4
. .
CIRCULATION .
Monday
2,119 Copies
THE WEATHER
Partly cloudy tonight
and Wednesday. Wanner
Wednesday. Fresh east-
erly winds.
VOL. XI.
FINAL EDITION ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH CAROLINA, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 24, 1921
FOUR PAGES
NO. 120.
Utility Companies Reject City's Offer
Price Too Low
Says Mr. Crook
Says $479,000, First Figure
Named, A Fair Price Ar
rived At After Careful
Study
Close Sewer Co July 1
Says That Interests Of Stockholders
Demand That Plant No Longer
Operate At Loss After Close Of
Negotiations
Howard E. Crook, president of the city's affi
liated public utility corporations, .has definitely
and flatly rejected the City Council's offer of
$325,000 for the plants of the Elizabeth City
Light & Power Company, the Elizabeth City Wa
iter & Power Company and the Elizabeth City
Sewerage Company.
The formal refusal of
the offer was made in a
letter to Mayor Gaither
handed to the Mayor by
Mr. Crook himself late
Monday afternoon.
This ends, so far as the pres
ent administration is concerned,
all negotiation looking toward
a . l 'xi ;i.t u
fine purcnase ui uie cuy a puu-
lie utilities ; as the City Council j j. w. Pool and Dr. h. s. wniey.
definitely Stated, in making its Burial in Hollywood cemetery fol-(
last offer, that if it were reject- l0ejJ; Bland flUrvlved by a 8tetert
ed the Council WOUld make no Mrs. Gertie L. Grandy, of Baltimore;
further offer and would consid- by a niece, Mrs. H. S. Overman, of
. j.c:x.i..'thl8 city; by four nephews, M. B.
r an negvuHuuiM ueuuiwjiy
closed.
However. Mr. Crook stated to a
reporter for The Advance Monday'
night that he and the companies he
represents are still willing to come to
terms with the city for a sale of their
properties here and that he and his,clty'
companies will be glad at any time in
the future to consider any offer that
any. City Council of Elizabeth City
may elect to make for the purchase
of these utilities In whole or in part.
He reiterated what he had already program of the Southern Presby
sald In the letter to Mayor Gaither terian church was considered today
that he considered the price named by the General Assembly. Among
by his companies at the opening of, the proposals submitted on expenses
negotiations a fair one. jfor the next five years by the com-
"As to the matter of sewerage." jmlttee on systematic beneficences and
Mr. Crook went on to say, "It has stewardship was one urging a budget
been definitely decided to suspend ot ten millions.
operations of the Sewerage Company!
on July 1st. We do not wish to work I
any hardship upon Elizabeth City or tlon of this offer our companies'
s to interfere with its development In would be unable to accept the same.'
i any way; but in Justice to our stock-) When we submitted our original
holders we cannot continue to oper- offer of sale of these properties on
ate this property at a loss, and it has March 24th, In the amount of $479,-
been operated at a loss ever since the 000, we believe that we named a price
sewers were laid. Decision to dis- which was a very fair one and which
continue operation was reached some we arrived at after careful study,
time ago and we have continued Its We appreciate very much the spirit
operation since April 1st pending the In which you and the gentlemen corn
outcome of negotiations between the posing the Board of Aldermen have
Council and the companies I re pre.- conducted the recent negotiations
sent." jwlth our companies as well as your;
Mr. Crook's letter to Mayor Gaither
follows:
May 23, 1921
Hon. W. O. Gaither, Mayor,
Elizabeth City, N. C.
Dear Mr. Gaither: i
Referring to your favor of the lih
insunt In which you on behalf of The Electric Light Company of Ellza
the city submitted to us an offer to' fceth Cfly,
purchase the Electric Light, Water The Elizabeth City Water and Power
and Sewer Companies for the sum of Company,
three hundred and twenty-five thou- The Elizabeth City Sewerage Com
mand dollars ($3 25,000), consisting pany,
of Ave per cent bonds, we have to (Signed), HOWARD E. CROOK,
advise that after careful considers- President.
MISS MATTIE DeFORD BLAND
The funeral of Mies Mattie DeFord
Bland, who died at the home of her
niece, Mrs. H. S. Overman, on West
Main street, Monday afternoon at
3:30 o'clock, was held Tuesday af
ternoon at four o'clock at the First
Baptist church, Rev. H. K. Williams
officiating. The floral offerings were
many and beautiful. The pallbear
ers were C. W. Morris, Matthew
Baker. T. P. Nash, R. T. Whltehurst,
n .ns earIn, Enich Speight
Simpgon of Elizabeth City; Constant
Bland, of California; Lee Bland, of
Blacksburg, Va., and Lee Grandy, of
Baltimore; and one cousin Oscar
DeFord, of Camden. She had been
'or the last five months, and had
eea a lifetime resident of Elizabeth
VRGE BUDGET TEN MILLION'S
St. Louis, May 24. The financial
co-operation during your term of of-
flee which has been very pleasant
throughout 'and are sorry that we
cannot accept the offer which you
have made.
