"re
price One Dollar Per Year "TRUE TO OURSELVES, OUR COUNTRY AND OUR GOD." SlnSl?, Cop... P\v, C?ir?r
VOL. 28. SMITHF1EL1). N. O.. FRU)A Y. NOVEMBER IS), IfiOO. NO. 38
NOW TO CONTROL
WESTERN UNION
BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY
WILL MANAGE WIRES.
Acquisition of the Necessary Stock
and Voting Rights Has Been in
Progress For About Six Months,
the Work Having Been Conducted
Very Quietly?Only a Sufficient
Amount of Stock to Insure Control,
Said to Be Fifty-One Per Cent, is
Purchased?Officers of Bell Com
pany Regard the Step as One of
Economy Solely.
Boston, Nov. 16.?A long stride
toward the complete control by one
corporation of all wire communication
in the United Status was made to
6ay in the acquisition by the Ameri
( in Telephone and Telegraph Co., of
1 9 control of the Western Union
Telegraph Company.
In order to make the absorption
complete, the incorporation of a new
billion dollar company, it ii said,
will be necessary to includ the
$592,475,400 of bonds and stock of
the American Tulophone Company,
known as the Bell company, and the
outstanding $165,000,000 of bonds and
sfock of the Western Union.
The acquisition of tho necessary
stock and voting rights of the West
ern Union by the Bell company has
been in progress for about six
months. The work has been conduct
ed quietly and only a sufficient a
mount to Insure control, said to be
61 per cent, was taken over.
1 De omcers 01 me rjen cuiupau^
regard the step as one of economy
solely. They point out that ever
since the telephone has been a fac
tor in human life, it has had to com
pete with the telegraph. Lines have
been paralleled and there has been
an immense amount of duplication.
The officers of the telephone compa
ny believe that the merger will
save the bell company $".">,000,000 In
new construction while it will also
enable the utilization at the same
time of wires for both telegraphing
and telephoning.
The history of the Western Union
dates back to before the civil war
but the X3e41 company is of com
paratively recent origin. Both com
panies pursued the usual method of
absorbing smaller companies. The
small companies acquired by the
Western Union have been lost in
oblivion.
The telephone system annually
transmits 5,956,800,000 messages
while the Western Union handles 68,
053,000. The telephone system has
8,098,679 miles of wire and the West
ern Union 1,382,509. The total prop
erty value of the telephone company
Is $545,045,600 and that of the West
ern Union $124,086,920.
A HORRIBLE MINE DISASTER.
Hundreds Shut up With No Hope
of Escape.
One of the greatest tragedies in
the list of mine disasters, occurred
at the mine of the St. Paul Coal
Company at Cherry. 111., last Satur
day.
A pile of bog allowed to smoulder too
long set fire to the timbers of the
mine, and before the four hundred
workers, who were in the mine, rea
lized their danger, the mine was fill
ed with smoke, gases and flames.
The greatest heroism was exhibited
by the mine officials and the citi
zens of the little town of Cherry.
Six heroes gave their lives in a futile
effort to save the imprisoned work
ers. The scene around the shaft was
heart-rending. The shrieks of the
women could be heard throughout tht
town officials hastily improvised hos
busy caring for hysterical relatives ol
those imprisoned in the mine. The
town officials hastily improved hos
pitals and secured nurses and p*>yrV
cians to care for any who tr' t ? ?
taken from th.- mine. J? :u prep
arations were nr :es.?, only bodies
of the dead were taken from the
mine.
Last Friday evening. Miss Mattie
Tart ,a young lady about 17 years
old, who lived near Dunn, committed
-ulcide by shooting herself. Sh?
le.'t s* rote saying she was tired tl
life.
GREAT DAY IN GREENVILLE.
i
Robert H. Wright Inaugurated Presi
dent of East Carolina Teachers'
Training Shcool. Able Address by
?Col. J. Bryan Grimes.
i
The greatest day in the annals of
Pitt county, and one of the most im
portant events in the history of Eas
tern North Carolina, was celebrated
at Greenville last Friday when the
East Carolina Teachers' Training
School had its formal opening and
President Robert H. Wright was in
augurated.
Greenville was profusely decorated
in the colors of the new college?
old gold and royal purple. Pendants
and streamers hung from every build
ing from the depot to the college, a
half mile distance.. The automobiles
and carriages which conveyed the
guests to the college were also gaily
decorated. Greenville virtually gave !
1 over the keys of the city to her
;uests, and entertained them royally..
