PTOUSIHIEID SEM-WEEBSLY - TOWN AMto
VOLUME xxxn
INDEX TO LOCAL
ADVERTISEMENTS.
Pago 2.
Tliere are many ways of cutting
the cost of building .material
Ifoore Lumber Company.
smart and durable overcoats and
suits made to order. W. S. Gherk
in merchant tailor..
Christmas Banking Club. Union
Rank and Trust Co.
December Drugs Hamilton Drug
Store.
Page 3.
If your watch is wrong carry it to
Knight and have it done right.
Presents for old and young
Hall's Drug Store.
Special Sale. Victor Kaplon's
Page 4.
Total Loss by Fire. Mr. I. W.
Mansum makes an important state
ment. Business Locals. Read all of
them.
The First National Bank assisting
the Board of Education.
The Weekly Ambon.
Page 5.
practical gifts for the home and
the family and friends,. Landis &
Ea:ton.
Watches and jewelry at attractive
prices. Oxford Jewelry Co.
Page 6.
Drugs and prescriptions filled ac
curately and promptly. F. F. Lyon.
Handsome Christmas presents in
furniture. Upchurch & Currin.
White Roller Mills "None bet
ter." Save coal to kill the Kaiser.
Carolina Power & Light Co.
Fine lot of horses and mules
Horner Bros. Company.
Page 8.
The Bull Tractor A tractor tried
and tested. Frank E. Youngs dem
onstrator. Loaning facilities are at your service.-
National Bank of Granville.
Economical Fuel. The Southern
Gas Company.
ENTERTAINMENT AT GRADED
SCHOOL POSTPONED.
The play that has been advertised
for Friday night of this week has
been .indefinitely postponed on ac
count of the weather. The teach
ers who have this play in charge
feel that very few people would be
able to come out at such a time. It
will he advertised at a later date
and a large crowd will be certain to
attend since it i is for such a worthy
caiv:-? as the Red Cross.
The North Carolina .Day program
planned for Friday morning of this
week lms been postponed also until
some day next week. It is the de
sire of the school that many parents
and friends be present for this ex
ercise and that would be impossible
now. Full notice will be given for
this.
SOME ADVERSE CRITICISM.
Put a Little Crease On the Old
Bolts.
Whenever a building goes up in
sirrko there is always more or less
op;-tv,. The burning of the Min
or warehouse early last Tuesday
liionnnjT was productive of criticism
:n:!i" ?"f't p.nd some unjust.
It ir well to hear in mind that the
Jjeathr was as cold as whiz and
tnat everything was frozen as tight
as a ?telyard. The Public Ledger
gatnororl a few facts here and there
benrn- on the subject.
first step usually taken when
a H o breaks out is to notify "cen-
'r i " This wq done and "central"
responded with promptness. As
tTe alarm was sounded at
Jhe telephone exchange the Fire
! r '"7 hastened to the scene of
Tv,r" Everything moved with
ci' CK-ke precission up to this point,
v n the Fire Company arrived
J7" -TiGr there was a preceptable
ue.iy !:1 tting the stream on the
p r':virv the Fire Chief 'in
jo ti? the Public Ledger" that some
ue bolts and taps on the hy-
rant would, not yield as readly
j, mi?rht -have been desired.
; would appear that, some one
as at faiit for not putting a little
tprTf here and theieat proper in
Tin V m At a meeting of the Town
of tv, Tuesday night the question
di-P , prPer care of hydrants was
hl'Ted and lt was deemed nees
Wt t0 examine the hydrants at
tw 0nec every month and see that
iey are properly flushed and in
hoiking order.
AT r HALIFAX
NOW PUT AT 1,800
viS? Dec- 13- A revised esti
tieTr , ay of the explosion casual
elv i ornCe the dead to approximat
mori U is believed that not
ban? an 1'000 bodies, and per
ieblonlJ 900 st He under the
has hPP The,list of the missing also
uen rennrri
PartiJu Lthe victims are totally or
W oblind' and 200 children
e each lost both parents.
Uir-
w m
U- S. WAR SAVINGS CER
TDFICATES AND GOVRRiv.
MENT THRIFT CARDS.
"
s This Friday, December 14th.
is North Carolina Day; isn't it
a bad one? The people of
Granville would have heard
fifty-six speeches today, had the
weather permitted, in the fifty-
six school houses and" with fair
weather this outburst of pat-
a-iotism will be heard on a day
later on to be announced by
Prof. Webb. Watch for the
date and don't miss it. You
can help win this war. How
How? How?
CHRISTMAS COMMUNITY TREE.
The Oxford Woman's Club Plans to
Entertain the Children.
At a special meeting of the Ox
ford Woman's Club, held in the Ox
ford Library last Wednesday after
noon, ways and means of having a
Community Christmas Tree was dis
cussed and a committee was named
to investigate and report.
