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yOL 29 SMITHFIELD, N. C.. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1910 Number 43
ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR EDUCATION GOOD ROADS GOOD HEALTH PROGRESS FIVE CENTS PER COPY.
OATH OF OFFICE
TAKEN BY WHITE
Chief Justice is Sworn In
By Justice Harlan
USES THE HISTORIC BIBLE
Edward Douglass White Sworn As
Supremo Court Head. Ceremony Is
Witnessed by Distinguished Ga
thering.
In the presence of a distinguished
gathering, that filled the little court
room at the Capitol, yesterday Ed
ward Douglass White, of Louisiana,
was elevated from associate Justice of
the United States Supreme Court to
the chief Justiceship.
The climax of the ceremonies oc
curred when Associate Justice Har
lan, as senior member of tfee court,
Administered to the new chief Jus
tice the Judicial oath. It was sub
scribed to on the bench Itself in
stead of at the clerk's desk, as is '
ordinarily the case. Chief Justice
White while taking the oath held In
his hand the Bible which has been
used by nearly every chief Justice an
associate justice on similar occas
ions during the last century, but,
unlike most of them, he kissed the
book at the conclusion of the oath.
The dignity resting in the customs
founded on the swearing into office
of John Jay, John Rutledge, Oliver
Ellsworth and John Marshall, and
perfected in the days of Roger B. Ta
ney, Salmon P. Chase, Morrison R.
Waite and Melville W. Fuller, was
cot materially disturbed to-day by
radical innovations.
Through this ceremony he be
came the ninth chief justice of the
nation, after having served sixteen
years as an associate Jutlce.?Wash
ington Post, 20th.
BRITISH ELECTIONS ARE OYEn
TMr FINAL POLLINGS WILL NOT
CHANGE PARLIAMENT.
Labor Men are Stronger. Coalition
Forces May Have Increased Ma
jority of One In New House of
Commons.
London, Dec. 19.?The general eiec
tlin reached the last stage of Its
career with a Unionist attack on the
Liberal seat of Wick Burghs, in Scot
land, and a struggle between the
Redmonltes and the O'Brienites for
West Cork and South Kilkenny.
Wick Burghs may be won by the
Unionists, In which event the coali-!
tion majority will be 124?exactly
what it was after the election in
January.
James Gilhooly, who has repre- i
fented West Cork for the last quar
ter of a century, will probably hold
that seat for the O'Brienites, while
the Redmonltes are ihost unlikely to
lose South Kilkenny.
Assuming that the Liberals retain
Wick Burghs and the Irish seats
rtmain unchanged, there will be
272 Unionists In the new Parliament,
272 Liberals, 42 Labor Members, 76
Nationalists and 8 O'Brienites, giv
ing the coalition forces a majority
or 126.
The Labor members have added
two to their number, compared with j
their strength in the old House of
Commons, while Redmond and the
official Nationalist party have scor
ed heavily off O'Brien, and tho In-1
dependent movement of Unionists in
Ireland has done badly. They have a
bare majority of one In Ulster, and
the only seat which they hold In
the rest of the country is Dublin vUni
veristy.
Negro, Who Expire* In New York,
Reputed to Have Been 101 Years
Old.
New York, Dec. 18.?George Wash
ington Hall, colored, reputed to Be
In his 101st year, died to-day in the
old Finley mansion, at Codington
avenue and Fort Schiyler road, the
Bronx.
He was born in Savannah, Ga. His
daughter, Frances, who came to this
city with him a few years ago, say*
he told her he was Gen. Zachary
Taylor's body servant In Mexican war
days.
BIG PLANT DESTROYED
THOMASVILE'S LARGEST FURNI
TURE FACTORY IS WIPED OUT.
Loss May Reach $200,000. Finished
Product, Lumber and Buildings
Of Cramer Company Are Swept
By Fire.
Thomasville, Dec. 20.?This after
noon at 6:30 fire was discovered In
the machine room of the Cramer Fur- j
niture Company. The alarm was
quickly given and every possible ef
fort was used to save the plant but i
the wind was blowing a gale and the j
flames soon engulfed the entire
building, destroying the machine de
partment, boiler room two, dry kilns
also filled with lumber, nearly 200,
000 feet of lumber in rough and in
course of manufacture on the yards
and in the plant. From the main
building the finishing room, a
building nearly 300 feet long caught
fire.
