Established 1899
England Wants to Run The Panama
Canal. N
Written for tlie Democrat by Dr. R.
Wood Brown.
England through the proper
oflicial route has objected to this
country allowing U S. coastwise
v-ssels to pass through Panama
a?«ial free of toll. What business
has England to interfere with
tne domestic affairs of Uncle
Sam? Who owns the Panama i
canal? Whose coin is building
it? YVnen Uncle Sam wants any
advice as regaias the toys of his
family, he will ask tor it, and
does not want any butting in.
Everything which affects
pound*, shillings and sense
arouses the cupidity of John Bull, i
'li.ere never has been a new 1
country or >an old one, w.l
valuable possessions, but w nut
England tried to steal it eiiiid*. jl
ty torce or diplomacy. There
v\usa time when England nad
tue only Navy in the world, buc I
t tat now is ancient niscory. :
Because a few beef eaters i
owned a few gold and »diamond ;
mines in the Transvaal, England i
Killed innocent men, women aru i
ctnldren, and tooK possession or
(Xna Paul's capito', Pretoria. It i
there had not been gold ano !
uiamonas there would not have i
b_-en any Transvaal war with its
unrivalled Engiisn heroism.
Secretary Seward bought, and i
paiu to Russia $50,000,000 tor i
Alaska, and Russia remained i
neutaai during the civil war. s
Just as soon as gold was dis- I
covered in Alaska, just so soon
England sent up to nigh Heaven ;
a howl about the boundary lire. I
li Uniied States had been a small 1
impoverished country, England I
today would own Alaska.
The Canadian Pacific Railway
spiked its nobons of steel trom i
tne Auantic to tne Pacific, and i
now England is afraid if we give
our own coastwise vessels tree 1
toils through our own canal, tnat i
tue said railway will lose tee-
pence ha-penny. England's I
greed has caused most of her i
wars, the United States has only
gone to war for independence or '
humanity. 1
During the administration of
Theodore Roosevelt, we bought j 1
lrom tne trench all rights to the '
Panama canal and paid >.ash for '
tnem, also acquired possession ot '>
tie canal zone. Your money
and mine went into the same
strong box to be paid out for
building tne canal and our sold
ier boys furnished the brains to;
build it. Now England comes :
along when it is almost finished
and wants to dictate how we
snail run it.
When the French owned the
canal every tie ot the Panama
Railway represented one human •
life sacrtficet ,now the canal zone
is healthy and United States
money and brains made it so and
Johnny Bull butts in and
whimpers because we want our
own people to have the benefit of
what their money paid for.
Congress is absolutely correct to
ignore Bull's communication sent
through the State Department
France, Germany, Austria nor
Italy have not any Canadian
Railway, and even if they had,
tney would not have the monu
mental gall to try to dictate to
Uncle Sim how he should run his
own failiwick.
We dealt a hand to England in
1776 but tne hand we dealt to j
ourselves stood the bluff and we j
raked in the pot which contained!
the Declaration of Independence, j
It made no difference whether)
His Roy tl Nibs, George the Third,
w«s crszy or not, we won out,
and we have the same deck of
cards to make another deal, if
England insists in meddling with
the Panama Canal. John Bull
has just as much right to dictate
over presidential nominee; as he
lias, to say what we shall do as
regards to the Panama Canal.
The annual tolls are estimated
at $9,340,000, and the cost of
rnaintainance is estimated _ at
$4,250,000. Even if there is a
deficit we are abundantly able to
pay it, withuot England's assis
tance, What American citizen
has missed the coin United States
has paid to build the canal which
John Bull wants to run to suit
himself.
The United States is the big
gest and the richest nation on
f his globe. We have the wealth,
the intellect and inventive ability
find ask no odds of any nation,
f egress is axiomatically correct
hi ignoring England as regards
I'dnaina Canal tolls.
vlrs. Howard A. Banks and
« hildren are in Taylorsville this
week, visiting Mrs. L L. Moore.
Mf. Banks is attending the press
convention at Morehead City.
Mrs. T. J. Witherspoon and
children, of Charlotte have re
turned after a visit to Mrs. H.
