' . ; t"
it TT 'Tn;
GASTON
A
PUBLISHED TWICE A WEEK- TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS,
SINGLE COPY 8 CENTS,
ted to the Protection of Home and the Interest of the County.
91.60 A YEAR IN ADVANCE.
VOL. XXXL
GASTONIA, N. C. TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1010.
NO. 61,
ORGANIZATION FORMED.
Majority of Landowner on Crowders
Cree Meet and Organise Crow
dew Creek Dredging Association
Committee Appointed to Inves-
Urate Work In Process "in Lincoln
-
and Catawba Counties.
' - Responding. to a call which was
Issued two or three weeks previous,
quite a number of the largest land
owners . living on Crowders Creek
1 between Baker's mill and Riddle's
; ; mill met at Pleasant Ridge Satur
day afternoon at 2 o'clock to discuss
the practicability, of dredging this
iA stream and straightening the chan
' nel, in places. A majority of the
land affected was represented at the
meeting In the persons of the follow
lng farmers and landowners: J. E
Falls, W. S. GrlBsom. S. A. Lewis, O
W. Falls, W. A. Falls. Sam Bradley
H. F. Forbes. D. M. TValker, E. W,
Carson, R. A. Caldwell. W. M. Craw
ford, Rozelle Stroup, W. D. Antbo-
! ny, W. N. Davis, James Adams, J. A.
Crawford," R. A. Falls, D. D. Grier,
Ed Crawford, Oscar Torrence.
An organization was effected, to
be known as the Crowders Creek
Dredging 'Association, and the fol
Pres-
lowing officers were chosen
ident, W. A. Falls; rice-president,
H. F. Forbes; secretary, Sam Brad
ley. These, together with the other
men mentioned abore, were enroll
ed as members. It Is the expecta
tion of the association to enroll as
members every landowner on this
creek between the two mills men
tioned. The distance covered la
about 12 miles. ' '
A number of the gentlemen pres
ent made short talks, the object of
the meeting being to obtain as mucn
Information as possible relative to
the amount of land affected, the dis
tance; - possible cost of dredging,
what has been accomplished in oth-
er, counties where dredging has been
done or is now in process.
Following a free discussion, par
ticipated In by practically all pres
ent, a motion was made and carried
to the effect that the chairman ap
point a committee of six, the chair
man and secretary Included, to go
the second week In August to Lin
coin and Catawba counties and make
a thorough investigation of the
dredging of Clark's creek and any
other streams that are being worked
on in that territory with a view to
obtaining definite Information as to
just how the landowners proceeded,
what the cost is per acre, how long
the work requires and any other
facts that might prove valuable to
the association here. It was also
suggested that every member who
could possibly do so accompany this
committee on this trip
It was also moved and carried
that the secretary be instructed to
communicate with Mr. J. D. Elliott,
oi Hickory, the father of the dredg-
ing movement in Catawba and per-
haps the best posted man on this
work in the State, and ask him to
come to Gaston, after thev have
made this trip, and address the as- I
eociation, giving all the practical In-
formation on the subject that he has
at hand. Those . present who are
personally acquainted with Mr. EI
iiott ana wno know something of
his work in this line thought that no
better man could be obtained than
he and the opinion was that he
would be glad to come to Gaston and
givethe association the benefit of
his experience and observation. On
the return of the committee from its
trip of investigation and afteT JMr.
Elliott has set a date on which he
vcan be here announcement will be
made through The Gazette : of the
next meeting of the association. 1 At
that time it is hoped that not only
every landowner on Crowders Creek
but every man in Gaston-county who
Is Interested in the dredging of our
jtl-AAlra will Ka r.MaA - u 1 .
. o Vi cDcm iu near wou
the committee and Mr Elliott have
to say on the subject - ' ,"
- Mr. Rozelle Stroup stated that he
had recently been In Lincoln county
and had seen the work which is be
ing done on Clark's creek. He was
favorably Impressed with it and
stated that up the stream where the
dredging was - commenced some
eight' or tea months ago corn ' was
being" grown on Jand that had for
Tears been nncultlvatable because of
the overflow from the creek.
This work Is being done, it la un
derstood. under the provisions of a
special act of the General Assembly
but there was no one present who
was familiar with the stipulations of
that act. It "was the belief, bower-
er, that the plan of operation Includ
ed an assessment of $5 per acre of
the affected land annually for a
term of three or five yean.
It la estimated that from Riddle's
mill to a point near Baker's mill, to
which It will be necessary to dredge.
Is a distance of about 1? miles and
i . . ... .
teat tne land now raiueiess oecause
of the fact that It Is not cultivatable.
