North Carolina Newspapers

Sljr jsmitl)ficli> ftefalfli 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*.