North Carolina Newspapers

e and County Democratic Primay--July 3 F TI^AN- COUNTY. reva rd TWELVE PAGES IN THIS ISSUE BREVARD, N. C. FRIDAY, JUNE 25th, 1920. NUMBER 26. W WE TAMED THE BASCI^- LELE. y S. P.. Verner—Copyright pend ing. All rights reserved.) Canning the Crocodile. AFJNOUNCEMENT Wembo’s elephant and my hippo had evidently fired Ota Benga’s am bition. For the information of those who did not read about Ota Benga later when he became famous in New York, it must be stated here that he was a pygmy. He had been captured in war by enemies of his tribe and had been found in their hand when they in turn had been defeated in a battle by troops of the Congo govern ment. The surviving members of his tribe having meanwhile gone very far away, Ota Benga, when released by the soldiers, had chosen to live with them for his own safety until he heard at Bena Bondi, the govern ment post at the confluence of the Sankuru and Kasai rivers, that I wanted to employ pygmies. There he entered my service, went to the United States with me along with the Wissman Falls pygmies, which were not of his own tribe, and re mained with me after they got set tled back in their homes. I hoped that somehow 1 mi^ht get a chance to restore him to hia people, but they had retired far up the Loange water shed, several hundred miles from Bena Luidi. I could write a volume about Ota Benga, and pome day I may do so. He was an extremely interesting lit tle fellow, black as a coal, about 4 feet, 8 inches tall, somewhere near twenty-one years of age, active as a cat, lithe as a monkey and extremely strong for his size. His front teeth had been filed to a sharp point in imi tation of the crocodile’s tooth. He had learned some Baluba in his con tact with the soldiers and I communi cated with him in that language. In his attachment to my establishment, I think he v.as somewhat jealous of Wembo at first, but that soon gave way to an almost slave-like devotion to the big Mutetela, when the latter became his protector and champion in the settlement squabbles which sometimes arose. I wondered why Ota Benga did not wish to use a rifle on the croco dile. The little fellow’s reasoning powers, however, worked in a way all their own. He had noted the rifle incident ih connection with the ele phant, and evidently formed an inde pendent scheme for distinguishing himself. He knew a good deal about powder and fire-arms, both from his lift with the soldiers and from his unusual experience in my service, in- culding the trip to America. The keg of gunpowder which he coveted, was one of the five kilos sort com monly traded in throughout the coun try for the users of flint-lock mus kets. I had a good quanity of it. It was often used for blasting, as well as to get rid of ants’ nests, etc. I de cided to humor Ota Benga in the mat ter. I let him have the keg. As I was too busy to go with him yself, and as Ota Benga was always ore interesting when turned loose n his own resources without any out Mfe suggestions, I detailed one of the en to slip thru the bushes and to wdfch him and report to me. Ota Benga vi^-ent to the rocks above the sandy beach just before Madame Crocodile took her daily sv/im. Then he went to work ■vvitl"! feverish ener gy. He dug a hole in the sand near her nest and put the keg of powder in it, covering it abundantly v/ith bi<>- heavy stones and pebbles. He tlien scratched a trench in the sand from the keg back to hi" placo of conceal ment in the big boulders, covering the trench with reeks, having laid a train of powder in it. Then he took his seat back in the rocks and smoked ► The Brevard News takes pleasure ' in announcing that Miss Mary C. Bly the has become associated with us as city editor and office manager. All personals and local news items can now be given to Miss Blythe either verbally, mail, or by telephone. his pipe. At that point Casadi re turned to report his observations to ms, grinning broadly, and muttering something about that “witch boy” as the men dubbed Ota Benga when rome new trick called it forth. I went on with my writing and had ahnost forgotten for the moment the pending excitement, when a boom ing sound came up from the river, fol lowed by the patter of stones in the yard on the roof. Then I remembered Ota Benga and feis scheme and called to Casadi to go and se how it had v»rorked, but he had already gone on the run. Fretty soon up comes Ota Benga into the clearing from the woods near the ^river, carrying something on his shoulder which turned out to be a part of the hind leg of a cro codile. Casadi was vainly trying to persuade him to share the burden, but Ota Benga trudged along shak ing