fpje 11 era I b.
o*> p^i tmk. (TRi K TO OURSEL* SS, OUR COUNTRY A.ND OUR G()L>." ? singl* oopiib hvj v*
VOL. 27. SMITHFIELI). N. C.. FRIDAY. DECEMBER 4, 1908. NO. 4(>
BAD FIRE IN SMITHFIELD
ONE BLOCK IN GREAT Z)ANG~R
Broke Out In White Star Company's:
Store Last Night About Midnight?'
This Store and W. M. Sanders':
Buggy Wareroom Destroyed.?
Losses In the Neighborhood of|
$10,000.00?Only Partly Covered by [
Insurance.?Heroic Work of Fire
Company and Citizens Saved Ad
joining Buildings.
Last night about 12 o'clock a fire
broke out in the White Star Compa
ny's store and before it jould be
controlled two large brick stores and
several thousand dollars worth of
goods were either burned or very
badly damaged.
The fire was discovered by Mr.
Wall, the second trick operator at
the depot here, who got off duty at
12 o'clock and was going to his room
at the Myatt House. He at once
gave the alarm and in a short while
a large crowd of people, including
the fire company, was on the scene
doing their utmost to check the
flames.
The fire must have originated in
the cook-room of the White Star
Company. In addition to fancy gro
cery line, the White Star Company,
owned by Mr. C. M. Kirkman, con
ducts a cafe where oysters and meals
are served.
The flames had gotten too much
headway to save the building and it
and the store-room adjoining on
the west were destroyed with their
contents. These two stores were
owned by Mr. W. M. Sanders, one
of which was filled with buggies, wag
ons, and a car-load of galvanized
roofing.
But for the thick fire-wall between
Mr. Woodall's building, occupied by
Mr. N. B. Grantham as a clothing
store, and the building occupied by
the White Star Co., no efforts, how
ever heroic, could have saved the
remainder of the buildings on that
side of the street to the Fuller cor
ner.
At one time the front of N. B.
Grantham's store was on fire but
the flames were extinguished by
the steady stream of water which
was turned on.
The fire Company with the aid of
the citizens did magnificent work in
confining the fire to the two stores
burned. Mr. W. M. Sanders' large
two-story store seemed in great dan
ger for some time, but by constant
watchfulness, it was saved. If the
flames had got hold of this building
the large hotel and bank, and per
haps postoffice and Herald office,
would have been destroyed. The main
cable of the Johnston County Tele
phone Co., which ran in front of the
main building was melted down and
the phone company put out of ser
vice temporarily.
The losses are approximately:
W. M. Sanders?two stores, $3,500;
stock of buggies, wagons and roof
ing. $2,500. Insurance on buildings,
$1,500. Insurance on goods, $1,000.
White Star Company?stock of
goods and soda fountain, estimated
at $2,000. Fully covered by insur
ance.
N. B. Grantham?stock of clothing
and gents' furnishings, badly dam
aged by fire, smoke and water;
partially covered by insurance.
Johnston County Telephone Co.?
loss of cable and wires estimated
at $200 to $300. Covered by insur
ance.
W. L. Woodall?Building occupied
by N. B. Grantham badly damaged.
Britons Read Solid Books.
The borrowing of novels is de
clining all over England, being not
more than 15 per cent, of the work
done by public libraries. In the pub
lic libraries of the United Kingdom
there are 4,000,000 reference and 8,
000,000 lending books; 11,000,000 ref
erence books are consulted every
year, according to the records, and
at least an equal number are taken
from the shelves and consulted with
out being recorded. Every year 60,
000,000 books are lent for home
reading. Giving further detail The
Investigator states that the taste
for hfttory, biography and travel is
on the wane; readers are ail for
science and sociology, and new books
on socialism are always in demand."
?Progress.
DR. TAIT BUTLER RESIGNS.
State Veterinarian Leaves Depart
ment of Agriculture January
First.
Dr. Tait Butler, State Veterinarian,
yesterday tendered his resignation
to the State Board of Agriculture,
to take effect January first, 1909.
It is understood that he will edit
an agricultural paper in Mississippi.
Dr. Butler has been with the de
partment several years and to* him is
due the credit for inaugurating the
successful crusade against the cat
tle tick in the Southern States, his
work in North Carolina having dem
onstrated that the extermination of
the tick was possible and practicable.
During the past two years Dr.
Butler has also been director of the
farmers' institute work in this State.
?News and Observer.
Trial Marriage Lasted 8 Days.
