CUBA HAS WITHDRAWN SUIT
North Carolina Is Clad That Senator
Overman Has Laid That Repudiate
ed Hond .Matter Before the Cuban
Government in Such a Light That
the Suit Is Stopped.
Parker R. Anderson writing from
Washington City Friday, sends the
following good news to the people of
North Carolina through the Greens
boro Daily News:
Dr. Charles Manuel Cespedes, Cu
ban minister to Washington, formal
ly notified Senator Lee S. Overman,
of North Carolina, today that the re
public of Cuba had revoked the de
cree allowing certain people in Cuba
to sue the State of North Carolina
on the repudiated carpetbag bonds
and the case which was to have been
heard in the United States Supreme
Court Monday will be stricken from
the records ? dropped for once and all
time.
Credit is given Senator Overman,
of North Carolina, for settling this
great suit. But for the senator's res
olution, calling for an investigation,
and his forceful speech, delivered in
the senate this week, the suit would
probably have been pressed and had
the court decided against the State,
other suits would have followed which
would have aggregated something
like $43,000,000 and interest.
When Minister Cespedes read what
Senator Overman said about the
suit, he asked the North Carolina
senator to call at his residence. He
said the republic of Cuba had been
grossly imposed upon and urged him
to delay action on his resolution until
he could cable his government, sena
tor Overman was willing to do this
and today Minister Cespedes receiv
ed a cable from Cuba advsing him
that the decree had been revoked and
that the suit would be dropped.
At today's conference between Dr.
Cespedes and Senator Overman, how
ever, the only information as to who
had turned the bonds over to the Cu
bans was that they came through the
New York repudiated bond commit
tee. Just who is responsible for this
committee having the bonds will make
interesting reading also.
.MEADOW SCHOOL ITEMS.
Benson, R. 2, Jan. 6. ? Notwith
standing the fact that measles is
holding sway in the community,
Meadow school re-opened on January
1st, with r. fair attendance. The pros
pects for a successful term are very
bright.
Mr. A. G. Powell, the competent and
efficient principal, has imbued the
school with much interest and en
thusiasm for the upbuilding of the
school and community.
Two literary societies, the Royall
Kelly for the girls, and the Athenian
for the boys, have been organized.
The Royall-Kelly, under the direction
of Miss Ethel Maye Harwood, and
the Athenian, under the direction of
Mr. A. G. Powell, are both very
promising. The lower grade's havo
also been organized into a society un
der the leadership of Miss Floy D.
Yarboro.
The classes in Household Econom
ics are manifesting a deep interest,
both in sewing and in cooking. This
course \vas introduced in the school
last year with a certain degree of
success. This year the girls are real
izing more than ever the benefit re
ceived from the course and are en
tering whole-heartedly into the work.
On Wednesday evening, January
10, a community meeting will be held
in the auditorium of the school build
ing for the purpose of arousing in
terest in moon light school. An ad
dress will be delivered by an able
speaker. The school chorus will ren
der several selections. The local string
band will also assist in entertaining.
The public is cordially invited to be
present.
The first group meeting of the
present term will be held at Meadow
School, the group center, on Friday,
January 12th. It is hoped that every
teacher in the group will be present.
General Julian S. Carr has accepted
a commission from the Governor to
act as agent for the people of North
' arolina in erecting a suitable monu
ment to Dr.? Elisha Mitchell on the
top of the mountain that bears his
mme, the highest east of ths M.is
sissippi river. General Carr estimates
that a suitable monument to the hon
or of Mitchell's memory will cost
around $150,000.
WIND WHIRLS SCHOOL HOUSE.
School Teacher Gives Graphic Ac
count of Tornado Which Caused
Death of 15 School Children.
McAlester, Okla., Jan. 5. ? How the
little rural school house at Vireton,
Okla., was torn from its foundations,
whirled through the air, and ripped
to pieces by a tornado, causing the
death of 15 children, was described
today by Miss Vera Carter, the teach
er, as she lay on a cot in a hospital
here where she is under treatment
for injuries received in the storm.
"I was hearing a primary class
when the storm broke," Miss Carter
said. "It had been raining and
above the noise of the patter on the
roof we heard a peculiar long drawn
higs, went to the door and looked out.
A big black cloud moving very fast
was coming up the valley, enveloped
the Baptist Indian Mission and threw
pieces of it high in the air. Away to
the South sky was a ghastly green
which lighted everything with an
unearthly glow.
