VOLUME
LEAKSVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1923.
TWO CENTS PER COPfr
^AILY GAZETTE
Admiral Charles Dwight
Sigsbee Dies at New York
As Captain He Commanded 111 Fa
ted Maine at Time It Sank in
Havana Harbor
New York, July 19 <**>—«Rear Ad
miral Charles Sigsbee, retired, cap
tain of the ill-fated battleship Maine
died suddenly at his. home here to
day. | ; j£|
Bear Admiral Charles Dwight Sigs
bee rose to fame through one of
the greatest naval disasters in Ameri
can history—the “blowing up 0f th<=
Maine.” He was 62 years old at that
time; a captain a veteran of the Ci
vil War, and an inventor of deep-sea
exploring and sounding apparatus.
Captain Sigsbee, commander of the
Maine, was ordered to Havana har
bor to protect American lives anu
property during the crisis of the Cu
ban rebellion against Spain in 1898.
As the vessel was on a friendly mis
sion she was received with the cus
tomary courtesies from the forts and
Spanish war ships, and the usual of
ficial visits. She was assigned to a
special anchorage and placed there
by the proper angents of the Spanish
government.
On the evening of February 15 the
Mg white battleship had been riding
quietly at anchor for more than two
weeks. Captain Sigsee went to his
cabin shortly after 8 o’clock and
wrote a long letter to his wife. By
the time he had finished many of the
328 men and 26 officers were asleep.
The Captain had just enclosed the
letter in an envelope and started to
seal ft when a deafening roar sound
ed'through the ship. The great ves
sel began to list. Groping his way'
through the dark, Sigsbee reached
the deck. A scene of horror greeted
him. The Maine was sinking.
“None can ever know,” he said
later, “the awful scenes .of conster
nation, despair and suffering down
in the swirling water or confined in
a closed compartment slowly filling
with water. It is comforting to be
lieve, and it is probably true, also,
that most of those who were lost
were killed instantly.”
The tragedy cost the lives of 264
sailors. The news spread over the
world in a few hours but not before
the entire American nations was ar
oused to a (pitch of frenzy, believing
the Maine had been blown up by hos
tile iSpaniards.
“Suspend judgment,” urged Sigs
bee i|i his first report. His calm wis
dom did much to prevent the United
States from rushing into war im
mediately. He accopanied the court
of inquiry in its investigation of the
4 wreck, and his expert knowledge help
ed it to arrive at •& decision as to
the cause of the disaster.
“The question has been asked
many times,’ said the Admiral years
after the tragedy, ‘w*hether I believ
ed then that the Maine was blown
up from the outside. My answer has
been that my first order on reaching
the deck was to post sentries to repel
boarders.”
Admiral Sigsbee added fresh laur
1 eh to his fame in the war that soon
§' followed the disaster. As commander
of the St. Paul, a trans-Atlantic lin
er converted intopn auxiliary cruis
er, he captured the Spanish collier
Restormel, carryig coal to Cervera,
and thus sealed the fate of the 8pan
f ish fleet at Santiago. The cruiser Is
e abella 11 and the destroyer Terror
f: both hauled down their flags and
% surrendered to him.
Admiral iSgsbee was born January
SOCIAL ud PERSONAL
MISS RUTH FARRELL
Mrs. Scott Hunter, leader of the
girls work of the Draper Y, returned
to Draper yesterday from her two
weeks vacation.
Prof, and Mrs. J. E Holmes and
children returned to Leaksville after
spending several weeks with relati
ves near Buffalo Lithia springs
Miss Bowe Penn of Martinsville
was in Leaksville yesterday. Miss
Henriet Reid returned to Martins
ville with her to spend several days.
Mrs. S. L. Martin, Mrs W O Jen
kins, Mrs S L. Martin, Jr. Mrs. J.
B. Ray are spending the day in
Danville, shopping.
Mrs. A. D. I vie is spending the
day in ureensDoro.
Mesdames A. W. Dunn, Lawson
Ivie, Elliot Ivie, Ben P. Ivie, W. O.
Jenkins and Miss Mary Wilson mot
ored to Reidsville yesterday after
moon on a shopping trip.
Miss Annie Hundley of Mt. Her
man was visiting friends in Leaks
ville yesterday.
) Mr. and Mrs. James Hairston, a
!recent bride and groom, have re
'turned from their wedding trip and
fare making their home at the Caro
lina home.
Mrs. N. B. Austin is very much
indisposed this week.
