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VOL.28. SMITHFIELl). N. O.. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, NO. 29
SUCCESSORS TO E. H. HARRIMAN.
Judge Lovett and L. F. Loree to
Take Control. Personal Counsel of
Chairman of Executive Committee
of the Union Pacific and Former
Head of the B. Sl O. Slated for
Presidency.
New York, Sept. 13.?The continu
ance of the Harriman policies In the
management of Union Pacific, South
ern Pacific and the chain of allied
railroads was made certain today,
temporarily at least, when Robert S.
Lovett, E. H. Harriman's personal
counsel and close friend, was elect
ed to succeed Mr. Harriman at the
head of the executive committee of
the Union Pacific Railroad. To
etrengthen further the dominance of
the "Harriman idea," Jacob H. Schiff
and William Rockerfeller?both heavi
ly interested in the Harriman enter
prise?were elected directors in
place of Mr. Harriman and the late
H. H. Rogers, and also were chosen
to places on the executive committee.
The Union Pacific still remains
without a president, as Mr. Harriman
occupied this position also. It is
understood, however, that an operat
ing man?probably L. F. Loree, pres
ident of the Deleware and Hudson,
will be elected for the place at the
annual meeting of stockholders to be
held on October 12. Proxies for
this meeting already in the hands of
Judge Lovett and Alexander Miller,
secretary of the Union Pacific, seem
to guarantee that election will be
dictated by the Harriman interests. ,
Judge Lovett, who, in view of his
new office, becomes for the moment
one of the most prominent railroad
men in the public eye, came to New
York city in 1906. Born in Texas
49 years ago, he entered the railroad
business while a boy as a $40-a
month freight clerk for the Houston
East and West Texas Railroad, at
Houston. While serving as a freight
clerk he studied law at night, and
eventually became a country counsel
for the railroad, journeying from vil
lage to village, and devoting his tal
ents principally to the settlement of
cattle claims cases. Later the receiv
ers of the road made him a district
counsel, and his success in straight
ening out the affairs of the bank
rupt company won him promotion to
the position of general counsel. His
next step was membership in a firm
which represented the Southern Pa
cific. He became so valuable to
this system under Mr. Harriman that
he was made general counsel, with
offices at 'Houston. Three years ago i
Harriman brought him to this city.
Fishing and Fighting at Holt's Pond.
Thursday of last week was the
main day of the big fishing at Holt's
pond, four miles south of here. The
people came from far and near to
fish. The water was let off and fish
were caught with seins by bushels
and thousands. Most of the people
went there for fish but some went
for the purpose of drinking and frol
icking. It is said there were at
least twenty barrels of cider there,
besides some whiskey and brandy.
Most of the crowd left in the after
noon but some waited to finish up
the drinkables. The drinking ended
In quarreling and fighting. It has
been estimated that there were fif
ty men in fights which occurred.
Jodie Baker, of Ingrams township,
proved to be the Samson of the
crowd. He knocked men right and
left as they came to him until he had
dispensed with a dozen or more. His
only injury was a small cut from the
knife of one of the men. Reuben
Lawhon cut John Stanley's coat on i
the back for about one and a half
feet but the knife did no more to
him except to cut through the skin
of his back. For this Stanley gave
Lawhon a bad beating on his head I
and ears. Frank McCabe, of Eleva
tion, was cut two bad gashes on |
top of his head and one Fide of his
face was split open. It seems that ;
the man who did this cutting did i
not introduce himself to McCabe or :
to others around, hence we cannot i
give his name. That night a physi
cian at Four Oaks fixed the cuts
with nineteen stitches and McCabe i
drove In home at a late hour. A i
man named Beasley living about 4 \
miles from Benson received a bad i
cut on one of his arms. The main <
muscle was split open. This was |
Bowed up at Four Oaks and Beasley 1
amused himself while It was being I
done by whistling a tune.
MUST WORK TO CARRY BURDEN.