Enid, Okla.. Nov. 28?After a tri
al marriage which lasted eight days
and had crowded into it all the ma
terial elements of a cyclone, Merritt
Mason, 80 years old, and Lucinda
Mason, 76, appeared in court and
asked for a divorce.
Judge Cullison, who had married
them, granted it in self-defenso.
Disregarding the pounding of the
judge's gavel, the old man and the
old woman ran a race telling what
each thought of the other. Never,
perhaps, in the history of Oklahoma
courts were so much vituperative
crimination and recrimination crowd
ed into the same space of time. j
After the court stenographer had|
despaired of keeping the testimony]
of Mason and his wife separate andi
the judge had mushroomed the endj
of his gavel the court silenced the
couple long enough to say:
"The divorce is granted. Now will
you shut up?" |
RACE FOR FIRST HONOR.
Sheriff Nowell, of Johnston, Claims
First Place in Settlement of State
Taxes.
There has been great rivalry full
of good feeling?between Sheriff R.
M. Nowell, of Johnston county, and
Sheriff Lanier, of Harnett county, for
first honor in the annual settlement
of State taxes. Both these worthy
officials claim to have first place,
and it is a question which is entitled
to it. For twenty years Johnston
has been the first county to make
its settlement with the State Treas
urer, and the expedition in the mon
ey matters of Johnston when Sher
iff Ellington was In the official sad
dle. made for him a reputation that
extended throughout the State. Sher
iff Nowell has held offlc* for two
years and claims to have been the
first sheriff to settle with the State
Treasurer both years.
Yesterday Sheriff Nowell received
the first clean receipt?No. 1 given
to a sheriff. He is seriously ill at
his home in Johnston and for this
reason could not come to Raleigh in
person. The settlement was made
for him by Deputy Sheriff, A. M.
Sanders and Mr. L. D. Debnam, Cash
ier of the Selma Bank. The amount
was $20,143.29.
Although Sheriff Lanier, of Har
nett, settled last week, and thereby
claims priority of settlement, Sheriff
Nowell says that the law provides
that final settlement cannot be made
until the 30th of November, and that
the taxes must be paid up to that
date. The amount paid into the
State Treasury by Sheriff Lanier,
was $9,300.
Sheriffs Nowell and Lanier are
among the best county officials in
the State, and their ambition to be
first is worthy of emulation. News
and Observer, December 2nd.
Marked for Death.
"Three years ago I was marked for
death. A grave-yard cough was tear
ing my lungs to pieces. Doctors fail
ed to help me, and hope had fled,
when my husband got Dr. King s
New Discovery," says Mrs. A. C.
Williams, of Bac, Ky. "The first
dose helped me and improvement
kept on until I had gained 58 pounds j
in weight and my health was fully
restored."This medicine holds the
world's healing record for coughs
and colds and lung and throat dis
eases. It prevents pneumonia. Sold
under guarantee at Hood Bros, drug
store. 50c and $1. Trial bottle free.1
EXAMINATION GOES ON
ARCHBOLD GIVES THE REASON.
Just a Simple and Effective Form
of Holding the Property of the Va
rious Companies Together, He Ex
plains?Vice President of the Oc
topus Declares That There Are
Four Hundred Companies Compet
ing For the World's Oil Business.
New York, Nov. 30.?The develop
ment of trade of the Standard Oil
Company in foreign fields as a sub
ject of evidence in the government's
suit to dissolve the oil combination,
gave John D. Archbold, vice presi
dent of the Standard, an opportunity
as a witness today to spread upon
the records some interesting figures
of the Standard's business in foreign
countries. Of the total amount of il
luminating oil refined by the Stand
ard in 1906, Mr. Archbold stated
that 63 per cent, was sold abroad. Ex
port figures of the other years fur
ther showed that the Standard ex
ported the major bulk of its llluminat
tng oil.
The line of testimony with regard
to the immeise foreign trade indi
cates that one of the defenses of
the Standard Is that the present com
bination makes it possible to obtain
this foreign trade, which the com
pany will endeavor to show, brings a
trade balance in favor of the United
States. This foreign business, Mr.
Archbold said, was secured in the
face of the competition of four hun
dred foreign companies. He said
that products of the Standard reach
every part of the world and further
| declared that it was the aim of the
| company to reach direct every con
; sumer in the far East, as was done
in this country.
Millions Dumped Back.
Testimony was given by Mr. Arch
bold that during the period of the
Standard Oil trust, the trustees pour
ed millions of the company's earnings
back into the trust for the construc
tion of new refineries and pipe lines.
