North Carolina Newspapers

?K m itljfif 11> flefali). Pric* On. Ooll.r Per Vw "TRUE TO OURSELVES, OUR COUNTRY AND OUR OOO." 9,^,. Cop,? Cent< VOL. 28 SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1910 Number 50 TAIL OF COMET MAY REACH US. French Astronomers Ditcuu the Ef fect If it l? Composed of Poleonou* Gatas. Not Much Alarm Shown But, Phyalologiet Says, If the Gaa Entered Our Lung* Prtiaeic AcJd Would be Generated With Fatal Effect. A special correspondent WTttlng to The New York Times from Paris ' says: The possibility of disaster befalling the earth and its Inhabitants through the extraordinary proximity of Hal ley's comet in April Is seriously! discussed by French astronomers. ! Although none of them admits that there is really any cause of appre I hension, nearly all are in doubt as to whether the comet's gaseous tail may not come in contact with the earth's atmosphere. The question, then, of very great importance is whether the tail con slsts of poisonous gases. The theory is general that one of Its constitu ents is cyanide of potassium in gas eous form. I)r. Guillauine Digourdan of the Academy of Sciences says: "The comet's atmosphere may tou<l that of the earth, but people will not be roubled thereby any more ? than they were when the comet was | near the earth in 1819, and in 1861." j Edouard Baillaud, director of the Paris Observatory, says: "The eases which form the tail of | the comet are so rarified and extend j over such immense distances that it j is probable that the shock by j the two atmospheres coming together ! would damage the comet more than I the earth." Henri Deslandres, the director of the observatory at Meudon, declares: "The spectroscope has proved the existence of enormous quantities of cyanogenic gas in the tail of the comet. I don't think, however, that the contact of the comet with the earth's atmosphere would be dan-: gerous. In the eighteenth century the earth was swept by the tails of comets. The world was greatly afraid, but no cataclysm occurred. More recently, on July 19, 1886, a comet almost touched the surface of Jupiter, but no pertubation seems to have taken place on that planet. "There will, no doubt, be electrical and magnetic changes in the terres trial atmosphere." Dr. Dastre, the noted physiologist and a member of the institute, on the other hand says: "Even a feeble proportion of cy anogene mixed wr.h air would be transformed into prusnic add the moment it entered our lungs and have a deadly effect." Prof. Haller confirmt/l Dr. Dastre l opinion. LOOK OUT FOR METEORS. Earth Will be Bombarded When Tail of Comet Rakes Us. lioston, Feb. 5.?That on or about May 19, of this year, the earth will probably be bombarded with mttoura from the tail of the famous limes comet, which is now tearing through space at a terrific rate and is headed ed in our direction, is the predic tion made today by Prof. Kdward C. Pickering of Harvard. "The earth is due to pass through the tail of the comet on May 19th." said Prof. Pickering, "and at that time the earth will probably be pelt ed with flying meteors as it has been several other times when comets have approached." Prof. Pickering does not believe that the meteors which fell in Illi nois were parts of the comet's tail. I attach no significance to these . meteors which fell at Peoria." he said. "The tail of the comet is now | many million miles away from the earth, and t*e fact that the tail is turned away from the earth dis credits any belief that these meteors were parts of it." Embroidery Club Meets. The Kmbroidery Club met with Mrs. L. E. Watson on Thursday of last week and spent a very pleasant afternoon. The threatening weather prevented a very large attendance but did not chill the geniality of those who did go. Delicate and de licious refreshments were served dur ing the afternoon GENERAL NEWS. Wireless telegraphy saved lb? lives of tin* captain and crew ot the steam er Kentucky Friday. The ship's sis rial of distress was picked up at Cape Hatters Friday morning, and in a few minutes the steamship Ala mo's reply was heard. The Alamo reached the Kentucky before 5 o'clock In the afternoon, and took off the forty-seven men on b'<uid. The Kentucky was sinking rapidly, and was expected to go to the bottom be fore midnight. A receiver was appointed in New Jersey last week for the Mexican National Packing Company. The total liabilities, including stock, are approximately $37,000,000. Representative William C. Lover ing, of Massachusetts, died