WEATHER FORECAST.
.'.;
Fair and Continued Cold tonight'
Sunday generally falp and nit -so
cold. Moderate west wind&r ,..'
XXII. NO, 336.
Big Plant Was Badly Damaged'
hy- Flames at Early Hour f
This Morning.
i.i
LARGE PRINT :
SHOP DESTROYED;
Observer Was Getting Ready
to Move Into New Home -Damage
in The Thousands
of Dollars But Covered by
Insurance.
Charlotte, N. C, Dee. 16. Fire. at
.1
y.
3:S0 o'clock this morning partly de- tion of Walter Hines Page, Ambassa
sircyed. the fourstory building in dor to the Court of St. James, with
the rear of he Charlotte Observer; a personal letter urging that it be ac-
building.
oceupied by The Observer
print jobbery and bindery and
mechanical department of The Ob
server, completely wiping out the ma
chinery and stock of tne print house
kikI doing thousands of dollars
ciomg tnousands or dollars , in,
damage to the linotypes, c- -losing' be appointed about the first of the'
room, equipment and press of TLo Ob-j year if the right man can be obtained!
server. , and the matter arranged -without seJ!
The fire was discovered by a news-jrious embarrassment to the adminis-'
boy. It was breaking out the window '
o: me liourtn iioor or tne Dinaery c
burned for two hours before, "being
controlled by the firemen.
The plant oUThe Charlotte News
was immediately offered The Ob-'
server tor publication of the paper
pending readjustment ancE will be
used. The damage to the equipment
cannot be determined until the wreck
age is cleared away and the water
pumped put.
The Observer is owned by Curtis
Johnson, of The Sentinel, Knoxville,
and Walter B. -Sullivan who were re
modeling a building and contemplated
moving the plant within the next two
weeks. Iti stataajhdaxxmge
to the plant" -is covered by insurance.
The Observer Print House is a busi
ness v.holly separate from that of The
Observer, being operated independent
ly of the newspaper and owned by an
".::irely separate concern. A portion
or the mechanical building, however,
was jointly occupied by both the print
company and the newspaper. v
Wants
to Learn America's
View As To The Peace
Offer.
Washington, Dec. 16. Count von
Bernstorff, the German ambassador,
conferred with Secretary Lansing to
day, seeking information of the atti
tude of the United States towards the
Peace proposal of the central powers;
to discuss the general subject of peace
from this government's viewpoint and
give any information that Mr.'. Lans
ing might desire on the attitude of
the GeTman government.
ILL EXPERIMENT
WITHjYESTUFF
Government to Take Hold of
This Important Matter
Very Soon.
(By George H. Manning.)
;h:ngton, D. C, Dec. 16. Pfep-
10ns are hpinc made tn havp thp
(ho
manufacture of dyestuffs to de-
lf what pffprts ian . ho r-rrr!iirfrl
H coloring by the utilization of raw
inatt-riiOs grown or produced in the
Lrd States.
Lndor direction of the Secretary
Agriculture a plant now used by
hp Bi.ueau of Chemistry at the ex-ii-iiuental
farm at Arlington, Va.,
across the river from Washing
0n ' -4o be equipped with machin-
r.'" and apparatus to carry on the
(-'nmr-nts
and -investigations.
'y thousajid, dollars was appro
'"d by the last session of Con
to defrav all the
experiments.
03i Kress had in miTid the findine
(
,,!tAlnerican materials that could be
'j
Dor
(nt
move the necessity for the im
anon from abroad and the pres
utter dependence of he Ameri-
manufacturers
on German -pro- 1
GERMAN MINISTER
SEES LANSING
Ul,'fr.s for
their dvestiiffa l4
ENT HAS
RESIGNATION
I Reported That Ambassador
Page Ready to Leave His
London Job.
(By Qeorge H. Manning.)
Washington, D. C, Dec. 16 Presi-
dent Wilson has in hand the. resisma-
cepted, it is learned here today on
. uuiuiucctuuauiH auLuuriLV.
I T
Mr. Page, who is an old personal
I and close friend to the President has
jlaid the situation squarely before the
President and asked that a successor;
prrjjpn
The statement made by Secretary of
State Lansing a few days ago that he
had no knowledge of Mr. Page's' resig
nation has no "material significance as
the Ambassador to London is taking
the matter up at first hand with 'Presi
dent Wilson and not through the State
Department)
Mr. Lansing in Jll liklihood has
knowledge of the matter being in the
President's hards and .his reply to in
quiries simp meant that the State
Department had no official Information
regarding the matter.
