VOL 32
SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 1913
Number 3
DISTRICT CONFERENCE
HAS FINE MEETING
The annual meeting of the Raleigh
District Conference of the Methodist
church which met with the Smithfield
church closed a threpf days session
yesterday at noon.
The Conference was presided over
by Rev. J. H. Hall, of Raleigh, the
Presiding Elder of the District. Mr.
W. A. Edgerton, of Selma, was secre
tary of the meeting.
The Conference opened Monday
night with a sermon by Rev. M. D.
Hix, of Stem, Granville County. The
first business session of the Confer
ence was held Tuesday morning.
There are nineteen pastoral charges
in the District, and every pastor was
present. There were 47 lay delegates
In attendance. In addition to the
pastors and lay delegates the follow
ing were present representing the
different phases of the work:
Rev. "L. S. Massey, Editor of the
Raleigh Christian Advocate.
Rev. A. D. Wilcox, representing
Iiouisburg College.
: Rev. S. E. Mercer, President of
Carolina College at Maxton.
Dr. F. N. Parker, representing
Trinity College.
Rev. R. L. Davis of the State Anti
Saloon League.
Mr. M. W. Brabham, Sunday school
Field secretary.
Rev. J. N. Cole, Superintendent of
the Methodist Orphanage at Raleigh.
The next annual session of the con
ference will be held with the Ben
son Methodist church sometime next
year.
The reports from the churches
showed that some very good meet
ings have been held since last con
ference, and that the spiritual con
dition is generally good. One of
the special objects for .prayer of the
Conference was that the churches
might be blessed with a outpouring
of the Spirit of God resulting in the
salvation of many souls.
One thing that characterized the ;
Conference was the tine preaching,
beginning with the sermon of Rev.
Mr. Hix Monday night and reaching
a climax yesterday at the eleven
o’clock services when Dr. F. N. Pack
er, of Trinity College, preached tint,
great soul-stirring sermon. Many have
pronounced it the greatest sermon
they have ever heard. His text was
“l am the Way, the Truth, and the
(Life.” His theme was the Pre-emin
ence of Christ and he handled it in
such a ma/nner that his hearers were
enabled to see the Saviour as they
never saw Him before.
The opening sermon by Mr. Hix
Monday night was on the subject:
“Our Heavenly Home.” Tuesday at
eleven o’clock. Rev. Harry M. North,
of Edenton Street church at Raleigh,
preached on ‘‘The Characteristics of
the Early Church.” Tuesday night
Rev. C. R. Canipe, of the Tar River
circuit, preached on ‘‘Experimental
Religion.” Wednesday morning at
eleven the sermon was by Rev. A.
P. Tyer, of Oxford, who preached on
"Selfishness.” Rev. L. S. Massey,
Editor of The Raleigh Christian Ad
vocate, preached at the Wednesday
night service, using as a subject:
"The Perfect Man.” These sermons
were all of a high order and were
calculated to stimulate the hearers
to a more active Christian life. The
sermons were the best part of the
Conference. Minister and layman
will return to their work with a no
bler conception of what it means to
be a Ohristain.
Prof. Fitzgerald, of New York, ad
ded much to the pleasure of the Con
ference with his soul-stirring sing
ing. He was once an apera singer
who later consecrated his talents and
Ms voice to God and has since been
trying to glorify him in Christian
songs and hymns. He was aiding
Rev, Mr. Wilcox in a meeting at
Louisbury wfho encouraged him to at
tend the Conference.
Smithfield was glad to have the
Conference and it is believed that its
presence here has been a benedic
tion to our town and community.
No individual and no health depart
ment alone can ever cope with the
fly problem. But all of us, working
together, can very effectively cope
with it.
All power is a trust and we are ac
countable for its use.—Disraeli.
DR. RANKIN COMING.
Dr. W. S. Rankin, secretary of the
North Carolina State Board of Health,
will deliver an address in the Baptist
church here Tuesday night, April 29
instead of April 22, as was announc
ed in these columns last week. The
j change was made necessary on ac
count of an important meeting in
Rockingham county where Da*. Ran
kin’s presence was greatly desired.
Dr. Rankin is coming upon invita
tion of the Baptist Baraca class. The
class has planned to have several ad
dress from visitors during the year
and Dr. Rankin’s address will be the
first of the series. His subject is
j “Public Health and Individual Re
sponsibility.” This is a subject
which every person should be vitally
interested in, and it is hoped that
the town will give Dt. Rankin a good
attendance.