The vast audience assembled for
ihe inauguration exercises in the
; spaciou ; ooUogo auditorium at eleven
o'clock, with State Superintendent
Joyner presiding. The doxology was
| sung by over a thousand voices fol
I low. d by a prayer by Rev. J. H.
I Shore, pastor of the Methodist church
at Greenville. He delivered an in
spiring invocation, praising the Al
mighty for the capacity to feel, think,
act like God and to be like God, and
thanking him for a revolution in the
educational interests of the state.
The audience repeated the Lord's
prayer.
I Mr. *. c. Harding welcomed tne;
visitors in behalf of the city of Green
ville while Col. F. G. James welcom
ed the people to Pitt county.
County Superintendent, W. H. Rags
dale, who is ? also a member of the
faculty of the new school, spoke
greetings from the faculty. Superin
tendent JoyVier then made a short
address after which he read telegram
from Dr. B. F. Dixon, State Auditor,
and Gov. Kitchin. Dr. Dixon had
missed his train, while Gov. Kitchin [
was kept away on account of illness.
After joining heartily in the singing j
of the state anthem, "Carolina," the i
audience listened to an able address
from Secretary of State, J. Bryan
Grimes.
The inaugural address by Presi
dent Wright was scholarly and mas
terful. He was given the profound
est attention as he stated his ideals
for the great institution of which he
is the head.
Following this elegant speech, the
audience again joined in singing A
merica, after which representatives of
sister institutions greeted the East
Carolina Teachers' Training School.
The first word of greeting was from |
the State University represented by i
Prof. M. C. S. Noble, followed by
Dr. D. H. Hill, of the A. and M. Col
lege. President James I. Foust
brought greetings from the State
Normal and Industrial College, while
Wake Forest College was represent
ed by Prof. J. B. Carlyle. President, |
F. P. Hobgood, of Oxford Female j
Seminary, and Dr. E. McK. Goodwin,
of the State School for the Deaf and ,
Dumb, represented those schools.
After a few well chosen words of ,
congratulation to the people of Green
ville by Superintendent Joyner, the
exercises were concluded with the
! benediction, pronounced by Rev. Mr.
' Shore.
ORDERS 10,000 NEW CARS.
Big Order for Equipment for the
Pennsylvania Railroad.
Pennsylvania, N'.v. 16.?By orders
placed here t the Pennsylvania
Railroad wi' r. . 10,000 freight cars
. to its rollir' ock. For the Eastern
. lines ot company 3,500 hoppc r
' gondola c il cars and 500 steel un
fier-fran:- flat cars were ordered from
the Pressed Steel Car Company, and
O00 hopper gondola coal cars from
Standard Steel Car Company,
the lines west of Pittsburg 2,500
a 1 coke cars, 1,500 gondola cars
i 500 bo* cars were ordered from
Pressed Steel Car Company, and
".'0 box cars from the Ralston C.tel
i t Company.
These orders are in addition to the
or 'ors *r,r *v tegular replacements
the 1'09 an" schedules, for
cars had already been
ordered since the first of the year.
RENDER THANKS
UNTO THE EORD
THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION
BY GOVERNOR KITCH IN.
A Day of Thanksgiving " For the
Good We Have Received and the
Evil we Have Escaped"?"Contrib
ute to the Relief of the Poor and
the Needy, the Afflicted and the
Distressed, the Widow and the
Orphan."
Governor Kitchin Wednesday is
sued a Thanksgiving proclamation
to the people of North Carolina, fol
lowing closely upon that written by
the President of the United States.
It reads:
"I, William W. Kitchin, Governor
of the State of North Carolina, do
hereby appoint Thursday, the 2oth
day of November, 1909, a day of
thanksgiving to Almighty Cod for
the good we have recti* J-ami the
evil we have escaped.
"A great and prosperous people to
be happy must be grateful and chari
table. Therefore, let the people
throughout tie Stat;> assemble on
that day in their accustomed places
of worship and render thanks unto
the Lord for his manifold blessings;
and let them contribute to the relief
of the poor and the. needy, the af
flicted and the distressed, the widow
and the orphan.
"In witness whereof. I have here
unto set my hand and caused the
Great Seal of tlie State to be affixed.
"Done in the City of Raleigh this,
the 17th day of November, in the
year of our Lord one thousand nine
hundred and nine, and of the Ameri
can Independence the one hundred
and thirty-fourth.
"W. W. KITCIIIN.