Is about ,2,000 acres. . Twenty-Are
years ago, it is stated, an or tnis
land waa under cultivation and was
highly productive.' While the own
ers continue to pay taxes on it they
derive no results whatever. Since
the tearing away of the old dam at
Riddle's mill a year or more ago
there has been a flight Improvement
noticeable in that the water runs off
from the creek bed more rapidly In
times of heavy rains than formerly.
But the Improvement is not such as
to restore any lands to cultivation.
The bed of the creek is so clogged
with trees, stumps, sand and other
obstructions that no remedy short of
dredging out a new channel is worth
while.
Those present at Saturday's meet
ing were favorable to the project
and many of them were enthusiastic
over the prospects. The purpose Is
to get all the information possible
, j v . .v, , Z .
iii uauu ueiuro uujimug ueuuue m
done; in fact it will be necessary to
do this In order to go about the
matter Intelligently.
Mr. E. W. Carson stated 'that he
had written to Congressman Webb
to ascertain if there was any possi
bility of obtaining government aid.
Mr. Webb replied that he could very
likely get the government to furnish
an expert engineer to survey the
creek and give the association the
benefit of his knowledge in .the way
of suggestions as to how the work
should be done.
McAdenville Matters.
Correspondence of The Gazette. .
McADENVILLE, August 1. Mr.
A. C. Kelly was a Charlotte visitor
Friday. Rev. R. S. Howie and Mr.
R. H. Fisher attended District Con
ference at Dallas last week. Dr.
and Mrs. Anderson and daughter,
Ruth, of Lowesville, were the guests
Thursday of Mr. and Mrs. David Mc-
Gee. Dr. and Mrs. C. A. Bland, and
son, Master Charles, returned Fri-
day to Charlotte after spending sev-
eral days here with Mr. James Mc-
Aden. Capt. I. W. Shields, of Low-
H. spent Friday and Saturday with
relatives In Mecklenburg. Mr. F.
D. Earney has been indisposed for
the past week at his home in Al-
beaney. Mrs. Frank Earney and
srns, Boyden and Grant, spent i&t-
urday in Charlotte shopping
Mr. and Mrs. K. J. ingle and cue
former's sister, Mrs. Sarah Scott, jf
Tampa, Fla., and Mrs, W B. Rob
erts visited friends and relative! at
Charlotte last week. Messrs. S A.
Clonlnger and John Barnhill attend-
ei court at Charlotte last woes.- -
Ml8S ""ie Alhea is spending some
time at Salisbury with Mr. and Mrs.
M- L- Jackson. Mrs. L- A. Funder-
burk was a vi8ltor to Gastonia Sat-
urday- Mr- H- J- Wilkerson spent
Friday and Saturday at Clover, S.
C. Mr. C. W. Hooper was ,a Char
lotte visitor Saturday. -Mrs. S. H.
Mangum returned Saturday from
Spartanburg, S. C, where she has
been spending several weeks with
her daughter, Mrs. T. M. Bynum.
Mrs. Mangum will in the near future
visit friends and relatives at Page-
land and Lancaster, S. C. Mr. I. F.
Jiaory u spending some time at
Asheboro on business. ,
, The annual protracted meeting is
now in progress at Hickory Grove
church nearv here. Rev. Mr. Mc
CIure, the pastor, is being assisted
by Rev. J. J. Beach, of Gaatonia
The services are being well attend
ed by the people of the neighbor
hood. , The crowds Saturday and
Sunday were . especially large.. Re
ports are to the effect that much
good Is being accomplished.
McAdenville's first baseball team
went to Clover, S. . C. and played
two games Friday and Saturday.
Friday's : score was McAdeavllld 5,
Clover, 7. Saturday's score was Mc
Adenville 1, Clover 0. .The team
from "here drove through the coun
try. They were In charge' of BIa-
Chief! Abernethy. who Is all smiles.
Mr. C. S. Smith and Mr. R. L. Pay-
sour, of Gastonia, were visitors here
Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. James Tur
ner, of Charlotte, spent Sunday here
with Mrs. Harriet Simmons. Mr.
Joseph L. Webber spent Sunday
with homefolks in Charlotte.