ITEMS FROM FOUR OAKS.
Miss Alma Pierce, of Kenly, is
visiting her sisters, Miss Mattie
Pierce and Mrs. W. R. Keen.
Messrs. L. C. Barbour and Hunter
Creech, delegates to the Baraca con
vention at Charlotte, returned Wed
nesday. They report a good time.
Mr. Mark Williams of Rocky Mount
spent Sunday here with his cousin
Miss Blanch Williams.
The many friends of Miss Maud
Gilikin, one of the teachers of Flour
Oaks Graded school who was operat
ed on for appendictis, will he glad
to learn that she is improving fast
and will he home in a short time.
Mr. Price, of Pine Level, was a
welcome visitor in Four Oaks Sunday
Mr. Jake Masseijgill and Miss
Mamaie Ftord drove over to the par
sonage Sunday morning and were
married in the presence of a few j
friends nad relatives. We wish for j
the new couple a long and happy life, j
Mr. and Mrs. B. B, Adams and j
family accompanied ly Mis. C. W.
ciaudy went to Greensboro Thursday ^
through the country on Mr. Adams
car to he present at the recital of
their daughter, Miss Anie Adems j
wiio will graduate from G. F. C.
...its Carra Wilson, of Dunn, is
spending this week with her sister,
Mrs. G. K. Massengill.
TAX LISTERS FOR 1913.
At the last regular meeting of the
county commissioners the following
were appointed tax listers for this
year for the various tow’nsliips of
the County:
Wilson’s Mills, John A. Wilson.
Clayton, M. G. Gulley.
Cleveland, F. T. Booker.
Pleasant Grove, John Stephenson.
Elevation, Julian Godwin.
Banner, J. G. Smith.
Meadow, C. M. Aultman.
Ingrams, Jasper T. Massengill.
Bentonville, W. N. Rose.
Boon Hill, C. H. Holt.
Beulah, N. R. Pike.
Micro, J. H. Broadwell.
O'Neals, Ivey Narron.
Wilders, W. B. Eason.
Selma, F. M. Hood.
Pine Level, W. F. Gerald.
Sanithfield, W. T. Adams.
CORBETT school house news.
[ The farmers of this section are
very busy planting and preparing to
plant.
Miss Alice Sullivan spent Satur
day night and Sunday with Miss Min
nie Corbett.
Mrs. J. E. Corbett spent Sunday
afternoon with Mrs. H. H. Brown.
Mr. G. W. Corbett spenta while
Sunday with bis brother, Mr. R. P.
Corbett.
Miss Ruth Corbett spent Sunday
afternoon with Miss Minnie Corbett.
Messrs David Batten and Robert
Gamer visited their parents Satur
day night and Sunday, near Selma.
There will be services at Corbett
school house next Sunday conduct
ed by Rev. Exum Broadwell.
Messrs. A. J. Pfcrioe and W. B.
Parker were in this section Sunday
after noon.
Hokus—Do you think we shall ever
have universal peace?
Pokus—Not so long as women con
tinue to'vlay bridge for stakes.—
never
Judge.
BENSON’S BATCH
OF LIVE NEWS
Benson, April 17.—Mr. E. S. Abell,
of Smithfield, was In town Wednes
day on legal business.
Mr. Robert C. Barbour, of Eleva
tion township, was in town Saturday
spending the day.
Mr. Zeb Stewart, a former Benson
ian, now a lumber dealer of Chapel
Hill, was in town several days rec
ently.
Mr. Henry Edgerton, of Selma, was
in town Monday on business for sev
eral hours.
Mr. Roscoe Barber, of Rocky Mount
was here this week on business.
Mr. J. B. Faircloth, returned Tues
day afternoon from Sampson county.
Mr. W. B. Coxe, of Dunn Realty
and Insurance Company, was here
Monday on business for his company.
Messrs. Jas. P. Bee and Paul John
son are In Norfolk this week.
'Mr. E. B. Bridgers, Benson Drug
Oompany’s efficient drfuggist, spent
Sunday In Lilllngton with friends.
The graduating class of the Ben
son High School was entertained last
night at the borne of Mrs. Cornelia
Jernigan near town.
The revival at the Baptist church
which has been going on for ten
days closed last night. The services
have been conducted by Mr. Duncan,
the pastor, assisted by Rev. R. P.
[Walker of Greensboro. Mr.
