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Established 1899
Some of Hickory's Needs
By Burgan L. Witherspoon, Class 1915, Hickory High School
[ It is time for the people of our
torn tc take notice of some of
lite things needed to make our
town the most progressive and
important city in the state.
' We have about nine hundred
children in the public school.
These must be cared for in two
buildings, by only twenty teach
ers. This is an average of forty
fjvt pupils to each teacher. A
teacher should not have over
twenty-five pupils in order that
each pupil may receive the best
of attention. If every child does
not learn one can easily see why
it is. It is not the teachers'
fault because we have a faculty
cfsome of the hnest teachurs in
the state but they have too many
pupils to give every one as much
time as he needs.
A new High School building
will have to be built in the near
future so we can use the two
buildings now in use for the ele-'
mentary grades. Many boys
. step school about the time they
enter high school for the simple
I reason that they don't feel like
•ioinK to school with small chil
dren. If we had a separate high
school building boys would re
main in school longer.
We should have a nice large
building modernly equipped with
a gymnasium and a large audi
torium, with a stage and scenery
suitable for all occasions. No
building should be built without
' aL'brary ana Literary Society
Hails, it should also contain
Laboratories and a domestic
science hall. Our school ground
is so smail that we cannot play
ball or engage in any other ath
letic eame. By this we get no
exercise at all during recess and
dinner hour.
Several more courses should be
| added to the courses of the high
school. Domestic science and
Siomestic art are some of the
:iost irnport.lnt courses taucrht
n modern high schools. A girl
will learn quicker at school be
cause she is compelled to take
the course. While she is at home
she never thinks of trying to
iearn and she would learn better
and quicker under an experienc
ed teacher, than she would at
home. Book Keeping. Short
Hand and Penmanship should be
taught. Manual training should
be taught to every boy and music
to boys and giris who care to
take it. More foreign language
should be taught. More attefi
| tion should be paid to the work
in our Literarv Societies. Many
( prominent men have gotten more
out of the Literarv Societies than
they did from their other stud
ies, it is practicably impossible
I Icr these improvements to rome
in our school unless our citizens
I provide suitable buildings and
extra teaching force that will
he necessary to take care of the
work.
Our city has reached the point
| where aY.M.C. A. is not only
desirable, but even almost nec
essary. The boys aad young
men of Hickory have no decent
place in which they can spend
the hours they are not employed.
As a result many stray into pool
» rooms and other places equally
&3 bad.—which by the way ought
S to be driven out of our town. If
these hour 3 could be spent in
clean athletic sports, reading of
sood literature, or in any of the
other wholesome employments
afforded by the Y. M. C. A., it
would aid in the development of
our youth morally, mentally, and
physically.
Our Public Library is'not sup
plied with the books it should
nave. We should support a Li
brary supplied with books from
the time of the Dynasties in
to the present time. Peo
| p!e could spend their unemployed
hours very profitably if we had a
uood Library in which they could
spend a few hours reading. Many
great men have received the Pest
of education by spending a few
hours each day in Public Libra
ries.
Another very important neec
is more street improvements.
Our main streets are very wel
kept up but we should pay mon
attention to some of our othei
streets that they may Decom
I '>me of our important one T
show how a commnnity grow:
when new and better street 5 ? ar
built I will refer you to Ken
; worth. Two years auo no on
thought that these woods woul
he built up with beautiful home
i today. Eighth Avenue, sine
' the streets have been improved
I has built up more than any oth
er street in town.
Since it was necessary thatou
THE HICKORY DEMOCRAT
I
| new Post Office be built on the
I opposite side of the railroad from
the business part of town, peo
ple are crossing the railroads at
every minute of the day and
trains are shifting there prac
tically all the time. Some seri
ous accident is going to happen
but then it will be too late to see
what should have been done long
before. A watchman or gate
should be placed there at once.
The shifting should be done from
the west end of the depot side
track. Better still would be to
move the freight depot from the
center of town. It is a nuisance
for the trains to be shifting in
the center of town throughout
the day. We should start early
and have something done.
A public park should be . built
out of town several miles that
our people might spend the day
out of town to take a rest. On
the banks of the Catawba River
would be one of the finest places
in the state for a riverside park.