"By the Governor:
"ALEX J. FE1LD,
"Private Secretary."
SHIP SINKS AND 101 DROWN.
Sharks Hamper work of Rescuers
After Collision Near Singapore.
Singapore, Nov. 14.?One hundred
and one lives were lost early this
morning when the mail steamer Seyne
of the Messagaries Maritimes service
running between Java and Singapore,
anu on her way to this port, was in
collision with the steamer Onda of
the British-India line and sank with
in two minutes. Seven European
passengers, including Baron and Ba
roness Beniczky, the Captain of the
Seyne, five European officers and
eighty-eight others, comprising native
passengers and members of the crew,
were drowned.
The accident occurred about 4
o'clock in a thick haze. The vessels
were steaming at good sped and the
Seyne was cut almost in half. The
majority of those ou board were
caught in their berths :>nd carried
down with the vessel. i>o sudden
was the catastrophe that there was
no time for a panic or for any at
tempt on the part of the officers of
the foundering steamer lo get out
the boats.
The force of the collision brought
the Onda to almost a desid stop, and
her engines were at once slowed and
boats lowered. Rescue work proved
difficult, for not only w< re the res
cuing parties impeded by the dark
ness, but shoals of sharks were al
ready attacking those clinging to
pieces of wreckage in the water.
Sixty-one survivors wer finally
dragged into the boats and brought
by the Onda to this port. Many of
them had been bitten by sharks and
several are severaly injured.
Killed in a Boiler Explosion.
Spring Hope, Nov. 16.?There was
a fearful accident one mile from
Nashville at the sawmill of William
Sellers today when a boiler explod
ed instantly killing his son, John
Sellers, a young man of 18 years.
W. ** T<inzle, of Salisbury,
has '.U>u upon ' Interested citi
zens of Rowan co " to meet at
Salisbury to-morrow the purpose
of organizing a socle., to aid thf
North Carolina Assoti.vion In fisht
ing the White Plagu: 1 this state.
ENGLISH DIPLOMAT i
MUCH IMPRESSED
AMBASSADOR BRYCE STRUCK BY
I
CAROLINA'S PROGRESS.
After Visit to State Says He is More
Hopeful as to Future and Empha- i
sizes His Appreciation of Hearty
Welcome Given Him and of the
Value of State Literary and His
torical Association.
Secretary-Treasurer Clarence H.
j Poe, of the State Literary and Ills- j
I torieal Assoc iation, has received an
enthusiastic letter from Ambassador,
Bryee concerning his recent visit |
hero and the evidences of progress
ha saw.
"it was a j rout pleasure to me," ?
he hr.ys, ";o l> in North Carolina
and to have mcli an extremely hear-;
ty welcome ?s you and your frigid:
in Italelgh gavi me. The weleomt
was ; lea'.eii el v.htiM < -pectally at I
the I lliVi r. I . 1 ill.* collides I
vlbiit'il. 1 came in k gri atly strucl.
by the iinr r ts in every direction,
which your State i3 making and i
mor ? hopeful regarding the .future
: than 1 had been for a long time."
As to the c!i< i k sent by the asso- ;
j elation for his trip and address, Am-1
I bassador Ilryee declares, "The pleas
ure to btgin in and getting to know
i North Carolina was huffielent induce
; ment and has been suffieieut satis
j faction."?News and Observer,
j
SIX MEN GIVEN JAIL TERMS.
Sentences Imposed by United States
Supreme Court for Contempt Upon
Sheriff Shipp and Deputies.
%
Washington, Nov 15.?For the firsi
j time in American liUtory six men arc
; in prison tonight for contempt of
| the Supreme Court of tho United
j States. For the first time, too, the j
Federal government has -placed men
? behind the bars as an outcome of tlu
i lynching of a negro.
At tin United States Jail, in this
city Captain Joseph F. Shipp, for-1
mer sheriff at Chattanooga, Tenn.; j
Jeremiah Gibson, his j.iler, and Lu
ther Williams, Nick Nolan, Henry
| l'adgett and William Mayes, of the
I same city, this afternoon began serv
ing terms of imprisonment imposed
a few hours before by the Supreme i
Court of the United States.
Shipp and Gibson had been found
I guilty of failing to protect from a
mob Ed Johnson, whose legal execu
tion for rape had been stayed by
the Supreme Court until it could re
view the case. The others had been
found guilty of participating in the
t lynching of a Federal prisoner. Shipp,
| Williams and Nolan were given sen
tence of 90 days imprisonment each,
while Gibson, Padgett and Mayes re
ceived 60 days.