Walker is an able speaker and has
made many personal friends while
here. Large) congregations have
been present at almost every ser
vice during the meeting and much in
terest hlais btjan manifested, there
having been twenty-six confessions
of faith and six have united with the
church. The ordinance of baptism
will be administered to the candi
dates the fourth Sunday afternoon at
Stewart’s pond two miles South of
Benson.
Mr. Isaac Smith, a highly esteemed
citizen and prosperous farmer died at
his home near Benson last Thursday
afternoon. He had been in bad
health for seVeral months confined
to his bed most of his time, and his
death came as no surprise to his
friends sand relatives. His remains
were interred in the family burying
ground at his home Friday after
noon. He leaves surviving him a
widow and several children.
Not-with-standing the fact that the
matter has been repeatedly called to
their attention, through The Spokes
man the town officials seem to entire
ly ignore the fact that there is an
ordinance of the town which pro
hibits hogs running at large on the
streets of Benson. Many citizens of
the town have no fences around their
lawns and gardens and they are con
tinually annoyed to find their gardens
destroyed when they return home in J
the evening, While if the laws were j
enforced there would be no hogs on
the streets.
Benson High school seems to have
won its share of the athletic honors
at the inter-scholastic track meet
of the Southeastern High School di
vision for Norht Carolina held at
Fayetteville last Friday. Mr. Coda
Smith, of the Benson school, won
the hammer throw and short put for
his team, his record in the hammer
throw being ninety two feet, while in
the short put he made thirty-one and
a half feet. Robert Barbour of Ben
son, won the 440 yard dash, James
Raynor of Benson the running broad
j jump, while several other Benson
boys came in second.
From developments last night it
seems that there will yet he a hot
time politically to Benson at the elec
tion on May 6th. A second conven
tion was held last night by citizens
of the town, both democrats and re
publicans taking part, and a new tick
et named as follows: For Mayor, H.
A. Parker. For commissioners, J. E.
Wilson, R. T. Surles, P. B. Johnson
and Jake Wheeler. The regular tick
et which was nominated several days
ago consists of the following gentle
men: Mayor, Jesse Britt; commis
sioners, P. B. Johnson, Preston Wood
all, W. T. Martin and W. D. Boon.
Good Health is a Community’s
Greatest Asset. Hear Dt. Rankin on
“Public Health and Individual Re
sponsibility” at the Baptist Church
on Tuesday night, April 29th. He
comes under the auspices of the Bap
tist Baraca Class.
BARACA-PHILATHEA
FINE MEETING
Charlotte, April 14.—Durham gets
the next State Baraca-Philathea Con
vention, the determination of the dele
gates from this city making itself felt
from before the time the convention
convened—the Durham folks began
their work on the trains coming into
Charlotte. The only other town to
make a strong bid was Raleigh, but
the decision was Durham’s from the
first.
This afternoon the Baracas elected
their State officers, choosing the fol
lowing:
President—E. W. Tatum, of Salis
bury.
Vice-Presidents—Dr. George E.
Dennis, of Charlotte; E. J. Schantz,
of Durham; C. M. Bagwell, Winston
Salem; G. M. Maxwell, of Asheville.
Secretary and Treasurer—H. A.
Bland, of Raleigh.
Executive Committee—Dr. J. S.
Betts, of Greensboro: W. A. Devin, of
Oxford: .J E. Allen, of Warrenton: J.
M. Stone of Greensboro: J. R. Roys
ter, of Greensboro; W. O. Alexander,
of Wilmington; J. D. Berry, of Ral
eigh; A. E. Smoot,, of Salisbury; also
the state officers.
The biggest Sunday parade ever
seen in Charlotte was formed at 4
o'clock yesterday afternoon by 1,300
Baraca and Philathea members, head
ed by the only Baraca band in exis
tence, furnished by Salisbury, and
with the Baracas was Marshall A.
Hudson, of Syracuse, N. Y., president
of the world-wide Baraca Philathea
union and founder of the first Bara
ca class.
To the auditorium the paraders
made their way, and this building
was filled to overflowing for the first
lime since the Craig-Kitchln campaign
of 1908, 4,000 to 5,000 people hearing
he address of the hour, delivered by
Dr. Sparks White Melton, of Norfolk,
whose magnificent voice adequately
filled the edifice with a ringing call
.0 arms for active Christianity.
Mr. Hudson was heard by an im
mense audience at the First Baptist
■hurch at 2:15. Beginning with the
germ idea of the Baraca movement,
tie traced its growth, mnetioning the
fact that North Carolina alone has
1,277 such classes, exceeding their
sister classes, the Philatheas, by 66.
