THE GASTONIA GAl
- --Published Twice a Week -Tue»day* and Friday*.
W. f. MA1SHALL, Editor „4 Propria. DEVOTED TO THE PROTECTION OP HOME AKP THE IHT£jESTS~OP THE COUNTY.
VOL. XXIV. ^ ^ GASTONIA, N. C.. FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1003. ^
NOW IS THE TIME, GASTONIA THE PLACE!!
Consider the Overwhelming Reasons for Removal and Cast your Vote for the
Progress of Gaston County-Two Court Houses and Two Jails Havl Already
been Built at Dallas—Move the County Seat and Move it Now ^
An electron of great importance j
to evtrj’ citizen of the county is
at hand. Shall the county neat
of the 30,000 people of Gaston
remain iu a town of 600 people,
removed from the center of trade,
travel, and population, and with
an inadequate court house, or
shall it be moved to the comity’s
center of trade, travel, and popu
lation, a town of 6,000 people,
and be provided with suitable
modern buildings?
This question ia with us again
and presses upon ns for a wise
answer. Why not settle it wise
ly and settle it now ? Move the
county seat to Gastouia, aud
you settle the question wisely
and right. Settle a questiou
right and it will stay settled.
What of removal? l,et's pack
the facta together and give th. ut
our candid consideration.
I—FfoW IS THE TIME.
1. A naw court boot* is a pros*
aacaaitty, The county rec
ords have already well filled the
two fire proof vaults, aud conrts
are coming along at the rate of
four a year. There ore no rooms
for the petit jurors. The seating
capacity of J28 in the auditorium
is not sufficient for the suitors
aud witnesses. At the last Sep
tember term of court there were
on the criminal docket 137 cases.
Allow one witness for each side
and there are 274 witnesses. How
can 274 wituesse* be accommoda
ted with only 128 seats? Need
you be reminded that only a few
years ago a sheriff was fined $1
each for forty men that he al
lowed to stand in the aisles?
2. Tha county ccmmUaianera
arc continually axpssad to in*
dictmeut for not providing bet
ter court house facilities. States
ville, in a county of 30,000popu
lation, had a larger court house
than Gaston has with her30,000.
Yet the commissioners of Iredell
were indicted by the grand jury
BUILD THE HEW COURT
She is Cenvesiently Located
Give Better Pretectiea I
Proa Th* Gmuu Gantt*. April T.
As the reasons for removal of
the county-seat are rolling In
please give me space for a few of
the many important ones. It’s
no trouble to find plenty of good
reasons. Taxes or center of
population, I need not discuss.
Both are settled in favor of re
moval to Gastonia.
Bnt there are three other ques
tions we may consider:
1. Does Gaston need a new
court house? Answer: emphat
ically, Yes.
2. Is the county going to
bmld a new court house? My
answer is Yes.
3. Where is the proper place
to build It? The answer is, Gas
tonia.
Now friends of Gaston county
stop and consider a little and see
whether yon will not agree with
me. Gastonia is prepared to
take care of the people’s proper
ty. We have here a good system
of water-works, and can furbish
protection against fire. Does
Dallas do it? No.
We have five regular police
men—three In the day and two
at night. Those who seek to do
mischief will be looked after
both by day and by night. Does
Dallas furnish this? No.
My good people of Gaston,
Dalits furnishes very little pro
tection of any kind. If yon will
only think a little for yoarsclf, I
can remind yon of some things
that have happened there iu the
last few years that would not
happen in Gasiouia; such as
tying somebody’s calf in the
grand jury room and taking a
man’s milch cow np on top of
the front steps, where she was
left for the owner to get her
down the best he coaid. The
man paid 50 cents to get his cow
down, and the county, I sup
pose bad to pay for the cleaning
*To build a $30,000 conrt house
out of the people’s money and
leave H unprotected in a town
like that would be very unwise,
it seems to me. Ana suppose
this new court house shonld by
same means catch s-flre, what
by direction of the judge and re
quired to build a larger. At Le
noir, only a few week* ago,
Judge Long had the connty
commissioners of Caldwell in
dicted for similar cause.
3. Where shall it be built? A
uew court house for Gastou
county must soon be built some
where. The election to be held
on the 22ud o( April allows the
voters to say where. If their
decision is against removal to
Gastonia,' the connty commis
sioners have the power to tax
the people to build a new court
house at Dallas.
II.—GASTONIA IS THE PLACE.