UNION PICNIC '
One of the Larrct Crowd That Ev-
er Gathered at This Historic
Church Was Present Friday at
Fanners Union Picnic Speakers
Failed to Come But Day W
Pleasantly Spent. -
Between 1,500 and 2,000 people
gathered Friday at Union church,
six miles south of Gastonla, to at
tend the picnic given by Eureka Lo
cal No. .167 of the Farmers Union
Persons who have Attended every
picnic at this place for the past num
ber of years declared the crowd was
as large as that of two years ago
which was the largest -ever seen at
Union on a picnic occasion. To look
at the vehicles and horses and mules
that were grouped In scores over
several acres of ground one would
almost have been ready to believe
that half of Gaston county was on
hand to enjoy the hospitality of the
good people of the Union section
Despite the fact that the day was
one of the hottest and dustiest of
ths summer so far the people began
to arrive early. The Farmers Un
ion Band was there to .furnish music
and played a number of pieces for
" . . v , K
the entertainment of the people be-
fore the hour for the speaking ar
rived. Under a group of large trees
near the church the farmers union
had a good-sized stand where ice
cream, cold drinks, cigars, etc. were
sold and it was well patronized from
early In the morning until the crowd
had dispersed in the afternoon.
Just south of the churchyard a
speakers stand had been erected and
slab Benches provided for several
hundred people. Greatly to the dis
appointment of the entire crowd the
speakers who were expected. Dr.
Tempieton, of Raleigh, and Dr. H.
Q. Alexander, of Charlotte, presi
dent of the State Farmers Union,
did not arrive. Dr. Alexander deliv
ered an address In .Montgomery
county the day before and it wad
presumed that
he was unable to
niake railroad connections that
would enable him to reach Gastonla
on Friday. It was not known why
Dr. Templeton did not get there.
At the appointed hour for spt-ik-
ing, filr. Eli P. Lineberger, president
of the Gaston County Farmers Un
ion, called the gathering to orde.
and prayer waa offered by Rev. G.
a. Sparrow. Mr. Lineberger then
announced that the SDeakers who
had been engaged had failed to snow
up and stated that Rev. G. A. Spar
row would deliver an address of
welcome. Mr. Sparrow spoke for
fifteen or twenty minutes and was
heard with much interest and profit
by the audience. After extending to
all a welcome to Union church he
spoke on the farmers union, what it
stands for and what it has accom
pushed. He paid a high tribute to
the American farmer and gave his
unqualified endorsement to the or
ganization known as the farmers un
ion which has accomplished much
and which promises to accomplish
much more for the producer of the
world's food and hence of its wealth.
Mr. Sparrow is a speaker of ability
and is always heard with pleasure
by a Gaston county crowd.
Following Mr. Sparrow, Mr. Line-
berger made a short address in
which he reviewed the history of the
farmers union since its organization
in 1902. North Carolina, he said,
was one of the last States to organ
lze but had made marvelous progress
since- 1907 when the organization
first entered the State. Today there
are 30,000 members in this State
and every year adds hundreds more
Gaston county has a membership of
700 which is steadily increasing,
The speaker reviewed briefly the his
tory of the Grange and the Allance,
both of which organizations served a
good purpose in their day but went
to pieces on the shoal of politics.
The farmers union as now organized
Is keeping its skirts entirely clear of
political affiliations. - He told of the
wonderful things accomplished by
the erection oyer, the .Southern
States by the union of cotton ware
houses and the great reduction in the
price paid by the farmers for com
mercial fertilizers, this beina effect
ed by reason of 'their strong organi
sation. Mr. Lineberger made, a force
ful and convincing argument why
every farmer should Join in this
great" movement.
At the conclusion of Mr. Lineber-
ger's speech Mr. A. C. Stroup was In
troduced and talked briefly, turning
his attention mostly to the subject
of : corn raising. Mr. Stroup has
had chs"e of the farm demonstra
don work In this county and he told
a, nearei-s some or the things ac-
conipiished during the. past two or
three years since the new method of
corn raising have been In use in
Gaston. He told his hearers that
under the demonstration method of
farming, 75 farmers in Gaston coun
ty had made an average of 43 bush
els of corn to the acre, whereas the
average for the entire State Is only
13 1-3 bushels. Last year one man
in the county made 90-odd bushels
to the acre on several acres and this
same man is expecting this year to
make 100 bushels to the acre. One
has but to travel around over the
county a little and look as he goes
to see the results of the demonstra
tion work. Last year the acreage of
corn in this county was Increased
twenty per cent over the previous
year. This year witnessed another
twenty per cent increase in the acre
age and the end is not yet in sight
In the matter of corn raising. Mr
Stroup was heard most attentively
and his address no doubt did good
in that it will stimulate his hearers
to devote more time and attention
to the raising of corn.
At noon the long Improvised ta
bles under a group of oaks in front
of the church were loaded down with
the most tempting things that the
culinary art of the housewives could
devise. The dinner was a "Union"
picnic dinner and that means it was
the best that could possibly be pro
vided. And there was plenty" of it.
Everybody had plenty and to spare
and there was not a little left over.