The land is there going to waste
and could be bought very cheap
ly. A hotel could be erected and
then tourists would come here
for the summer. This would
open our town as a summer re
sort.
An electric car system should
be built on every avenue in town.
Our town is over two miles in
length. A stranger while stop
ping here could spend his hours
riding over town if we had elec
tric car lines and he might be in
duced to move here. As it is. if
one wishes to see our city he
must hire a team to be driven
through the town. Besides be
ing expensive, this is inconven
ient. These lines should also be
built into our suburbs.
We have about one half enough
electric lights. We should have
many more arc lights on our
principal streets and more lights
in the center of town. The White
Way would be a very good plaft
for this town to have. Smaller
towns all over the state have
better lighting systems than we
have. Perhaps one reason for
our poor light service is because
of the fact that there is no com
petition in this field and we are
iorced to put up with the ser
vice given us by the electric com
pany. This, it would seem, is
enough to convince us of the
necessity for a gas lighting and
heating plant. Besides insuring
us better service we could obtain
cheaper rates.
The town should build a new
city hall. The present city hall
which is ready to fall is a dis
grace to our town. If a good
speaker comes to town we have
to pay a large sum of money for
i a building for him to use. We
have not yet realized now much
I good results from public speak
, ing. If we had we would sure
ly provide for more. A new jail
should also be built with the city
; hall and kept more sanitary.
There are hundreds of acres of
I land near our town lying idle
: some of which should be used as
[ a fair ground. Since we began
our annual county fairs our farm*
j ers have improved in eyery way.
r They are raising better stock,
. better produce and are getting
• better prices for their products.
, It advertises everything they
; have. One can see a great change
; in the farmers in every respect.
' The people of the town may say
t that the farmer should iooK out
for himself. If it were not for
j the farmers the people in the
town could not live. So let us
help them in every way we can.
j every way we can.
A town with five thousand
i people can support a better news-
paper. There is enough news in
_ and around our city to support a
3 better Semi-Weekly newspaper.
a As it is any news of importance
3 mu&t wait a whole week before
v it can appear in print in one o1
t our home papers. Everything ol
v importance is learned from manj
. state papers long before it car
be given out by our own press,
d More manufacturing industriei
should be encouraged to come t
II our town. All suburbs should b
taken in the incorporate limits s
they could be protected better
e get better streets and have elec
0 trie lights and water,
s Many minor internal improve
•e ments should have more atten
i- j tion paid to them; such as th
e i cemetery, shubbery and sanita
d tion of streets. . '
»s An athletic association and a
■e so a Junior Chamber of Con
j merce should be organized i
hi this town. In nearly all citic
the Junior Chamber of Con
jr merce is doing better work tha
the older members.
Now in conclusion let every
good citizen bear these need 9 in
mind and let him see how much
he can do to improve our town.
What is needed is a few patriotic
men to see the true needs of our
town and then we can look down
upon the towns that are now
leading in the state as villages.
Local and Personal
Items of Interest
S. S. Rowe was re-elected
mayor of Conover at the annual
town election at that place last i
week.
Miss Joaie went to Charlotte
last Thursday to visit her broth
er, Mr. Rufus Person. Mr. Per
son came to Hickory and accom
panied Miss Josie on her trip.
Statesville Landmark: Mr. J.
Will Mills of Statesville and Miss
Anna Sherrill, daughter of Mr.
Wash Sherrill of the vicinity of
Scott's, were married Wednes
day night at the home of Rev. E.
D. Brown at Lcray, Kev. Mr.
Brown officiating.
Commencement exercises at
Davenport College, Lenoir, will
embrace May 17 to 19. The an
nual sermon will be preached by
Bishop R. G. Watterhouse, at 11
a. m., Tuesday, May 18. The
graduating exercises will be held
on the morning of the 19th, fol
lowed by the literary address
which will be delivered by Dr.
Gilbert T. Rowe.