Such being the conditions, the
county seat should be moved to
Gastonia, for—
1. This would insure l ho
pruapt erect leu el suitable mod
ern buildings.
2. Tbs public preperty weald
beru be under butter protection
ejtatael Ure. In the past 30
years the county has had two
court houses and two jails at
Dallas. Whv not look forward
to the uext 30 years with better
foresight?
3. Tbs county suet could be
mure easily reached both by
railroad aud public road.
4. Time and money would be
saved to the public, for in Gas
touia the county seat would be
most convenient to the greatest
number. Cut Gaston county
from the map. Fold the comity
east and west, and then north
and south. . The intersection of
the folds places the geographi
cal center one mile east of the
middle point between Dallas and
Gastonia. North of the east-and
west line are Cherryville, Dallas
and River Bend townships with
a (1900) census papulation
of 11,005. Sooth of this line
are CrowdeT’s Mountain, Gas
touia, and South Point town
ships with a total population of
16,898. Eliminate portions of
Cherryville and River Bend from
which the distance by public
HOUSE AT GASTONIA.
for Ail the People end Can
:o the Public Property.
could the town of Dallas do? I
tell you, the people of Gaston
would soon have tnc privilege of
seeing their $30,000 in ashes,
and of going down in their
pockets to put np a new count
house.
I say, let’s build it at Gasto
She furnishes protection
and it does not cost the conuty
a cent.
Gastonia is a center of trade,
and the people are going to
come to Gastonia to do their
trading, conrt boose or no court
house. I saw four two-house
wagons loaded with farmers
come into town the other day in
one crowd, and they came from
6 or 7 miles beyond Dallas. Yon
can look on our streets almost
any day and see farmers from
north of Dallas. They come
here to sell their prodnee and
buy what they need. And they
will come here to attend court
and do their trading, and be
glad of the chance to do both
with one trip instead of two.
Now my friends of Gaston
county who are standing back
•■yjng, Walt till we have to
hnHd a new court house, then
**, favor Gastonia; yon
had better wake up. You have
heard eoougb of thia question to
know what it meant. It meant
that Gaston is going to keep
pace with her progressive sister
conoties. What is the nse of
continually holding elections on
thia questing? Let’s settle It
now by Voting for removal.
Now, fellow-voters of Gaston,
tbe Ant and second questions
above answer themselves, but it
is left for you and mi to answer
the third at the polls ou the 22nd
of April. Vote for removal of
the connty teat to Gastonia and
you will always be proud of It.
„ Rx-Rhwdkwt ov Dallas.
Gastonia, N. C., April «, 1903.
The people of Gaston conuty
allowed •care-crow makers to I
beet them out of $15,000 six years
ago. Are they going to listen
1"?* ..***— Mr*in ?
Well, hardly!
road would reuiuiii about the
same, and allow ior the increase
of population since 1900 at the
Loray, Arlington, and other new
inilla on thla side, and it will be
seen that where the court house
is moved further from 10 people,
it is moved ucarer to 19.
5. Money will bo oovod to
Iho county. Iu the September
term. 1902, the criminal docket
was tnnde up of cases from the
townships as follows:
Dallas __ 5
Cherryviile ......_ic
River Bend.. :...._ U . _ 30
Gastonia ..... ...... 58
South Point . 23
Cru.vder'a Mountain 21_101
ToUl- .. - 1J7
Allowing three state’* witness- |
es to each case.it will be seen that
while the coart house iu Gasto
nia would be further from 118
witnesses, it wonld be nearer to
303. Couut fonr courts in a
a year and this represents an
annual saving of about 3.0UO
miles for the witnesses and a
great saving to the county iu
mileage expenses
*■ The caoaty is ehle. The
tax valnatiou of property in
Gaston is over $6,000,000,
•id there are 4,000 polls.
The law authorizing the issue
of $30,000 worth of 30 year
court house bonds says the rote
of taxation for the bonds shell ael
exceed 3 cents ea the f 1M end
9 cents ea the poll. If the
property valuation should not
increase another dollar ami not
another poll be added, the rate
named wonld raise enough money
iu 16 years to !>ay off bond* and
interest in full at maturity. And
we_ would have the use of the
buildings while paying for them
7. The funds era stiff id eat.
The $30,000, with the property
at Dallas and $S,000 offered by
Gastouia, are abundantly suffi
cient to re-establish the county
seat. The Gastouia Presby
terian church complete cost
$18,000,Methodist church $20,000
Central Graded School, heated
and furnished, including all the
WHAT DO THE COMMISSIONED SAY?