With very kindest regards, we beg
to remain,
Very truly yours,
New Steamer Will
Arriye Wednesday
"Virginia Dare" of Elizabeth
City Boat Line Ready For
Potato Run
The "Virginia Dare," a 250-ton
steamer recently completly over
hauled and with new boilers in
stalled, will arrive here Wednesday
morning to go on the Elizabeth City
Norfolk run of the Elizabeth City
Boat Line. This steamer, with the
steamer "Greensboro," already in
service, will provide a daily boat be
tween the two points during the po
tato run, and the service will con
tinue indefinitely if the expense Is
found justified by the traffic.
The two steamers are equipped for
both freight and passengers, though
the main purpose of the line will be
the handling of freight. The "Vir
ginia Dare" will come through the
Dismal Swamp Canal from Norfolk
and return via the Albemarle and
Chesapeake Canal. The "Greens
boro" will be operated exclusively
thyough the latter canal.
A, R. Nicholson, general agent of
the Elizabeth City Boat Line, states
that 'nis company will be glad to
have the public come down and look
over the two steamers, and especial
ly the newly-acquired "Virginia
Dare." He states that the Elizabeth
City Boat Line is better equipped
than ever before to handle heavy
shipments of potatoes and other
freight.
Chamber Commerce
Luncheon Thursday
On Thursday the second bi
monthly luncheon at the Chamber of
Commerce rooms will be held. The
topic of the luncheon will be whole
sale merchandising, particularly as
related to Elizabeth City and the
trade section that it serves. A lead
Ing local wholesaler will speak at the
luncheon, and there will be other en
joyable featifYes as well, not omit
ting the excellent lunch served by
Mrs. J. P. Thompson. Tickets to the
luncheon are 65 cents each, obtain
able at the Chamber of Commerce
offices In the Hlnton Building.
MEETS TONIGHT AT
COMMUNITY BUILDING
The citizens class for play meets
tonight at eight in the Community
Building with F. L. Traenkle. Mr.
Traenkle will have to go elsewhere
at the end of this week and it le
hoped that all who can do so will
avail themselves of the opportunity of
this Instruction while he Is here.
The recreational work under Mr.
Traenkle's direction has already been
of great help and much pleasure to
those attending.
Protests Against
Harvey's Sueech
San Francisco, May 21. Mrs. Ray
Wilbur, president of the Woman's
League for the Peace Treaty, tele
graphed President Harding today
protesting against Ambassador Har
vey's speech in London In which he
said that he regarded American par
ticipation In world affairs as viola
tion of the President's election
promises.
Dies After Fast
Of Sixty Days
Selma, Ohi, May 24. Walter
Oliver, son of a wealthy farmer,
died yesterday on the sixtieth day of
his self-imposed fast.
He was a conscientious objector
and was sent to the penitentiary when
he refused to don the uniform.
Upon his return home he became
a recluse and later entered upon a
fast declaring that he would not take
food until the Lord blessed him.'
MILL
GIVK EVENING
TO SUNDAY
SCHOOL
F. L. Traenkle has kindly agreed
to stay' over next Monday night and
give that evening to Blackwell
Memorial Sunday School. He had
been very cordially urged to do this
and there was no evening this week
free for both church and Mr.
Traenkle, He w'll teach the grown
ups at this meeting so that they may
pass on the teaching to the children,
and the superintendent and officers
ot the Sunday School are anxious
that there be a large attendance.
'ATLANTA PAYS
TRIBUTET0 GRADY
Prominent Newspaper Men and
Visitors Take Part In Cele
bration of Anniversary at
Atlanta
Atlanta, May 24. The seventy
first birthday anniversary of Henry
W. Grady, orator and Journalist,
who devoted his tongue and pen to
healing the wnunds of the Civil War,
was made an especial occasion here
today.
Exercises ai the public schools and
exercises in the late afternoon before
his monument were held here.
, Promlnnt newspaper men. and rep
resentatives of many cities were
present and participated.
Rioters Flogged
At Police Quarters!
Cairo, Egypt, May 24. Quiet has
been restored at Alexandria after
serious rioting Sunday and Sunday
night.
A number of persons have been ar -
riots have been
headquarters.
flogged at police
Alexandria, May 24. Quiet pre
vailed here last night after serious
rioting Sunday night ah3 Monday
morning. The curfew order was
well observed.
Casualties officially reported today
are 12 Europeans, 36 natives killed,
and 191 persons wounded.
Business houses are closed. Street
cars are not running.
Officials consider the native move-
ment anti-Greek rather than against
Europeans generally.