Mr. Archbold, in giving the reason
for the formation of the Standard
Oil trust, said:
"It was done as a simple and ef
fective form of holding the property.
We are advised by counsel that
neither the Standard Oil Company of
Ohio nor any other corporation could
effectually or safely perhaps, hold
the property which was widespread
In many States whose laws were re
strictive of the rights of corpora
ions. The trusteeship was suggest
ed as a simple method of bringing
together the property and form a
token of ownership which would
hav? a market value and enable the
owners to have a more effective ad
ministration."
The witness aald the trustees of
the Standard Oil trust, after Its or
ganization, formed the Standard Oil
Companies of New York and New
Jersey to hold properties which had
previously been held by Standard In
terests. The witness said the Stand
ard companies of New York and New
Jersey were still the same companies
as those formed in J 382. The capital
st'ick of the Standard Oil Company of
New Jersey'was 13,000,000 in 1882,
but waa increased in 1892 to $10,000,
000 and In :89;i to $110,000,000, of
'\i'.ich $10,000,000 was preferred.
Has 400 Competitors.
There were 400 companies compet
ing wi'h the standard for the world's
market, Mr. Archbold said, and of
th.ise tlie cipital of 253 companies
was not known. The total capitali
zation of 147 capitalized foreign com
panies was $2^4,915,185.
Mr. Archbold told of the difficulties
in the introduction of refined oils
abroad. There was much competi
tion from oil interests of the Dutch,
Indians, said Mr. Archbold, and the
task of maintaining the business in
th4 Orient * as very difficult.
' Our State Department has helped
us much," fcaid Mr. Archbold. "In
fact we have been better treated with
reference to our foreign business that
with our business at home."
There are 123 independent compet
itive refineries of oil In the country,
said Mr. Archbold.
An adjournment was taken until
to-morrow.
' The winners of the Savannah au
tomobile taces were paid their prizes
Wednesday, which consisted of $20
gold pieces, the highest amount be
ilng $4,000.
PU VI ASCENDS THRONE
CHINESE NEW RULER CROWNED.
Ceremonies of Enthronement of
Striking Interest?Include Obei
sances to the Tablets of the Dead
Emperor and Empress and Pros
trations Before Pu Yi, the Infant
Emperor.
Peking China. Dec. 2.?The strict
mourning which has been observed
in this city since the death, a fort
night ago. of Emperor Huang Hsu
and the Dowager Empress of China,
was suspeended long enough this
morning to permit the ascension to
the Dragon throne of the baby em
peror, Pu Yi, who became ruler of
the kingdom under the name of
Hsuan Tung.
The ceremonies were performed by
officials of the highest rank aud a
number of coolies of tho most humble
[ classes in empire were brought
into the palace to act as witnesses.
Following the ceremony an imperi
al edict proclaiming the ascension
was issued. This communication con
tains also a grant of amnesty.
The ceremony of enthronement was
one of striking Interest. It included
obeisances to the tablets of the
dead emperor and empress and pros
trations before the Infant emperor.
The imperial program for the func
tion ordered that music for the oc
casion be prepared but that not a
single note be played; this because
of the mourning of the court for
their late majesties. The function
began by the princes of the Imperi
al family and the high officials of
the empire kowtowing to the memo
rial tablets of their late majesties.
After this they all kowtowed In turn
to Pu Yi. Pu Yi then offered a sac
rifice before the tablet of the em
peror and the dowager empress.
After this he was relieved of his
dress of mourning and clad with
much care in a diminutive imperial
garment embroidered with the impe
rial dragon. His nurses performed
this duty with great attention and
care. Thus arrayed the toddling em
peror ascended the throne amid a
fanfare of drums and firecrackers.
He made his way alone and showed
no need of assistance that willing
hands would have given him had his
little feet faltered. .From the throne
Pu Yi kowtowed to his stepmother,
the dowager empress, Yi Yehonalia.
He then received the kowtows, while
still on the throne, of all the princes
and officials present. He then de
scended from the throne and was
again clad In his little dress of
mourning.
In addition to granting amnesty
for certain specified offenses, the
edict rewards all imperial princes,
princesses and dukes; it promotes
all officials by one degree and be
stows honor on their parents; It
erases the demerits entered against
minor officials; advances the de
gree of scholars; dismisses all pend
ing petty criminal cases; excuses cer
tain liabilities and grants bounties
to the soldiers In the service of the
empire.
76 WIDOWS AT BANQUET.
Guests of 84-Year-Old Widower, Who
Is Seeking a Wife.