The building was half brick and
half wood and every part was filled
with finished chairs ready for ship
ment; the wooden part with contents
was destroyed but the brick part was
saved. The flames spread so fast
and surrounded and burned the hy
drant houses thus cutting off com
pletely the water supply and every
thing was left at the mercy of the
flames and everything was reduced to
ashes in less than two hours. Near
ly $200,000 worth of property Is de
stroyed and 300 employes are thrown
out of employment. The origin of
the fire is unknown. The plant had
only closed down for the day less
than one hour before flames were
discovered.
The property was not half covered
by Insurance, making a total loss
of approximately $100,000. The plant
is owned by Stuart \V\ Cramer, Char
lotte; J. T. Cramer, John R. Myers,
Thomasville and the Whitin Com
pany, YViuton, Ma s. It was the
most disastrous fire In the history
of Thomasville and will take years
to regain the loss.
The plant's weekly pay roll was
about $2,000. The machine room
was two stories, four hundred by six
ty fe t in size, and was by far the
largest plant here.?Charlotte Ob
server.
TELiPRAPH AMALGAMATION.
Western Union and Anglo-American
Cable Combine.
London, Dec. 18.?It Is announced
that negotiations have been com
pleted for the amalgamation of the
Western Union Telegraph Company
and the Anglo-American Cable Com
pany.
With the companies combined the
Western Union wouid control seven
out of the sixteen cables which now
span the Atlantic. Such a combina
tion would also suggest that the
Westorn Union company has succeed
ed iu cWa'cing, not only the work
ing, but the financial control of the
Anglo-American concern. The report
that the Western Union was con
templating purchasing the Anglo-Am
erlt an became current more than a
year ago, but It was vigorously de
nied. The Western Union has con
tracts at present with the Anglo-Am
erican Telegraph Company, Limited,
which have ten years to run.
PRICE OF BIGGEST WARSHIP.
Newport News Co. to Build 27,000
Ton Texas for $5,830,000.
Washington, D. C., Dec. 20.?The
contract for building the 27,000-ton
battleship Texas was to-day awarded
to the Newport News Shipbuilding
Co., the lowest bidder, at $5,830,000.
The award provides for reciprocat
ing engines instead of the giant tur
bines, which are now being installed
on nearly all other modem warships.
The Government could have saved
$55,000 by Installing Curtiss turbines,
or $40,000 If the British design, Par
sons turbines, had been selected. The
decision to revert to the old recipro
cating engines was based upon the
recommendation of the engineer in
chief and other members of the con
struction board, the reason assigned
j being the superior economy of the
reciprocating engines at "cruising"
1 or middle rat* speeds.
I
JNO. D. HANDS OUT
TEN MILLION MORE
Says It's His Last Gift to
University of Chicago
MAKES THE TOTAL $35,000,000
Gives Notice That He Now Believes
the University Should Be Support
ed and Enlarged by Gifts of Many
Others Rather Than by One, While
John D., Jr., and Fred T. Gates
Resign From the Board of Trus
tees.
Chicago, 111., Dec. 20.?John D.
Rockefeller has completed the task
he set out for himself In the found
ing of the University ofChicago. To
day public announcement was made
of a "single and final gift," of $10,
?000,000, which includes all the con
tributions that Mr. Rockefeller had
planned to make to the University.
This sum, which Is to be paid in ten
annual installments beginning Jan
uary 1, will make a tot?l of approxi
mately $35,000,000 that Mr. Rocke
feller has donated to the University.
Mr. Rockefeller says he now be
lieves the school should be support
ed and enlarged by the gifts of
many rather than by those of a sin
gle donor. ' This he believes will be
better accomplished if the public un
derstands the limit of his contempla
ted assistance. The founding of
new departments he leaves to the
trustees as he says funds may be fur
nished by other friends of the Uni
versity.
Up to the present time the sum
ot nearly $7,000,000 has been donated
to the University, in addition to Mr.
Rockefeller's gifts.
j With the announcement of Mr.