Mrs. L. W. Clark and Miss Mary
Ann Abel are spending the afternoon
in Madison and both will lecture to
The Woman’s Club o* Madison. Mrs.
Clark’s subject will be on he rtrip
abroad and Miss Abel's, will be on her
preparations for the Rockingham
county pageant. i
The Blue Bird Circle of the Leaks
ville Baptist church met Wednesday
afternoon with Miss Louise Jones in
the Highlands. The meeting was (pre
sided over by the president, Miss
Evelyn Barker. A most interesting
program had been arranged, readings
by members of the Society. Miss
Evelyn Barker played a piano solo.
Mrs. Beeker read a most interesting
paper—“Manuel from Mexico” at
the close of the meeting the hostess
assisted by Melbal O’Brien served
delicious fruit punch, cake and bon
bons. V
The Reading circle of the Girls
Auxiliary of Leaksville Baptist
church will meet with Mrs. Ida Jones
Friday afternoon at 3 o’clock at her
home in Oakland Heights.
One of our readers has requested
that we publish, for the benefit of
the rising generation and a few of
the older people, too, the following
verse: ; ,
Early to bed,
Early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy and
wise.
.. MRS CLARK ENTERTAINS .7
Mrs. L. W. Clark was hostess to
the Border Book Club on Wednesday
at 4 p. m. The program in charge of
Miss Merriweather had for its topic
‘iStained Glass Windows of America’'
Mrs. J. B. Ray read a most inter
esting paper on stained glass win
dows. Miss Jones gave a most in
structive talk on Tiffany Windows.
She had visited the Tiffany studio in
New York and was familiar with the
Tiffany Mosaic work.
Mrs. P. P. Scales read of the
Washington Memorial Chapel and its
wonderful windows at Valley Forge.
Mrs. Lbberton of Madison gave
) severest humorous readings.;
Ceneral Wood’s Trouble
Must Await Harding
Washington July 19 OW—Pinal ^
action in connection with the inci- j
dent in Manila which resulted in the
resignation of the Philippines cabinet
and the council of state, in protest
against the policies of Governor
General Wood will await the return
of President Harding from his Al
askan trip.
Reports reached Secretary Weeks
from Wood and Manuel Quezon, set
ting forth both sides of the contro
versy.
■ o
At any rate we hope that the
j westerners will have more success
than the ‘Buy-a-Bale” movement
‘ brought to the South.— rGeensboro
I Daily News.
Miss French, the president, presid
ed. Twelve members were present
and thirteen guests.
Delicious refreshments, consisting
of Ice cream in cantaloupes and an
gel food cake were served.
Mesdames Van Noppen, Lebberton
and Myseek from Madison, Keezee,
Martin Simmons and Glenn from’
Martinsville, Lee Martin, Jr., Miss
Meyers from Washington, Miss Ay
cock, Miss Scales from Raleigh, Miss
Jones and Miss French were the in
vited guests.
SCHOOL TEACHERS PUBLISH
THE HICKERSONIAN WEEKLY
The teachers attending the sum
mer school at Wentworth, are creat
ing considerable interest at the
County seat. One thing in particular
has caused more favorable comment
than most anything else that has
happened of late.
i The teachers are publishing a
weekly newspaper, which they call
“The Hickersonian” in honor of the
County Superintendent, ft copy of
jthe first edition being posted on the
[bulletin board at the Court House.
Mrs. D*n Taylor is the editor, and
Miss Kathleen Ivie, assistant editor.
! The Hickersonian is true to its
colors. It voices the sentiment of the
thirty-two teachers in attendance in
no uncertain terms, and pays a tri
»ute to Prof. Hickeron which he
will remember all the days of his
ife. This deserving tribute reads:
To you, our faithful Supt! To you
1 pilose sincerety and interested effort
o be a helpmeet in all that concerns
jrour teachers, to you who have
Slade us feel your friendship, to you
hose optimistic spirit is inspiration
,1; to you to whom no eulogy is
eded for your good work will stand
a memorial to your untiring ef
Tts for the uplift of old Rocking
in, to you, Mr. Hickerson.
Girl Beats Step-Mother
Over Head With A Club
Wausau, Wis., July 19 <d*>—Mary
Laando who was found in a swamp
near here yesterday after a<- 8-day
search, confessed to Sheriff Arthur
iStewart that she attacked her step
mother on the night of July 10th,
beating her over the head with a club
The girl, according to the sheriff
said she had trouble with the woman.