Cmntr Cenuniselenere Pledge Tb«aaihni (• Spend ne Mere then
Actnal Panda Provided.
To the People of Gaston
County; In view of certain re
ports current in the county, by
circular and otherwise, which
seem to reflect upon the dispo
sition of the present Hoard of
County Commissioners of Gas
tou county to uuard wisely and
economically the interests of the
people whom they serve, in case
it should become necessary to
re-establish the county seat, we
deem it but simple justice to
ourselves and the public to make
the following statement in regard
to the matter: It is our pur
pose and intention, and we
hereby pledge ourselves to the
people of the county, to erect
and complete suitable buildings,
and to limit onr expenditures
strictly to tlic assets placed at
onr disposal at the time when
tli e _ election shall be carried,
to-wit; The thirty thousand
dollars ($30,000) in funds au
thorized by the recent act of the
Legislature, the $5,000 donated
by Gastonia, and the property
now belonging to the county nt
Dallas.
Jno. D. li. McLkan,
J. Q. Holland.
k. A. White,
Jno. M. Gaston,
J. k. Connell.
WHO SAID $15,Mt FOB A SITE?
The County has Plenty et Options
•• Pina Sites la Santonin at
Price* from 11.3* te $MM.
Here are some options which
citizens of Gastonia have offered
Gaston county for a new conrt
house:
T. L- Craig—Stable lot, fcor
ner of Long and Marietta
streets, 150x150. $4,000.
Dr. C. E. Adams—Orchard lot
on Main Street west of B. T.
Morris' residence, 80x275, for
$1,500.
Dr. C. E. Adams—Corner lot
east of W. H. Lewis’ residence
on Main Street. 180x180, for
$2,000.
Beal fit Jenkins—Corner of
Ix>ng and Marietta Streets, in
front of Craig & WiUon’a ata
blea, 100x300, for $1,300.,
B. Love—Vacant lot on
Airline Street (old Ptesbyte
ctgreh property) 150x200,
The signed papers for every
one may be seen at Tint Ga*
zgTTg office. Thua the big
•care crow of "$15,000 for a new
court house site" is disposed of.
Nobody hat yet stumbled
across any reasons wiry the
county Mat should not be moved
to Gastonia.
Pal ul tka OtHik'ry Bash.
"But," says Mr. Hoffman, "the
time ia inopportune: it suits the
town people, but it don’t anit the
country people.” When doe* Mr.
Hoffman think an opportune
lime? We will auppoae that he
thinka to-morrow, next week,
next year—the time that never
cornea. Mr. Hoffman aeema wil
ling to wait. In thi* he remind*
u* of the Irishman, who waa sen
tenced to be hanged. The judge
■aid, "Now Pat, you can choose
the kind of a tree you are to be
hauged on; what kind shall it
be?" "Will, thin, yer boner, if
yer honer please, let it be a
gooaeb’ry bush.” "But." said the
judge, "a gooseberry bush i* too
small.” "Nevtr mind that," aaya
Pat; "I am willin’ to wait til! it
grows!" .
8«i(h‘i Mg Jury Inb,
ii* *• «"•
It is a matter of common
knowledge aud observation that
during the trial of criminal ac
tions In this county, and often
In the trial of civil action*, the
Jury are forced to deliberate in
arriving at their verdicts in barn
yards, old fields, or any other
outdoor place they can find,
which readers that secTeey find
privacy which the law expects
in such case* almost impossible.
grounds, cost less thou $13,000.
\\ likes county bnllt a new court
i°r $17,300. At States
ville the new court house, with
steel vaults, heat, light, water,
aud furnishings of the best
throughout, one of the finest in
the South, cost $25,675. If built
ta (*Astonii for tin's *nin. there
would still have, remained $4,325
om of the $30,000. aud also the
property at Dallas, for building
the jail.
*• 9”! conservative ceaaty
commlssfsaers say: "Wc pledge
onrselvcs to the people of the
county to erect and complete
suitable buildings, and to limit
om expenditures strictly to the
assets placed at our disposal at
the time the election shatl be
carried."
9. U the county seal had ban
«fx yaars ago, the county
would have bad the lwrnefit of
Gastonia’s gift of $15,000. would
have hsd new buildings, and all
practically paid for. if not
entirely paid lor. by this time.