Rockefeller's final donation came the
resignation of John D. Rockefeller,
Jr., and Fred T. Gates, Mr. Rocke
ffller's personal representatives from
the University board of rtustees.
In enclosing the resignation, Mr. I
Rockefeller explained that he was
cnly carrying out a conviction that
tho institution should be "controlled,
conducted and supported by the peo
ple," with whom up to this date he
had been simply co-operating.
Mr. Rockefeller's ideas, it is un
derstood, are that he is turning ov
er the institution and its endowment
to Chicago and the West, and in so
tfoinp withdraws from any further j
representation in its control.
The official announcement of the j
benefaction was made at the quar
terly convocation at the University
tuis afternoon. President Martin A.
Rverfon, of the board of trustees,
read a letter from Mr. Rockefeller,
in New York, which bore date of De
cember 13th and was addressed to j
the president and trustees of the
University of Chicago.
EVERY DAY A PAYDAY.
Pittsburg Employers to Disburse $3,
000,000 for Christmas.
Pittsburg, Dec. 18.?Every day this
week will be payday for tho men In
the mills, mines and manufactories In
the Pittsburg industrial district, and
It is estimated that about $3,000,000
will be distributed to the workers In
time for them to do their Christmas
shopping.
The Christmas pay will be much in
excess of the amount handed out in |
previous seasons. Approximately the
following amounts will be distributed
by paymasters In the various crafts:
Iron and steel Industries $1,250,000.
Coal and coke Industries, $800,000. j
Other industries, $950,000.
The Iron and steel companies af
filiated with the United States Steel
Corporation will' pay out the greater
part of the $1,250,000. The largest
sum to be paid by any Individual
company is $500,000, which will be
the payroll of one coal company.
I* 104 Years Old.
Montgomery, Ala., Dec. 21.?Mrs.
Esther Deas, of Montgomery, will
celebrate her 104th birthday on
Christmas day. She was born In
North Carolina on Big Coldwater
creek, December 25, 1806. She has
been a resident of Montgomery for
, 42 years and has a daughter living
1 who Is 85 years old.
I
GAS EXPLOSION
SHAKES MANHATTAN
Ten People Meet Death
and 125 Injured
PROPERTY LOSS IS $3,000,000
Without Warning, Roof of Grand
Central Power House Is Lifted In
to Air Like Magic Carpet, Scatter
ing Death and Destruction in
Crowded Streets.
New York, December 19.?The ter
rific explosion of Illuminating gas in
the auxiliary power-house at the
Grand Central Station, which tore at
the heart and sent a tremor along
the entire backbone of Manhattan
this morning, caused the death of
ten persons, two of them women, the
injury of 125 others and property
damage estimated tonight at trom $2,
000,000 to $3,000,000.
The fire broke out in the shatter
ed ruins of the power-house again
late to-night, but with a great corps
of police, searchers and firemen on
the scene, the blaze made little head
way before checked.
It was a weird scene in and about
the station as the night wore on.
No additional bodies were found, but
in a hospital Guthier Johnston, an
clectrlcian, succumbed to terrible in
juries received in the explosion, bring
ing the death list up to ten. Hur
ried estimates during the day placed
the damage at not more than half a
million dollars, but a canvass of hte
neighborhood showed that few struc
tures had escaped. Windows were
smashed literally by the thouasnd.
Handsome reisdent fronts were docor
ated with blankets, sheets, newspa
pers, burlap or old rags as the quick
eat substitute for window glass. Sev
eral institutions in the neighborhood
have pppealed for aid to effect re
pairs, and order will not be restor
ed for weeks.
The Tiffany studious at Forty-fourth
Stnet and Madison Avenue, fully
half a mile from the scene of the
catastrophe, suffered. Valuable stain
ed glass windows, valued at >10,000,
were smashed.
Albert Seagreat, the engineer of
the motor car which broke the pipe
line, was released on parole to-night
at the instance of District Attorney
Whitman, who says ther eis no evi
dence to warrant his being held.
Traffic on the New York Central
Railway ceased entirely for some
hours and was disorganized for the
remainder of the day, but the new
Ftation itself, now in process of con
struction, was not damaged.
$30,000,00(3,000 OF TRADE.
This Year to Break All Records,
Says Bureau of Statistics.