at his home in Washington at 'J:20 o'clock Friday morning, aged 'i 5 years. Mrs Elizabeth O'Neil, seventy-one, who has lived alone for thirty years, froze to death Monday night in her bed in her home at Miami, Ohio. Twenty-six manufacturing firms of the Paper Board Association, indic ted by the Federal grand jury in December last as members of an ille gal combination in restraint of trade, took the easiest legal course Monday and entered a plea of guilty as an association in the United States Cir cuit, Court. Fines of $2,000 each? $52,000 in all?were immediately im posed and in all except one case were paid in cash. Memories of the war between the sections were revived Monday when Senator Heyburn, of Idaho, in a speech in the Senate bitterly op posed a loan of tents by the Gov ernment for use at the annual en campment of Confederate veterans at Mobile, Ala., next April. Inciden tally the ""enator strongly condemn ed the acceptance by Congress ot a statue of Robert E. Lee as a con tribution by the State of Virginia for statuary hall. At the conclusion of Mr Heyburn's remarks, Senator Hank head of Alabama, called for a vote, every Republican present except Mr. Heyburn voting for the bill au thorizing the loan of tents. Board of County Commissioners. The Board of Comity Com niseioa ers met in regular .session in th'j Superior Court Room Monday with all the members of the board present. Several petitions for special elections were filed with the 'joard, {-jr.ttUer with several petitions for tile estab lishment of new roads in ch? county. One of the most importan questions to come before the board was that of putting Automatic Gates on cer tain rural routes, which was caused by an order from the po3? office de partment that these Automatic Gates must be put up on the road cover ed by the rural route or it would bi discontinued. This question of put ting up gates is one of no little mo ment. Only a few years a^o the county commissioners had erected on the most frequently travelled roads twenty-five automatic gates, at a cost of nearly $1,000.00 and to-day there is only three or four in work ing condition. It is claimed that hea vily loaded wagons break the mechan ism that causes the gates to open automatically. If thl3 is true it Is the duty of those driving the hea vily loaded wagons to open the gates without running over any part of the mechanism. No honest citizen in the county wishes to see the rural routes discontinued, but the county cannot afford to keep up these gates unless they are taken better care of in the future than they have been In the past. Switches From Wet to Dry. Indianapolis, Feb. 8.?Wayne Coun ty, the first In the State to vote "wet" under the local option law, nominated a "dry candidate for the legislature over Walter S. Ratcllff, who voted for the repeal of the lo cal option law. Lee J. Reynolds, the "dry" candidate, won over Ratcllff by a majority of 1.400. The nomina tion pledges the Republican party of Wayne County to make the fight for local option. Miss Dabhlne Williams, of Clayton, spent Saturday here the guest of Mrs J M. Beaty Mr. A. M Noble went to Micro Wednesday FOUR OAKS SCHOOL CLOSE. Exercise* to Take Place Next Thurs day night, Friday and Friday night. State Auditor Dixon to Deliver Educational Address. Junior Order to Present Flag and Bible. The Four Oaks Graded School will have its closing exercises next week, beginning Thursday night. with songs, recitations, dialogues and a | play, entitled "That Rascal Pat." Friday morning at 10:30 the ex ercises will begin with a song after which the Junior Order of Smith field will present a Bible and Flag to the school, the presentation speech es being made by Mr. L. H. Allred, of Selma, and Mr. A. M. Noble, of Smithfield. These will be received by Rev. Mr. Sutton ,of Four Oaks, aud Mr. O. A. Barbour, of Benson. Immediately after dinner. Rev. R. P. Ellington, of Smithfield. will de liver an address on tlie Objects of ! the Junior Order. "The Four Oaks School" will be the subject of an address by Supt. 1 J. P. Canaday, who will introduce Hon. B. F. Dixon, State Auditor, who will deliver the educational ad ! dress. The exercises will close Friday night with a nice program of recita tions, songs, plays, etc. Music will be furnished by the Kenly Band. TEACHERS* PAY RAISED. Chicago Distributes Increase of $240, 000 According to Years of Service. Chicago, Jan. 27.?Ail advance in the salaries of public school teach ers in Chicago was voted by the Board