W hw weald sol tie
•®d settle wisely sad rldhi a
question that has loug vexed the
minds of onr people. Why not
settle it on the 22ud of April for
the best interests of all involved,
settle it on the side of progress,
settle it on the side of the great
est good to the greatest number,
and leave our inrnds^ree to take
tip the work of good roads and
other public improvements ?
There is not a solitary reason
why the county |gat .should not
cbine to Gastonia. Every reason
is in favor of removal. Let u«
vote accordingly, take a needed
step forward, and leave one ninre
public question behind ns.
W. P. Marshall. |
For Advocates of Removal, j
Gastonia, April 8, 1903.
"Gastouia ia the place for the j
court House." said one of the
best farmers of the county the .
other day. "Let’s settle it; let's I
be done with it and take up |
something else.”
TWO COURT HOUSES AND TWO JAILS
Have Already Been Built le Dallas—The Peeple Shsald Leek
to Their Fiaamclal Intereet a ad Vate lor lwnral
Ptnm Th« UaMonii CaulH, April. 7.
To the voter* of Gaston Cunnty: Look to yoor financial in
terest when voting on the conrt house question. Circalara that
have been sent aroniut against removal are not in the interest of
the large majority of the citimi* of Gaston comity.
Every voter kuows, or onghi to know, that the county baa
built two court houses and two jails in Dallas already. A new
court house is now a pressing necessity and most soon be built
somewhere. Where is there 2 voter who £Jfar hi«3
fi?y n of va aat)5 building away ofl from water works, if he had
them all around bis other liuildipgs?
Gastonia has the best of water works. Yon need not have any
tear ot your court house or jail hurtling up again while you or vour
jf£“l-Kr*^*cUiUrfn Hire, if you will build them in Gastonia,
l nink ot that, voters, before you caat yonr ballot against removal.
Uaatonia has the water and the county would be perfectly welcome
to it m case of fire at the court house or j$Il.
Voter*. I say look to your li.uncial interest. The opooneuts
of removal arc not looking to your interests but to tlieir own. Dal
has failed to grow in population It is not Gastonia's fault.
iSovoten, clou t pay any attention to any circular or letter that
may be seut yon by the opponents of removal; but broaden your
view* and look to the interest of yourself and the entire county.
I hope yon way never have to build another court house after
tne one the county now needs so much, bnt yon may have to build
another if you vote to build it where there are no water-works.
Now. voters, think of what it coats the county to hold court
in a court house like the one wc now have. WHt-. live witnesses
often can t find seats or standing room un i h ».• • • » *tr.y out of
doors and he called when wanted. This « Ur* the court. Agaiu.
there are limes when a jury nun must nretitwrily b.- excused irons
the coup room. With present facilities he mast be absent some
thing like 15 or 30 minutes. Court lias to stop until he gets back.
Now. Uco.U about $10 an hour to rnn l hr c-mrf. riaTif a jim mau
loses 30 imimles or « witness delays the .Mart, the'costs to the
county count up mighty fast. Furtheimore, it takca eke jury
about five minutes to get out of the court room and about 20
uuuutes more to find a place to stand around iu nutsMt verdict is
agreed upon.
Just calculate now how much better it would be, it you had a
court house with water, light, hent, jury rooms, and water closets
and all the conveniences of an up-to-date as a new
court house in Gastonia will lie.
If you have read Mr. Marshall's'answer to Mr. HoBnton you
ca • see there who is paying the taues and where tlie money is
being spent, “here are other parts of the coanty that want some
of ilic good thing# they arc paying for. Gastonia does not want it
all. hut fa willing for other towns to get and have good nmds to
them. Voters, look to your own apd the county’s best interests,
and you will go out on the 22nd of this month and vote for re
,nov*> , . Citizek.
Gastonia R. F. D. No. 1. April 4, 1903.
TAX SCABE-CtOW LAID OUT.
At tha Law Date Fix ad by Law.
Iho Bonds Csxld bo Fold 0(1 In
10 ysars.
C. W. CappK InUsMcmui Cuctic, April 3rS.
The taxable property o( the
connty ia now $6,000,000. A
tax of 3 cents on the $100
would give ns $1,800 a year.
Add to Urn. nine cents on each
of 4,000 polls which is $380, and
we have $2,160. The interest
on the bonds at 4 per cent (we
think they can be floated for leas)
is $1200, so we have a si iking
fund of $960.
