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MOUNT AIRY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, DEC EMI) Ell
1008
NO. 20
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MAftMIAUfc ANOOIVOMCC.
Exchange.
There has just been compiled
under the direction of the census
department alone satisfaction on
the subject cf marriage and di
vorce which wiil doubtless prove
of interest to the sociologist in
particular, and the public in gen
eral. It is slvwn. among other
, things, that in North Carolina
6 from 1887 to 11)06. there were
' granted 7,017 divorces, while
from 18G7 to 188(5 there were
granted 1,338 divorces. The
bulletin is quite lengthy, and we
shall present only such facts as
are likely to prove of general in
terest. The carriage rate in
the United States in the year
1900 was 9: per 10.000 popula
tion. Basel upon ' the adult un
married (single, widowed, or di
vorced) population, the rate be
' comes 321 per 10,000, indicating
that in each y ear something ov
er 3 per cent, of the unmarried
adult population marry. The
marriage rate based on the total
population is higher in the Unit
ed States than in any other coun
try for which reliable statistics
are available. But taking the
marriageable population as the
basis that is, the population
w hich is of marria geable age
but not married the rate in the
United States is nt as high as it
is in Hungary, is about the same
as it i3 in Saxony, but is still
higher than in any of the other
countries included in the com
parison!. The total number of divorces
reported for the twenty years,
1887 to 1903, inclusive, was 945,
For thft earlier iayestiga-1
u-.n, coverlid tne
fencing I
18G7 to 1885, inclusive, the num
ber reported was 328.71G or hard
ly more than one-third of the
number recorded in the second
twenty years. At the beginning
of the forty-year period, covered
bv the two investigations, divor
ces occurred at the rate of 10,
00 a year; at the end of that
1 eriod the annual number wa3 a
. bout 68,000. This increase, how
ever, must be considered in con
nection with increase in popula
tion. An increase of 30 per cent, in
population between the years
1S70 to 188') was accompanied by
increase of 79 per cent in the
number of divorces granted. In
the next decade, 1880 to 1890,
the population increased 25 per
cent and divorces 70 per cent,
and In the following decade, 18
00 to 1900, increase of 21 per
vnt in population was accom
panied by an increase of 06 per
cent in the number of divorces.
In the six years from 190jto 19
f)G, population, as estimated, in
creased 10-3 per cent, and divor
ces 29-3 per.
It thus appears that at the end
of the forty-year period divorces
were increasing about three times
as fast as population, while in
the first decade (1870 to 1880)
they increased only about two
thirds as fast.
Divorce rates appear to be
much higher in the United States
than in any of the foreign coun
tries for which statistics relating
to this subject have teen ob
tained Two-thirds of the total number
of divorces granted in the twenty-year
period covered by this
investigation were granted to
the wife.
The most common single
ground for divorce is desertion.
Tins accounts for 3.9 fer cent,
of all divorces (period 1887 to 19
(H), 49-4 per cent., or almost
one-half of thosa granted to the
husband, and 33-5 per cent., or
one -third, of those granted to
the wife.
The n.xt mctt important
ground of divorce is, for hus
bands, adultery, and for wives,
cruelty. Of the divorces grant
ed to husbands (1887 to 190G)
28.8 por cent, were for adultery;
and of those granted to wives 27,
5 per cent, were for cruelty. On
ly 10 per cent of the divorces
granted to wives were for adul
tery of the husband, and 10.5
per cent of divorces granted to
husbands were for cruelty on
the part of the wife.
Drunkenness was the ground
for divorce in 5.3 pr cent of the
cases in which the wife brought
suit, and in 1.1 per cent, of the
cases in which the suit was
brought by the husband.
The number of divorces occur
ring in the first year of married
life during the entire period, 18
87 to 190G, was 18,870; the num
ber increases to 27, 764 in the se
cond year of married life, and
reaches its maximum in the fifth
year, when it becomes G7.770.
Frcm that point on the number
d.' "inishes year by year, but
does not fall below the numbet
granted in the first year of mar
ried life until the eighteenth
year is reached.
The total number of marriages
recorded during the twenty years
from 18'7 to 1906, inclusive, was
12:832,041. The number annu
ally reported increased from
483, 009 in the year 1887 to 853,-
290 in the year 1906. The in
crease year by year was by no
means uniform. The marriage
rate is quickly responsive to
change in economic conditions.