We feel that it is our duty, as
well as privilege, to express our
appreciation of Prof. C.M, Staley
and his cc-workers in the great
work accomplished by tham
during the past school term. In
our opinion there is no school
that could have accomplished
more under existing circum
stances than has been done in
our City schools. It is a well
known fact that the school build
ings have been crowded to the
limit, each teacher having so
many pupils that it was almost
impossible to give them any in
dividual attention, and of course
there were some kicks from the
natural born kickers, who are
never satisfied with things as
they are, but to take the work as
a whole we think great things
have been done in our schools,
and we feel that the thanks of
the patrons of the schools are
due Prof. Staley and those who
labored so faithfully with him
for the past eight months.
Mr. Horace A. Yount of
Statesville was awarded a ver
dict for $3,084 and interest in Ca
tawba Superior court last week
against his brother, Dr. J. fl.
Yount of Newton. This case,
which lasted nearly three days,
was intricate and difficult, Dr.
Ynunt, in brief claimed that
when an old partnership to de
velop water power at the site of
the Southern Power Company's
dam at Lookout Shoals on Ca
tawba river, fell through, he, in
1899, acquired the property for
himself, subsequently selling the
same to the Southern Power
Company for $10,912. He origin
ally paid $550 for it. The plain
tiff contended that his interest
in the property remained all the
time, and that the defendant
recognized this interest in a let
ter which was produced in court.
Messrs, L. C, Caldwell and H. P.
Grier of Statesville and Councill
& Yount of this city represented
the plaintiff and Messrs. W. C.
Feimster of Newton, A. A. White
ner and Self & Bagby of this
city, the defendant.
Mr. John Holler, representing
; the Catawba board of county
'• commissioners, and Mr, Cocke,
5 attorney for the Southern Power
\ Company, had a conference in
Newton last Friday in regard to
the building of a bridge across
I the Catawba river at the Look
out power station. A tentative
" plan by which the Company
1 would build the bridge and be re
-1 imbursed by a remission of taxes
; until the bridge, which is sup
i pcsed will cost about $15,000, is
1 paid for, was agreed upon. After
} conferring with the full board,
Mr. Holler, who is continued to
f represent the board, was author
-1 ized to offer a substitute proposi
tion, in the form that half the
3 tax will be rebated to the com
-3 pany and the company operate
e the bridge as a toll bridge until
0 it is reimbursed for the other
'» half of the cost. The toll propo
sition is not popular, and Cataw
ba people think the Iredell com
!«r. missioners should provide for re
i-1 mitting to the company one-hall
e the cost. Enterprise.
Twenty million dollars ha
1- been estimated as the loss cause*
i- by fires in the United State
n each year, which occurred be
JS cause rubbish was allowed to ac
(cumulate in houses or businee
in places.
HICKORY, N. C., THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1915
Lusitania Torpedoed
by German Submarine
British Steamer Sinks Off Irish
Coast Attended by Great Loss
of Life.
PROMINENT AMERICANS DIE
/
Among Them Being Alfred Gwyn Vanderbilt,
Elbert Hubbard, Charles Froman, Geo.
Klein—Ship Was Bound From New
York to Liverpool.
London, May 7.—The* British c
Cunard Line steamer L«sitania,
with 1,253 passengers, was tor
pedoed this afternoon at 2 o'clock
ten miles off Old Head, Kinsdale,
Ireland, and later sank..
Queenstown, May B.—The tug
Storm Cock has returned here,
bringing about 150 survivors of
the Lusitania, principally pas
sengers, among whom were many
women, several of the crew, and
one steward. The steward said
he feared 900 lives were lost in
the sinking of the Lusitania.
Describing the experience of
the Lusitania, the steward said:
4 'The passengers were at lunch
when a submarine came up and
fired two torpedoes, which struck
the Lusitania on the starboard
side, one forward and the other
engine room. They caused the
explosions.
"Captain Turner immediately
ordered the boats out. The ship
began to list badly immediately.
"Ten boats were put into the
water and between 400 and 500
passengers entered theei. The
boat in which I was, approached
the land with three other boats,
and we were picked up shortly
after 4 o'clock by the Storm Cock.
"I fear that few of tne officers
were saved. They acted brave
' 'There was only fifteen min
utes from the time the ship was
struck until she foundered, going
down bow foremost. It was a
dreadful sight."