Portland, Oreg., Nov. 30.?W. C.
Brown, known in the little town of j
Dallas, Oreg., as "Uncle Billy," en
tertained 76 widows at a banquet to
day. The number included all the
widows in his town and the imme
diate vicinity. It was strictly an in
vitation affair, and If any were omit
ted it was by inadvertence.
"Uncle Billy" is a widower, and is
looking for a wife. He Is 84 years
old today, and celebrated the event
by inviting those whom he thought
possible candidates for that position.
The oldest of his guests was 91 and
the youngest 25. He presided at the
banquet and called upon many of the
guests for toasts.
Another feature of the celebration
was a shower of nickels he scatter
ed from the courthouse steps to the
8mall boys. He distributed $100 In i
this way. He announced that a sim
ilar banquet will be an annual event
the rest of his life, provided he
does not marry meanwhile.
A pill In time that will save nine
is Rings Little Liver Pill. For bll
liousness, sick headache constipation.
They do not gripe. Price 25c. Sold
by Hood Bra.
FIVE IN DURANCE VILE.
Charged With the Murder of Dr. E.
W. Smith in Raleigh on Nov.
ember 14th.
Tim Holderfield, "Red" Hopkins,
Earle Cotton and his woman. Madge
Earle, and Ed Chavis, the negro cab
man, are behind the bars in the po
lice station, each having been arrest
ed on a warrant charging murder.
Richard Williams, the negro cook
and waiter, who was In the employ
of Cotton at the Red Light Cafe, is
also being detained, but the charge?
if any?against him, is not known. '
The guilty persons, said an official 1
last night, who robbed and disposed
of Dr. Elbert W. Smith on Saturday 1
night, November 14th, are those nam- 1
ed above. They will be prosecuted
upon the charge of murder, and the
authorities expect to have the prison- '
ers bound over to Wake criminal '
court upon that charge. The pre- '
liminary hearing will be not later 1
than next Monday.?News and Ob- '
server.
- i
Presbyterian Papers to Consolidate. >
Charlotte, N. C., Dec. 2.?Repre- J
sentatlves of the four leading Pres
byterian publications in the South, I
including the Southwestern Presbyte- (
rlan. New Orleans; the Southern t
Presbyterian, of Atlanta; the Cen- <
tral Presbyterian, of Richmond, of s
and the Presbyterian Standard, of t
Charlotte, Dr. R. P. Law, editor, are s
conferring here today, looking to a 1
consolidation of all the papers mer- 1
ged Into the Presbyterian Standard, I
of Charlotte. It is proposed to make 1
one paper the official organ of the t
entire Southern Presbyterian church, .i
FOUND A STRANGE TRIBE. t
?? t
Negroes in Dutch Guiana Never Had a
Seen a White Man. i
New York, Dec. 1.?R. H. Wymans, t
a lieutenant in the Dutch navy, ar- \
rived today on the Surinam, from c
South American ports, on his way t
back to Holland to report on an ex- t
pedltlon he conducted into hitherto 1
unexplored sections of Dutch Guiana, t
"We started out from Paramari- t
bo," said Lieut. Wymans, "and pro- i
ceeded more than 100 miles up the c
Surinam River. Later we cut across \
country to the Corantys River, a t
boundary between British Guiana and \
Dutch Guiana. We encountered a
strange tribe of negroes. They '
spoke a language of their pwn, al
though study showed It to be a mix
ture of European tongues, with '
terms they had themselves added. *
Dutch and Portuguese were in the 1
mixture, and there were many tra- '
ces of English. 1
"These negroes appeared to have
never before seen white men. They 1
were probably descendants of negroes 1
who had escaped from white mas- f
ters on the coast centuries ago. '
They were very black, but not of e
the thick lipped sort. We found our- 8
selves able to converse with them *
after a fashion, and when they found t
we had medical men with us they t
wanted to know cures for malaria." '
Lieut. Wymans said there was
much gold in the wild country, but
that the cataracts on the journey,
wild animals, and other obstacles I
were so many as to mean that ex
tensive mining of the country could
not be carried on with profit.
. 1
TAFT TURNS WINE GLASS DOWN. ,
t
President-Elect Is "Not Going to 8
Drink Anything Again, Ever.' ?
New York, Nov. 28.?A special j
from -Hot Springs to the World says: j
Comment was made at a small din- ?
ner last night on the fact that Mr. t
Taft's wine glass was turned down. (
"Yes, and It is going to stay turn- t
ed down," he said. "I am not go- f
lng to drink anything again, ever." j
"You never did drink enough so .
that any one could notice It," said (
a boyhood friend present.