A small increase shown for 1893
and actual decrease in the suc-
ceedmg year reflect the influence
- t" v. "vnimr
onditions do not appear to have
been restored in the matrimonial
market until the year 1899.
Big Deal In Timber Land.
Asheville, Nov. 26. A big
deal was successfully consum
mated here late yesterday after
noon when William Whitmore
& Son, Inc., of Philadelphia,
a tract of 35,000 acres of timber
lands in Swain county. It is
understood that the price paid
was in the neighborhood of half
a million dollars. It is also said
that the purchasers contemplate
finishing the railroads now build
ing into the boundary and the
establishment of an acid plant, a
large double-band sawmill and
a pulp ai.d paper plant. The
railroad leading into the timber
boundary was commenced some
time ago and much of the rail
has been ordered. Mr. Arbo
gast and associates retain about
30,000 acres of timber lands
which originally was a part of
their purchase two.years ago.
Three Shot In A Brawl.
Roanoke, Va., Nov. 26 Frank
Butt, a painter, of Bramwell, W.
Va., was shot and fatallv wound
ed; Judge Owen police justice of
Pocahontas, Va. was shot through
the lungs and Lee Carter of Po
cahontas, received a bullet wound
in a shooting affray at Pocahon
tas to-night. The trouble start
ed in Harry Matz's saloon when
Butt and James Law son, Taze
well, Va., got into a fight Lawson
shot Butt through the lungs and
neck, barely missing the jugular
vein. When Lawson ran from
the place, Judge Owen, who
was in a nearby store, attempted
to stop Lawson and the latter
turned on the judge and shot him
through the lungs. A crowd join
ed in the chase after Lawson and
a number of shots were fired.
Lawson was slightly wounded.
He was captured and jailed.
Butt's life is despaired of but it
it is believed Ovven will live. The
trouble in the saloon is believed
to have been the outcome of a
cock fight.
Crueade Against Potato Bugs.
RICHMOND. Va., Nov. 23.
Nearly a million dollars is spent
annually on potato bug poison in
two small counties of this State.
The farmers of Acomac and
Northampton counties, which
f rm what is known as ie east
ern shore of Virginia, spend each
year something like $8W,uoo in
tne war they are torccd to wage
against the most feared enemy
of the potato crop the potato
bug.
Annually they buy more than
six hundred and fifty tons of this
poison, or something like 1,300,
000 pounds, and the cost apply
ing it is nearly twice as great as
the cost of the poison itself.
This section of Virginia is one
of the greatest potato-producing
sections of tha United States and
each year tens of thousands of
barrels are shipped to the mark
ets of the eastern coast -New
York, Philadelphia. Boston. Bal
timore, and Vashingtont and even
to many Western cities. A crop
which can be marketed at a fair
price means a year of prosperity
and plenty to the farmers of these
two counties. The reverse means
oftimes debt and want.
Almost unbelieveable are some
of the stories told of the battles
the farmers have fought against
their common enemy. But they
are true.
Several years ago the "bug-
pest" ' was particularly severe.
Near the little town of Eastville
there was a seventy-acre field of
potatoes.
" The early prices were s o
tempting that the owner of the
field dwided to dig and shin be-
1-1-,-
Aercss the
road from his field
was another, also planted with
potatoes. The crop in this field
was several days behind that in
the first and was not ready for
digging.
BUGS MOVE IN KKCIMETS.
The day after the crop in the
first field had been dug vast
swarms of potato bugs began to
migrate to the other field. So
thick were they that they cover
ed the edge of the field and car
peted the road as they crawled
toward the second field.
The owner of the field, alarm
ed sent hurrv call to nearest store
for Paris green and cheap (lour.
As soon as he got the poison and
flour he had them mixed and,
sending men down his fence line
he had them construct a rampart
of the poison mixture an eighth
of an inch thick and several yards
long.
As the invading horde of bug3
crawled under the fence they
waded into this poison and the
execution wa3 something mazing.
They died by the tens of thous
ands. At first they were not de
terred by the , poison, but later
they seemed to realize that crawl
ing under the fence meant death
and then occurred a remarkable
thing.
The bugs crawled down the
road until they reached a cross
road. Down this they turned,
and then began to invade the po
tato field from a new and unpro
tected side.
Again the fanner had to build
a rampart of poison. This occu
pied severaldays and during that
time the road itself was packed
with bugs, in some places to a
depth of three and a half to four
inches.
CRUSHED BY THOUSANDS.