"From the day we sailed we
complacently spoke of the possi
bilities of the German menace,
but no one believed it, for we
scorned the idea of being torpe
doed," said F, J. Gaunlett, of
Washington who was traveling
with A. L. Hopkins, among the
missing, and S, M. Knox of Phil
adelphia, who was saved.
'.'A number of us were going
over on business. It was shortly
after two—probably ten minutes
past—and I was lingering in the
dining saloon chatting with my
friends, when the first explosion
occurred. We knew at once what
happened. Shortly the ship list
ed preceptibly. I shouted to the
others to close the ports. Some
of us went to our berths and put
on life belts.
"On making our way to the
deck we were informed that there
was no danger and we need not
be alarmed, but the ship was
gradually sinking deeper into the
water and efforts were made to
launch the boats.
Fifty or more people entered
the first boat and as it swung
from the davits it fell suddenly.
I think most of the occupants
perished. Other boats were
launched with the greatest diffi
culty,
"Swinging free from one of
them as it descended, I struck
. out, swiming strongly and stead
ly, for a piece of wreckage which
. I observed. On reaching I found
i it was one of the collapsible
- boats, but I had to rip the can
vass with a knife before I could
i get it open, Another passenger
. climbed into it and between us
. we were able to get about thirty
» people out of the water. While
we were thus engaged I noticed
i that the Lusitania was gradually
I sinking.
• "Women and children under
. the protection of men had clust
. ered in lines on the port side and
- as the ship made her plunge,
dowra little by the head and
f heeling at an angle of nearly 90
»degrees, this little army slid
down toward the starboard side,
s dashing themselves against each
d other as they went, until they
JS were engulfed."
i- Mr. Gaunlett said that he
». heard only one explosion and the
3S whole tragedy was over in 20
minutes.
Official List of the
Survivors, 764
New York, May 9.—The Cun
ard steamship company tonight
announced the receipt of the fol
lowing cablegram of the Liver
pool:
"Up to midnight Queenstown
advise total number of survivors
764, including 462 passengers
and 302 crew.
"One hundred and forty-four
bodie3 recovered, of which 87
identified and 57 unidentified.
Identified bodies comprise 65
passengers, 22 crew.
"Number of persons injured:
thirty passengers and seventeen
crew."
[A Sunday night dispatch from
London said the survivors num
bered 771. The discrepancy
probably is explained by a dupli
cation in names.]
London, May 9.—Latest esti
mates here put the death roll in
the sinking of the Cunarder
Lusitania at well up to 1,500.
Superintendent Dodd, of the
Cunard line, today dashed linger
ing hopes that there might be
further survivors in a statement
that said:
"The only problem now is to
identify the nameless dead."
So far as can be ascertained
about 700 persons escaped when
the liner sank after being struck
by German torpedoes, but of
these 45 have died from exposure
or from injuries.
Lord Mersy is to conduct an in
quiry into the disaster and until
tnat begins, official opinion as to
how the Lusitania came to be
saught and why so many lives
were lost, will remain a secret.
The general unofficial opinion is
that several German submarines
were assigned to the task of at
tacking the liner and that thev
maneuvered her into position
where she could not escape.
Passengers say that for some- 1
time before the first torpedo was
fired the Lusitania had altered
her course, and they ascribe this
to the fact that one German sub
marine had shown herself, send- i
ing the big liner in the direction
where others were waiting to
3trike.
Reports have it that the ship's
:argo was valued at about $750,-
)00 and contained a quantity of
war supplies. The ship's mani
fest included 280,000 pounds of
brass and copper wire, $66,000
worth of military goods, and 5,-
171 cases of ammunition valued
at $200,000, all of which was con
traband of war. The ship, itself
was covered by $5,000,000 war
risk insurance.
West Hickory Items.
West Hickory, May 10. —The
bankrupt stock of the firm of
Norris & Marlow is now being
3old at public auction.
D. R. Leonard of Alta Vista,
Va., is visiting his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. T. J. Leonard.
Mr. D. B. Abernethy, overseer
of spinning at the Ivey Mill,
moved into his nice new home
one day last week.
Mr. P. A. Carpeuter of Gas
tonia, is visiting the family of
Mrs. Lackey.
Mr. G. T. Barger attended
court at Newton one day last
week as a witness.