M. Doll, Miss Mary Matthews
d ->li accompanied them for a visit.
THE HICKORY DEMOCRAT
MRS. HARISOE HIS
SISBO Dim
Southern Railroad Gets to Hold
the Boy in Damage Case
A 3-CORNERED FIGHT IN COURT
Ex-Mayor Bisanar Testified That He
Had by Board's Permission Con
tracted With Road to Put
Sewer Line UndetTrack
But Board Couldn't
Remember. /
A three-cornered" civil case
preempted the greater part of
the interest at Catawba county
court at Newtm this week, in
which Mrs. Julia Haitsoe, an old
lady, sued the city ano the South
ern railway jointly for $2,000
damages as the result of being
thrown out of her buggy on the
Southern railway crossing near
the Hutfry hotel, several years
ago. The jury decided that the
railroad was due to pay Mrs.
Hartsoe $1,500 damages.
Former Mayor George E. Bisa
nar had asked and secured the
Southern's permission to put a
new sewer line under the tracks.
This sewer hole had been washed
open by rains after it was filled
in and into this cave-in, into
which a crosstie had been thrust
Mrs. Hartsoe was thrown and
sustained bruises, though no
bones were broken. She was
with her daughter at the time
and both fell together out of the
buggy, Mrs. Hartsoe underneath,
the horse pulling loose from the
buggy in which they were riding.
The fight hinged on the validity
of the contract between Mayor
Bisanar, for the city, and the
railroad. Mr. Bisanar declared
on the stand that he had made;
the contract after receiving per-;
missibn, in a board meeting,
either by unanimous consent or
by a formal motion, he couldn't
recall which. The njatter had
come up before this, and as it
was likely the city would wish
to go under the tracks at differ
ent places during the laying of
the sewers, it was agreed to get
a general form of contract to be
signed by the mayor and the
southern, in which the railroad
would be assured against liability
from possible damages. The
mayor said he was certain that,
in the second meeting in which
the matter was considered, he
had been granted permission to \
make the agreement with the!
Southern.
All the board members, how- j
ever, were unable to recall giving
their consent to the contract ex-
I cept Alderman Henry F. Elliott,
who had a faint recollection of it.
There was no record of it on the
minutts. The Southern's le
cord had full account of the
agreement but its case was
weekened by the absence in New
York of its former agent, Mr.
Willard Southerland^.
The point which turned the
tide against the rai road seems
to have been the testimony of
Alderman Will Stroup, at that
time chairman of the street com
mittee, who testified that he con
sulted with the section master as
to who should fix the caved in
hole, and the section master said
he would do it, but failed to do
jso before the accident, but thus,
las was claimed, assumed re
i sponsibility for the railroad.
The Southern's and the city's
' lawyers antagonized each other.
It is said the case could have
been compromised at the begin
ning for a few hundred dollars,
and the railroad was willing il
the city would chip in a little,
but the city refused. The road
appeals.
There are not a few Hickory
ites who have personal reasons
for being interested in the sccess
of Wilson and Marshall. N. W.
Clark, manager of the big Martin
and Clark clothing company, is a
relative of the governor. Mine
host, J. G. Marshall, of the Mar
shall hotel, is kin to th~ vice
presidential condidate. Messrs.
H. E. and D. M. McCombs are
cousins of William F. McCombs,
chairman of the national com
mittee. His grandfather, who
lived in Gaston and Mecklenburg
before emigrating to Arkansas,.
was a brother of the Messrs. Mc-
Combs', great-grandfather, the
father of the Hickory McCombs
visiting the Arkansas McCombs
for a period of five years in his
youth. Howard A. Banks was a
classmate of Prof. L. S K. Ax
son, of Princeton, brother-in-law
of Governor Wilson, at Davidson
college.
A cooking stove demonstration,
with its free batter cakes, is
awfully nice, but think of a free
candy demonstration! Moser &
Lutz will demonstrate the can
dies of Norris, Atlanta, next
Saturday.
HICKORY, N. C., THURSDAY. JULY 25, 1912
Wilson's Chances in the Electoral
College.
New York World
The World sees to possibility
that the election of a president
will be thrown into the House
of Representatives.