Mr. Page's administration in Lon
don hs hreen tjmosju arduous op any.
&flastsixty years" arid it is quite
reasonable to believe he feels he has
done all that could be asked of him.
Mr. Page though well-to-do is not
a rich man when compared with oth
ers who have" held that position, and
no doubt feels he owes it to his fam
ily and liimself to return home and
attend to his own business affairs.
No Ambassador to London in recent
years has found it possible to keep
his expenses anywhere within range
of his salary, and it is quite natural
that Mr. Page having enjoyed four
years as Ambassador to England and
enjoyed all the social and other dis
tinctions that go with the position
would be willing to step down now.
Mr. Page's administration has been
most satisfactory to President Wilson
and the State Department, it is known,
and he has succeeded at all times in
maintaining a feeling of greatest, har
mony between the governments and
the people of , the two great Anglo-
Saxton countries.
The Ambassador is a man of great
patriotism, and in his letter is said to
have advised President Wilson that
if tVia PrccfHont thinlra if- hpat for thA
, TTit toto that t,0 .
should hold on till the close of the ;
war, ne win consiaer iz a painouc
duty to do. so. But if the right man
can be found here who can make the
exchange without embarrassing either
the American or British administra
tions, Mr. Page is understood to have
told the President, he will be glad to
return to New York and again take
up his private business affairs.
The decision now rests with Presi
dent Wilson who is giving the matter
much consideration and is scanning
the field with a view to selecting a
successor to Mr. Page if one can be
found
LOW TEMPERATURES
BUT FAIR NEXT WEEK. kn
Washington, Dec. 16. Low tern
perature,- with generally, fair weath- j
er, was forecast for the Southeastern)
States, for the first part of tne weeK
beginning tomorrow. Warmer weath
er, accompanied by rain, is probable
about Wednesday or Thursday.
4. 4. 4. 4J 4 4.- 4. 4
TRANSPORT IS ABANDONED
-
4 New York, Deci 16. The Unit-
ed States army transport, Sum-
ner, which grounded off Barnegat,
! N. J, Sunday night, on the way 4
from Colon to this port, was
4 abandoned by her crew today. A 4
.heavy sea, driven by a,northwest
wind, caused the transport to
pound heavily on the shoal. Short-
ly after midnight the vessel leak-
" ed so badily that the pumps and
wireless were put out of. corns-
-. ' m
mission. -
' "
LARGEST
WILMINGTON, NORTH
ifeatBritaihlsHei R
I I- &: vfcv Zh. SSft:::::ea lilt kKS- m&S:
Here is David Lloyd George, the new British Premier, practically Dictator, and his all-important war Cab
These five men will absolutely control everything in the British Empire in any way concerned with the war
novel organization concentrates more nnwpr in the hands nf tYia Pram v. r-4 t, , i ' i
inet.
This
-
known before.
Attendance in the House of Lords
of Commons the time of Andrew -Bonar
uersou aiciaiors oi tne war policy.
Each $15 Worth of, SubscHp-
tipns Turned In.Beipre-Next
r Triday Will Give Any Can
didate 1 50,000 Extra Voles.
THE PRIZES.
!
$685 Overland Automobile.
Ford Automobile.
Carolina Beach Lot.
$100 in Gold.
$75 Victrola.
$50 O. K. Mystic Range.
$40 Sellers Kitchen Cabinet.
$25 Wrist Watch.
' 1
'
Two $60 Diamond Rings.
Next Friday night at 9 o'clock the
competition fopthe $65 Diamond
Ring will come t'oa close. This spe
cial prize will be awarded the can
didate who turns in the largest
amount of money for new subscrip
tions during the two weeks ending
next Friday, who does not win one of
the more valuable prizes. '
The first, or preliminary, period of;
the contest will come to a close next
Friday night, at the same time as
the competition for the diamond ring
During this period each $15 worth of
subscriptions give any candidate
150,000 extra votes. During the sec
! end period the number of extra votes
will be reduced 10,000 and during '
the third and last period there will j
be another reduction of 10,000 votes. !
The candidates have only five more
days to work for the, special prize
and the high first period extra votes,
and the ones who expect to win
should do their very best during the
short time that remains. The cold
and disagreeable weather t)he last
two or three days has kept the can
didates from doing what, they ex
pected to do in a subscription way,
but they-will redouble their efforts
during the next week.