There was considerable traffic
over the road, and, as vehicles
drove through the swarms of bugs
they crushed them by thousands,
While the "Irish" or
white" '
potato has a deadly foe in the
potato bug, the sweet potato,
which is also extensively raised
on the eastern shore, has no such
enemy.
The potato bugs apparently
rise from the earth as soon as the
potato plants have begun to grow
leaves and attack the foliage. A
single day is sufficient for these
pests to strip every leaf from the
plants of a large field, unless
their work is stopped by poison.
The bug ia a prolific breeder. It
lays its eggs upon the backs of
the leaves of potato plants and in
a single day these eggs are hatch
ed. It is no unusual sight to see
large plarlts almost entirely cov
ered by bugs.
At the outset of season, when
the plants are small, the bugs are
comparatively speaking, few, and
the farmer is able to protect his
plants by having a force of men
sprinkle the plants with a poison
solution.
Paris green is the poison usual
ly used. To use it unmixed with
water or something else would
prove too expensive, and, besides
the poison undiluted is so strong
that it withers and often kills, the
potato plants itself. The gener
al practice is to mix the powder
with water or the cheapest,
coarsest grades of flour or meal.
Creensbsro Bar Recommends 4
Now Districts.
At a meeting of the Greens
boro Bar Association held yester
day afternoon in the office of the
clerk of the Superior Court it
was decided to petition the legis
lature at the coming session to
create four new judical districts
in North Carolina. This action
is recommended because litiga
tion has outgrown the capacity
of t'tie courts in manv counties
Primarily, the agitation is be
gun for the purpose of finding a
wav to relieve the congested con
dition of the civil docket in Guil
ford county. It is known, how
ever, that similar conditions ex
ist in other counties and the bar
associations of other towns are
expected to join in the recom
mendation for the creation of
four new districts entailing the
appointment of four additional
Superior Court judges and solici
tors. It was stated by Maj. Charles
M. Stedman that he has cases on
the civil docket of Guilford Su
perior Court that have not been
called in two years. It is said
that it will take a year of solid
court to try the cases on the ci
vil docket in thi3 county.
On motion of David Stern a
committee was appointed to take
the matter in hand, i iake inves
tigations and report at the next
meeting of the bar. That com
mittee is composed of Maj. Chas
le3 M. Stedman. chairman; E.
I). Broaihurst, David Stein, ex
Judge Spencer B. Adams and T.
S. Beall.
A motion was adopted that
each member be assessed two
dollars to create a fund with
which to carry on a campaign
for the relief of this county and
district, N. I. Eure, J. J. Parker
and C A. Hines were appointed
a committee to raise the neces
sary funds.
Major Stedman said that he
has a letter from Judge Neat off
ering to help the Greensboro bar
devise means to relieve the con
gestion of the Civil docket.
The matter of creating new
judicial districts and the appoint
ment ot additional judges and
solicitors will probably be one of
the most important matters to
come before the approaching
session of the legislature.
It is probable that in the event ;
new districts are created that I
A. L. Brooks, of this city, late
Democratic candidate for Con-1
gressinthe Fifth district, will j
be named as one of the judges, j
T. B. Bailey, of Mocks Hie, and1
' and T. B. Finley, of North
i 1 I T " I 1 .1. . 1 . I
. "KesDoro, are aiso menuoneu
in connection wun judical nonors
in the event that it becomes nec
essary to appuint additional judges.
Ship Beoemos a Roaring Furnaoo.
Valetta, Island of Malta, Nov.
25. A terrible disaster, in which
more than a hundred persons
lost their lives, occurred at the
entrance to this port, this morn
ing. The British steamer Sar
dina, of the Ellerman line, hail
ing from Liverpool and bound
four Alexandria, with a crew of
forty-four Englishmen, eleven
first and six second cabin En
glish passengers and nearly 200
Arab pilgrims, abeard, caught
fire and within a few minutes
was a roaring furnace, and flamea
bursting upward to a height of
300 feet from frequent explosions
in the hold.
So rapidly did the fire spread
that the frantic efforts of the
crew to operate the apparatus,
proved useless, for it seemed but
a moment before the upper works
and masts crashed down upon
the deck, while the ship's boots
were crushed by the falling de
bris, or set fire, and quickly
burned.
Safety lay only in the sea, for
no one could save himself except
by jumping and taking the chan
ces of being picked up. Assist
ance was hurried to the burning
vessel from all the warships in
the harbor and from the shore
but the work of rescue was great
ly impeded by the strong tide
that was running.
