Sljr SnuUj idii Hrralil
pbice one doi.lab pkb teab. "TRUE TO OURSELVES, OUR COUNTRY AND OUR GOD." single copies pive CEWtf.
VOL. 20. SMITHFIELD. N. C.. FRIDAY. APRIL 12, 1907. NO. 0.
CONSOLIDATION OL SCHOOLS.
With Larger Districts, Better School
Houses and Longer Terms
' May Be Had.
There are now in Johnston
county 107 white school districts!
and 10 colored school districts.
Many of the white districts are
too small. -No suggestion as to
remedying this matter can do
any good now except where new
buildings are contemplated. If
building is to be done very often
three districts may be consoli
dated into two; in a few instances
two districts may combine into
one large district. The object of
this article is to point out some
of the advantages of large dis
tricts.
Not only are there many small
districts in our county, but also
they are over our State. They
constitute one of the most per
plexing problems?a hindrance
to educational progress. Being
circumscribed with small bounda
ries, the school population is
small, and of necessity their ap
portionment of school funds is
small. Only one teacher at low
salary can be employed for the
four months.
No teacher can do the best
work when over crowded with
classes. And a small school, say
of thirty pupils, generally has as
many classes as a school of one
hundred pupils,?that is classes
from the alphabet to the most
advanced common school studies.
This gives as many classes as a
large school. The inevitable re
sult is few recitations each day
all around the school or very
ha6ty recitations, or both few
and hasty. In some cases the
small pupils that especially need
attention often are almost wholly
neglected, and in a measure un
amirialilv an
Ul UlUlil/IJ OUi
The advantages of the large
school districts are many. Hav-1
ing larger boundaries they have
a larger school population, get
larger opportionraents and have
more competent teachers. In
some of the large districts larger 1
school buildings are built aud j
two or more teachers employed. I
Although the sparsity of popula
tion will not allow many country
public schools to have more than
two teachers. Yet even in a two
teacher school the small pupils
are separated from the large
pupils and taught in separate
rooms. The school is more easily
governed; the teachers can give a
greater number of recitations;
therefore the teaching can be
done thoroughly. Furthermore
there is more inspiration in a
large school. A healthy spirit of
rivalry and emulation is greater
where a large number of bright
pupils are thrown together, es
pecially when directed by compe
tent teachers.
It is an interesting part of the
educational history of our county
that after the reconstruction
period when our public schools
were reorganized?between the
years 1875 and 1882, the Town
ships of the County were laid off
into 79 W hite Districts and 30
Colored Districts. The error in
this was that in observing town
ship lines many districts were
left in bad shape and very irregu
lar in size. The county embraces
about 740 square miles of terri
tory, and should have been laid
off into districts of uniform size
without reference to township
lines.
1! 79 white districts of uniform
size and shape had been formed
with house near the center each
district would have contained
above 9 square miles of territory
and still every child would have
been in reach of a Bchool. IJad
that been done and had remain
ed to the present time quite all
the schools would have not less
than two teachers each and
would easily run four months in
the year. Hut the mistake was
made in the beginning and since
that time in the effort to get
schools convenient to everybody
the number of waite districts
has increased to 107?in fact,
exceeded that number until a few
years ago when consolidation
fegan. The average size of white
districts [some large and some
small] * f v, a tq iare
miles each, and very many with
all the disadvantages of the little
schools.
This fatal mistake was seen
some years ago and many dis
tricts have been consolidated.
The spirit of the educational
awakening and as consequence
the spirit of the school law is
against small districts. Section
4129 provides that no new
school shall be established in any
township within less than three
miles by the nearest traveled
route of some school already
established, and with not less
than sixty.five children of school
age.
The State Superintendent of
schools says on the subject of
consolidation. "One school with
two teachers is better than two
schools." "If you increase the
number of schools you shorten
the terms and decrease the
efficiency of the schools."
A number of consolidations
have been effected in our county
in the past few years, in every
case for the betterment of the
schools. This important subject
is briefly discussed to suggest to
the people in general and especial
ly to committeemen who are
Elanning to build new school
ouses to plan as large districts
as possible.