It will require 266 electoral
votes to choose a president, and
178 must be conceded to Gov
ernor Wilson at the outset.
These 178 votes are represented
by the States of Alabama, Ari
zona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,
Mississippi, Missouri, North'Caro
lina, Oklahoma, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
That makes it necessary for
Govern* Wilson to win 88 out oi
the remaining 353 electoral voted,
Twenty nine of them can b.
found in New Jersey and Indianae
which are sure to go Democratic.
Fifty-two more can be found in
New York and Connecticut, which
are reasonably certain to go Dem
ocratic. Nebraska, with eight
votes would give Governor Wil
sO,the necessary majority.
But Democratic prospects are
much brighter than this. Mr.
Bryan carried Colorado and Ne
vada in 1908. Governor Wilson
is likely to carry them this year,
with the addition of North Da
kota. These three states have
fourteen electoral votes. Wil
son's chances in Ohio are better
than Taft's or Roosevelt's, and
Ohio has twenty-four votes.
Senator Gardner predicts that
Wilson will carry Maine, with
six votes, and nobody familiar
with political conditions in that
state can regard this as an idle
boast. In addition, Democratic
prospects in Massachusetts are
as good as any other prospects,
and they are anything but dis
couraging in Pennsylvania. Mass
achusetts has eighteen electoral
votes and Pennsylvaia has
thirty-eight.
Any reasonable calculation
based on the existence of a Re
publican partv would give Wilson
more than 300 electoral votes,
but with the Republican party
shot to pieces it is a question
whether the warring Taft-Roose
velt forces will save anything of
value from the wreck.
\
ANNOUNCEMENT!
The Democrat's Special '"Trade
Week" Edition will be "pulled off"
August 8, and we will tell you how to
save money and get Railroad Fare
Free by shopping with Hickory merchants
SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, TO SATURDAY, AUGUST 17
Aside from refunding five per cent
of your purchase, Hickory merchants
will offer special bargains "Trade Week."
You lose money if you trade with
merchants during 'Trade Week" who do
not agree to refund your fare.
J
Connelly Springs Arrival"!.
Anrng the prominent people
to arrive at the Connelly Mineral
Springs Hotel the past week from
North Carolina and the South
are: E. W. Tatum, Salisbury, W.
B. Freeman. Asheville, H. Curtis,
Raleigh, W. L. Helms, Salisbury,
E. V. Howell, Chapel Hill. E. V.
Kyper, Rocky Mount, Mrs. J. L.
, Meyers, Charlotte, Woodard
Myers Charlotte, E. F. Correll
, Concord, W. C Correll Concord,
Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Borden
I Goldsboro, Mr. Tom Rorden
| Goldsboro, Miss Essie B. Farmer
' Raleigh, Mr. and Mrs. W. Hugh
Wray, Gastonia, D. F. Armfield,
Fayettville, Miss Mary Vanstory,
Greensboro, Miss Jessie Allen,
Dunn, N. C., M. M. Mathews,
Fayettville, J. R. Smith, Concord,
Miss A. L. Pierce, Newbern,
Miss Lesette Hamp, Newbern,
Miss \ Annie Hamp. Newbern,
t Mr. and Mrs, Ted Side®, Char-
THINK MORE SERIOUSLY.
Gov. Wilson Thinks EditorsTMspas
sionate Discussion of Public
Interests a Happy Sign.
The editar of the Democrat
is in receipt of the following
letter from Seagirt in answer
to a letter of congratulation:
July 16,1912.
Mr. H. A. Banks,
Hickory, N. C ,
My dear Mr Banks:
I deeply appreciate your
kind message of July 4th
In the campaign that is be
fore us, the results will ex
pend in a very latr* -#art
upon the editors of the
country and I think one of
the most encouraging and
reassuring signs of the times
is the increasing seriousness
with which the editors of
our more thoughtful news
papers are devotincr them
selves to the dispassionate
discussion of the great pub
lic interests which we ought
all to serve without regard
to party. I feel honored
that you should regard me
as representing the desire
which J share with you to
promote all sound policy.
Cordially yours,
WOODROW WILSON.