An organization invited Mr." Taft
to a banquet "any time before you (
are Inaugurated. ,
"What is the matter with these j
people?" the President-elect exclaim- (
ed. "Do they think I am going to |
be any different after I am inaugu- ,
rated V?Washington Post. (
Personal experience with a tube of <
ManZau Pile Remedy will convince t
you It is immediate relief for all .
forms of Piles. Ouaranteed. 50c, 1
Sold by Hood Bros. I
FELL DOING HIS DUTY
SHERIFF STANLAND MURDERED.
Brunswick Officer Shot Down by
Desperate Man in Lower Part of
County. White Man Named Walk
er, Suspected of Storebreaking,
Fired into Posse With Fatal Re
sults Sunday Night?In Jail.
Sheriff Jackson Stanland, of Bruns
wick county, was shot and fatally
wounded Sunday night by a white
man named Walker upon whom he
md a posse of three others were serv
Ire a warrant for storebreaking, the
scene of the fhoodng being Walk
?r's home, four miles below Shullotte,
n a remote part of the county.
After lingering between life and
ieath for 24 hours, Sheriff Stanland
succumbed last night at 9 o'clock
it the home of Mr. James Williams,
where he had been given constant
ittentlon by three physicians all day.
tValker and two other white men,
lamed Dudley and Leonard, who
vere arrested later, as confederates,
nost probably In the storebreaking,
ire In Jail at Southport.
Walker Is said to be a deserter
rom a United States Army post in
Jeorgia and came to Brunswick ser
ial years ago, marrying a daughter
>f Mr. Frank Leonard, a well-to-do
ind highly respected citizen. He was
i roving, shiftless fellow, and after
leveral stores had been broken into
le was suspected and a warrant waa
ssued for his arrest. For a week or
nore the sheriff had been unable to
ocate him until Sunday night when
le aaJ three other officers, Messrs.
'ohn E. Robinson, A. S. White and
tames Long, came upon him at his
lome while he was at supper. Walk
?r opened fire on the party with an
iriny revolver or "pump gun,"Sher
tf Stanland falling with a bullet
lirough his kidneys and another
hrough the arm before the man
vas overpowered by other members
>f the posse. Walker fired nine
lir.es in all keeping his hand on
he siutomatic revolver and pouring
lot lead at his captors even after
lis arms were pinioned to his sides
>y the grasp of the other officers.
'1kv. ill Stanland remained cool and
is soon as he recovered himself
valked into the yard and announced
o 1 '* men that he was mortally
rounded.?Wilmington Star, 1st.
Jurton Offered Place in Cabinet.
Cleveland, O., Dec. 2.?The Cleve
and Plain Dealer tomorrow will say
hat Representative Theodore Bur
on, of Cleveland, has been offered
>y President-elect Taft the portfo
io of Secretary of the Treasury.
Mr. Burton has taken the offer
inder consideration, but will make
10 reply to Mr. Taft until the Ohio
Senatorial situation has been clari
led. It is understood that President
elect Taft's action In tendering the
lecretaryship to Mr. Burton is made
?ntirely without respect to the Sena
orial fight in Ohfo in which his
>rother, Charles P. Taft, of Cincln
i?tl, is a prominent factor.
HEAD OF ALIEN BUREAU.
Janiel J. Keefe Is Named for Im
migration Post.
Daniel J. Keefe, president of the
ongshoremen's union, who yesteerday
vas appointed by the President to
mcceed the late Frank A. Sargent
is commissioner general of immi
;ration, will shortly resign the lead
?rship of that labor organization,
ie will enter upon his duties as
lead of the Immigration bureau In
ibout ten days, after he has wound
ip his affairs in Detroit, for which
?ity he left last night, following a
conference and dinner with CommU
lioner of Labor, Charles P. Nelll. Mr.
teefe declined to discuss his ap
jointment, but said it would not af
ect his relations with his labor or
ganization.
The position of commissioner gen
ial of immigration has come to be
?ecognized as one to be filled by a
abor man. T. V. Powderly, at pres
;nt division chief of the bureau of
mmlgratlon, and a former holder of
his office, was at one time grand
?hlef of the Knights of Tjibor, and
he late Frank Sargent was grand
?hlef of the Bro'herhood of Loeomo
Ive Firemen, before he entered the
?"ederal service.?Washington Post,
December 2nd.