"The cloud twisted and whirled
straight toward the school house. I
closed the door. When the storm
struck it seemed as if the end of the
world had come. The school was
lifted into the air, twisted dizzily and
then went all to pieces. I was battered
against pieces of flying timbers. Dark
objects whirled around me. Some of
them were my pupils, by poor little
children.
"After a time I found myself lying
on a hillside, many children stretched
near me, lome of them motionless,
some of them moaning in pain."
Miss Carter will recover.
Origin of Gold and Silver.
Steamboat Springs, Nevada, has
figured prominently in discussions of
the origin of ore deposits* The waters
of these springs contain the precious
metals in minute quantities, and the
sinter deposited by them contains
several minerals that are common
constituents of ores, as well as small
quantities of many of the rarer met
alic constituents of ore deposits, in
cluding gold and silver. Such springs,
therefore, suggest that many and
perhaps most ore-bearing veins have
been formed by hot waters rising
from great depths, which have
brought their metal contents up in
solution and deposited them in open
spaces or fissures in the rocks
through which the waters passed, the
deposition of some ores being influ
enced by chemical reaction with the
surrounding rock. Many ore deposits
are undoubtedly formed in other
ways, for some are unquestionably
of sedimentary origin and the metal
content of some others has been car
ried down, redeposited, and concen
trated by rain water that descended
into the earth's crust, but the "hy
drothermal" origin that is their depo
sition from ascending hot water ? of
many of the more valuable ore de
posits is indicated by the close rela
tion observed at many places be
tween mineral veins and eruptive
rocks. Thermal waters are believed to
be, in part at least, given off by slow
ly cooling and solidifying masses of
igneous rock (magma) deep within
the earth. ? U. S. Geological Survey.
The Railroad Crossings Near Corinth
Church.
Now and then something is said
about the two railroad crossings near
Corinth Methodist church. Everybody
knows they are dangerous, but noth
ing is being done about them. One
man was killed at one of them and
nobody knows how soon others may be
killed. The curve in the railroad at
those crossings makes them more
dangerous. Those who favor a change
at 'this place want too much change.
They call for a new county bridge
over Black Creek and further south
an overhead bridge for the railroad.
There is no particular need for do
ing away with the Wellons crossing
of the railroad. The railroad is
straight there.
Just let the Smithfield and Ben
tonsville road remain as it is. The
Smithfield and Fayetteville road
should be changed so that it would
run east of the railroad. This would
do away wfth both the crossings near
Corinth church and would not cost
much. We hope this change will be
made before others artf killed there.
Allen H. Jordon, of Upper Glouces- J
ter, Me., has taken 30 large pumpkins
from a single vine.
IT WILL SOON BE GOV. BICKETT.
Our Next Governor to Arrive in Ral
eigh at Ten O'clock Thursday on
Special Train from Louisburg. To
Take Oath of OHice in the Raleigh
Auditorium at Noon.
The day set for the inauguration
jf Thomas Walter Biekett as Gover
nor of North Carolina is Thursday,
January 11, at noon. Mr. Biekett will
arrive in Raleigh about ten o'clock on
a special train from Louisburg, his
home town. The new governor will be
met at the station by representatives
of the Chamber of Commerc, the Ro
etary Clubs of Raleigh and Durham,
and the Woman's Club. The party will
be escorted up town by a battalion of
cadets from the A. & M. College.
The ceremonies attending the in
auguration will be held in the Raleigh
Auditorium. The oath of office will be
administered by Chief Justice Walter
Clark. This will be followed by the
inaugural address. Then the other
State officers will be sworn in. Thurs
day evening Governor Biekett will
give a reception at the Governor's
mansion from 8:30 to 11:30. Following
this the inaugural ball will be held at
the auditorium.
The Only Terms.
If anything has been made clear
by the recent declarations of the
powers of Europe, it is that the al
lies will never make peace until they
have won the war.
The bigger allies have found the
way to check the most savage on
slaughts that Germany and Austria
could make at the height of their
strength. They have also reorganized
the productive machinery, so that
they are capable of turning out more
war material than their enemies. They
have more men, more money and
more resources and they have the
world to draw upon.
The battle of the Marne demon
strated that Germany was unable to
beat France in battle. With wonder
ful courage and persistence Gel-many
tried again, and was again beaten
at Verdun.