As the contest does not close un-
six "weeks from next Monday
night there is ample time for any
hustling and ambitious young wom
an to enter the race'and come under
the 'wire a winner. This is especial
ly true if the young, woman hap
pens to live in one of the towns in
the territory where there has been
practically nothing done, and where
thousands of votes can be secured by
the first one who asks for them.
Some of those who were a little
late in. being nominated, and others
who have been unable to start their
campaigns, seem to be or the opin
ion that they are too late to begin
now, but in this they are very much
in error; Now is . the very best time
to commence. The work done thus
far has been mostly of a preliminary
character, and as the campaign was
a new and unknown proposition, it
was necessary to spend a great deal
ofytime explaining the rules and con
ditions. : ' Now, nearly' everyone in
this section of the State has read
all about -the contest and is watch-
CIRGULATION : IN WILMIN
CAROLINA SATURDAY
mm "sa
mm
Luau mc jji lLiou svattjiii iida ever
will consume most of Lord Curzon's'time, as will attendance in the House
Law. This practically makes Lloyd George, Lord.Millner and Arthur Hen-
OU LD iV
HE
!
; War Department Hits On An-
I rthfr IrP fn prnrp Armir
Recruits.
Washington, Dec. 16 A law
passed more than haif a century ago
and inoperative srnce the Civil War1
j is to be invoked by the War Depart-.
ment to stimulate army recruiting, j
The old statute, unearthed by Ad-!
jutant-General' McCaine, provides pay .
of $2 to any civilian for each man
he persuades to -enlist in the avmy.
General McCaine vjggest-? to Sec
retary Baker thrr Cong. oss " r asked
to approprir.ee not inoroe titan $50,
0C0 to pay the boneses. His plan is
to solicit recruits mainlv through r.
tired enlisted men and he believes
the pay will incite them to an active
canvass of men likely to join the
army.
ing its progress with interest. This
condition will make subscription
setting much easier than it was at
the start. . '
No aggressive candidates can com-
plain of any lack of suport and if
they do. it is only because thev have
NT LAW;
failed to "let their friends know that The skIns wil1 be sent to tenners for injurious to trees and crops; and call
the support is desired. The support treatment in various ways, and it is ing attention to Farmers' Bulletins
is usually forthcoming, when the hoped that such raw material will 621, relating to the Northeastern, and
desire for it is made known. Many prove so useful that fishermen On all 76O, relating to the Northwestern
people wnen unsoncitea Dy tne iav-
orite they would like most to see
t . 1. . 1 . , . f
win, will eive-a subscriDtion to a sec-
onu cnoice 11 tnat canaiaate nappens
to ask for it. In this fact lies both
a hint and a warning to the intend-
3 1 tr j. j. "i 1 .
ing contestants to get into the race
- .4 14. - T t ;
i aim itii everyuue jk.ih.jw uy tilcJX eu-
I crgetic solicitation of subscriptions
and votes and by the position they i
occupy in the list, that they are in
the race to win.
(Continued on page three.)
' t. I
CAN NOW COME OVER
4C-
Washington, Dec. 16. Ambas-
3f sador Page, at London, today of--X-
ficially notified the State De- -X-1
partmeni mat tne allies navai
X- commander has been instruct--X-
ed to grant unhindered passage -X--X-
to Count Tarhowski, the new -)
-X- ambassador to the United
-X- States from Austria-Hungary. -X--X-
--The entente powers receded -X--X-
from their refusal to do so on -X--X-
representations by the Ameri-
can government.
-X-
X-
-Xv--X- -f -X- -x-.-
ioo;DEavrt6;j9i(fe
US
itfl
SiW STORM WILL
COST BIG
T
New York 'Will Have to Pay
Half Million to Clear Snow
r. . : Away. . ; ; . -
snow storm of the winter v?IU cast'
New. York 30,000, A foot of snow
ill yeslerdny between 5 a. m. and
7 p. m. and the street cleaning de
partment is busy calling it away.
Traffic -is still blocked today.
Trying Shark Skins For The
Manufacture of
Shoes.'
Washington, d. c, Dec. 16. With
shark skins from the Florida and Gulf
coasts Uncle Sam is making an effort
to relieve the high cost of shoes. In
view of the high cost of leather the
Bureau of Fisheries has taken up the
possible value-of shark skins in mak
ing various kinds of leather.