Smith—Smith.
Married in Icard township,
Burke county on last Sunday, at
the residence of H. A. Adams,
Mr. Frank Smith, of Burke
county, to Miss Lucinda Smith
of Catawba county. H. A. Adams
officiated at the marriage which
was well attended by friends of
the bride and groom.
Church Notes.
There will be Children ser
vices at New Jerusalam Sunday
at 10 o'clock. Everybody in
vited.
A few of Hickory's firemen
left Monday to attend the Fire
Tournament which is being held
at Fayetville this yveek.
lotte, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Allen,
Gieensboro, J, J. Rodgers, Ral
eigh, Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Clark,
High Point, Mr. and Mrs. John
Russell, Greensboro, Mrs. C. S.
Alston, and daughter, Charlotte,
Mrs. Chalmers Glenn, Greens
boro, Master Edward Glenn,
Greensboro, Mrs. Eugene Gra
ham and family, Charlotte, Mr.
and Mrs. Geo. B. Hiss, Charlotte,
Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Mathews,
Randelman, J. A. Hartness,
Statesville.
Other prominent arrival* are:
Miss Bessie Baxter, Atlanta,
Ge., Miss Bula Johnson, Atlanta,
Ga., W. W. Carter. Weston,
Mass., Dr. C. L. Henneberger,
Philadelphia, Dr. W. H. Wads
worth, Phila., Dr. J. A. Hartseh,
Pbila., Wrn.- Neil, Macon, Ga.,
Henry W. Neil, Macon, Ga..
Kinlock Neil, Macon, Ga., Mrr,
N. W. Whitfield, .Columbus,
Miss., Miss Nomie Neil, Macon,
A Delightful Evening.
Miss Estelle Wolfe delightfully
entertained class number seven
of the Methodist Sunday School
at her home on Ninth Avenue
Fr-iday evening from 8:30 to 11.
The class is composed of young
ladies which were invited each
with a young man friend.
The guests were receivea at
the door by Misses Estelle and
Loula Lee Wolfe and ushered
into the beautifully decorated
parlor where a number of pro
gressive contests were engaged
in. The prize in the contest
4 'Progressive Talking" was won
•by Miss Lucile Litaker.
Each guest was given a sheet
of paper with the names of a
number of things found on a
penny and were told to find the
correct answers by closely ob
serving the coin This was won
by Miss Bertha Harris and Mr.
C. W Clonninger.
A course of delicious ice cream
and cake was served by the
Misses Wolfes, assisted by their
brother Dr. R. Wolfe. The
partners for this were chosen by
giving the young men a needle
and thread with instructions to
thiead as quick as possible.
These were arranged in order as
they threaded their needles
The ladies held numbers one,
two and three, etc., and secured
their partners as they came in
order.'
All present spent a delightful
evening. This class - which is
composed entirely of young
ladies, is one of the banner class
es of the Methodist Sunday
School.
The Presbyterian and Baptist
churches united in a delightful
service at the former church,
last Sunday night, Rev. J. D.
Harte preaching one of his char
acteristic forceful sermons.
Messrs. H. E. and D. M, Mc-
Comb. William, Harvev, Robert,
Harry and David McComb, Mrs.
D. M. McComb, Miss Louise
McComb, Dr. Calvin Whitesides,
of Maiden, and Master Hugh
Bradshaw, have gone to Shulls
Mills in Watauga county, most of
them on a camping trip.
Ga., Mrs. M. E. Chastine, Mont
gomery, Ala.
The most delightful dance was
given Thursday evening, and
was enjoyed by all visitors,
some of the couples dancing
were, Hugh L. Gorden with Miss
Atwood Hunt, W. M. Walton
Miss Moses, W. M. Claywell with
Katherine Ross, R, M. Davis,
Miss Dettara, Ned Claywell Miss
C. Ervin, M. Berry, Miss E.
Bearson, Jim Wilson, Miss Avery,
Harry Riddle vith Helen Davis,
Lenoir Avery, Miss Rankin, Ben
Davis, Miss Bellman, Mr, Irwin
with Lillian Avery.