of Education yesterday. The increase which is in effect from Jan uary 1, 1910, will mean the disburse ment of $240,000 a year more for salaries than last year among the I 6,000 teachers. j Upon the ground that a teacher is I better qualified after several years of service, Supt. Mrs. Ella Flagg Young has distributed the increase so that the larger part falls to the share of those who have taught more than seven years. Primary teach ers from the third to seventh and i subsequent years of service will re | ceive an advance of from $25 to $40. Eighth grade teachers will re ceive $50, beginning with their first year of service. Seventeen High School Principals will receive an advance of $100. The present maximum of $3,200 is increas ed to $3,800. No increase is arrang ed for the first six years of ser vice among High School Principals. The lowest salary is $650, paid to teachers for their first year's work in the primary grades. The medical supply department of ? he United States army w^ burned in New York, last week the loss be | ing nearly $1,000,000. Free Seeds from Government. We are in receipt of the follow | ing from the Private Secretary to i Congressman E. W. Pou, w hich will no doubt interest many of our far rner friends: "I will thank you to insert In this week's Issue of your valued paper and continue for a week or two to make mention of the fact that Congressman i'ou will be glad to send vegetable seeds first of all to those persons In his district who really have need of them. Any person In the district! who cares to receive seeds and will take the trouble to drop Mr. Pou a card will receive an extra allot ment of Government seeds. After | special requests are filled Mr. Pou will then distribute generally the re mainder of the seeds allotted to bis district. "You might also make mention of the fact that the seeds to be dis tributed this year are of the most improved variety and were gathered from last year's crop." The United States Senate has pass ed the urgent deficiency and the army bills carrying a combined ap propriation of $102,000,000. The pos . tal savings bank bill was discussed at length. A bill exempting certifi cated of Indebtedness and requiring ' the payment of the principal of Pan :tma Canal bonds, previously passed by the House, was acted upon favor ably. I AN ORCHARD DEMONSTRATION. Will be Held Friday, February 18, At the Farm of Mr. J. M. McLamb Near Beneon, by an Agent of the N. C. Department of Agriculture. We had a pleasant call Tuesday from Mr. S. C. Clapp, Orchard In spector of the North Carolina De partment of Agriculture, of Raleigh. Mr. Clapp informed us that he will hold an Orchard Demonstration, un der the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, at the orchard of Mr. J. M. McLamb, one mile west of Benson, on Friday, February 18, at ? 10 o'clock, a. m. The object of 'his meeting is to show how to prepare and apply the home made Lime Sulphur Mixture for the treatment of fruit trees of any kind that may be infested with the San Jose Scale, and to discuss prun ing. and spraying for various Insects and diseases of fruit trees. Not on ly are commercial fruit growers in vited to attend the demonstration, but also any who may have a limit ed number of trees for domestic pur poses will bo welcomed. KENLY NEWS. Mrs. Dora Gilbr?ath went to Smith field Saturday. Mrs. Mary Chase is spending this week at (ioldsboro. Mrs. John O. High left to-day for Middlesex. ?Mr. Charlie Pierce, of SniHhflel'l, was In town today. W? oi>- always glad to see Charlie. Mr. Stigma Lewis, of Middlesex, stopped with his aunt. Mr*, .loltn 0. High Saturday. Mrs. Millard Hales, of VVendi II, bits been spending ,i few days with her sister. Mrs. W. r llalley. Miss Katie Woodall, of -' iilthfieid, spent Sund tv v. (it lr r sisti r, Mr#. Oscar Ayco< k. Prof. S. (1. .'oUii.ns s p< i)t Friday and Saturday lit ?.oM.;l>oi i Mr. George Sasser and wife, of The Wells Grocery Co.. Wilson, is spending a few days with Mrs. Wi ley Howell. Miss Lela Dees, of near Princeton, and Miss Woodard. of the Pine Le vel section, spent Saturday and Sun day with Miss Woodani's sister, Mrs. Alvin Hodge. Messrs. J. C. Casper & Bro., have bought out the Kenly Grocery Co., and consolidated it with their mar ket and are doing business at the store of the Kenly Grocery Co. We are sorry to note among our sick Mr. R. A. Hales' child and Mrs. J. C. Grady, who are very sick. Rev. T. H. Spence filled his regu lar appointments at the Presbyterian church