UTAH COAL MINERS
LIVE IN GOOD HOMES
Washington July 19 W>—Discour
aging news for city dwellers who
pay from fifty to seventy-five dollars
a month for rent comes from a re
port filed with the United States
Coal Commission which shows that
miners at Hiawatha and Mohrland
in Utah are able to obtain modern
stone or stucco houses at a rental of
from $2 to $3 per room which would 1
figure from $12 to $18 a month for
a six room home..
The information filed by Col. Hen
ry 11 Stimson and Goldwaite H. Dorr
of counsel for the Bituminous Opera
tors’ Committee, which is cooperating
with the government fact-find com
mission, gives an interesting slant
on the living conditions of the mod
ern soft coal miner in Utah as
brought about by his employer.
“Living conditions in most of the
mining communities is excellent the
report reads., ‘‘The entire coal field
is of quite modern development and
a great part of the construction ii
modern.
“For example, 41 per cent of the
houses at the mines at Hiawatha, He
ner and Mohrland of the United
.States Fuel Company, the second
■ largest operator in the State, are
modern houses. They are either built
of stone or stucco. They have mod
ern bathrooms a«d are equipped with
running water and electric light,
both furnished free. These houses
rent at an average of from $2 to $3
per room per month. Each mining
community is laid out with wide
streets and sidewalks. Each house has
a garden, which is fenced by the
company if the occupants so desire.
In each community there is an amu
sement hall furnished to the miners
■rfnt free and operated by a commit
Ute_,of miners. These amusement
halls have pool rooms, bowling al
leys, club rooms for men and women
lodge rooms and a large entertain
ent hall. This coal company also op
erates boarding houses which are
concrete buildings with comfortable
and airy rooms, bathrooms, etc. Sin
gle men can otain board and lodg
ing in this company’s boarding house
for $50 a month. The coal company’s
stores are run at a moderate profit
in open competition with outside
stores.”
SOUNDING OUT GOVERNMENT
AS TO TRAFFIC BLOCKADE
Berlin, July 19 M*>—German rep
resentatives in London, Rome Wash
ington and the Vatician, have been
instructed to make representations
against the prolongation of the traf
fic blockade between occupied and
unoccupied Germany, according to a
semi-official statement today.
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GERMAN WOULD INFLUENCE
BRITISH REPARATIONS
Paris July 19 MP)—The German
government through its London em
bassy, is striving to have the forth
•coming British note on reparations
to convey to France Germany’s will
ingness to cease its passive resistance
in the Ruhr, subject to certain con
cessions by France. This information
reached the French on what is re
garded as unquestionable but unof
fificial authority.
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LAWSON DENIES ANY
• CONNECTION WITH FLOGGING
Lumberton, N. C., July 19 OP)—
Chief of police Lawson at Fairmont
took the stand in his own behalf and
denied he was present during the re
cent flogging of two white women
near Proctorsville. Jule Brogden and
Johnson Hedgepeth, the other defen
dants, previously denied any connec
tion with the case. Lawson declared
he is not a member of the Ku Klux
Klansmen.
Crap Shooters Will Eat
Their Meals Standing Up
Dice Game Sent Dozen Negroes to
Hospital Badly Burned
Steubenville, Ohio, July 19 C4>)—
Twelve of the thirteen negroes' who
participated in a dice game at the
Labelle iron works here, are in the
■mill hospital suffering from burns.
The dozen were langed along one
side of the table, while the thirteenth
wielded the spotted ivory galloperb
from the other side. One of the 12
grabbed the pot in the center of the
table. Number thirteen reached for
his pistol. As it flashed, the dozen
sat on a red hot fuel pipe.
Twelve pairs of trousers were
ruined and the owners will take their
meals standing for some days to
come.
-o
STATE BANKERS AND FAR
MERS HOLD CONFERENCE
Raleihg, July 19—The two-day
conference of bankers and farmers
from the fifth Federal Reserve Dis
trict closed yesterday at State Col
lege with a discussion by members
of the College teaching tt" f f
sion service and experiment station
workers of the problem of how the
bankers may cooperate in making
farming more profitable.
The conference, which was pre
sided over by J. Elwood Cox, o!
High Point, on Tuesday adopted re
solutions looking towards the en
couragement of loans by bankers to
bright and deserving young men and
young women who wish to go to col
lege to study agriculture and home
eeonoipics; to promote in a raticjal
and conservative way the economic
increase of the productiveness of the
soils of the district and the en
couragement of a proper system of
diversified farming. In carrying 0ut
this program it was urged that a
banker-farmer conference be called
early in the fall to meet at the ag
ricultural college of each state in the
.district.