Walter Harriman, Seventeen Years
Old, Has Hard Time Before Him.
Has Begun Practical Railroading
and is Democratic About It.
New York, Sept. 10.?Walter Aver
ill Harriman, the eldest sou of the
dead railway king, today at seventeen
years old, finds himself confronted
with the absolute necessity of prepar
ing to master the intricacies of rail
roading in order that a few years j
hence he may step in and seize the j
reins of management that death took
from the well trained hands of his
father.
Although the young man to whom
will eventually fall the management
of the $1,000,000,000 interests of his
father, is well educated and knows
something of railroading, he readily
admits that he is at present incapable
of the management of the gigantic
system of roads his father built up
and that he must first learn the rail
road business thoroughly before he at
tempts to direct them.
Kealizing with characteristic keen
ness of perception that his days of
activity were drawing to a speedy
close and that it would be necessary
for his elder son to prepare to shoul
der the burden death would place
on him, Mr. Harriman some months
ago started the boy off on a career
of railroading, sending him west first
to aid the surveyors and later to en
ter the shops, and then to run a loco
motive.
Mr. Harriman had planned to have
his son work in each branch until
he reached the top. He had hoped
that his ocean to ocean railroad route
would be carried through and im
proved by Walter and his plans for
a great system circling the entire
nation be put in realization.
Walter Harriman has many of the
characteristics of his father. He is
not boastful, he is thoughtful, not
talkative and a good listener. He is
remarkably decisive, much as his
father was. He makes up his mind
quickly and acts accordingly. He
does not revel in the luxury some
might think his fortune would lead
him into. He thinks no more of rid
ing in the ordinary passenger coach
or smoker of a railroad train than the
hardened commuter does.
Now that young Harriman is face
to face with the business affairs of
his father he contemplates plunging
into the science of railroading as
soon as the sorrow of his bereave
ment loses its intensity.
IS STRICKEN BLIND AGAN.
Methodist Minister, After Sight is
Restored, Sees for Two Years,
Then Darkness Returns.
Baltimore, Sept. 11.?After being
blind for thirty years, then able to
again see the beauties of the world
about him and view the faces of his
dear ones, Rev. Samuel H. Cummings
the well known Methodist Episcopal
minister, has again practically lost
his eyesight.
Even with his handicap the aged
clergyman will not give up and gets
around with the aid of a cane. So
courageous is he that within a few
days Mrs. Cummings and himself will
leave for Florida and there the blind
preacher will engage in missionary
work.
The sight of Rev. Cummings was
restored in the latter part of March,
1907, in a remarkable manner. After
a fall on a slippery pavement the
clergyman noticed that he could dis
cern a ray of light. A pleasing fea
ture In the restoration of his sight
was that he was able for the first
time to see the features of his fif
teen-year-old daughter.
When the affliction of blindness
first came upon Mr. Cummings he
was pastor of Hanover-st. Methodist
Episcopal church. He resigned soon
after and began the organization of
missionary societies throughout the
city.
The people of Denmark have
taught the people of the United States
Et lesson In decency. Instead of treat
ing Dr. Cook as a liar and a cheat,
they have accepted him at his true
value. Meanwhile Americans are com
ing to pretty much the same view.
The more they hear from Peary the
better they like Cook.?Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
EDWARD H. HARRIMAN.
MARS CAN SUPPORT LIFE.
Important Evidence Found by Mount
Whitney Astronomers,
San Francisco, Sept., 12.?Accord
ing to a statement made by Profes
sor W. W. Campbell, director of
L.ick Observatory, the recent astrono
mical expedition which has just re
turned from Mount Whitney brought
back proof that water vapor exists on
Mars. The scientists have in their
possession, as the result of the pic
tures which they took from the sum
mit of the mountain, definite proof
that the planet Mars Is capable of
supporting sentient beings. Professor
Campbell made the following state
ment:
"We are now in a position to issue
the strongest statement that has ev
er been given out as to the exis
tence of water vapor on Mars. If
it is found that the water vapor is
sufficient to be detected under the
most favorable conditions it will be
evidence along the line of establish
ing that the conditions on Mars are
favora'ole to life. It will not be
proof, however, that life exists on
Mars."