Mr. Hudson also spoke of tbe fame
of North Carolina as a church-going
State known throughout Christendom.
JURORS FOR MAY COURT.
The following jurors have been
drawn for the May Givil term of the
Superior Court:
Wilson’s Mills, J. T. Coats.
Clayton, H. A. Pool and N. R.
Pool.
Cleveland, G. A. Wright.
Pleasant Grove, L. D. Adams.
Elevation, C. B. Barbour.
Banner, J. W. Neighbors.
Meadow, John Tart.
Ingrams, N. I. Lee.
Bentonville, M. A. Pennington.
Boon Hill, J. B. Creech and C. R.
Braswell.
Beulah, A. J. Hill and O. J. House.
O’Neals, Vincent Pittman and Will
II. Pittman.
Viidere, C. R. Castleberry and J.
V. Flowers.
Selma, W. A. Green and B. 8. Pitt
ma>'x
ine Level, j. H. and S. A.
Pcdin.
mitlifield, J. H. Cullom and W. A.
Lusiter.
PROF. ROSE RESIGNS
rof. Z. Hardy Rose Who has been
pricipal of the High school here for
thi past three years, has tendered
hisresignation. Under Prof. Rose’s
I maagement the school has made
I fas progress and has gone forward
in lany ways. He has done his work
wel and has built up a good attend
ant, at some periods of the year
rostering more than fifty pupils,
whse homes are in various parts of
thi and adjoining counties. He de
seres a great deal of credit for the
intrest he has taken in the school
am there are many who regret that
he esigned.—Benson Spokesman.
h’|er esteem anything as of ad
vance to thee that shall make thee
bre»r. thy word or lose thy seif-re
A TRAGIC DEATH IN SMITHFIELD.
On Tuesday last, just before noon,
little Christine Ellis, the four-year old
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Ellis
accidentally caught afire while play
ing around a wash pot in the yard,
and was so badly burned that death
ensued five hours later. Her mother
who was in the kitchen, saw the
child soon after the flames started and
rushed to her rescue, but before she
could reach her, the child was aflame
from head to foot. As soon os the
child saw that she was on fire she
ran violently away from her mother,
thus fanning the fLames into greater
fury. The mother's hands were hor
ribly burned in her efforts to save her
little girl. Also the hands of LeMar,
the seven-year old brother, who held
lusr heroically as Long as he could
to keex> her from running, wero sev
erely humed. A physician was sum
moned at once and seeing there was
no hope tq save( the child, did what
he could to ease th£ burning! pains
until death came to her relief at five
o’clock.
It is hard sometimes to reconcile
ourselves to the providences of 'God,
yet we know He doet i all things well.
The little life begun here on earth,
has served Us purpose among us and
God, in His infinite wisdom has deem
ed it best to gather it to its home in
heaven, thereby drawing those left
in the home circle, in a more sacred
nearness with the Father above.
The burial services were held at
the home on Wednesday afternoon. |
Rev. A. S. Barnes, pastor of the be- i
reaved parents, assisted by Rev. |
if. Shore, of Duifn, officiated. Jutst, i
before leaving for the cemetery Miss
Kate WoodaiLl sweetly sang, "Safe I
in the Arms of Jesus." The floral of-1
barings were beautiful, entirely cov- |
ering the little mound. The pail- I
bearers were: Messrs. T. W. Daniel,
J. H. Abell, W. C. Ward and Paul j
Eason.
The sympathy of the entire com
munity goes out to the bereaved ones.
Those here from a distance to at
tend the burial were: Mrs. Zilphia
Ellis, Mrs. M. V. Sandier ford and Mr.
Walter Ellis, of Raleigh; Mr. and Mrs
J. T. Dindeay, of W 'son; Mr. C. 1).
Giliiard, of Dunn, and Mr. Ed. Gil
liard, of Wilmington.
DEATH NEAR KENLY.
In, the death of Mr. Ephraim I.
Pearce which occurred last week in
Kenly, Johnston comity loses one of
her best citizens. Ho was severity
four years old. For about a year he
had been in bad health and two
months are was hurt by a horse
which made his case worse. He was
buried at the family grave-yard near
Kenly, Rev. G. F. Kirkpatrick con
ducting the burial services. He
leaves sax children—Mrs. T. R. Kirby,
Kenly, Mrs. Albtartt Mitchell, Pike
ville, Mrs. W. S. Grady, Goldsboro,
Mr. Lee Pearce, Surreney Ga., and
Messrs. Hackney and Walter Pearce
who live near Kenly. Mr. Pearce
was a life long Democrat, a good
neighbor and a man of influence in
his community.