“A more personal contact is need
ed between the banker and the far
mer,” Dr. W. B. Kilgore stated at
Tuesday’s session. “The farmer can
usually secure all the credit he needs
but it is the cost of such credit that
is ruinous. A recent survey of 800
North Carolina farms showed that
more than one half of the credit ob
tained by the farmers was secured
by advances from stores. When far
mers borrowed directly from banks
the interest on the whole transaction
amounted to only 6.3 per cent, but
the rate on advances from stores
ran up to 26.6 percent.”
“Banks usually have been more
than willing to finance the farmer,
but the difficulty has been in persuad
ing him away from the traditional
method of securing his credit in the
costly time merchant way.”
■ • o
LT. RUSSEL MAUGHAN ON
COAST TO COAST FLIGHT
. .Mitchel Field N. Y., July 19. —
Lt Russel Maughan took off at 4:08
o’clock this morning, eastern stand
ard time, on his second attempt to
fly from coast to coast between
dawn and dusk.
Reaches Dayton at 8:35
Dayton, July 19 <4P)—Maughan ar
rived at McCook field at 8:35 East
ern standard time, on the first leg
of his New York to San Francisco,
dawn to dusk flight.
Saint JJoseph Mo., July 19 W)—
Lt. Maughan landed here at 11:25
central standard time, thus complet
ing the second leg of his transcontin
ental flight. He departed at 12:03.
HAPPENINGS AT THE
COUNTY PLAYGROUND
i
The Kirchies Orchestra from Spray
rendered a delightful program in the
Y M. C. A. hut Sunday afternoon.
Mr Kirchies and his talented family
are extremely generous in respond
ing to the need of music at the Play
Ground and every one appreciates
their kindness.
Among the i nteresting parties
spending the day with us on Sunday
was one made up for the most part
of people from Henry county, Va.
Included in the party were Misses
Sady and Grace Perry, Irene and
Elsie Doyle, Florenec Elliot and Ora
•Smith; Messrs Emmet Grogan, Wil
liam Doyle, Thomas Clark, Clyde
Smith, Frank Perry, and Walter Pay
ner.
Other Sunday visitors were Mr.
and Mrs. J. A. Morton and family
from Burlington, Mr. and Mrs. W_
C. Morton and s0n, and Mr and Mrs.
L. T. Barnwell from Elon College.
Mr. W B Weaver had as his guests
for the week end Miss Jackson and
Miss Pippen from Chapel Hill and
Mr. Frank Sheffield from Spray.
The Co-op Picnic on Saturday was
a distinct success in spite of work
and weather. We were glad to have
them with us, and met many friends
from different parts of the county
during the day.
Beginning Wednesday, July 17,
Miss Simpson, the county nurse, will
hold a well babies conerence in the
Red Ctobs hut at 3 p. m. each Wed
nesday.
This is done in response to the call
from the State and nation for a re
duction in our excessively high in
fant death rate. Few ipeople realize
that all but two of the so-called civi
lized nations have a lower infant
death rate than does the United
States. Eighteen nations are taking
better care of their babies than we
are.
From twelve to twenty of every
one hundred babies born in the
United States die during the first
year of their lives. Many of these
deaths are the result of ignorance on
the part of mothers and those who
have the care 0f babies and of con
taminated milk.
Now that Rockingham county cows
are being tuberculin tested it is hop
ed that an effort to have cleaner
■milk will also be made, and that
mothers will realize their responsi
bility in caring for ther babies ana
so give Rockingham county a health
ier citizenship.
Immediately after the better babies
hour, there will be an hour of games,
stories and readings for older child
ren. Different people have offered
to assist, in this work and we hope to
make it interesting. If you can tell a
story, give a reading, or lead in
games come and help us.
OVER THREE MILLION
' TONS COTTON SEED
Slight Increase In Seed Crused Over
Last Year
Washington, JJuly 19 MW—Cotton
•seed crushed in the eleven month
period ending June 30, totalled 3,
226,915 t°ns compared with 2,983,
272 in the same period one year ago
and cottonseed on hand at the mills
amounted to 13,768 tons compared
with 19,767 the census bureau an
nounced today.
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The weather seems to be heating
! up a trifle in Manila as well as else
t where. Greensboro Daily News.