Sunday A joint debate between the young ladies and gentleman of the High [ School will take place Friday even ing. Subject: Resolved, That Men of Thought are Doing More for our I Country that Men of Action. The public is invited. Plans have about been completed to have a public debate here Faster Monday between our High School and Benson High School. There will be a meeting of the Sunday School teachers of the differ cnt Sunday Schools Thursday even ing at Mrs. H. T. Renfrow's. Our new policeman, Mr. Jesse Jones, made a raid on the blind ti gers last Saturday evening, the re sults of which Gray Atkinson, color- ( ed, Is under bond for his appearance in court next Saturday morning and the chances bid fair for him to have the answer in a higher court and do service on our county roads. Thieves entered the houses of j Mr. Jim Davis and Mr. J. S. Standi.! one night last week, taking about ' $00.00 from Mr. Standi. A strong clue was discovered and one Jim Hlnnant, colored, made tracks and is wanted here now Kenly, Feb 9th. REPORTER. , Senator John W. Daniel has been returned to Washington by the State of Virginia, for the fifth term of si* years each. His new term will begin on March 4th, 1911. His re-; I election was without opposition, if I we do not count the complimentary vote by the Republicans for Mr. j Slemp. Senator Daniel is representa- ( tivo of all that Is good In the old time statesmanship, and in him V'ir ' ginia has a man who is worthy of | all the honors his State can heap [upon him Charlotte Chronicle. CLAYTON NEWS NOTES. Mr. Matthew W. Wall, of Selma, spent Sunday with relative* and friends here. Miss Swannanoa Home spent Tues day in the Capitol city shopping;. . Messrs. W. L. Standi and Luther ' M. Barnes spent Sunday with rela tives at their ?ld home at Archer. Mrs. T. A. Hranham, of Raleigh, I was here Sunday, the guest of her sister, Mrs. John I. Barnes.. Mr. Charlte Gulley, of Durham, was in town Saturday to the delight of his many friends. Rev. George B. Starling returned Monday from Mt. Zlon where he con ducted services Sunday. Representative Walter Myatt was in town Tuesday on business. Messrs. J. G. Barbour & Son have (begun the erection of three hand some brick stores on Main Street next to the Clayton Buggy "and Fur niture Co. Mr. George W. Ellis, one | of the best contractors In Kastern I Carolina, and our townsman, has the ! contract for the work and Is pushing it rapidly on. Messrs. York & Cobb, of Green ville, N. C... who have contracted to build the Pythian Orphanage at this place have commenced active oper ations. They have a full corps of men at work and the material is coming in every day in car load lots. They promise to have the build ing ready for occupancy by the 15th of June, 1910. Mr. R. H. Gower Is completing his new store In West Clayton. The carpenters are giving It the finish ing touches and will have it ready for the West Clayton Grocery Co., in a few days. We understand that Is the firm name of the new business that will be conducted htere. Mr. R. 1). Knott, of Knightsdale. was here Monday buying material for a new residence which he 1% erecting <<t that pla ?('.? We are reliably informed that the Southern Railway Co , contemplates building a new passenger station at this place in the near future. Thts move will meet with the hearty ap probation of every citizen of our town as well as the tiave'inj; public. The present one is very small and uncomfortable In many ways and we hope that the Railroad Co., begin this work at no distant da/. We are Informed that Mr. Will Weathers will begin a new residence in a few days. Clayton, February 9th. S L. \V. WEDS HIS FORMER PUPIL Schoolmaster is 78 Years Old Now And Schoolgirl 70. Utica, N. Y., Feb. 5.?It became known at Illon to-day that Walter Green, a contractor and builder who has been a resident of Ilion for more than fifty years, and Miss Maria Weatphall of Richfield Springs, were married at Richfield Springs on Thursday. The groom is 78 and his bride is 70. The ceremony was performed at the home of Miss Purchase, where tho bride lived. Years ago, in his early twenties, Mr. Green was a school teacher, and one of his pupils was Maria Westphall. Nice Dividend Declared. The stockholders of tho Banner Warehouse held their annual meeting in The Herald office Tuesday after noon and elected tho following of ficers for the ensuing year: President?T. J. Lasslter. Vice-President?W. M. Sanders. Secretary Treasurer?Z. L. Leinay. Board of Directors?James