his little black curly head, and coming up with a victorious gleam in his deep-set ferret eyes. But madame Crocodile had been some what avenged on Ota Benga too. He had a big welt on his forehead, a ‘•cratch on one car, and he rubbed himself ruefully on the side after laying down his trophy. He was a man of few words, and it was with some difficulty that v;e managed to get out of him the fact that when he had touched his pipe to the powder train in the trench, he had been too eager to see how it worked, so that he got a few of the rocks as well as Madame Crocodile. But the latter had been blown to pieces. It may seem cruel in Ota Benga to have used hi:: linowledge of natural history on the crocodile, when she lay peacefully exemplifying her mater nal instinct over her eggs burried in the sand, but he knew very well that there is no such thing as being cruel to a crocodile. They are the most viscious, voracious, stealthy, and implacable of all the denizens of the African jungle. The Congo ♦>- codile is perhaps the largest in the world, sometimes reaching around thirty feet in length. They-are the most terrifying looking of all thejfcer- restrial brutes. They will easily bite a man’s thigh in two or knock him into the river with a switch of their tails. One of the most dangerous points about them is the fact that when in the water there is nothing more than the tip of their snouts ex posed so that only a few square inches may be seen and one may come right lip on them in a boat without know ing it. They also wear the colors of the river grass—a greenish yellow —£0 adm.irably as to be almost indis tinguishable at any distance v/hen lying up against a grassy bank. The crocodile, while amphibious, cannot remain indefinitely under wa ter. This fact enables his two rivals to cope successfully with him. In a fight with an elephant or a hippopo- tamou.5, the crocodile is apt to get his jaws locked around the leg of his foe, whereupon, the latter wades in to \/ater deep enough to drown him. At least that is the story the natives toul mo. I never sav/ it happen, .but I have the marks of a crocodile’s Leeth on the leg of a hippo and from the respect I entertain for the intel ligence of these big brutes. I am in clined to believe the African story. That night Ota Benga was the hero at the d^ce. An African dance is a VNferici a-Tair, especially when a very nev/ly severed crocodile’s head is the principle feature of the decorations. (To Be Con.tinucd.) THE HON. M. L. SHIPMAN, NA TIVE OF TRANSYLVANIA Re-nominated in reccnt Slate-wide prim^iry for Commissioner Labor and Printing, by a majority of 38, 273, an increase of 1020 over that receiv ed four years ago with same oppo nent running against him. Mr. Ship- mar-’s majority this year is 3,051 greater than the tolai vote poHed for his opponent. SPIDERS Once upon a time a man who sub scribed to a Country Newspavf^r com plained to the Editor that Vv'hen he opened his last weeks paper, he found a live spider in said paper, and the Editor, who afterwards turned out to be a great writer, answered, yes, he was not surprised that the spider was there, as it was looking thru the paper to see what merchants did not advertise, trn the spiders wanted to go to these merchruits stores and spin their web where they would not bo disturbed. Now the moral of this is that if you don’t want spiders to come and take your store, be sure and adver- ti :e m your home paper. SUGGESTING CANDIDATES FOR COMMISSIONERS Editor of the News: The pay of a County Commissioner is so small that few men seek the posi tion but to the tax-payers of the County it is a very important office. Plenee it is necessary to seek out ca pable and safe men to fill the posi tion. The following ticket for County Commissioners has b.een suggested and meets the approval of a number of voters: C K. Osborne, Joe M. Gal loway and George T. Lyday. Many citizen hope that such a ticket will be printed and submitted to the voters at the approaching primary and let the man who receives the largest vote be the chairman of the Board for the next two years. The above suggestion is made in view of tne fact that is generally un derstood that neither Mr. V/oodfin noi’ Mr. Whitmire desire to again on the Board. VOTER serve THE FOLLOWING ANNOUNCE MENT HASBEEN RECEIVED Mr. and Mrs. Lewis H. Kicks announce the marriage of their daughter Virginia Blanche to Mr. James A. Kink on Thursday, June tenth Nineteen Hundred anj twenty at St. John’s Episcopal Church Portsmouth, Virginia At Home June Twenty-fifth 213 Court St. DEATH OF MRS. N. A. MILLER > This has been a busy year for the (^rim Reaper. He has not been a re specter