Germany drove back the Russians,
but Russia was not beaten. No one
knows better than Field Marshal von
Hindenburg that Russia cannot be
beaten ? that eventually Germany
must make peace with her colossal
enemy or be overwhelmed.
The smashing of Belgium, Serbia
and Rumania was done with great
expedition and skill, but the result is
a net loss to Germany and Austria.
They will have to pay back what
they took and destroyed before there
will be peace. Nobody will pay Ger
many and Austria the cost of their
operations against the little nations.
That is pure loss.
The maneuvering of the great bel
ligerents is awkward and slow, and
there is evidence of lack of team
work among the allied nations on
both sides. Br.t it is perfectly clear
that this maneuvering will go on un
til the allies are able to exert in con
cert their superior strength. One or
two more small nations may be crush
ed while the main contestants are
getting into position, but probably
these events will neither shorten nor
prolong the war. So long as Great
Britain, France, Russia and Italy
stick together and so long as Germany
and Austria cling to the mistaken no
tion that the opinion of mankind is
not an element of the struggle the
outcome is certain. Neutral nations
will join the allies if they are drawn
into the war.
The success of the Teutons in Ru
mania is most illusory. It may mis
lead the German people, but it does
not turn defeat aside nor long defer
the day when the Teutonic allies will
hand their swords over to the victor.
Until Germany is ready to surren
der it is bent that the war should go
on. A breathing spell between wars
will do Europe no good. When the al
lies know that they can compel en
during peace by fighting to a finish
they will not accept a peace that
would be equivalent to defeat. Peace
with the German army the master of
Europe would be more intolerable
than war. The allied nations have
made up their minds that Germany
must be put back into her place and
be made to pay for the damage she
has done. They have the power to ex
ecute their will, and there is no pow
er that can stop them. ? Washington
Post,
The farmers of North Dakota
paid $14,141,640 for farm labor dur
ing 1915.
j STATE PRISON A MONEY MAKER
^
Net Earnings for Past Four Years
$?'131,896, Report Just Tiled With
Governor Craig Shows. The Prison
Now Controls 900 Convicts.
The report by the board of direc
tors of the State's Prison to Gover
nor Craig for the Legislature, just
tiled, showing the operation of the
institution the past four years and
the assets and liabilities, shows cash
and cash assets aggregating $261,618
on hand January 1 and credit due for
labor donated by the General Assem
bly for highway construction in Hen
derson, Madison and McDowell coun
ties and to the Statesville Air Line
Railroad, $1(57,412, this giving a
grand total of earnings, and assets
of $428,980.
This administration received from
its predecessors in cash and farm
products that were converted into
cash, $47,033. This would leave a to
tal of $381,8^6 assets to the credit
of the present management as net
earnings for the Craig administra
tion. There are reserved and not in
cluded in the assets more than 25,000
bushels of corn, 2,000 bushels of
wheat and large quantities of oats,
hay, soy beans and other products for
the use of the farm during 1917,
which would run the total far beyond
$400,000.
The prison now has control of 900
convicts distributed, 138 at the Cen
tral prison, 462 on the State farm,
220 at Baden, 4(5 at Ridgecrest and
34 at Marshal. ? Raleigh Dispatch to
Wilmington Star.
ABOUT RAISING THE SALARIES.
Governor's Salary May Be Increased
to $6,000 a Year. Some Others
May Not Get a Raise.
In yesterday's \ Greensboro News
its Raleigh correspondent had the
following : .
"During the rest from the intro
duction of bills everybody is talking
salaries. It appears that the proposal
so far as it applies to the governor
has little opposition and the attorney
general might get a lift. But the gen
eral raise is doomed.
"Private letters in motley are go
ing to the members of the general
assembly. Figures showing that North
Carolina is rewarding her public ser
vants in a most niggardly fashion, are
incorporated in these letters and the
lowest salaries in the group of respec
table States for certain offices that
draw a pay of $3,500 here, are listed
at $4,200.
"There is a good deal of sentiment
for raising the assistant attorney
general to $2,000 or $2,400 and the
attorney general to $4,000 or more.
The State would stand $6,000 or more
on the governor's office. The legisla
tive members are impressed with the
character of recent gvemors. These
slammed up against the Brumbaughs,
the Forts, the Stuarts, the Baldwins
ftnd the several others who have come
here in recent years, measure up so
well that the State is beginning to
feel that it owes more to its leaders.