Washington, Dec. 18.?The calendar
year 1910 is going to be the banner
year for the world's International
trade, according to the Bureau of sta
tistics. The bureau has received re
ports from twenty-seven countries
which cover from six to ten months
of the calendar year 1910. In all of
rh3 twenty-seven countries the fig
ures of imports and exports show
an increase of about 9 per cent in
the monthly averages as compared
with the corresponding period of
1909.
It is believed that the world's in
ternational commerce for 1910 prob
ably will show exports valued at be
twren $14,000,000,000 and $15,000,000,
000, while imports are expected to
aggregate more than $16,000,000,000.
RECOVERS VOICE AND DIE8.
Dumb Many Week*, Woman Sudden'
ly Bids Her Family Farewell.
Columbus, Ind., Dec. 16.?Recover
ing her voice suddenly after having
been dumb many weeks, Mrs. Alberl
Hook, aged 20, called her husband
and other members of the family tc
her bedside to-day, bade them fare
well in a firm tone, and died.
The woman had been 111 for i
year, and her voice, strangely ring
ing through the houae to-day start
ed the family to believing she ha<
been miraculously restored to health
but when they reached her she wa:
drill*.
t
DISASTER IN ENGLAND
MORE THAN 300 VICTIMS IN EN
GLISH MINE.
Miners Were Trapped by Fierce Fire
Following a Fearful Explosion. Sec
ond Terrible Mine Disaster In Eng
land Within a Year?Several Res
cued Alive.
Ilolton, England, Dee. 21.?More
than 300 colliers lost tholr lives to
day In an explosion in the little
Hulton colliery of the Hulton Colliery
Company, which is located a little dis
tance outside this city.
The explosion occurred early in
th6 morning, soon after the miners
had entered the pit to begin work.
Its force was terrific, and later in
vestigation showed that the lower
passages had been blocked Heroic
efforts were made by rescue parties
all day long, but a fierce fire which
followed the explosdon prevented the
rescuers from penetrating beyond 400
yards into the workings.
I At 9:30 o'clock tonight all the res
cuers were called out of the mine
and a conference was held at which
government Inspector Oerrard issued
a report after making a descent into
the pit in which he stated that It
was impossible that any of the mi
ners are still alive.
He added that nothing could be
done except to bring up 20 bodies
found lying near the shaft. This re
port was communicated to the anx
ious crowds around the pit mouth,
after which the Bishop of Manches
ter conducted a touching service in
the open and the people slowly dis
persed.
No explanation Is given as to the
cause of the explosion which com
pletely wrecked the mine.
This is the second great mine dis
aster In England this year, an ex
plosion having occurred in the Wel
lington colliery at White Haven
Cumberland, on May 12th, In which
136 miners were killed. The explos
ion to-day rosulted In the temporary
disablement of the machinery where
by the cages are lowered and drawn
to the surface, and it was consid
erable time before the first rescue
party reached the bottom of the
pit. In all they brought out eight
men, still living, but the majority
of these were in a serious condition
from the noxious gases. Ten bodies
also were removed, and 20 addition
al bodies were found partly covered
i by heavy falls of coal.
I Late tonight the colliery fans were
started again and the air was found
to be fairly good. Arrangements were
then made for relays of rescuers to
go Into the mine every three hours
throughout the night. Towards mid
night two more miners were found
alive. They were terribly burned and
are in a critical condition.
It was announced that 40 bodies
had been collected at the bottom of
the shaft that they will be brought
up as soon as possible. ' A flicker of
hope still animates the rescuers that
more men may be found alive. Doc
tors, nurses and ambulances are still
on the scene, and relatives, mostly
women, are lingering in the vicin
ity.
Among the incidents was the death
of a rescuer who, anxious to reach
his two sons who were entombed,
got in advance of his comrades and
forfeited his life from after-damp.
The King has sent a touching mes
sage of sympathy.
GOOD ROADS CONTRACTS.
Bids for Work Aggregating $3,000,00<
To Be Asked for Next Month.
Albany, Dec. 20.?Contracts will b
awarded by the State Highway Com
mission next month for the construc
? j tion of 199 miles of county roads and
80 miles of state roads, Including i
portion of the new state road across
- the state. The proposed improved
: highways will be located in various
- sections of the state, and It is es
1 timated will cost about $3,000,000
? Bids will be received on January 9
- 11 and J3.