Postmaster B. K. Lassiter, county
chairman for the sale of the thrift
stamp, made an interesting talk be
fore the Club with a view of getting
its members ,as well as the ladies of
the county, interested in the great
movement to raise funds to fight the
Huns.
A SPELL OF BAD WEATHER
The Mercury Was Down to Nine De
grees Monday.
The season's lowest temperature
was reached in Oxford at five o'clock
last -Monday morning when the
themometer dropped to nine degrees
above zero. An old citizen informs
the Public Ledger that this was the
lowest here in his recollection, ex
cepting December 1899, when the
thermometer fell to six degrees
above zero.
As a result of the cold snap, it is
learned that some poor families in
Oxford suffered to some extent.
Some of our citizens were sur
prised to awake Monday niornTng
and find pipes in their houses froz
en and some bursted. The plumbers
are again swamped and have their
hands more than full in an effort to
repair damaged water connections.
ONLY A FEW FAMILIES OB
SERVING CONSERVATION HERE
The Meatless Tuesdays and Wheat
less Wednesdays Unknown to
Many.
A good lady informs the Public
Ledger that there are a very few
families in Oxford who are observ
ing the conservation measures ask
ed of the people of- the country by
the Federal authorities in an effort
to save foodstuffs.
The families of moderate means,
says this good lady, are the ones
that disregard the injunction; while
on the other hand those who have
always been used to plenty are the
ones that deprive themselves most.
FIRST SNOW OF
THE SEASON FALLS.
About .Ten
Inches Deep
All Over
Granville.
Following a gentle warning by a.
few scattering flakes about five o -clock
Tuesday afternoon, Oxford s
first snow of the season began fac
ing shortly after dark and continued
steadily throughout the night,
reachig a depth of ten inches in the
streets of Oxford. Winter starts
its pilgrimage on the 2 2d of the
month, but Oxford's first, and big
gest snow in recent years, did not
waits for winter.
It is not often that Oxford and
the good county of Granville exper
iencf the like. Somewhat later m
he year, a-bit of snow somehm
falls, mixed with a dnzzl mg m
This kind the people detest; but the
ieautful white, dry pure snow such
as began falling Tuesday night is to
many a welcome visitor.
The rural mail carriers left the
Oxford office at the appointed hour
Wednesday morning, but some of
them found obstructions which uthey
couldnot surmount, while others
made it with comparative ease.
"David Copperfleld" were give J
tew of the members of tne leniu
eradl The costumes were very ap
probate and the scenes were en-
from "David Copperfleld
Hohgood and S
enWe: were very o have with
us as guests, Mrs l J. arncey,
John Boothand alfloam a
Earle Hunt Vd Roy Uurch fro .
the Boy's Society. REPOK i jm.
mmrnr. HMLUAW OPPORTOMTIES - ALL
OXFORD, NORTH CAROLINA; SATURDAY. DECEMBER 15, 1917
UNITED STATES SPEEDS UP
TO COMBAT FOE'S DRIVE
ON WESTERN FRONT.
Baker Declares America Must Rush
Military Preparations to Meet
Menace.
THE KAISER'S TROOPS MASSING
Asserts Support of Whole Nation
Should Be Given Our Soldiers.
United States soon may have
to rush troops into battle and
take up full measure its part in
the great war. The sending of
larger forces to France is con
sidered likely and troops may
be compelled to enter the con
flict without waiting for the
full course of training.
These facts ; are indicated in
despatches from Europe telling
of preparations by Germany to
make supreme drive on the
Western front, and in the week
ly review of war operations is
sued today by Secretary of War
Baker. The Secretary says that
the United States must speed
up its military operations and
declares that Germany may at
tempt to strike a mighty blow
on the French front. Such a
blow, it has been suggested,
may include the region in
which Pershing's troops are lo
cated. Secretary Daniels asserts
that the American Navy is
ready to play a bigger part in
the war. In the meantime
America is building . a great
airplane fleet which, it is be
lieved, soon will be ready for
actual fighting.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.
Germany' has massed on. the west
ern front her greatest army of the
war. Secretary Baker declares in
his weekly war review. To meet
this menace the United States must
speed up its military preparations,
the Secertary adds with a . warning
that the enemy is preparing to put
into execution in France plans "he
has been maturing since the defeat
of the Russian armies at Tannen
berg early in the war. The peace
negotiations with Russia have per
mitted the massing of men on the
western front for that purpose.
"The united nation must stand
squarely behind our soldiers," the
Secretary says. "It is not sufficient
to prepare to fight; we must prepare
to win."
The review asserts the German
counter-offensive on the Cambria
front has been successful in win
ning back less than one-third of the
territory captured by General Byng.
The statement also notes that Amer
ican engineer troops "exchanging
shovels for rifles, fought off the en
emy by side with the British."