The negatives made by the astrono
mers will be developed at once.
King of Railroads is Dead.
Edward H. Harriman the greatest
organizer of railroads the world has
ever known, met the only lasting de
feat of his active life at the hands of
death. Secluded in his magnificent
home on Tower Hill near the Hud
son, surrounded by members of his
family, physicians an.d nurses, he
succumbed to an intestinal disorder
last Thursday afternoon, after a fight
against disease' which will rank for
sheer grit with his remarkable strug
gles in the financial world.
At the time of his death, Mr. Har
riman had either under his control or
more or less under his influence rail
roads with a mileage in excess of 60,
000 approximately $4,000,000,000 capi-1
tal and an annual earning power of ]
about $750,000,000. But this broad
statement includes, of course, such
roads as New York Central, Delaware I
and Hudson and Erie in which his
influence though important, would
doubtless not have been paramount
had air any time an issue arisen with
other equally influential directors.
Recent estimates of Mr. Harriman's
personal wealth have varied all the
way from $50,000,000 to $100,000,000.
He was ,of course, a large holder of
securities of the various corporations
with which he was identified .includ
ing in addition to the Union Pacific
and Southern Pacific systems, over
a score of smaller or tributary pro
perties not only, in this country but
in Mexico as well.
Sydney, N. S., Sept., 10.?Secreta
club has received n.fu'.y telegrams of
fering Commander Petry large sums
of money for magazine articles,
books, lectures, etc. One magazine
tells the explorer to name his own
ry Bridgman of the Peary Arctic
price.
LETTER REGISTRY IS HIGHER.
Postmaster General Will Increase
Fee from Eight to Ten Cents.
Postmaster General Hitchcock yes
terday signed an order increasing' the
fee for the registration of mail from
8 to 10 cents, to take effect Novem
ber 1.
This action followed the recom
mendation of the committee now in
vestigating the registry service, and
is in accord with the views of the
registry experts recently in confer
ence on the subject at Washington.
The order also increases the maxi
mum indemnity paid to the owner of
a lost or rifled registered letter from
$25 to $50, thus doubling the de
partment's liability for valuable arti
cles intrusted to its registry branch.
This additional insurance of $25 for
2 cents is granted at a much lower
rate than Is offered for a similar a
mount by any private concern.
The changes ordered, the Postmas
ter General says, constitutes the
first move toward making the postal
service selfsustaining.?Washington
Herald.
RECORD FOR AIRSHIP ASCENT.
Captain Baldwin Rises 3500 Feet in
Practice Flight.
Worcester, Mass., Sept. 9.?In an
endeavor to test the high-flying abili
ties of his airship. Captain Thomas
L. Baldwin today guided the craft to
an altitude of 3500 feet. Count Von
Zeppelin's best record is 3000 feet.
The new world's height record was
established without any premeditated
plan. He had simply set out on a
practice spin around his aerial course
but the turbulent conditions at an
altitude of 1500 feet forced him to
rise higher and higher, until he reach
ed 3500 feet.
Three Blockade Stills Captured.
Mr. J. P. H. Adams passed here
last Saturday on his way home after
doing some work a few miles south
of here during the week. On Thurs
day he took a 50 gallon blockade still
In Johnston near the Harnett line in
the neighborhood of Mr. Ben Adams.
The next was in Harnett near the
Daniel Stewart mill and was a 40 gal
lon still. The third was about half
a mile from Mr. Ben Hudson's place.
At this still they caught Jesse Jer
nigan but failed to catch the second
man who was connected. Mr. A. F.
Surles and his son, Mr. J. C. Surles
helped Mr. Adams to do this work.