Miss Carrie Berry went to
Rutherford College Sunday to at
tend commencement.
Mr. J. E. Mitchell was a visit
or at the Ivey Mili Sunday.
Spring is a fine season of the
year.
Democrat and Press Consolidated 1905
Three More Craft
Sunk By Germans
London, May 6.—The steamer
Cathay from Copenhagen for
Chinese ports wa3 sunk either by
a mine or torpedo late last night
in the North Sea. She went
down in twenty minutes. Her
passengers and the members of
her crew totalling 43 persons
took to the small boats and all
were landed safely at Ramsgate
today.
The Cathay was a Danish
steamer of 2,596 tons; 296 feet 1
long.
The trawler Strattor, of Grims
by, was sunk in the North Sea
yesterday by the gun fire of a
German submarine. The crew
was taken on board the sub
marine.
The schooner Earl of Lathnam
has been suck by a German sub
marine off Kinsale, Ireland. The
crew, permitted to take the small
boats, was rescued by a trawler.
The submarine fired nine shells
at the schooner before she sank.
COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM
Lenoir College Finals Embrace May
21-26.
The following is the program
of the commencement exercises
at Lenoir College, which will be
held May 21-26, inclusive:
Friday, May 21.-8:30 p. m..
Oratorio—"The Holy City," by
A. R. Gaul.
Saturday, May 22.-8:30 p. m.,
Expression Contest.
Sunday, May 23. —11:00 a. m.,
Baccalaureate sermon by the
Rev. P. C. Wike of Chicago, 111.;
8:00 p. m., address before the
College Luther League by the
Rev. A. R, Beck of Dallas.
Monday, May 24.-10:00 a. m.,
Sub-Freshman declamation con
test, 1:30 p. m., Meeting board
of trustees; 2to 5 p. m.. art ex
hibit; 8;30 p. m., Junior orators'
contest.
Tuesday, May 25. —11:00 a. m„
literary address by Hon. Clyde
R. Hoey of Shelby: 3:30 p. m. s
business meeting alumni associa
tion; 5 to 8 p. m.. alumi banquet
in Highland Hail,alumni address
by Atty. Julius T. Homey of
i Canton, alumni essay by Miss
| Iva Pearl Setzer of Hickory; 8:30
p. m., Dramatic entertainment.
Wednesday, May 26.—9:30 a.
m., Senoir class day exercises;
10:30 a: m.,1 graduating exer
cises. address to the graduates
by Dean A. C. Voigt of the
Lutheran Theological Seminary
of Columbia; 8:30 p. m.. Concert.
Rev. P. C. Wike, who preaches
the Baccalaureate sermon, is the
first graduate of the College
while it was located at Conover.
i Rev. A. R. Beck, who addresses
the College Luther League, is a
member of the first graduating
class after the college was es
tablished in Hickory.
A special feature of the com
mencement will be Gaul's Ora
torio, ' The Holy City," under
the direction of Miss Esther V.
Schultz, instructor in voice and
expression. This is the first ef
fort of its kind at the college and
will be most entertaining and
inspiring. It an opportunity to
hear the best there is in sacred
music. The proceeds will go in
to the college pipe organ fund.
The Alumni banquet will be
held in Highland Hall
and the menu will be pre
pared and served under the direc
tion of Mr. and Mrs. Kiser, as
sisted by Miss Morrell, instructor
in domestic science. The charge
will be 75 cents a plate and the
profit, if any, will go into the
treasury of the association.
The public is most cordially in
vited to all these exercises and a
special invitation is extended to
ail alumni and former students.
Rural Mail Service for One Million
More People.
Plans for a general readjust
ment of the rural postal service
through the country by July to
provide mail facilities for a mil
lion persons not included in the
| present routing system were an
! nounced by Postmaster General
Burleson. Motor vehicles will be
provided under the new plan
where high ways will permit.
"Rural service will be extend
ed to every farmer reasonably
entitled to it," said Mr. Bur
leson, "as rapidly as the new ad
justments can be made."
! Whole Family Dependent.
Mr. E. Williams, Hamilton, Oh;o,
writes: ''Our whole family depend on
Pine-Tar-Honey." Maybe some one in
your family has a severe Cold—per
haDS it is a baby. The original Dr.