of persons taking from our midst some of our most valuable citi zen?., Transylvania County feels sorely the loss in the departure of such men as Uncle Charlie Osborne, C. C. Duckworth and such women as Mrs. V/. S. Price, Sr. and others. On last Monday, June 21, 1920 Mrs. N. A. MILLER, wife of our fellow-citizen and Clerk of Superior Court, N. A. Miller; departed this life. She was formerly Miss Octavia Reed of Lake Toxaway, N. C. and at the time of her death v/as 35 years G months old. She Vv^as married to Mr. Miller about eleven years ago. She wa^ a woman of fine character, exerting a great influence for good upon all who knew her. She gave out the silent influence of right living. Her home was a model in many re spects. She was a member of Bre vard Baptist church, faithful and re;.;uiar in the discharge of her duty to the cause of C/irist. VVe extend otir profcirnd sympathy to our friend and brother, 'he h’j^^- band and the aged father and mothc.,' in t’K'ir bereavement and pray that the vo!'! made in their hearts and livof muy be filled with the abundant grac; of Him v/ho doeth all things well. Tic.'ides her husband, son, infant daughter, father and mother she leave.s seven brother, five of whom live in the rotate of 'vVa.shington. She was laid to rest near her father's home at Union Church, Wed nesday evt-ning. Her pastor, C. E. Puett condutied the services. THE PRAYER CORNER OLDEST WOMAN IN THE COUN- TY DEAD Mrs. Elizabeth Clayton Galloway, who was living v;ith her daughter, Mrs. Baxter Merrill of Little River, died on Friday afternoon, June 1st, at 3:30 P. M. Mrs. Galloway was born on May 19 182.5 and at the time of her death was of the ago of 95 years, 1 month, and 2 days. Her husband was T. N. Galloway, who has been dead for several years. Mrs. Galloway was a member of the Presbyterian Church for 82 years and at the time of her death was a member of the Davidson River Church. She is also survived by a daughter, Mrs. J. M. Henry of Little River, and she is the sister of E. B. Clayton, pop ularly known as “Uncle Doc” and by a wide circle of grand children and great grandchildren. Mrs. Galloway was buried at Da vidson River cemetery. W. T. BOSSE TO RETURN TO BRE VARD The m.any relatives and friends will be pleased to know that Mr. W. T. Bosse, has decided to move back vvith his family to Brevard at an early date. Mr. Bosse was connected with the Brevard News for over thirteen years and not only knows the mechani cal end of the printing plant from A to Z, but is also probably acquainted with every native Transylvanian in the County. It is with a great deal of real pleasure Ijliat the News welcomes back to the Land of the Waterfall?; this faithful exponent of the printing- art. Worry is one of the greatest ene mies of the human race; it carries its deep furrows wherever it goes; it carries gloom and unhappiness with it, it hardens the arteries, poisons the blood, delays or prevents the pro cesses of digestion and assimilation, until the starved brain and nerve cells utter their protest in different kinds of disease, sometimes even in insanity. The moment you fret about a THE HENDERSONVILLS NEWS SAYS: I “The Brevard News finds proiier, cause for Brevard’s congratulation; over the bus line to be operated be-* tween Hendersonville and Brevard this summer as announced by W. H. Andrews. This will be a big improve ment for the transportation facilities in our neighboring county. With regular lines to Hendersonville and Greenville Brevard will be greatly helped up. The Brevard News among otSier things says: “ ‘No more will the tourist have to spend the night in Hendersonville thing you are its slave, instead of | cn account of no transportation as its master, and there is no slave mas . schedule will be arranged so ter in the world like worry. Another 1 that people can leave Brevard, Hen- master may grudge the night, but he must give you time to sleep. An other master may grudge the dinner hour but sometime you must eat. But worry Vv*ill work you twenty-four hours a day, and spoil your appetite in the bargain. You learn not to worry when you seek God first and talk to Him, and love Him, and cast all your care up on him and your life at His feet. A PRAYER FOR A VICTIM OF WORRY, YOUKSELF OR SOME- OTHER ONE Evc*r blessed God whose word is ‘Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near,” fulfil Thy i;ro;ni^:e to me. Thy servant, rescue me from the misery of groundless fears and ro.'