Kecurence of Trouble
London, May 24 A dispatch from
Carlo says that there has been a
slight recurrence of trouble in Alex-
andrla and a demonstration has now
been begun in the provinces.
The message said the casualty list
shows 11 more Egyptians dead.
Bobby Jone, of Atlanta t, beat Rob-
oil iiuiiia, ui wie hi lumi team, bia
up and five to play, In the third
round.
Tolley Wins Over
Jesse Guilford
Holyake, Eng., May 24. Tolley,
British amateur champion, defeated
Jesse Guilford, of Boston, In the sec
ond round of the British amateur
golf championship tournament, two
up and one to play.
Bobby Jones, of Atlanta, defeated
the Britisher, Hamlet, one up.
The Americans, Evans, Hunt,
Wright and Fownes, defeated their
British opponents. Ouimet and Guil
ford, Americans, lost.
Lightning Wrecks
St. Luke's Church
Norfolk, May 24. The most vio
lent electric storm hero' within the
memory of. the present generation
lar nlEht wrecked St. Luko'i T?p!n-
eopal church, seriously damrgert thot
storage plant Of the Norfolk Ware
house Corporation, and damaged In
greater or leas degree at least a
docm other buildings, Including
gardes and dwellings.
Tb') lightning struck the cupola
of St. Luke's at 7:15 and a little
later the flames were beyond con
trol. The firemen were kept on the
alert running from fire to fire while
the Ftorni raged.
IV POLICE COURT j
Three affrays, one of them a three;
cornered affair, featured Tuesday j
morning's session of police court, and j
brought Into the city's coffers fines!
aggregating fifty dollars. Charlie
Crank and Otis Bland were principles j
in the first affray case, drawing fines
of ten dollars each; John Crank,-Jr.,
Charlie Crank and George Mldgett
figured In the three cornered bout,
John and George to the tune of ten
and costs each and Charlie paying
five and costs. Sherman Hollowell
and Howard White were principals in
the third fight and each drew a fine
of ten dollars and costs.
Evans Forbes was fined five dollars
and costs for drunkenness.
Mrs. H. O. Switzer returned to her
home In Norfolk Tuesday after
spending a week with her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. D. D,' Raper, at this
city.
Want J. B. Ferebee
For City Manager
At an informal caucus held in
the directors' quarters of the
Savings Bank and Trust Com-
pany Monday night, six members
of the newly-rtected Board of
Aldermen unofficially decided in
favor of the appointment of
Janie B. Ferebee, of this city, a
City Manager for the two-year
term beginning July first. The
two member not present at the
caucus were 1. C Cohoon ami
L. Rohcoo Foreman. v Mr. Co
hoon was tenatively named for
the, chairmanHhip'of the Board.
Final action on the election of
both fity Manager and chairman
will not take place until the first
meeting of the new Board on
June 6.
Scott Makes Shipment
0f Pasquotank Primes
I S. W. Scott, of Salem, shipped 225
barrels of prime potatoes grown on
his farm near Weeksville. These
(potatoes were large and well raa
'tured, weighing on an average over
. ha,f ; poufld each
Twenty-four of
thAm nlrkfwl nn In -thfi flolrt without
gpeclal effort t0 cnoose the largest
ones, weighed 16 pounds ana two
ounces.
Though the potatoes are primes,
the yield, Mr. Scott says, was not so
satisfactory. Pasquotank potatoes
nnt rinr until thpv urn well ma-
tured w,u bfl Qf gQOd grade ,n hIg
opnIoni but he think9 the ykd ge.
eray w, fa bei0w expectations.
.
,.y ipicij rniTNTir
rIA IKI3n -UUINIIL3
I ENGAGE IN ELECTION
Belfast, Ireland, May 24. Six
counties In Northern Ireland en-
gaged today in the election of 52
members to parliament of Northern
Ireland created by the , IrlBh act.
Precautions were taken against dis-
order.
f ATOTITI TTf AT TO
UfJlMll U llUIl 10
ADOPTEDFOR CLUB
Elizabeth City's Newest Or
ganization of Young Wo
men Enthusiastically Plans
For Summer Program
A very enthusiastic meeting was
held by the newly-organized Young
Woman's- Club In the Community
Building Monday night. This was
the second meeting of the new club,
which Is going ahead with a compre
hensive program of recreational work
in this city for the approaching sum
mer months. The first and most Im
portant business of Monday night's
meeting was the adoption of a con
stitution and by-laws for the club.
This was followed by the election of
Miss Jessie Hedrlck as treasurer of
the organization.
' Under the constftutlon .adopted,
officers oi the Young Woman's Club
will be elected semi-annually, and (
the election of permanent officers fori
the half-year beginning July first will I
be held at the last June meeting, j
The club meets on the second and
fourth Monday nights of each month.