Since the State Highway Oommh
i sion was created, 650 miles of stat
- and county highways have been con
' pleted. The total cost of lmprovini
1 roads for the past two years, lnclud
* Ing the contracts awarded during th
j Skene administration. Is about $7
' 4$; 000.
I
THE BALES GINNED
GO TO 10,698,482
Census Bureau's Report
Shows Increase
SEA ISLAND ON THE DECREASE
The Percentage of the Last Thre?
Crops Ginned to December 13th
Were 92.9 for 1909, 91.0 for 1908
and 84.0 for 1907, and the Report /
Shows That in North Carolina i1**
Bales Ginned to December 13th
Were 664,434.
Washington, D. C., Dec. 20.?Th?
Census Hurpau'8 report of cotton gin
ning, Issued this morning, shows 18.
698,482 bales, counting round as half
bales, were ginned from the growth
of 1910 to December 13th, compared
with 9,358.085 for 1909, 11,904.209 for
1908 and 9,284,070 for 1907.
The percentage of the last thr??
crops ginned to December 13th waa
92.9 for 1909, 91.0 for 1908 and 84.0
1 for 1907. Round bales Included thU
year are 106,827, compared with 14#,
024 for 1S09, 215,059 for 1908 and
1167,204 for 1907. Sea Island for 1910
is 75,170, compared with 85,177 'or
1909, 80,316 for 1908 and 65,268 for
1907.
By States, the number of bales
ginned to December 13th was: Ala
bama, 1,129,173; Arkansas, 676,156;
Florida, 59,488; Georgia, 1,707,310;
Louisiana, 234,468; Misslsisppi, 1,066,
946; North Carolina, 664,434; Okla
I homa, 868,928; South Carolina, 1,108,
1967; Tennessee, 269.657; Texas, 2,849,
911; all others, 62,944.
The distribution of Sea Island cot
| ton for 1910, by States, was: Florida,
125,804, Georgia, 39,717, and Soatb
Carolina, 649.
The corrected statistics of cotton
ginned to December 1st are 10,139,712
bales.
170 PERSONS LOSE THEIR LIVES
ISLAND, WITH ITS INHABITANTS,
SINKS INTO SEA.
Twenty Families Wiped Out by
Horrors of Costa Rica. Seismic
Disturbance Which Brings Disaster
Is Felt Throughout the Republic.
Port Llmon, Costa Rica, Dec. 18.?
At least twenty families, estimated
to aggregate 170 men, women, and
children, were drowned following the
sinking of their Island home Satar
day. The Island, in the center of
'he Ilopango lagoon, off Salvador, dis
appeared after a series of earth
j quake shocks, and slid into the
depths of the lagoon, carrying with
' 1. nearly all of the inhabitants.
The sinking of the island is said
! to have followed a series of earth
i r^iake shocks, which were felt
i throughout the republic. The shocks
began early in the evening, and
grew in frequency and violence as
night progressed, until about mid
| night, when the watchers on shore
heard sounds of guns from the peo
ple ( n the island.
Shortly after that a huge bonfire
was lighted on the island, and at
about 1 i.'clock a boatload of fright
ened women and children reached
the mainland. The survivors report
ed that other boats were coming as
. fast as they could be filled, as the
island was slowly sinking under the
feet of the inhabitants.
TWO KILLED BY WHISKEY.
)
Spirits Ordered by Mail Fatal to Bir
mingham Youths.
Birmingham, Ala., Dec. 20.?Immed
iately after taking a drink of whiskey
' out of a bottle, which one of them
1 had ordered shipped by mail, Guy
1 R. Coleman and Stephen Strickland.
1 well-known young men of Birming
1 ham, dropped dead this afternoon.
* Their deaths are being investigated.
, Woman Dead at 105 Years.
i- Dubois, Pa., Dec. 17.?Mrs. Ellza
e beth Shoemaker died at her home
i- near this tow n last night in her 105th
S year. Sho was born In Dauphin
1- county, came to Clearfield county
e when 20 years old, and hid been *
,? member of the Methodist Episcopal
1 Church for more than 85 year*.