Mr. Adams carried to Raleigh with
him an axe which he took from one
of the stills.
Dies at Age of 106.
London, Sept. 11.?Mrs. Hannah
Bursnall of Shilllngton, Grantham,
lied agod 106. She distinctly re
membered Waterloo, and also the i
visit of tho first band of Wesleyans
to her native village, when they were
driven out of the place under a
shower of eggs.
?' . ? ?
i HARD TO "FAKE" RECORDS.
Peary's Story Makes Cook's Look
Good. Opinion of Anthony Fiala,
Noted Arctic Explorer. No White
Man With Either Saw the Pole.
Washington, Sept. 11.?In an Inter
view today Anothony Fiala, the Arc
tic explorer, declared that Dr. Cook
was the first man to reach the North
Pole and that his claims are given
much weight by the subsequent; state
ments of Commander l'eary, that the
conditions he found at the pole were
exactly as those described by Dr.
Cook.
In addition he declared that un
less Dr. Cook is a past master in
the art of using scientific instruments
he could not possibly "fake" observa
tions that would stand any kind of
a scientific test. "Dr. Cook has not
sufficient technical knowledge, 1
think to 'fake' a series of observation
that would pass muster. When Dr.
Nansen returned from the Polar re
gions his figures, when submitted to
experts, proved to be correct, and
when they were carefully figured out
It was found that Dr. Nansen had
gotten one-sixteenth of one degree
closer to the pole than he himself
had thought. When Capt. Cagnl's
figures were examined he was giv
en a mile more than he had figured
himself.
"A scientist can sit back in his
chair and riddle faked figures. If
Cook's figures prove to be what he
thinks they are they cannot be prov
en fakes. His observations will spea
for themselves.
"I think Peary's story substanti
ates Cook's. If Peary had found a
mountain, or land, or life at the
North Pole, Cook might have been
discredited. But he did not; he foun
lust what Cook found. People doubt
ed Cook's fast progress across the
Ice. This is confirmed by Peary's
even faster time.
"Peary says he can discredit Cook,
but there has been nothing in the
statements so far that will discredit
the Brooklyn explorer.
"Cook was stamped as an imposter J
because there was no white man with
him at the pole. Peary's last white ^
companion turned back when he was
150 miles from the pole. And Peary ^
kept on with four Eskimos and his
negro valet, Matt Hansen. While |
there can be no discounting Hansen's
bravery he knows nothing of scientif
ic instruments. So, if Cook's solitary
achievement is to be doubted, what
are we to say of the value of Peary's
statement? (
"Peary returned from the pole much j
faster than Cook. Peary had left sup- ,
ply toasis, Cook had none. ' I
"At first I was skeptical of Cook's (
report of minus 89 degrees Fahren- (
heit. I communicated with Willis L. ^
Moore, Chief of the Weather Bureau (
at Washington, and he told me there (
were official records of 107 degrees ,
below in Siberia." (
Danes Give Cook Honorary Degree.
Copenhagen, Sept. 9.?The degree
of Doctor Honoris Causa was con
ferred upon Dr. Frederick A. Cook
by the University of Copenhagen,
this afternoon, in the presence of
the Crown Prince of Denmark and a
distinguished gathering.
The ceremony took place in the
great hall of the university, in the
presence of a company numbering
1200 persons, including a number of
scientists. When Professor Trop
handed the parchment to Dr. Cook,
the explorer arose to reply, but he
was unable to speak for five min
utes on account of the continued ap
plause.
Dr. Cook's words in referring to
the records he said he would send
the university were: "I can produce
all desirable evidence that I reached
the North Pole."
St. Paul, Minn., Sept. 10.?Fire
destroyed the summer cottage of
Robert A. Walsh at White Bear lake
this morning, and three children of
a family of thirteen were burned to
death.