Chaperones: Mrs. B. P. Hunt,
Mrs. B. G. Gaither, Mr. and
Mrs. Geo. Marsh, Mrs. N.
Lazarus, Mr. and Mrs. W. Hugh
Wray, Mrs.~M. E. Chastine. The
dance enjoyed by every one,
was ended in the wee small hours
of the morning by Home Sweet
Home, every one voting it a
Democrat and Press.Consolidated 1905
TIMBER RESOURCES
OF CATAWBA COUNTY
Price of Wood and Cleared Land
Have Advanced Wonderfully.
COTTON AND CORN KING CROPS
State Geological and Economic Sur
vey Has Compiled Valuable In
formation About Catawba's
Natural Resources and
Adaptability to Di
versified Ag
riculture.
L 1
Catawba County for the most
part is level or gently rolling.
The most noteworthy elevation
is Baker Mountain, southwest of
Hickory, 1,800 feet high, or
about 800 feet above the general
level of the country. It is practi
cally an isolated peak, and is a
conspicuous object over the west
ern half of the country. Ander
son Mountain, six miles east of
Maiden, and very near the south
ern boundary, is about 1,550 feet
high. Its southern slope is quite
abrupt, but a series of low ridges
stretch for a long distance to the
north. About one-half of the
country is drained by the Cataw
ba River, which forms the entire
northern and eastern boundary,
while the southwestern half is
drained by the Little Catawba
River, which rises in Burke
County, to the east.
The largest developments of
waterpower are at Brooks cotton
mills, on Henry Fork, two miles
south of Hickory, and at a num
ber of mills on the Catawba
River. The greater part of the
land is split into small holdings
nearly all of which are farms
containing more or less woodland
in the form of farm wood lots.
The Southern Railway passes
through the north central part of
Catawba County, from east to
west, and the Carolina and North
western crosses the county from
the south to the northwestern
corner, paralleling the Southern
for a distance of ten miles. The
wagon roads, which are numer
ous, are excellent in dry weather
though they become rough and
muddy in wet weather, especially
towards the end of winter. There
are no surfaced roads in the
county.
One-half of Catawba is now
forested, though of
this forest area has at one time
been cleared, but has been
abandoned and grown up to
second-growth pine. Near the
railroads, and especially within a
few miles of* Hickory, from 60 to
70 per cent is cleared, but the
proportion of cleared land falls
off to only about 20 per cent in
the southeast corner of the
county east of Anderson Moun
tain, where the largest amount
!of old-field pine is found. *
| Twenty years ago land at
some distance from the railway
, sold at $2 to $3 per acre. Such
i land is now worth ten times as
much, Good farms near the
towns are worth SSO to SIOO per
acre. Timber land is worth from
$2 to sls per acre, the latter
Deing the yalue of second-growth
pine stands yielding 10,000 to
15,000 feet board measure per
acre. Increase in assessed values
has not kept pace with increase
in sale values.
Agriculture is the most impor
tant industry of the county, the
chief crops being cotton and
corn. Sweet potatoes, tobacco,
and sugar-cane are also grown.
Cotton factories are in opera
tion at Hickory, Newton, Maid
en, and elsewhere. Numerous
woodworking factories make
furniture, wagons, and building
material from the lumber cut in
this and adjoining counties.
A tannery is in operation at
Hickory, but the bark used by it
comes from the counties to the
north.
Forests of hardwood and
"forest" pine formerly 'covered
nearly the whole county. At
present, however, they are re
stricted to woodlots whose own
ers wish to preserve the timber,
or who hold it at a high price.
Sometimes all the pine has been
| cut out, leavingj only the hard
woods; in fact, "forest" pine is
getting very scarce. There is a
little of it near Anderson Moun
tain, and occasional small bodies
may be seen in the outlying parts
of the county. Uncut stands of
this class of forest yield from
2.500 to 4,000 feet, board meas
ure, per acre, occasional yields of
as much as 6,000 feet per acre,
however, being secured. Where
such forests have been partially
or entirely cut over second
| growth pine usually comes in.
, This is the common forest in all
parts of the countv, 66 per cent
. of the forest area being oak and
pine, The proportion of the
[ several species varies greatly, but
as a rule pine is predominant.