Plans for a membership drive were
discussed at the Monday night meet
ing, and It Is announced that young
women wishing to Join the club
dliould apply to the club membership
committee for application blanks at
once, since It Is llltely that limitations
will b'e placed upon the number of
club members in the near future.
Club dues were lixed at 25 cents per
month, with an entrance fee of $1.
Regular Initiation ceremonies will be
adopted at an early date.
The carrying out of the summer
recreation program of the Young
Womari's Club is already under way,
and will include the building of a
bath house on Riverside, the estab
lishment Of tennis and volley ball
courts, and perhaps tennis tourna
ments during the summer, as well as
other recreational activities.
URGES INVESTIGATE
MINGO DISTURBANCES
Washington, May 23. Investiga
tion of disturbances In Mingo County,
West Virginia, Is proposed in a reso
lution introduced In the Senate today
by Senator Johnson, of California.
FOUND ON MAIN STREET MON
day Alemiite Grease Cup for automo
bile. Apply at Advance office.
POTATOES NOT
READY TO DIG
Better Grading By Pasquotank
Growers Expected to Bring
Better Prices and a Steadier
Market
"Pasquotank County potatoes are
now too green to dig. If growers
will wait a week or ten days longer,
they will get a better yield and a
higher price. So say S. G. Scott of
the firm of Brock & Scott of this city, ,
among the leading shippers of early
Irish potatoes from Northeastern
North Carolina. Mr. Scott states
further that the potato crops ot
Texas, Florida, Alabama, South Caro
lina, and Louisiana will be practically
cleaned up after the week's ship
ment, and thus the potatoes of this
section will go on a virtually clean
market.
, Potato blight has appeared In a
good many fields since the recent
heavy rains, but, according to Mr.
Scott, the damage from this source
will be but little It any In excess of
five per cent of the normal yield.
He estimates the total damage at
perhaps twenty per cent from such
other causes as insect attacks and
rot. Many growers here Incline to
the opinion that the rotting of many
plantings two months ago was caus
ed by the potatoes coming Into con
tact with the fertilizer under them
at a time when the soil was unusu
jally warm and dry, It often happens
! that fall potatoes rot from this cause
in extremely hot,, dry weather, they
point out.
Heavy Shipments June First
Heavy shipments from this sec
tion, Mr. Scott Btates, may be ex
pected by June first, continuing some
two weeks. He declares that the
Pasquotank crop will be far better
graded than ever before, for the rea
son that the growers have had Im
pressed upon them the extreme Im
portance of carefully grading their
stock. In previous years, poor grad
ing has adversely affected the mar
ket to an extent which the growers
are just beginning to realize; and
the Improved grading this year is ex
pected to result in a steadier mar
ket. With 600 acres planted this year,
representing an Investment of $80,
000 by the time the crop Is market
ed, Brock & Scott rank among the
leading planters of early Irish po
tatoes, as well as being buyers of
ninny carloads. Last eeason they
handled close to 50,000 barrels, and
this year they will place on the mar
ket 15,000 barrels of selected stock
under their own trademark. They
expect to sell 25,000 barrels of their
own planting, five-sixths of which
will be produced In Pasquotank
County, and the remainder In Cam
den and Currituck Counties,
HIg Shipments This Year
Last year's early potato yield in
Pasquotank County alone ran close
to 125,000 barrels, bringing the far
mers of the County a gross return of
more than a million dollars; and the
yield this year Is expected not to fall
far behind. Present market Indica
tions are considered favorable by lo
cal commission men, especially in
view of the fact that Tidewater Vlr- '
glnia and the Eastern Shore will not.
It Is believed here, make heavy ship
ments before June 15. These sec
tions do not hurt the market except
by exceptionally heavy consignments
because growers there grade their
stock with exceptional care. In gen
eral, It Is poor grading of potatoes
and Inferior stock that bring slumps
In -the market and loss to the grow
ers. ...
AGREE ON BASIS THE
NEW WAGE DECISION
Chicago, May 24. Rates of pay
and classifications established by the
award last July will be used as a
basis by the Railway Labor Board In
the new wage decision June first.
The tentative percentages reached
will cut present rates ten to fifteen
per cent.
REV. MR. MUDGE IS
ELECTED RV PRESBYTERIANS
Winona Lake, Ind., May 24. Rev.
Louis Seymour Mudge, of Harrlsburg,
Pa., was elected state clerk of the
Presbyterian church In the U. S. at
the general assembly here today. Ha
takes office next April.
SILK DRESS SPECIAL
We are offering some very un
usual values In Silk Dresses these
days. Prices $11.98 and $18.75.
Materials, Taffetas, Silk Jersey,
Georgette, etc. Come In and look
them over. M. Leigh Sheep Co.