To place a new school house in
a small district is to preclude the
possibility of expansion and
development perhaps through
generations. Let the people act
together in this matter and have
at least nine square miles of hab
itable territory in the new dis
trict. Even the children on the
extreme borders will be amply
repaid for the increased distance
they have to walk to school.
Very soon there will be better
roads. In addition to other ad
vantages of schools employing
more than one teacher h'gh
school Studies may be taught
[Sec. 4113 pub.school law]. The
law does not allow this in one
teacher districts.
J. P. Canaday.
Mary Elizabeth Williams Muns.
Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Williams
Muns was born September 13,
1874, in Cumberland county,
North Carolina. She died in
Smithfield April 5, 11)07.
She was married to Dr. L. A.
Muns, of this couuty, December
22, 1895. After living iu other
parts of the couuty for some
years she with her husband,
moved to Smithfield in 1901,
where she lived until her death.
About twenty years ago, at the
Old Bluff Presbyterian Church,
the church of her father and
mother in Cumberland County,
she was converted and joined the
church. During all the years
since that day she was faithful to
her church. She loved herchurch
and her Savior. It was in her
home life that the beauty ana
sweetness of her Christian charac
ter and life shone out the bright
est and clearest.
She was a true and devoted
wife and mother. She loved her
home and family and always
greeted them with a smile and a
pleasant word. By these traits of |
character she made her home a
pleasant place for her loved oues.
Three children were given her,
all pf which aregirls. Their ages
are ten, seven and two.
The funeral was conducted from
the borne Sunday at 11. A. M.
by her pastor, Rev. Mr. Soudere,
assisted by the writer. Then the!
body was borne to the Cemetery j
where it was laid away amid a
large concourse o! friends and rel
atives who gathered to show their
love for a devoted woman and to
drop a tear of grief over her de
parture. HeT body will sleep un
der the sod till Jesus comes again
to gather up his jewels and bring
them to occupy the mansions
prepared for them.
A good wife and mother has
gone. A happ.v home is darken
ed May the Heavenly Father j
comfort the bereaved husband
and watch over the motherless
children.
D. P. Bridges.
Men are as old as they feel and
woiupn as th^y 'o^'Pal'an
Proverb.
SLICK RASCAL DUPtS WOMLN.
Many Ladies in Greensboro Wiser and
Poorer Than They Were Before
Seeking a Clairvoyant's Aid
to Read the Future.
Greensboro, N. C., April 4 ?
fbe sleekest swindling scheme
ever worked on Greensboro peo
ple was disclosed Kite last night,
when Chief of Police Neeley ^ave
notice of the precipitate disap
pearance of a man calling him
self Vautere, the Clairvoyant
Palmist. Six weeks agothepalm
istcame to Greensboro and secur
ed rooms at 337 South Ashe
street where he opened an office
and received quite a liberal pat
ronage, there always being from
three to six ladies in his recep
tion room. His charges were 50
I cents and $1 00. When he had
read a portion of one's life he
would tell her that if she wanted
a complete reading his charges
would be more, from $4 to $8 as
he thought she were able to pay.
While nis stay in the city was
snore ne was kuowu to nave
inore than six thousand dollars
on the eve of his departure.
This, however, was not fees
1 charged for readings made, llis
was a slicker dodge thau that.
When he liad his victim sufficient
ly interested he would tell her
that in order to give her more
spiritualistic power stie must
have some money or valuable
wrapped iu a black bag which he
provided, and it must be placed
next to her body and not be re
moved or opened until a fixed
date. Rings, watches, and other
valuables were used when money
was not convenient, these being
placed iu a box and worn next to
the body also. The subject
would hand over the money and
S the clairvoyant would by sleight
; of hand trick substitute a slip of
, paper into the bag instead of the
money, and then hand the bag
sealed to the person who was to
wear it with instructions that if
it were opened before the day set
untold disaster would surely fol
low. Ilis victim, who had seen,
as she thought, the money plac
ed iu the bag, would depart to
return on a set day to have the
bag opened at which time her
good luck would begin.