On only five per cent of the
woodland is pine not found.
Areas of old-field pine are
common througout the county.
Large tracts, however, are rare,
it being the exception to find one
covering more than ten acres.
However, nearly 30 per cent of
the forest area of the county is of
this type. Stands are often quite
heavy, yields of 12 to 15 M feet
per acre being quite frequent,
while tracts yielding from-20 to
25 M per acre have been cut.
Taken as a whole, the forest
of Catawba have been estimated
to contain a stand of about 96,-
000,000 board feet, or a little less
than 750 board feet per acre,
divided as follows: Second-growth
pine, fifty-two per cent; forest
pine,eight per cent; oalk, twenty
eight per cent; poplar, four per
cent; hickory, three per cent;
scrub pine and other scattered
species, five per cent.
Catawba has been a great
lumber producing county for
many years, but lumbering is on
the decline. There were, how
ever, over fifty circular sawmills
operating in 1910 for at least a
portion of the year. They cut
that year a little over 10,000,000
feet of lumber, seventy-three
per cent of which was old-field
pine, three per cent forest pine,
twenty-two per cent oak, and
nearly two per cent poplar. Most
of the oak is used by the two
furniture factories and the wagon
factory at Hickory, while the
pine is manufactured into build
ing and finishing materials or in
to boxboards, or is shipped away
in the rough. v Hickory is used
for axe handles and picker-sticks,
and most of the poplar for furni
ture.
Twenty years ago the best
"forest" pine stumpage could be
bought for 25 to 50 cents per tree,
in almost, unlimited quantities,
within a few miles of Hickory.
At the present time the small
amount of forest pine which is
left is worth about $4 per thous
and, and oak is worth about the
same. Within the past seven or
eight years second-growth and
old-field pine, which was former
ly considered worthless, has come
into the market, and while the
price is low—about
SI,OO to $1.50 per thousand—it
will undoubtedly increase, and
will soon be the chief supply for
the sawmilis.
Although a considerable
amount. of sawing is. done for
local use, the greater part of the
lumber from the western part of
the county is hauled to Hickory,
while tnat from the eastern part
is hauled to Maiden, Newton,
Catawba, and other points, and
shipped to Hickory or States
ville. Some lumber from Cald
well. Alexander, and Burke
counties is also hauled to Hicirory.
A few persons haul lumber from
Rutherford County to Hickory,
a distance of 20 to 25 miles,
making one trip in two days.
Forest lands in this county are
not in compact bodies, so fires do
not as a rule make headway, and
rarely spread over large areas.
Some woodlots show evidence of
many fires, however, and more
care is needed in handling fire on
the part both of the farmer and
the sawmill man. The southern
pine beetle has done considerable
damage to stands of old field
pine in the southeastern part of
the county, and if its depreda
tions extend, strong measures
should be taken to control it.
grand success.
* Regular dances are given by
the management every Tuesday
and Friday evening, the social
life promises to be the gayest
for many seasons.
Miss Carrie Anderson and sis
ter, of Rock Hill, S. C., are
spending some time with Mrs.
Geo. Killian.
Dr. Biddix leaves Saturday to
spencfHen days in Baltimore.
Mr. Frank Moose spent Sunday
in Morganton.
Mr. A. K. Joy, who recently
went to Pittsburg, Pa., with the
remains of his wife for interment
is still in Pittsburg and will re
turn the first of August.
Mail Carriers Will Fly
This is au age of great discoveries. •
Progress rides on the air. Soon we
may see Uncle Sam's mail carriers
flying in all directions, transporting
mail. People take a great benefit in a
discovery that benefits them. That's
why Dr. King's New Discovery for
Caughs, Colds, and other throat and
lung diseases is the most popular med
icine in America, "it cured me of a
dreadful cough,'' writes Mrs. J. F.
Davis, Stickney Corner, Me., "after
doctor's treatment and all other reme
dies had failed." For coughs, colds •"
or any bronchial affection it is une
qualled. Price 50c and SI.OO.
Trial bottle free at C. M. Shuford,
Moser & Lutz and Grimes Drug Co.