There is unquestioned sentiment for
a gubernatorial raise.
"The thing that stands in the way
of the general raise is apparent. There
are clerks who are poorly paid. Nig
gardliness is found in various quar
ters but as Henry Page said a few
days ago in an interview in these col
umns, there are "other laborers who
don't labor." This is known of all men
here and it is going to ruin the
whole scheme. Some are working their
heads off and others doing very lit
tle. Some of the State officials are
paid very poorly. The legislature
would like to reduce the salaries of
some others. That will operate
against any blanket raise.
"The general assembly can increase
the salaries only this week if the rise
is to affect the present administra
tion. Consequently a good deal of in
terest follows the legislature this
week."
What One Fire-Cracker Did.
In Denton, Texas, a little girl
touched a fire-cracker to a cigar light
er in t. confectionery store. She is
still living ? but $3500 worth of con
fectionery went up in smoke. Sor^e
day the Christian world will learn
? hat the birthday of the Lord and
Master is not fittingly to be celebrat
ed by the explosion of fire-works and
the drinking of fire water. Meantime
a combination of the two increases
the danger in more than geometric
progression. ? Houston Post.
jCJTTON GRADING l'AYS WELL.
it Is Ksti mated That $51,750 Has
Been Saved by the Cotton Grading
Offices of 'the State.
{Charlotte Observer.)
Serving: -0 counties in this and
other sections of the State, it is esti
mated that seven officts, maintained
for the purpose of scientifically grad
ing cotton samples, have saved far
mers of the State approximately $51,
750, according to estimates figured in
the office of State Cotton Grader T.
VV. Trogdon, Thursday afternoon.
Of that $51,750, it is claimed that
the office maintained in this city by
Mr. Trogdon, since September 1, has
saved farmers of Cleveland, Cabar
rus and Mecklenburg Counties no
small portion, inasmuch as 7,000 sam
ples have been graded here.
The Charlotte office will be discon
tinued after January U0, according to
Mr. Trogdon, who has prepared fig
ures and estimates On the work pre
paratory to leaving the city.
By statistics compiled by experts in
1915, cotton grading offices saved far
mers which used them, an average of
1.15 a bale. Taking into considera
tion the same saving on cotton sam
pled for the fiscal year just closing,
Mr. Trogdon figures the $51,750 upon
45,000 bales, claiming that it is safe
to say that much cotton has been
graded by the seven offices during the
yt*ar just coming to a close.
The sev*n grading stations this
year have been in Charlotte, Tarboro,
Wilson, Raleigh, New Bern, Weldon
and Fayetteville.
C art' of Koads During the Winter.
It is not considered good practice
to use a road grader on dirt roads
between November 1, and March 1, as
the grader has a tendency to open the
pores of a road and admit the water.
The best practice is to use the sim
ple wooden drag or float on dirt roads
after November. This should be done
after each rain as it tends to squeeze
out the water and seals tlR' surface
so it will shed the water. Use of a
road grader is prohibited in many
States after October, and a compul
sory drag law then is effective.
As a drag can be made for $2.00 and
its use costs not over $1.00 per mile of
130 feet road, it is very inexpensive.
Its proper use will keep the roads in
good condition all winter regardless
of weather conditions.
This last spell of weather shows
the roads in good condition where
dragging has been constant; in fairly
good condition if partly dragged; and
almost impassable where no dragging
has been done. Any farmer can try
this experiment on the road and note
the result.
If your road is bad, interest the
road official in a drag, or better still,
make one and use it on the road in
front of your farm.
Johnston County should have for
winter use between 500 and 1000
drags and their use should be com
pulsory.
D. H. WINSLOW,
U. S. Supt. of Construction.
Hotel Malbourne, Durham, N. C.
WILSON'S MILLS SCHOOL NOTES.
Wilson's Mills High School opened
for the Spring term Wednesday,
January 3rd. The attendance at pres
ent is fuller than it has been at any
time during the school year. Several
new students have enrolled.
Misses Bess Finley and Hester Ann
Farrior, of the faculty, spent the holi
days with homefolks at North Wilkes
boro and Kenansville, respectively.
A right interesting meeting for
the community was held at the school
house on Monday night, January 1st.
The program consisted of music, sto
ries, jokes and recitations, participa
ted in by the students, members of
the faculty and patrons of the school.
