to go with me
from field to field until we suc
ceeded in getting a good view.
When we started back to town I
suggested that he go ahead as I
did not wish to be too much
trouble to him. rie said, "no, it
is more comfortable to travel two
than one." Wasn't that a quaint
way of putting it? We visited in
Coventry the home place of
George Elliott and also the school
she attended. We stopped in
Banbury, ate the delicious Ban
bury cakes, and saw the noted
Banbury crosi. The cakes have
been made by the Betts family
for more than three-hundred
years.
From Banbury we went to
Helmdon, and from there walked
to Sulgrave, where is the ances
tral homvj of the Washingtons, a
home sufficiently imposing to in
dicate that the Washingtons were
people of consequence. Their
coat-of arms is on each side of
the entrance. Pictures of Geo.
Washington and Mrs. Washing
tan are within and a large U. S.
flag. %
Most of the houses at Sulgrave
are thatched with straw.
Weill I consider Oxford next to
Edinborough in beauty and in
terest. It is a noble sight to
stand on High street and see
towers and spires of college after
college. As Hawthorne, Scott,
and many others have written of
its beauty I must not dwell upon
it,, but proceed to tell you what
we've seen.
We first-visited Christ ehurch;
a college, but never so called. It
was founded by Wolsey. The
post-card shows what an impos
ing gateway it has. Over this
gateway is Big Tom, the third
largest bell in England. Every
night, at nine-five it strikes a
hundred and one times as a sig
nal to the students that in five
minutes all college gates will be
closed. This gateway leads into
the Tom Quad, a guardrangle
264 feet x 261 feet.
There are twenty-one colleges
and one hall, forming all together
the University of Oxford, but
each one independent of the oth
er S •
In the hall of Christ church are
splendid portraits of men who
attended this college and after
ward became famous. Among
them are Gladstone, (by Millias);
Wesley (Romney); Dodgson, au
thor of Alice in Wonderland; Wm.
Penn. with the statement below
the portrait that he was the
founder of Pennsylvania and that
the portrait was presented by
Haverford College, Penn. It is
noticeable that although Edward
VII went to school there and
afterward became King of
Great Brittain. his potrait is no
where to be seen. Stories are
told of how strict the college had
to be with him. It seems that
all are there treated alike. The
newspaper cutting inclosed shows
that the Duke of Marlborough,
like other boys, when he first en
tered had to clean the rooms of
the seniors.
I don't*" see what keeps the
students from freezing when
they go rowing; bare-headed,
nothing on their limbs except
loose flannel trousers that come
five or six inches above the knee,
and knee entirely bare down to
the stocking—all this with a cold
wind blowing and ice on the
ground.
St. Mary Magdalen College is
perhaps, more beautiful than
Christ church, but scarcely sc
imposing. The reredos in chapel
has three rows of stone statues
extending up to ceiling. In the
west window is a beautiful chiar
oscura of the last judgment.
The tower of this college is the
pride of Oxford. On Mav Day a
Latin hymn is sung on top of it at
five in the mornir.g. Cloisters,
the best in England, are arounc
the Quadrangle. The beautj
of Magdalin, though, is the Watei
Walks. Here is the famous
. "Addison's Walk." They ex
; tend entirely around a larg
• meadow, and yet, from first t
r last, follow the winding of th
' Cherwell. To the left, as yoi
1 start, is a large park stocked witl
deer; all this, within the city and
yet apparently in the heart of
the country. Many rooks were
cawing overhead.
The Martyr's Memorial, near
Balliol College has, near its sum
mit, large statues of Cranmer,
Ridley, and Latimer. Of coures
you know it stands near the spDt
of their martyrdom.
Oxford is full of signs of the
apvroaching election. Todav I
saw a woman standing at a street
corner distributing pamphlets
headed "Votesfor women." The
Conservatives accuse the Liberals
of using American dollars in the
campaign, and the Liberals re*
tort by saving that the Conser
vatives (mostly lords and nobles)
are also tond of American dollars
matrimonially.
Well, there are others we have
seen and others we have still to
see, but I'll try your patience no
further. I know you are worn
out reading all this. I'll try to
be more merciful next time.
Why Hickory Should Work
for an Interurban Electric
'Line.
To the Editor of the Democrat.
Interurban electric lines have
been called "throbbing arteries .
of trade," and, indeed, such they
are; for all cities that have been
linked together by such interur
ban lines have grown very rapid
ly, and the small towns and
farming regions have been filled
with new life and energy.
A few brief figures that follow
fully prove the above statements.
During the year 1904, interurban
roads carried about 219,000
people and 750 tons of freight
in and out of Fort Wayne, Ind.
During the year 1910, the in
terurbans carried about 2,000,009
passengers and 80,000 tons of
freight in and out of Fort Wayne.
Figure the great gain in pass
engers and freight during six
years.
The advantages will be many
and great which Hickory, Ca
tawba and the neighboring coun
ties will receive as a result of
the proposed Interurban line.
Ist. On account of the growth of
passengers and freight service,
attfinHnn mill Ko tko
interurban centers both of man
ufacturers and of people who
wish to make permanent resi
dence.
Second. The number and grade
of dairy cows will be increased
at once, for the farmer then has
a cheap and convenient way to
ship his cream to manufacturing
centers, where it- is converted
into butter.
Third. On account of such
good facilities of transportation,
real estate in the interurban
centers has increased fully 10
per cent. Over the normal in the
last few years.
Fourth. Farm land within a
reasonable distance of every in
terurban railway has increased
from 10 to 25 per cent., due to
the quick and convenient method
of marketing products in markets
paying higher prices for the
same. •
Fifth. The advantages to the
retail stores in the smaller towns
are also many, as owing to quick
delivery and reasonable rates on
freight, the merchant in the
small towns con today do business
twice as large on the same capi
tal as formerly before the advent
of the interurban lines.
Until recently, the steam roads
looked upon the interurban as
interlopers, but this vei w has been
changed. Today the broad mind
| ed steam road man looks upon
the interurban road as one of
the arteries to feed his great
system both with passengers and
( fi eight.
Hence the people of Hickory,
and the surrounding country
should heartily weclome the com
ing of the interurban electric
. lines, for their coming will mean
[ many advantages and greater
opportunities for all.
1
[ The infant of Julius Brinkley
! in Caldwell county died recently
and was buried at Grace Chaple.
;
1 Dr. W. J. Martin, professor
| of Chemistry at Davidson Col
' lege, has been offered the prea
-1 idency of the Presbyterian Col
-5 lege, Clinton, S. C.
i Wife Got Tip Top Advice
t "My wife wanted me to take our
boy to the doctor to cure an ugly
I boil," writes D. Frankel, of Stroud,
f Okla. "I said put Bucklen's Arnica
r Salve on it. "She did so, and it cured
3 the boil in a short time." Quickest
- healers of Burns, Scalds, Cuts, Corns,
e Bruises, Sprains, Swelling, Best Pile
0' cure on earth. Try it. Only 25c at
eC. M. Shuford. Moser & Lutx,
II Grimes Drug Co.