Even the naval launches were
unable to go alongside. Among
the Arabs there was a panic that
could not be controlled. Many
of them were too frightened to
jump over-boards and they were
burned to death. Others cast
Oirrriselvei into the water and
The crew behavedwith admira
ble courage, serving out life pre
serves to the last, and working
the pumps.
When the pump3 became use
less Captain Charles Littler, com
mander of the Sardina, took the
helm and directed his ship to
wards the shore so long as it
could be navigated. He perish
ed at his post.
First Oliicer Frank Watson, all
three engineers Seagravei, His
lop and Neill 18 of the ship's
company, and two first class pas
sengers, one of them a boy nam
ed Grant, are missing. Fifty or
more bodies have been recovered
and seventy persons were rescu
ed. It is impossible at present to
sav just how many were drown
ed or burned to death, but the
number will doubtless far exceed
a hundred.
The vessel drifted around three
times and finally was beached
broad-side on the roektlat the i
mouth of the harl o. She is still i
burning and will be a total loss . j
Te British vice admiral, Sir j
Ashton Curzon Howe and Admir-
al Fisher directed the rescuing !
boats which did gallant vvoik in J
k(4 Itllfiy V 4 VHV II MW l 4 V- J VV Ull IV
and bringing the bodies of the
dead ashore.
Captain Littler's body; which
was terribly mutilated, was land
ed this afternoon. Toe other
bodies were also mutilated and
burned.
Fifty-six of the injure! are
being cared for in the hospitals.
One of the rescued passengers
100
One hundred fine pigs on hand. Or
der before they are picked over.
JOHN A. YOUNG,
Cre?::&boTO, N. C.
fcLc
gave a graphic account of the
disaster.
"The Sardina," he said, "left
Valetta at 9:45 this morning.
We were just outside th harbor
and the crew were securing the
anchor when the cry of "fire"
was heard. Flames could be
seen issuing from a ventilator on
the port side. A hose was
promptly brought up and a stream
poured down the ventilator, but
this did no good. In less than
ten minutes flame3 were stream
ing out of the other ventilators.
The whole vessel amidship wat.
wrapped in flames. The Arab
passengers were told to leave the
hatch to which they clung des
perately, but they refused to
move. All who remained for
ward perished, except some of
those who leaned into the water.
"In the meantime, naval pin
naces hurried to the scene. They
could not approach closely on
account of the high seas and
falling sparks. The great ma
jority of the European passen
gers succeeded in reaching shore.
The Arabs, among whom were
many women and children, clung
together shrieking, and but few
of them would jump overboard
although urged to do so.
"The ships boats were render
ed useless by the flames, and no
attempt was made to get them
over the sides. Soon the hatches
were blown off with loud explo
sions, throwing the Arabs into
the air and killing and injuring
many of them. After a few
minutes had been spent in try
ing to put out the fire nothing
remained but to jump over
bad."
known. .Unquestionably explo-,
sions occurred, as it was first be
lieved that the rapid spread of
the flames was due largely to
the flowing naphtha.
From Locomotive to Pulp t.
Spencer, Nov. 29. -Mr. C. E.
Lumsden, of Spencer, a highly
regarded locomotive engineer on
the Southern Railway, with a run
between this placs and Monroe,
Va., has left the cab for the pul
pit and has entered Rutherford
College for a thorough prepara
tion for the ministry. Mr. Lum
sden is prominent in the Broth
erhood of Locomotive Engineers
and i3 well known up and down
the main line of the Southern.
He has given much thought to
the matter and decided only re
cently to prepare himself fortue
ministry before asking for ad
mission into the Methodist Con
ference. Mr. Lumsden makes
the third man to leave the rail
road servicj at Spencer during
ine Dasc years to enter the
ministry, the other two being
Rev- w- P- Campbell of Seven
Springs, and Rev. C. E. Hyper
Cleveland, who are meeting
it .A , . 1
You can cure dyspepsia, indigestion,
sour or weak stomach, or in fact any
form of stomach trouble if you will take
Kodol occasionally just at times when
you need it. Kodol does not have to be
taken all the time. Ordinarilyyou only
take Kodol now and then, because it
completely digests all the food you eat,
and aftT h few days or a week or so,
the stomach can digest the food with
out the aid of Kodol. Then you don't
need Kodoi any longer. Try it today
on our guarantee. We know what it
will do for you. Sold by J. H. Gwyn.
PIGS