Similar entertainments are given
frequently and prove very enjoyable
to those who attend.
REPORTER.
Two Fine Pigs.
Not long since, Mr. W. G. Earp, of
Selma, Route .No. 1, killed two fine
pigs. These were 12% months old.
One weighed 350, while the other
tipped the scales at 370. They were
Huroc Jerseys. More hogs and better
hogs is one of the great needs of the
day.
There are more than 2,000 miles
of railway and nearly 5,000 miles of
telegraphs in Rumania.
VILLA SUFFERS SEVERE LOSS.
Was Defeated at Jiminez Thursday
With Losses Reported at 1500. Mar
tin Lopez, Rebel Leader, Among
the Slain.
A Chihuahua City dispatch dated
January 5th, says:
Villa was defeated at#Jiminez yes
terday by Gen. Francisco Murguia
with a loss of 1,500 rebel dead,
wounded and captured. Martin Lopez,
a rebel leader, and another Villa
general were among the slain, accord
ing to an official report tonight from
the Carranza commander. Villa was
said to be fleeing toward El Ville.
General Murguia stated that this
command pushed back Villa's troops
five miles after coming into contact.
Machine guns are credited with play
ing an important part in the offen
sive, in which both cavalry and in
fantry were heavily engaged. Villa,
according to the report, personally
led repeated cavalry attacks against
Murguia's infantry which were check
ed with heavy losses.
Besides Villa's heavy losses in men,
horses, ammunition, arms and other
war material, General Murgia claims
the recovery of many carloads of loot
brought by the Villa troops from Tor
reon. Government cavalry is said* to
have killed about 50 members of Vil
la's body guard, which is protecting
him in his escape by automobile. Gen
eral Murguia advised his subordinates
here that he intends to keep up a hot
pursuit as Villa's forces are badly
disorganized.
Met His Father-In-Law With Knife.
On Saturday nig-ht. January 6th,
George Childers went to the home of
Joe Narron, his father-in-law, at the
Ivanhoe Cotton Mills, and raised quite
a disturbance. Childers was drinking:
and on arriving at Narron's home
broke a handle from a stick broom
and with it made the family scatter.
Rushing around the house after them
he met Mr. Narron and struck him
back of his left ear splitting it open
and making a long gash across the
temple and forehead. Mr. Narron was
brought to Smithfield for medical at
tention and it took about a dozen
stitches to sew up the gash. Childers
was arrested Sunday and placed in
j?iL ' ' '
Salt a Big Industry.
In the production of that indispen
sible condiment, salt, the United
States is happily independent of all
other countries. The 38,231,496 bar
rels of salt produced in 1915 by 14
States, Porto Rico, and Hawaii con
stituted 99 per cent of the salt con
sumed in the United States, and
much more could easily have been
supplied had the demand required it,
according to the United States Geo
logical Survey, Department of the
Interior.
Salt occurs naturally in two dis
tinct ways ? as rock salt, in beds or
associated with bedded or sediment
ary deposits, and in natural brines.
The larger part of our salt is ob
tained by converting rock salt that
lies deep below the earth's surface
into artificial brines, which are pump
ed to the surface and there evaporat
ed. Some idea of the quantity of salt
evaporated from natural brines may
be gained from statistics of the out
put of New York, Michigan, and Kan
sas alone, three large salt-producing
States, for the calendar year 1915.
In Michigan, 6,708,261 barrels of
evaporated salt, having a value of
$3,635,692, were produced; in New
York, 3,443,464 barrels valued at
$1,720,434; and in Kansas, 1,901,756
barrels, valued at $696,000. ? Ex.
Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Andrews
Entertain.
Kenly, January 6. ? Last evening,
from eight to eleven o'clock, Mr. and
Mrs. M. B. Andrews entertained a
small circle of friends in the large
reception hall of the school dormitory.
Rook was the game of the evening.
The guests were seated at three ta
bles. At ten o'clock the guests were
invited to the dining hall where hot
chocolate and wafer:;, aiul home made
candies were served. Those present
were as follows: Misses Inez Edger
ton, Agnes Watson, Allie Bailey,
Gladys Barnes Wallace, and Zessio
Sasser; Messrs. Tira Bailey, Nathan- >
iel Flowers, Claude Edgerton, Ru
dolph Kirby, and Harvey Corbett; Mr.
and Mrs. H. F. Edgerton and Mr. and
Mrs. M. P. Johnson.