Arrangements have been made for!
securing from Florida fishermen a!
supply of very large shark skins, and
further specimens are expected from
other sources, especially from a num-!
ber of lighthouses and lightships off
the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts,
The Bureau of Fisheries is supply-
fisninS tackles to the lighthouse
men who have heen ahthorized to
catcn sharks and preserve their skins.
no -rr ci r-P ah r ono o-r tyi ov n oroo frai fmn
- .
a market for the skins of all- kinds
of sharks now incidentally caught in
nvt1 nrf G ct l M ct "
The shark skins have for many
years had a limited demand as cover-
ings for minor articles of ornament
,i4.14tvr Viii lioir nca o a laQthoi
oxiv unutj, uuw mtu uto co numci
has been very restricted. An accept-
able leather has been prepared from
shark skins in various foreign coun-
j tries, and there seems no reason
! why skins of certain sharks caught-
nn mir nwn rrvasts mav Tint hfl o.nrt-
verted into serviceable leather . by
American tanners. Shark skins are
very tough and durable, and some of
them show a beautiful surface pattern
t- - ; ai 4.T a. i
- f "
wmcu xemttB tuxuu6U uu taxxxxxxxe ;
inrougn me tanning ,-
proceba. i
rn .nnrrs. tvr a TT-tr-vr A ir
fKUrUSLU WAILKWAI
FROM LAKE TO GULF.
Washington, Dec.w16. A Lake-to-the-Gulf
waterway and the resources
of the West were the topics discuss
ed at the final session of the ' gov
ernors' convention here today. Gov
ernor Major, of Missouri, presided.
A closing feature of today's program
will be ja. trip of the governors to
Mount Vernon1 as the guests pt-Sec-
retary Daniels
mim mm
V -- " I
MOON
f
mm TD RFIPFI
; I II I I II u IU IIL.LILML.1
i SOME HIGH COST wintfr
l ; . ' "'!''"
. . .i .,. , ,i - r . . , .. . , . .
SISTER OF
ftfiAK HE KILLED
-
Epstemand M.ss Ed
Married Yesterday
Hyman
wards
in Charlotte.
; Rocky Mount, N , C ., Dec . 16 . -
... t
-"-"4tted of the murder of Leonaitf r;6mentarily.; the Westefn ;front' la ,
Edwards, and Miss Judith Edwards7iatn ti'center of aUenUbn.wIth the; '
stfci- oj. the slain man, were mairietlWh Yictorx. of Verdun occupying ; j
yeste-dp" in Charlotte, according to. tjbe ek'f iplace In the war news. The ,
relatives here. ' ' fjWroke.brbufebt' the 4 F1rmch-S back,' :"
i The couple will come to .RocW'.'' -ordinfA torepdrts'Jiearlr 5 to N the . !
Mount where Epstein w 11 entei oui-fe;PCcnPied: when th'eGermam be- , 1
iness with his uncle. Miss Edwards.-tn last, !
it is said, was visiting a sister in. FetTOry. -
Salisbury and jo ned Epstein in phar j: tCfemans. loi-.-iieatlx;-' ,0004 ;: '
lotte, from which -city he went from
I here Thursday .
I "' "
i mm h
Mis Condition May Not Allow Teutonic forces Hire yron further sncfV
Him to Make Speech . j ssetfr :Bcoflnfr "dtw ''"'sktrance- in .. thej ''
Tuesdav j Bnzeu region.;; The.German state-r.
' jment is somewhat vambigous,' but lap-;'
London, Deq 16.-R appeared I rently " meanaa crossngf VtheJ
- .... , ' .. nl Buaeu river, near the southern Molda--
doubtful today whether emier m- border. ? which the Russc-Ruman-' '
yld Lloyd-Gteor?, &m: beJge ; to irjflgh.idespera toj .
Txef6tii"Xlotise.
Tuesday next. While he is making ensen'.-. The capture of '2,000 addi.
steady progress towards recovery it tional prisoners is announced'. ' ' ' "
is- Considered unlikely that his phy-j .- . '
sicians wiU allow him to, speak next- Nothing New In Macedonia " : .
week, as his voice is affected. Atj paris Dec. 16. No ' important' -any
rate it is not expected that the eventg haveoccurred on the Mace
government will be ready by that donlan front accordIng to the French'
time to make a statement regarding official statement. , J 'I'V
Germany's peace proposal. ; ' '"
FEEDING I
IV III I I. II
OE THE BIRDS
' Government Urged vFhat It Be
j j) in The Parks of
Country.