SPRINGTIME CONSERVATISM.
Be conservative about spring. Don’t
let the small boys and girls get too
optimistic, either, about these warm
days. Shoes and stockings will not
hurt them much for a few weeks
lOufe-ca. .'I’he ground has not gotten
thoroughly warmeu >■**» There is still
too good a chance to catch that last .
spring cold if we let all the fixes go
out, change from heavy to light under
wear, lay off our vests, or cast aside
the shoes and stockings all at once.
Better do tbesie things gradually, one
at a time, instead of all at once the
first warm day.
It is rather strange how otherwise
sensible men and women will go from
a hot, dry-baked air indoors to the
other extreme outdoors these days,
and then refer to the resulting cold or
pneumonia as a “mysterious dispensa
tion of Providence.’’ Their own con
duct ordinarily is the only mysterious
thing about it—Health notes.
Good Health is a Community’s
Greatest Asset. Hear Dr. Rankin on
“Public Health and Individual Re
sponsibility” at the Baptist Church
on Tuesday night, April 29th. He
HOW TO WIN
A GOLD MEDAL
A gold medal to the school boy or
girl between the ages of 10 and 15
who writes the best composition, not
to exceed 800 words, on the repair
and maintenance of earth roads, is
to be awarded by Logan Waller Page,
Director, Office of Public Roads,
United States Department of Agri
culture, Washington, D. C. All com
positions must be submitted to Mr,
Page before May 15, 1913, and the
medal will be awarded as soon there
after as the compositions can be grad
ed. The compositions may be based
on knowledge gained from books or
other sources, but no quotations
should be made.
After many years experience in
dealing with the public road situation
of the country, it is Mr. Page’s be
lief that ignorance on the subject of
repair and maintenance of roads is
as much the cause of their bad con
dition as any other one factor. It
is expected that the competition will
bring about a better understanding of
the subject of repair and maintenance
in the rural districts.
Many children living in the rural
districts have experienced the disad
vantages of roads made impassable
Lhrought a lack of proper mainten
ance and it is expected htat their
interest in the competition will stim
ulate greater interest among the par
ents. Bad roads have prevented
many children from obtaining a prop
er education and have even prevent
ed doctors from reaching the side of
rural patients in time to save their
lives.
Any child beetween the ages men
tioned. attending a country school,
may compete. Only one side or the
paper must be written on; each page
should be numbered; the name, age,
and address of the writer, and the
name and location of the school which
he or she is attending must be
plainly written at the top of the first
page. The announcement of the com
petition has been sent to the sup
erintendents of schools in the rural
districts. No further information can
be obtained from the Office of Public
Roads. Tills announcement should b«
plain to everyone, and all children will
thus start on a basis of equality.
A GOOD MAN LAID TO REST.
On Thursday, April 10th, Mr. Isaac
J. Smith, who lived in the southern
part of this county not for from Ben
son, died after several months of
poor health. He was nearly seventy
years old and had lived a useful life.
For a long time he had been a con
sistent member of Hlahnah’s, cree#c
Primitive Baptist church. He was
clerk of this church for more than
(thirty; years. He attended services,
there the third Sunday in last Octob
er, but was not able to remain until
preaching was over. Since then he
has been confined to his room most
of the time. His body was laid to
rest Fridav in the family burying
ground. The funerai was preached by
Elder James H. Johnson. He leaves
a wife and six children, four sons
an'd two daughters. His place in
the community will be hard to fill.
the income tax.
The greatest virtue of an income
tax is to be found in the fact that it
is a direct tax. If that is so—as it
iR—the only way in
which the virtues of tP„ .
brought home to the people is by"
making practically all of them pay it.
What we need to learn is that the
government at Washington is support
ed out of taxes. Many of us do not
realize this. Under this indirect
system of taxation there are thou
sands of people who do not under
stand that they pay any taxes at all.
Hence, the wild extravagance of our
government. If its whole cost were
apportioned on a per capita basis—
which would not be a bad idea—we
should soon see an end of the river
and harbor, the public building and
the pension graft. There could
no greater reform than one tuat
would mako the people feel the cost
of their government.—Indianapolis
News,