Yesterday, it seems, was the
time appointed for several of his
victims to return. Several made
their appearance and after wait
ing several hours lor his return
grew apprehensive aud looking
in their bags in which various
sums were supposed to be they
found that they contained only
slips of paper.?-Andrew Joyner
in News and Observer.
State News Notes.
Wilkes comity hai 02 rural
school libraries, more than any
other county in the State.
The Morganton News-Herald
says that Mr. Carnegie has giveu
?2,500 for a library building at
Rutherford College.
The contract has been let for
the construction of a new rail
road station at Salisbury, which
will cost ?100,000.
The Lexington Dispatch has
rurchased a liLotype machine,
t is the first weekly paper in the
State to purchase a linotype.
Congressman Hobson, of Ala
bama. has been invited to deliver
the address at the unveiling of
the monument to Worth Ragley
in Raleigh next month.
Mr. R. W.Simpson, Jr., who
recently resigned as editor of
the Raleigh Times, is now asso
ciate editor of the Richmond
Times-Dispatch.
State Superintendent Joyner
is urging all county superintend
ents and all presidents of colleges
to send an educational exhibit to
Jamestown this spring.
Injury to the strawberry crop
in eastern North Carolina by the
cold snap of last week is estimat
ed at 10 to 20 ' per cent. The
crop of the present year is esti
mated at 1,800 car loads, against
2,300 last year, the falling off
being dii? largel*- to decr?i?pd
acreage.
Nathan Moore, a well-to-do
farmer of Wilson county, was
jailed at Wilson Saturday charg
ed with beating his 10 year-old
son to death with a beer bottle,
while asleep.
High l'oint aldermen, at the
| request of the merchants and
business men. have refused to al
| low a carnival to perform in that
town. Seusible business meu aud
sensible aldermen.
Mrs. Louise Mauser, aped 8(5,
and Miss Lucretia I)oub, aped
I T(>, were buried in thesameprave I
in Forsvth county a few days
apo. They were sisters and died
within 24 hours of each other.
The barn of R. W. Shackelford,
in (ireene county, was struck by i
lightning Sunday, March 31st,
and burned. Two mules were
burned withthe buildinpand two j
other mules and ahorse partially
burned.
Will G. Matthews, a 10 year
old white boy who killed j. T.
Raney in Northampton county
some time ago, was last week |
I sent to the penitentiary to serve
a term of 30 years for murder in
the second degree.
i tie congregation of Main
[Street Methodist church, I>ur-j
j ham, will build a new church to
I cost |130,000. Work has begot
[ B. N. Duke, president of the to-1
bacco trust, gave $100,000, the
I members of the congregation
j subscribing the remainder.
A unique character passed away i
in Franklin county Monday [
night. His name was Nathaniel i
H. Macon, aged 78 years. Some
months ago he bought his coffin !
and shroud, and riding home
with it in the wagon, placed it in
his sitting room where itTemain
ed until his death.
According to the census reports ! (
Charlotte's population at the
end of 1905 was 22,000. Other j
cities in North Carolina with
population over 8,000 are as
follows: Raleigh, 14,225; Wil
mington, 21,528; Asheville, 18,
414; Greensboro, 14,007; Win
ston-Salem, 11,202; New Berne,'
9,840.
The commission created by the
Legislature to provide for men- 1
tal deficients met in Raleigh re
cently and decided to recom
mend to Governor Glenn the 1
! purchase of nearly 1,200 acres of
! laud for $55,000, this land ad
joining that of the Central flos- ;
pital for the insane. The colony 1
system is to be adopted.
Mrs. Katie Brannock died last
week in the Haystack sectiou of 1
Suny, says the Lexington Dis
patch, at the age of 108 years.
She was without doubt the oldest ,
person in the county and had |
been remarkably healthy. She
used no glasses, having '"second
sight," and two years ago cut
her third set of teeth.