William Walsh, nine, was terribly
burned in his heroic efforts to save
his little brothers and sisters, six of
whom were sleeping in the second
story of the cottage. He might have
escaped without injury had he not re
mained to help them.
He was finally compelled to Jump
from a second story window.
t L
JULIUS HUDSON IS NOW FREE.
Was Convicted of Murder in the Sec
ond Degree in 1906 and Sentenc
ed to 15 Years In the State's Pris
on?Has Developed Tuberculosis
and Is Not Expected to Live 60
Days.
Governor Kltchin yesterday pardon
ed Julius Hudson, of Johnston coun
ty who was convicted of murder In
liio sooi.r.d degree in that ronnty in
1306 and sentenced to fifteen years
In the State's Prison. The prisoner
was weakened by consumption and
it was not thought he would live
many days, the pardon being granted
conditioned on good behavior.
Governor Kltchln's reasons for ex
ercising clemency in this case are
stated as follows:
"Julius Hudson having killed one
of his nephews, was convicted at
September term, 1906, of Johnston
Superior court of murder in the
second degree, and sentenced to fif
teen years' imprisonment, which was
not then considered a life sentence.
He has served three years with a
good prison record, and until weaken
ed by consumption, was a good labor
er.
"On July 1st, I declined to grant
pardon, but stated that humanity
might later on Justify It.
"There are strong petitions for and
against pardon. The judge is neu
tral, while eight of the jurors and
the solicitor recommend it. The pris
oner is wholly repentant and is bro
ken in spirit and ruined in health,
having contracted or developed tuber
culosis since his imprisonment began.
Since July 1st his physical condi
tion under the ravages of consump
tion has been examined and in the
opinion of the physician to the
State's Prison he cannot live longer
than sixty days, if left in prison. It
is my opinion, that it is improbable,
that living in the open air will per
ceptably prolong his existence. His
brother-in-law, Y. B. Hudson, offers
to take him to his home and look af
ter him. Humanity suggests his re
lease that he may again see his
friends and loving kindred, there
tore with the slightest hope of im
provement in his health. I pardon
lulius Hudson on condition of good
jehavior."?News and Observer 12th.
Vlan Killed by His Own Horse.
Mr. A. Hurt Lowry, of Oneals town
ship, was killed by his horse Tues
lay morning of this week near a
?ailroad crossing hivlf a mile south
>f Selma. He was at Smithfield
Monday to attend court and went to
Selma to spend the night with a
'riend. Next morning as he was re
urning to Smithfield he stopped near
he railroad and got out of his bug
;y to hold his horse while an ex
:ursion train passed. The horse be
?ame so frightened that he Jerked
Vlr. Lowry to the ground and drove
>ne of his feet into his breast caus
ng blood to rush out from his
nouth and nose. The horse got
oose from him and ran into the
woods and tore up the buggy. A
nan was sent to Selma for a physic!
in but Mr. Lowry lived only a few
iilnutes. Nothing could be done for
llm.
He was one of the oldest men ia
:he county and one of our best citi
zens.
Believes He Has Historic Still.
Sheriff Watson, of Cumberland
:ounty, famous for his fearless en
'orcement of the law against whls
cey distillers, has now captured his
list still, having taken another yes
erday afternoon in Pearce's Mill
ownshlp. The moonshiner fled on
he officer's approach, but his faith
'ul dog stood his ground and was
tilled. The operator's book, contain
ng a list of his customers, was found.
Sheriff Watson believes that the cap
>f this still is that of the famous
itlll once owned by Robert Burns, lat
;r brought to this country, and which
vas years ago captured by Sheriff
iVatson and placed in the State mu
leum at Raleigh.?Fayetteville Dls
latch, 9th.
Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 13.?Charles
Mnckney, second baseman on the
)ayton baseball team, who was hit
?n the head with a pitched ball In
'esterday's game with Grand Rapids.
Med in the hospital at noon today,
-lis skull was fractured.
?v . ? ??
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