German Strength Revived.
The lesson of the German exhi
bition of strength is then taken as
follows:
"This German parrying thrust,
the most powerful and successful
blow aimed at the British during
the last two and one-half years,
coming as it did immediately after
the British victory in the same area,
serves to emphasize the reviving
strength of the Germans in the west.
We must recognize plainly that the
situation in the eastern theatre has
brought about a very decided change
in the strategic possibilities of the
militrrv 'situation in the west.
"Germany by leaving only skele
ton divisions in the Russian arrea
kV concentrating all available guns,
munitions and men in the theatre
of operations in the west, Jias been
able to mass a relatively greater
force than she has ever been able
to 'mobilize in France in the past.
"This explains the success which
th enemy was able, to achieve in
driving the British back from Cam
brai. It would not do for us to
minimize its importance.
Foe's Numbers Supior
"We must expect that he will put
these plans into execution. Thus he
mav have at his disposal for a time
o preponderant numerical superior
ity in the West; he may even be able
to achieve some relative advantages
in the field, such as those recorded
during the past-week. - ' . .
"The magnitude of the task be
fore us can be more fully realized
when measured by the cess
which the enemy is still able to
gain. It means that we must speed
up our military efforts. The united
nation must stand squarely, behind
SSr soldiers. It is not sufficient, to
prepare to fight; we must prepare
to win." -- ' ; - - ' :-
Inouiry by a Senate committee
into ihe causes for the shortage of
11 and sugar with a view of rec
omeandVg g legislation to Jmjwje
the situation was ordered v Wednes
day on motion by Senator Lodge.
T-S
THIRTEEN NEGRO -
RIOTERS DIE ON
THE SCAFFOLD.
Had Paid Death Penalty Before Ver
dict Was Made Public. Forty
one Given Life Terms.
San Antonio, Texas, Dec. 12. A
trampled clearing in in a lonely mes
quite thicket on the government
reservation here, except forthe ash
es .of two hugh bonfires, showed no
sign tonight that it was the execu
tion place of thirteen negro soldiers
of the Twenty-fourth " infantry yes
terday. The negro, convicted of
participating in the riots at Hous
ton, Texas, August 23, last, were
hanged at one minute before sun
rise. ' .
After dark last night, motor
trucks carried -the lumber for the
scaffolds and a company of engin
eers to the clearing. The scaffolds
were built by firelight. Motor
trucks shortly after five o'clock this
morning carrier the condemned ne
groes and the officers and military,
guard to the place of execution. The
trucks later carried the bodies to a
placets indistinguishable as the ex
ecution site where the burial took
place. Then they hauled back to
Fort Sam Houston every piece of
lumber ,used in the scaffold so that
the site was clear before formal an
nouncement of the executions had
been issued by the southern depart
ment headquarters.
They displayed neither bravodo
nor fear. They rode to the execu
tion singing a hymn, but the sing
ing was that of soldiers on the
march. Arrived at the clearing the
song ceased, the men, shackled,
were helped from the trucks to the
scaffolds and seated on chairs. A
low "good-bye boys" addressed to
members of their military guard
who had been in charge of the ne
groes since they were brought here
from Fort Bliss, was the only ex
pression from any of the negroes.
The men's feet were bound. An
army chaplain offered prayer. An
officer called, "Attention," and as
on parade the negroes stood erect.
They stood quietly while caps and
nooses were adjusted - and then
stepped on the traps.-' The' major in!
charge of the execution gave a sig
nal and soldiers sprung the traps.
The negroes plundged nine feet to
instant death.
NAMES AND ADDRESS WANTED
Major Will Landis Ready to For
ward Packages to Soldiers
and Sailors.
Just as soon as Major Landis can
ascertain the address of a few men
in the select army he will forward
the remainder of the Christmas
presents to the- soldiers and sailors
who have gone from Granville coun
ty. -
Major Landis has the names and
addresses of all the town boys, but
there are a few from the country
that he can not locate. Some of
them have been changed since going
to the cantonments, and parents or
friends of all such are asked to no
tify Major Landis of their "name and
address at once so that their name
may not be overlooked.
Previously Acknowledged $226.00.
P. W. Knott . .$ 1.00
Chas. G. Royster 2.00
Banks S. S. . 5.25
Mrs. H. G. Cooper ........ 1.00
Ben K. Lassiter .......... 2.50
Mrs. N. H. Cannady ....... .50
Mrs. J. C. Robards . ... .... 1.00
PREPARE FOR BAD NEWS
- It Will Arrive Only Too
Soon.
Although the failure to receive
letters from men in the service is
not pleasant to relatives and friends
at home the adage "no news ' good
news" never was more true than at
the presents The report o every
casualty at home or abroad is im
mediately cabled to officials at
Washington, being relayed from
there without loss of time to Mie
emergency address of the soldier or
sailor - affected. It is also at once
released for publication in the news
papers. No man in the service has receiv
ed orders not to write home; he has
been urged on the contrary, to keep
in touch with relatives and friends.