Immediately after the conclu
i sion of the trial of Joshua Harri
i eon for kidnapping the little son
j of State Senator Beasley, of Cur
rituck county, Mr. Beasley left
i for Arkansas, having heard that
a child which might be his had 1
been found. Last week Mr. Beas
ley returned from the fruitless
I errand. The boy found in Arkan
sas was not his.
Fire at Vlarshville, Union coun
ty, Friday, destroyed BOO bales
! of cotton, a block of fertiliser
house, the fertilizer mixing plant
! of the Marsh Lee Company, I
i about GO car loads of fertilizers
j and two freight cars. The loss; i
; is estimated at $50,000, partial
ly covered by insurance. The;
j tire started on the cotton plat
' form and is supposed to have
originated from a spark from a
! passing engine.
A meeting of the directors of
the consumptive sanitarium es
tablished by the legislature is
called to meet at .lackson Springs
| on the 2Brd of April. The object {
; of the meeting is to select a loca-1
tion for the hospital, and do
other preliminary work. It will
| be somewhere in Moore county.
| The state gave $5,000 for a!
J place and $15,000 to maintain
| it. Private parties will give
Hr-?ely to this much-needed hos
pibal.
SMITHFIKLD TOBACCO MARKhT.
The T. S. Kagsdale Drying plant Will
Greatly Strengthen Our Market
Three Houses to be Open.
The Smithtielil tobacco market i
has beeu a success from the be
ginning of its establishment in
1898. During all these years it
has maintained the reputation |
of being one of the best markets '
in eastern North Carolina. Some
years the crops have been short
and the prices have beeu low, yet
our market has beeu able to
hold up its standard with the
best of them.
As our buyers and warehouse j
men have had more aud more
experience they have been better
prepared to handle the trade
and give to the farmers the very
beet prices and accommodations.
The market here will be stronger
this year than ever before. Three
warehouses will be run, and
those who are thinking of plant
ing tobacco can rest assured
that sheir interests will not suf
fer through lack of facilities for
handling the crop as it should
be. The banner Warehouse will
again be run by Skinner A Pat
terson. Hoyett Pros, will still
manage the Farmers' Warehouse
wnue >v. .iones and J. \\. j
Coats will have the management;
of the Riverside.
In addition to our three large
warehouses, the several prize- j
houses will be able to take care i
of all the tobacco brought to j
this market. The T. S. Kagsdale
Co., with Mr. \V. \V, Cole, Presi
deut, and Mr. T. S. Kagsdale,
Secretary and Treasurer, has
recently beeu incorporated by
the Secretary oi State, and has
Eurchased the large brick prize
ouse which has heretofore beeD
used by the American Tobacco
Company. They are equipping
this building with the I'roctor
Automatic System of drying and
ordering. All the latest ma
chinery used for this purpose
will be installed and the plant
will be able to handle twice the}
tobacco that has heretofore been !
brought to this maket. They !
will work 100 hands.
Moyett Pros. will have charge
of the prize house used last year1
by T. S. Kagsdale, thus enabling |
them to handle with care agreat
deal more tobacco than they J
have heretofore handled. Skin
ner & Patterson, who have J
always beeu large buyers them- [
selves, have secured additional!
room for handling tobacco aud j
are better prepared than ever j
before to serve their customers, j
The Americau Tobacco Company |
has secured the large prize house j
north of the brick prize house,
and will be able to handle their
share of the tobacco brought to
this market.
With the increased facilities
for handling tobacco and the
addition of another warehouse,}
our market will be greatly I
strengthened this year aud
those of our farmers who plant!
tobacco need have no fear of the
result so far as the Smithtield
warehousemen and buyers are
concerned.
Love Your Enemies.
An Irish prieBt had labored
hard with one of his tiock to in
duce him to give up whiskey. I
"I tell you, Michael," said the
priest, "whiskey is your worst
enemy. and you should keep as
far away from it as you can."
"Me enemy it is, father?" re
sponded Michael. "And it was
your riverence's self that was tel
lin' us in the pulpit only last
Sunday to love our enemies."
"So I was, Michael," responded
the priest, "but I didn't tell you 5
to swallow them."?Kansas City
Independent.