=t anxieties. Take me a!ul more out of my self, that (lul;. n-'ay be no longer a drudgery !)ui a d -^ rht. Lead me in to the secret of 'I’hy peace which quiets every misgivir;,t>’ and fills the heart with joy and confit'ence. Save me from the shame and emptiness of a hurried life. Grant nie to possess my soul in patience^'amid the storms and s'^ress of life, let me hear a deeper voice, ,as suring me that Thou livest and that dersonville or Asheville at all times of the day.’ ” Editor Hollowell Suggests a Possi bility f “Of keen interest not only to Tran sylvania county is the announcemen carried by the Brevard News tha Lake Toxaway will come into its own again. A concrete dam is to be built thereby restoring the big lake that went out in 1916, covering an area of more than two thousand acres v/ith a depth of 50 feet and circum ference of about 18 miles and at the time of its construction enjoying the I distinction being the largest ar- I tificiii} pleasure lake in the world. ' Since the dam has washed out there has been considerable ligitation by those damaged from the rush of waters, even down in South Carolina and by those having summer homes on the lakes’s border. Probably this announcement means a clear^g up of the whole situation, the re-opening of the hotel, re-inauguration of im proved passenger train facilities and another great influx of tourists to that beautiful spot nestling high up in the mountains. Toxaway was in its palmy days a great drawing card for Western North Carolina and should resume its former position. We should not be surprised to hear of a big power development In this connection, a matter frequently dis cussed and investigated. The Toza- 1- II way river with a drop of about a all is well, strengthen me to do my f , - ... ' , tnotrsNaJild feet within a few miles daily work in quietness and confi dence, fearing no to-morrow nor the evil that it brings, for Thou art with me, thi«. I ask for Jesus sake. Amen. C. D. C. P. S. If you use the prayer for some other one simply change the pro nouns. A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION 'elomne ron^^ac The Southern F.aihvay Company has placed on schedule and is opera- ting trains from. Hendersonville to Brevard daily. These trains add much to Brevard’s chances to get out to the outside world, as they are in addition to the trains that have been operating for sometime. Our friend, Mr. E. H. Norwood, celebrated most fittingly one of his numerous birthdays on Sunday, 20th. Out of respect for his feelings we shall omit his exact age, suflice it to ray that he nou* owns up to being of age: 21 years and some months, even tho the sum of months be consider able. The many kind friends now visiting in his home did not let the occasion pass unnoticed but extended many happy Vv’ishes, accompanied by a show er of choice gifts of inestimable val ue on so important an occasion. A mong the many gifts received by him, may be mentioned: a rooster— a horn-^a whistle—a box of choice peppermints—a hair net— a box of hair pins, a jumping jack, a sausage balloon, several toy pistols, a cupie, a package* of chewing gum, a sea-side backet and shovel, a glass cutter, some ail-day sucker candies made es- peci?.Ily for the occasion. A wrist watch and other articles.. Our infor mation is that our venerable friend enjoyed greatly the occasion and is as happy as a young kid over his presents and his good fortune. The Editor if this paper wil also add his hearty congratulations, wish iug our good friend and citizen, many happ^ returns of the day. not very far removed'fron^|adi^|^l centers of South Carolina.’* SPECIAL SALE PUT ON BY LQu ! CAL FIRM IS BIG SUCCESS. JP n Plummer & Trantham announced to a representative of the News that never before in their history have the people taken advantage of any sale as in the past week. .The si»e-« cial sale which has been running for two weeks will close on Saturday, June 26th and they are going to sell several articles at less than the This sale has been something in the way of a novelty and deserves the success it has attained. ^ —^ HORSEBACK RIDING 1 We should do all that is in our power to bring all of the scenic beau ties of our county to the attention of the many visitors who fill our bor ders from season to season. A much neglected feature of interest, beauty and pleasure is horseback parties to our many unrivaled peaks that can only be reached by narrow roads and trails. Nothing would please the young people as would horseback rides t?.r •> otir m.ountains. We should make safe trails to Ex'. Mountain, Cedar Rock, Mount. Cagl and the many other point of intere . Not one half of the beautir’ > this country have been made a. sable to the tourists. Nothing is more facinating, enjoyable and healthful than horse-back parties and we should do all in on: power to en courage the same.