Washington, D. C, Dec. 16. In
order that birds may be helped safely
through the approaching winter when
snow will cover many of their usual 1
sources of food, the Bureau of the'
i Biological Survey of the U. S. Depart-
1 ment of Agriculture Is urging city
park, officials to make bird feeding an
activity in the city pleasure grounds, j
Letters have been sent to the of-,
ficials of parks in the northern parts 1
of the United States pointing out the,
lvalue of birds to the community be
1 cause of their destruction of insects
nx.i. J J i ' rMn
oiaies, isueu uy me ucywuuciu,
which offers practical suggestions for
attracting and feeding birds. The fur-
.J M X1ti.X Ji m 4-1 M
msmug 01 iacuine iur iceums we
birds in the city parks, it is pointed
out, will give enjoyment to many peo-
pie, especially bird lovers.
Thp letter continues- )
"Winter feeding may be done in
the simplest ways, as by putting up
suet in small cans, in cocoanuts, or
under wire netting, and by scatter-
mS
mixed seeds on bare places; or
more elaborate apparatus and more ,
v.aried foo ma7be,ed' , e en-
close a oublication eivine details of!
PfndQ O TlTl rl I I.S1 Tl fill PlVinP nPI1IH III 1
the methods of feeding and attract-
Mne wild birds and trust that you will
- in addinz blrd f eedine
- t. ....... .... , -
- afatinna in h nitraptinn in . vour
your
Parks
By means of them you can "
(bring -.to convenient observation
points several species 9f the most at-
tractive, interesting and valuable
birds. Such feeding stations .are of
great interest to children and give
the boys and girls a chance to learn
birds while they are having the , en
joymgnt of feeding them.
! "The bulletin we 'enclose special-1
izes t on the " use of frait-producjng J
trees and shrubs in attracting birds
and we hope that" this feature alsojvictwn of ..the slayer. .
will 6e of interest" to you. ; - -' - - Ashford t was 'Zt years bid.":
fill EOITIOL'
PRICE. FIVE CENTS
Big Victory of '. Yesterda3f
Holds CHief Attention m V
the War TrageaVrToday; $
RUSSIA AND 'jMJJES;
ofsameopinion;
R fc 2 '
jit is-declared About frosecu"
- j t5n.ofThe Conflict-Teu,
A fts:i nJa ir vrr-
tdns Continue to Win m Ru
mania Little vNcw in iThe
Macedonian Theatre." ; ' V
f
mail in prisoners.', and. 80 guns, the
rgbln'to ?a depth of apparently
2)inis alongt a6-le frpt.v - .4'v
etrograd advices 'carrying the ,re-
yftt.,p die' :R.aai1an. Dunia fayoring ;
categqrlcal refiisai by . the ''entehv -t'oS
enter $eac9 negotiation' tjnpt ' Hhe '
f oreign;roinl8ter in : 1 Addressing the:
Duma, asdeclaring that .Russia , ;-and-her.as.
are as. one in'Jthe'cortviction
thr'r, .must; be carried ,on to
Tictprjtous. conclusion. -. . - f
THREE PEOPLE
" DIED WHEN HUT
Tragedy Enacted In a Cabin
i Near AshevilleLate Last
Night.
FATHER AND TWO ' -
DAUGHTERS DEAD.
, ' . 1 .
Mother and On Are OeriOUSiy ,
Injured And Carried to,
Hospital Fof-Treat-
ment.l
Asheville, N. C, Dec. 16. Three
persons are dead, two seriously
burned and two .others, slightly,
burned as a result of a fire which
entrapped the Penland family, living
in a two-room cabin near Canton, 20
miles west of Asheville. late last
nj three persons burned to
death were Wack peniani 7 years
old, and his 'two daughters, Mildred,
aged 21 clears and Laura ' 14 ' years
0f the four other occupants of the
t,rtna aww ; . -W
1 their lives, the two ,most seriously
injured are Mrs. Penland, 58 years
old, and William Penland, 16 years
old, who were brought to Asheville
this morning and placed. In a1-local
hospitaL . ' ' '
ATLANTA MAN FOUND . '
nYINP. ON THE STREET.
. mm y " . mw mw wmw my w w
Atlanta, Ga.f Dec. 16. -T. B. Ash
ford - a well-known-, business ; man,
was found unconscious 4n the street
wac
at the intersection of Peach and
Fourteenth, in a fashionable .district,
late last night and died early today
from his injuries. The . ' only - mark
on his body was a small abrasion on
the head and .the police authorities
have been nnable' to determine how
he met' his death.
C. H. Ashford, president of r the'
Ashfordi Trunk and ' Bag Company,
his father, said" today be believed his
son . had been murdered and offered
$500" reward for the' arrest and con-
1
BORNEO
it a. rAt j& s. i
t, ' ra ' 'V 4 4
VdDlU,; mUUE?