Bitten By a Spider.
Through blood poisoning caused
by a spider bite, John Washing
ton of Hosqueville, Tex., would
have lost his leg, which became
a mass of running sores, had he
not been persuaded to try Buck
len's Arnica Salve He writes:
"The first application relieved,
and four boxes healed all the
sores " Heals every sore. 25c.
Hood Bros, druggists.
General News Items.
The peace conference at The
Hague ia to be opened June L5.
Mr. Carnegie's gifts to 1'itts
burg are said to total $02,500,
000.
Five persons were seriously in
jured by a bomb in Barcelona,
opaiu, .Tuesday.
So trace nas been so tar dis
covered 01 tne $170,000 stolen
trout tne ftubtreasury in Chicago.
Tne profit of Harriuian and
his associates in tne Alton deal is
saiu to nave amounted to $21,
018,000.
Fully Jo persons dead and
more tUau twice mat numuer
seriously injured are results of
Friday s tornado widen swept
tnrougU Louisiana, Mississippi
and Aiauama. Lees tuan naif
ol tUose killed were white,persons.
Carnegie libraries are on the
wane, rue people ol Detroit,
Mien., last wees, voted against a
proposition to accept $750,000
iroui Mr. Carnegie lor a library.
Mr. Carnegie's UDrary guts, it
will be remembered, always mean
tuat tne community shad put up
10 per cent, ol tne gilt annually
lor maintenance.
Ttie otticial programme for the
Opt'Ulug ol l/Ue Lei* Cell leuUlul Ex
position ut.Juuiestowu was giveu
uut Saturday; ic opens friday,
April 2btu, ami Preoiaeut Koose
veit win be tue mature; iiuuareds
ol euiuies will be nreb by tue
warsuips ul all nations iu uouor
01 tue I'resiueutuua tue Republic,
auil All. Roosevelt aiii make a
speecu ana preset tue nut ton
wmcu will start tue macuiuery.
Applicatiou of Robert E. Peary,
UuiteU estates iNavy, tor leave of
abseuee oi turee years was ap
proved iuesuay by tue Secretary
oi tue .Navy. Lommauder Peary
purposes to make auotber at
tempt to reacu tue Aorth Pole.
The turee years' leave of absence
during wuicu be made,ins famous
jouruey to cue farthest point
uortU ever reacUed by mau?87
decrees, (i miuutes, expired last
Sunday aud tue new leave begins
at ouce.
Dr. John R. Brooks Dead.
The Herald fuiled to mention
the death of Rev John 11. Brooks,
1>. L>., which occurred at Wilson
March 2oth at the age of 70
years. Or. Brooks was for many
years a prominent minister of
the Methodist church and was
greatly loved wherever known.
He entered the ministry a great
many years ago aud, if we are
not mistaken, his tirst charge
waBon the Smithtield circuit. He
was married twice, his first wife
being Miss Julia Ann Hastings,
of Smithtield.
In addition to his work in the
ministry Dr. Brooks was a fre
quent contributor to the religious
journals and magazines. He was
also author of one book with a
large sale?"Scriptural Sautifica
tiou."
Snow Two Feet Deep.
Calumet, Mich., April 9.?
Snow has fallen in the copper
country for the last 48 hours
and one of the worst blizzards
aver known at this season of the
year is prevailing today. The
weather is intensely cold and the
snow is two feet deep.
Wire service is crippled and
trains and street cars are being
operated with difficulty.
"Pneumonia's Deadly Work
Had so seriously affected my
right lung," write Mrs. Fannie
Connor, of Rural Route 1.
Georgetown, Tenn., "that I
coughed continuously night and
day and the neighbors' predic
t i o n?consumption?s e e m e d
inevitaole, until my husband
brought home a bottle of Dr.
King's New Discovery, which in
my case proved to be the only
real cough cure and restorer of
weak, sore lungs." When all
other remedies utterly fail, you
may still win in the battle
against lung and throat troubles
with New Discovery, the real
cure. Guaranteed by Hood
Bros, druggists. 50c. and ?1.00.
Trial bottle free.