As the big barred doors of the Jail
swung open to receive the prison
ers this afternoon immediately after
i sentence had been imposed, Warden
McKee * ood b? fore them.
"At last we're in the hands of a
soldier," exclaimed Captain Shipp.
who had been in many a fight for
the Confederacy a! he espied a G.
A. R. button in the lapel of Warden
; McKee's coat. Then turning to his
five fellow prisoners, he said: "Hoys,
it will be all right."
, Warden McKee has inaugurated
methods of punishment at the Jail
as humanitarian as the various class
es of prisoners will allow, and he was
prepared for the reception of the six
men from Tennessee.
ABLE ADDRESS ON CHILD STUDY
Winston-Salem, Nov. 12.?The feat
ure of the meeting of the State Pri
mary Teachers' Association this
morning was the magnificent address
on the subject, "Child Study," by
Mrs. Ira T. Turlington, of Smithfield.
This address made such an impres
sion that the body decided to have
It printed in pamphlet form to
distributed to the teachers who were
not able to be present and a com
mittee consisting r.J Misses Koyster
and Womble, of Raleigh, with the
? president, v i appointed to have
. the worl- -'one. The paper dealt
? with cli. .y, giving many prac
' tlcal hlcu along this l'nc, and was
a rav'- jj 01 its kind.?News and
I Observer.
i
THE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION.
Splendid Session Held Last Week
At Bethesda Church. Old Officers
Re-Elected. Next Session at White
Oak.
The seventh annual session of the
Johnston County Baptist Association
was held with the Bethesda church,
beginning last Thursday and conclud
ing Sunday.
The session began Thursday morn
ing at 11 o'clock, with the introduc
tory sermon by Rev. A. A. Pippin,
of Wakefield, who used as a text
the words from Nehcmiah, "I am
doing a great work." It was a strong
and helpful sermon, and appealed to
all those who heard it.
iiie following officers were re-elect
ed for the ensuing year:
Moderator, It. II. Uower; Vlce-Mod
erator, A. A. l'ippln; Clerk, T. J.
Lassiter; Treasurer, Will H. Lassi
ter; Auditor, J. D. Underwood; His
torian, R. W. Hi rrell.
Among those from outside of the
Association who were present, we
note the following: Rev. Livingston
Johnson, Corresponding Secretary of
the Baptist State Conw ntion; Mr. E.
L. Middletou, Sunday School Secre
tary of the Baptist State Convention;
R v. I. M. Mercer, I>. I)., pastor of
First ltaptist Church of Rocky Mount
Rev. T. H. King, pastor of the Baptis
church at Wlnterville; Rev. J. F.
Murry, of Swansboro; Mr. Archibald
Johnson, Editor of Charity and Chil
dren; Rev. J. S. Farmer, Business
Manager of the Biblical Recorder;
and others.
All of the thirty-nine churches com
prising the Association were repre
sented either by delegate or letter,
save one. Two new churches were
received Into the l?ody?Plncknej
Chapel and Bailey.
The next session of the Associa
tion will be held with White Oak
church at Archi r Lodge, beginning
Wednesday after the first Sunday in
November, 1910. Kev. T. B. Justice,
of Benson, was appointed to preach
the introductory sermon.
One of the features of the session
was the presentation to the associa
tion of Plest .nit Grove church, with
seats, organ, and one acre of land,
by Mr J. M. Beaty, who had pur
chased it from the Christian Confer
ence.
Among those who made speeches of
special interest, we note the follow
ing: Rev. Livingston Johnson, on
State Missions; Mr. E. L. Middleton,
on Education and Sunday Schools;
Mr. Archibald Johnson and Mr. J. T.
Holt, on the Orphanage work; Rev.
T. B. Justice and Rev. R. W. Ilor
rell on Education; Rev. A. A. Pippin,
on Foreign Missions; Rev. W. C.
Royal, on Home Missions; Rev. J.
W. Nobles on Woman's Work; Rev.
N. H. Gibbs on Ministerial Relief,
Rev. J. S. Farmer on Periodicals.
There are others who took part in
the discussions, but we have not
I space to mention them in detail.
This meeting of the Association
was considered a very successful one
from every standpoint. The people
! of the Bethesda section entertained
the delegates and visitors royally,
showing their unbounded hospitality.
The Cullom School of Music of Ral
eigh also received praise for the ex
cellent music rendered during the ses
tions.
DIES ON 100th BIRTHDAY.