A. Wel lons, \V. L. Woodall and J. H. Pou. Tho By-Laws were changed so that the annual meeting will be held here after on the second Tuesday in Jan uary. An annual dividend of nine per cent was declared and the Secretary-Treas urer was Instructed to pay tho same at once. From its organization this company has been successful, having had no trouble In renting the house at a fair rental each year, Capt. H. I<. Skinner has been a member of the firm renting this house each year since It was built and the success of the Smlthfleld tobacco market is due to a very large measure to his untiring efforts. COMET TO LOOK LIKE BALLOON. Scientists Say It Is a Million Times Larger Than the Earth, and, In stead of Affecting This Planet's Orbit, Will bo Affected by Us. Chicago, Feb. 5.?Pro/. Bdwin B Frost, director of the Yerkes Obser vatory at Williams lSay, Wis . said to-day: "Halley's comet, on which all eyes in the astronomical world arr now centered, is about 1,000,000 as big as the earth. Yet. although the earth's gravity may change the orbit of the comet, the earth's path through the sky will be unaffected by the ap proaching proximity of the two bod ies." This supplements information con tained in a"circular respecting ob servation of Halley's comet. 1910," which has just been issued lo the Astronomical and Astrophysii al So ciety of America. The circular Days that au expedition to observe and photograph Halley's comet from the Hawaiian Islands is to be s< lit out by the society and sets forth that "In view of possible large pertur bations arising from tho close ap proach of the comet to Venu s oil May 1, and to the earth on Way 16. meridian observations are especially desired during the period in which the comet is sufficiently bright for that purpose." "What aro these possible law per turbations?" Prof. Frost was asked. "That merely means," was the re ply, "that on those dates the comet will be near enough the planets men tioned to be affected by their at traction." "Will that affect their orbits?" "It won't affect the orbit of Venus or of the earth, but It is likely to affect the comet's orbit. That . is one reason why we want to net me ridian observations, which will show almost exactly these orbital changes "There will be an interesting spec tacle, by the way, on May 1. when the comet Is near to Venus The planet and the comet will practically be the same distance from the earth and every one will be able to see their relative size." "The comet's bulk exceeds that of Venus about 1.000,000 times. It Is. not solid matter, however. It is gaseous, and its mass is compara tively slight. Therefore, its attrac tion will not affect the planet's, while the solid heavy planets are likely to affect it a good deal. The earth and Venus are about the same size, so that the earth, too, Is about one* millionth the size of the comet." Frederick Ellerman of the Solar j Observatory at Pasadena, Cal.. will head the Hawaiian expedition. A DARK CHAPTER IN WATAUGA. Mart, Who Killed His Brother, Dies In Jail Without a Relative To Stand By Him In The Dark Hour. Columbus Triplett died here behind prison bars on th<? eicnine of th< 14th Inst., after days of Indesu nbaMe anguish. This was the last scene in the fearful tragedy zegun by the two Triplett brothers or< (.'hristnas, day, in which Lum Triplett s'.ib'ed and almost Instant!'/ l-.ic er. Marshall Triplo-*.. After b inv; ! badly beaten by a tu-iiht'v, was brought to town, a pitiable < t. and lodged In jail where ho .'inuered for a few days, and died anoth-r vi< tim of whiskey. Summing it all up i* was one of the saddest things that ha.i ev> r or curred in our county. A man In mid dle life, who had reared a fiiiily of six children?all grown and residing in Texas?to die in a prison cell with out a relative to stand by hmi in the dark hour, and o**eu after d? ath had set its seal upon him. n>. one to claim the lifeless :iod:\ e ituinlv paints a picture that makes a lark blot on the civilization of o<ir fair county. Unwept, unhonored utvl It seems, unloved. What a pi Hilt 'n this beautiful world, where ther is happiness for every one. Ship-wreck ed on the beautiful shores of 'i R" so far as this world Is concern ?<< lim he was in the hands of a men iful i God. The kind family who keeps i'i ? jail, Mr. and Mrs. Robbins, to i with the county physician, Am <<11 they could for his comfort., much to their credit. A fellow prisoner aU > stood by him night and day until the end came.?Watauga Demo'-rat i - - ?