This,compounded annna 'y at
6 per cent, would in siv’.een
years, amount to $24,705.96 and
it would not be necessary to col
lect any more taxes for this pur
pose as the interest on this
amount would pay interest on
bonds and give us. at the end of
thirty veam rrhen bonds m .tore,
the sum of $30,028.44 which will
pay off the bond*. Or we could
loan the sinking fund back to
the conm> fuaa at 4 per cent,
thus reducing the amount for
which we are now paying Mr,
Hoffman and others 6 per cent.
Aa Old Bn CaaM Pay the Tax.
Baxter, la Caatoaia Oaaattt. April M.
Well, we hear H whispered
now and again that something
is going to be done in Gaston
connty, that there is one cle
ment that says that tier are go
ing to move the court novae to
Gastonia and another net that
saya no, that ha can’t stand the
taxaa that will be added on him
to pay, when the fact of the
matter is that lota of them that
are kicking against the tax part,
don’t return ovar $300.00 worth
of property and with that and
Ma poll he would only have to
pay 15 ccnu more per year.
One dozen eggs would bring
that and they from common hens.
Bet "Good lawyer* expre**
opinion* on both *idca of tbe
quertlon." Tbe opinion* of
good lawyer* written over their
name* look better than a aly in
timation. The public may then
know the qaaiity of tha opinion
and of the lawyer.
WM SAOVNUTAX?
Author Sctn^nw fflrtml
by Hard Facial
. The special act for issuing
$30,000 in const bouse bonds
provides in plain words (Sec
uoti 2) that tot tax lot this pur
pose shall not exceed 3 cents on
the $100 and 9 cents on the poll.
Now listen I The poll tax period
of a man's life, from fl to 50
years of age. is just 29 years. If
he were to pay the 9 cents poll
every year for the whole 29 yean,
bis tout poll Ux at the end
would amount to only $2.61.
That naila another scare-crow.
Isn't it time to atop listening
to people who are trying to de
cieve yon in their own Interest?
Oaetra Centyallkifhl
Oco. W. Wilma, 8m.. la flsanns flartlt
Oar county finances ere all
right, or a practical conservative
business man like Mr. Hoffman
would not be lending the county
money at 6*. No one knows
better than be, that be wul get
it back dollar for dollar, with
interest, as soon as, if notaoon*
er, tkan be wants it.
Jsitt UttSe ffnssH—.
HalWr, la tla Csslsala Omens. A*cU a.
Some of the people who op*
pow removal say that $30,000
will not put up inch a court
house aa our great county de
mands. If that be so. then bow
dotbeymrpect one that will seat
on!/ 128 people outside the bar
owl «ot worth
over $3,000 dollars, to answer tbc
purpose?
As to Iks Herat View
OwVmis Xtwa. Aaril 7.
There is a greater moral wrong
in depriving tbe people of the
c otinty of tne convenience of s
centrally located county scat
than there Is Is satisfying the
convenience of a few individuals
who happen to be grouped
aroiud an out-of-the-way court
house.
Nobody, abaolateiy nobody,
up to Um present tinse baa gives
one solitary reason why tbs
court house should not bo Moved
to Gaston Is. There la so sack
reason. AH reason and every
reason is In favor of removal.
■on.
Oar litre of Belt*, Belt Mai,
Slnrt-waut Seta, Wrist Bogs,
Brooches. Combs, etc., can
not be surpassed.
LACES, APPLIQUES, BTC.
Oar Uoe serpasses any ever
shovn on this market. Grape
deatgaa very popular. We
havy just received a let of
woaJi _ Applique*. They arc
bean ties and trim wash fabric*
to perfection. .
J. F. Yeager.
LADIES* FURNISHINGS
A. D. CLAM.
OROCEle
TWis the place to get your
■roceilea cheap. Let os qnote
yon some price*:
• • •. .. .. V.:.''ihi
3e*t Patented Capitol* Flour ...
# Pataot Floor nt . ClOperaacV
Pore Leaf I^rd at . . IZHcperlb.
Granulated Sagar, lllb*. tor .$140.
Kooatad Coffee . ... 10c per lb.
Mb. can Tomato—.. 7 ... Me
.. • . tb per W.
Come end see my line before
piecing yotir order.
Rcspectfally.
A. D. Clark.
-— -4--y ■ £
Robinson Bras,
jSfcm, to