Bell's Pine-Tar-Honey is an ever
ready household remedy it gives im
mediate relief. Pine-Tar-Honey pen
etrates the linings of the throat and
Lungs, destroys the Germs, and al
lows Nature to act. At your Druggist,
25c.
ooooodOOC ooooooouoooog
g The Democrat Leads 5
g in News & Circulation 8
80000DOOCOOOOOOOC00000
SHIP WAS PRODUCT
OF RACE FOR SPEED
Lusitania When Launched Was
Wonder of The Maritime
World.
The Lusitania was one of the
largest of trans-Atlantic liners,
as well as one of the speediest.
She was built in Glasgow, in
1906, and was 785 feet long. Her
gross tonnage was 32,500 and her
net tonnage 9,145. She was own
ed by the Cunard Steamship Com
pany, Ltd., of Liverpool. Her
captain was W, T. Turner.
The Lusitania was a product of
the race for speed which was
carried on for years among trans-
Atlantic steamship companies,
particularly of England and Ger
many. When the Lusitania was
launched, she was the wonder of
the maritime world. Her mast
ery of the sea from the stand
point of speed was undisputed.
Marine engineers were parti
cularly interested in the great
engines by which she was pro
pelled. Instead of the usual type
of reciprocalting engines, her
builders installed turbines. These
engines developed an indicated
horsepower of 70,000,. driving
four shafts, each of which car
ried a three-bladed propeller.
The Lusitania had accommoda
tions of 550 first-class passages.
500 second-class, and 1,300 third
class.
The launching of the Lusitania
on June 7, 1906, at Clyde Bank,
was attended with elaborate cer
emonials. She left on her maid
en trip September 7, 1907. This
voyage was heralded as a race
for the world's rec3rd. German
steamship companies said her
time of five days, 54 minutes, was
not in reality a record. Later
she made an undisputed record
of four days, 11 hours, 42 min
utes, bat that subsequently was
beaten by the Mauretania.
In January of last year the
Lusitania rescued the crew of the
little Canadian brigantine May
flower. which was drifting,
wrecked and helpless about 1,000
miles from the Canadian shore.
After the outbreak of the war
most of the fastest vessels of the
British trans-Atlantic fleet were
requisitioned by the navy. The
Lusitania, in fact, was the only
vessel of this type to continue in
regular service as she was the
greatest prize which could fall to
German warships or submarines,
her voyages were followed with
particular concern. British ship
ping men maintained however,
that she was in no danger, espe
cially after the Atlantic had been
cleared of German warships.
They felt her superior speed
would enable her to evade any
submarine. Three days after
war was declared the Lusitania
left New York on one of her
regular trips to Liyerpool. She
slipped out of the harbor shroud
ed in darkness except for her
port and starboard running
lights. There were 212 passen
gers on board who were willing
to accept the chances of war.
During the voyage it was report
ed that she had been captured by
German warships, and subse
quently that she was flying for
some American port. She com
pleted her voyage in safety, how
ever, without sighting any hos
tile craft. I
It was the Lusitania whose
flying of the American flag last
February on her way from
Queenstown to Liverpool to pro
tect her agaiust possible attack
by a German submarine caused
considerable astonishment on both
sides of the ocean and resulted in
a statement by the British for
eign office justifying the use of a
neutral flag under such circum
stances.
Athough the Lusitania was
surpassed in size by several other
liners built subsequently, includ
ing the Imperator, Olympic and
Vaterland, she never lost the re
putation acquired at the outset
of her career. Her speed and
luxurious accommodations made
her a favorite and her passenger
lists bore the names of many of
the most prominent Atlantic
wayfarers. She had nine decks,
connected with elevators. Her
cabins were designed to look
more like an elaborate hotel than
a ship.
The vessel was pronounced by
her builders to be as nearly un
sinkable as any ship could be.
i The lower deck was watertight.
| Tne double bottom was so con
jstructed that should the bilge
keels be torn away and the hull
pierced, the entering water would
be confined within the inner and
outer bottoms. The lower por
" tion of the hull was divided into
' 175 water tight compartments
1 with communicating doors so
" j made that thev could be closed
' • Continued on Page 6