Will Power Keeps Old Man Alive
Through Celebration.
Richmond, Ind., Nov. 16.?At a
; big celebration in honor of tho one
j hundredth anniversary of his birth,
John Fletcher Medaris, of Greens
Fork, Ind., died today. Medaris all
but collapsed earlier in the day, but
by grim determination lived until
tho birthday party was over. The
entire population Greens Fork
turned out to h<v < r Mr. Medaris.
Medaris had been a citizen of Wayn
countv nr ") years. His father
- in North Carolina, and when
i he was 20 years old he started with
his mother and several brothers and
sisters overland for Indiana. Until
i i'lght years ago, when ho went to
make his home with his daughter in
Greens Fork, his entire life had been
spent on a farm.
Saturday night, Mrs. J. D. Hardin
of Wilson, died of Pellagra, after at
11' -? of over viz .nontbs.
I
ATLANTIC COAST
LINE TO BUILD
BIG IMPROVEMENTS AUTHORIZ
ED BY STOCKHOLDERS.
Provision Made for Double-tracking
1,500 Miles of the Main Line of
The Road From Richmond South
and Erection of Shops and New
Terminals?Issue of $200,000,009
i In Gold Bonds.
Richmond, V'n., Nov. 16.?The an
nual meeting of the stockholders of
tlio Atlantic Coast Line Railway was
held this afternoon at the offices of
the company in this city, at which
tyne provision was made for double
tracking 1,000 miles of the main line
from Richmond south. The improve
; ment, which is designed to make the
Coast Line the great trunk road of
the Atlnntl ' S* aboard, is to be pro
vided for through an i le of $200,
000,000 in i id bond:., whi ii will not
only pay for the double-trai king, but
for the cr :ti> :i of shop:; and new
terminate a \v- 11 as to caro for pres
i ent outstanding ind .iti'dneis of the
company. The issue will provide for
4 er cepnt. interest, payable mi-an*
! nually in gold, either American, Eng
| lish, French or German, which indi
cates a possibility of finding a for
I eign market for the securities. Cer
tificate holders are given 00 days
in which to subscribe to the new
bonds.
j ?siae irom tnis bond i ne the
stockholders approved the issue of
$23,562,500 preferred stork and oth
er bonds of the company, convertible
into common stock and good until
jl016, and to secure the ond ibssuo
of 1902. The funds provided by the
sale of tl\e blanket mortgage will be
utilized in taking up outstanding in
debtedness and in providing capital
for additional equipment and improve'
ments. These bonds will be issued
as soon as the general mortgage can
be drawn, and will bear interest at
4 per cent. To make the debenture
bonds attractive they will be ex
changed for common stock after the
first of the year at 135, the present
[ value of the stock. This, it is an
nounced, will make the debenture
certificates of greater value since,
as bonds, they can never draw in
? terest at more than 4 per cent.,
. while the common stock of the road
I is fully established upon a 6 per
I cent, basis.
^ CARNEGIE WIL HELP SOUTH.
! Iron King Will Give $1,000,000 to
Fight Pellagra.
New York, Nov. 15.?An Intima
tion has come to the national health
officials at Washington that Andrew
Carnegie is about to give an enor
mous sum for a campaign of eradi
cation against pellagra, the mystery
"Lombardy leprosy" which has ap
peared recently in Louisiana, Alaba
ma and Mississippi and frightened
the entire south.
While there has been no definite
announcement, it is said Mr. Carne
gie's contribution will equal the $1,
000,000 which John D. Rockefeller
has given for the eradication of the
hookworm in the south. The spread
of pellagra is said to be equally as
great as that of the hookworm and
the danger to the section affected
even greater.
Mr. Carnegie is known to have long
been interested in the problem of
the south. He has an estate on the
Florida coast where he usually spends
part of the winter, and through these
visits is thoroughly in touch with the
section afflicted by the mysterious
diseat" whi;j. believed to be caus
ed by <v t damaged corn.
BABY KILLS TWO rTHER".
Four-year-old Ruth Butler Responsi
ble for Two Deaths.
Charlotte, Mich., Nov. 16.?For the
second time little Ruth Ilutler, four
years old. is responsible for the death
i of a little sister. Sometime ago sho
pushed a baby sister oft the bed
i and the infant strangled to death.
This mornl*"' a 15-day-old baby died
fraii the effects of chloroform ptoy
, fully administered by Ruth, who had
i seen the mother use the drug to
| stop ach'ng teeth.