The forces in France have at their
disposal post cards giving general
information in regard to health and
the receipt of letters and parcels,
which may be dispatched without
payment of postage. - -
Wtien our boys (go to; France in
large numbers, remember - that - no
letter from them is "good news." .
The cold wave which has held
the 30 th division at Camp Sevier in
its grasp for the, last f onr days "was
accompanied Tuesday morning by , a
heavy snow," which " measured five
inches. The camp is well supplied
with wood and a large supply of
coal is in sight, so that the men in
the camp are well and comfortably
provided for. '
HDHE PRINT
NUMBER 100
MR. WEBB WTLL RE
BUILD MINOR WAREHOUSE
Mr, Mangum and His Force is Now
at- the Banneav
The thousands of friends of Mr.
I. W. Mangum, popular tobacconist,
will be glad to learn that his loss
in the destruction of the Minor
Warehouse by fire last Tuesday
morning, is comparatively light
from a financial standpoint. There
was a quantity of tobacco on the
floor, the property of. Mr. Mangum,
which was consumed, but he sus
tains a greater loss by the tempora
ry interruption of business. This will
be greatly overcome, no doubt, by
the fact that he has taken his entire
force over to the Banner warehouse
and joined the forces of Mr. Mitch
ell for the remainder of the season.
Mr. Mangunvhas won the confidence'
and esteem of , the tobacco growers
by his uniform courtesy and square
dealings, and they will follow him
wherever he leads. . '-:
Mr. James -Webb, owner of the
Minor, sustains his loss with pa
tience and fortitude. The insurance
on the property was- less than
$6,000 and it- will require an ex
penditure of at least $15,000 to re
store it to its original proportions,
but Mr. Webb' has determined to go
one better and construct the build
ing larger and better. Mr. ,Webb
told the Public Ledger yesterday
that the building would be ready
for occupancy when " the season
opens next fall, and Mr. Mangum in
f ors the Public Ledger that he will
forms the Public Ledger that he will
occupy it with his present splendid
force.
THE WAYS OF THE GIVER
Pay Your Debts and Let the Other
Fellow Shine Some.
The Public Ledger has watched
with interest the list of contribu
tions made to various objects, and
find therein the names of those who
are known in the community to be
slow in paying their bills, and a
still worse class of people who con
tract debts with no intention of
paying them the professional dead
beat," as it were. The lists alsoi
contain the names of well-to-do per
sons who could have given $25, $50
op $100 without missing it gave on
ly $1. The lists also contains the
names of good average citizens,
who measured up to what was ex
pected of them and gave accord
ing to their means, not at 'a sacri
fice, but liberal just "the same. No
doubt the same situation prevails
elsewhere.
The man-who owes others is, not
generally bad at heart just care
less, and thriftless, and while "he has
no business giving liberally pub
licly and shunning his just debts
privaltely, they are not likely yto
get their names on the books of the
recording angel. Giving is a noble
trait of character, but no man has
a -right to give that which belong to
the other man. Money is plentiful
and it is up to every man to meet
his obligations and come clear in
the sight of God and man.
THE HOME GUARD.
Guns Will Not Be Available For
Members . For Several
Months Yet.
There will be an additional delay
in the arrival of the guns for the
members of the Home Guard. A
quantity which it was thought could
be sent here had to be forwarded to
cantonment camps for use of sol
diers who were not yet provided
with the army regulation rifles ( and
is soon they have been equipped,
5-he old runs will be forwarded here
for distribution.
In the meantime, sticks of the
rort the boys use when they are do
ing military stunts will bo distribut
ed among the civilian soldiers, and
their instruction in fire arms must
be limited to what they can learn
from a stick of pine wood until the
greater demands of the government
have at least in a measure been
met.
The regular Monday night drill
may be 'disposed of a week or two
during' the. holdays, although Ma
ior Will Landis is hopeful that the
members may consent to drill, an
hour of two in the afternoon several
days during the Christmas interval.
Red Cross Work.
The Granville . County Chapter of
American Red Cross is greatly in
debted to Mr- WillieMurray for the
use of sewing machines which he so
generously loaned: it since ,the Work
Rooms were opened in July last, un
til this week, when Mr. Murray had
an opportunity of disposing of these
machines. Sewing .machine are
greatly needed at the Work Rooms
now and any persons having ma
chines in order will aid the work
by loaning them to the Red Cross.
The constitutional ; amendment
for nation-wide woman suffrage was
reported without recommndatlon
Tuesday by the , House Judiciary
Committee.
f
i
i
'(is
I' J
is
'1ft.
-
r i