In the afternoon there was a ball
game, those who didn't care for
baseball attended to more important
matters in the shade of the trees,
the children romped and played and
the old folks swapped views and ex
periences. Altogether it was a day
to be remembered and those present
who are so fortunate as to live out
side of the Union neighborhood felt
that they were under lasting obliga
tions to the good people of that sec
tion for a day of unalloyed pleasure.
Death of Mr. John Hovis.
Mr. John Hovis died at his home
near Hickory Grove Baptist church
last Thursday morning at 10 o'clock,
aged about 66 years. Mr. Hovla had
been In ill health for several months
and his death was not unexpected.
He was a confederate veteran and a
member of Hickory Grove Baptist
church, and Is survived by two sons.
Amzl and James, and two daugh
ters, Mrs. Mosely and Miss Caroline
Hovis. Funeral services were con
ducted by Rev. Mr. McCIure, of Mc
Adenville, Friday afternoon at two
o'clock, and the remains were laid
to rest in the Hickory Grove cnie-
tery
Miss Sue Stowe Entertains.
Miss Sue Stowe very delightfully
entertained a number of her friends
at her home In Belmont on the ev-
ening of the 28th of July. Elegant
Iced refreshments were served
Those present were MIssa Ola and
Clara Sloan, Cora Hart, Vivian
Hand, Louise Mason, Dumont, Mag
gie Hall, Ethel, Bertha and Ger
trude Stowe, Edna and Ida Rankin
ur. Taylor, Messrs. Reece Stowe,
Ross Ratchford, Jeff Sanders, Will
Ford, John Ramseur, John Rankin,
Holland Hand, Paul Hoover, Spratt
Hanks, George McKee and R. S. Mc
Gaw.
To Preach Next Sunday.
Brother Kuboka, of Olta, Japan,
will preach at Main Street Methodist
church next Sunday morning at 11
o'clock and probably Sunday night.
Brother Kuboka was converted un
der the ministry of Rev. R. A. Wil
son eight years ago and has been in
this country for the- past two years
as a student at Trinity Colleger and
vanaerDiii university, ' preparing
himself for ministerial work among
his own people.
At the August meeting of the
board of county commissioners held
in Dallas yesterday only routlnejms-
iness was transacted. Including the
drawing of the September jurors, a
list of whom appear In today's Ga
zette. - - '
Prof. Fallberg and wife, the
musicians who were to give a recit
al at Main Street Methodist church
last night failed to show up and as
a consequence there ..were quite a
good ' many disappointed people. '
No explanation as to their failure to
keep the appointment has been re
ceived from them. ' .
REPUBLICANS AND
Sereral Counties in North Carolina are Solidly Republican Bnt Not ,
One of Them Has Made Any Move to Change from the Old Fee
System to theSaIary Basis Four or Fire of the- Biggest Demon
cratic. Counties in the State Hare Changed to Salary System, Sarin;
These Counties Thousands of Dollars Annually Republicans AdL
Yocate Change Only in Counties Where They are Hopelessly in
Minority in Hope of Making Political Capital Inconsistencies,
of the G. 0. P.
In view of the fact that the Gas
ton county Republicans, at their re
cent convention, adopted a platform
one plank of which declared In favor
of placing the county officers on a
salary basis, and in view of the fur
ther fact that The Dallas Advocate,
mouthpiece of McNinch and the G.
O. r. in Gaston county, is making an
effort to delude the voters of the
county into the belief that, if they
want their officers put on salaries in
stead of fees they must vote for the
Republican candidates, we take
pleasure in presenting below an ed
itorial from Saturday's Raleigh
News and Observer which knocks In
to a cocked hat The Advocates
clainii! and shows the unbiased
reader just what the facts are.
,The News and Observer says:
There are quite a number of
counties in North Carolina where
the Republicans hold all the county
oC'.ees Not In a singre one have Re
publicans ever made a movement to
adopt the salary system. And yet
In Democratic counties, whenever
there Is Democratic division, Repub
lican bosses in order to try to make
political capital howl for a salary
system. Everybody knows that the
politicians who did that in Wake
and who are doing it in Iredell care
nothing for the principle. Indeed,
In the Federal courts where Repub
licans could change it if they would,
fees are paid and they are so ex
cessive as to amount to a practical
denial of justice to many poor liti
gants. Did you ever hear a Repub
lican advocating salaries in a Re
publican county? Honor bright, did
you ever hear of it?
Wilkes is a big and rock-ribbed
Republican county. The Wilkesboro
Chronicle, a leading Democratic pa
per, says that if the county officers
of Wilkes were put on the salary ba
sis It would save $6,000 to $10,000
for roads. Has any Republican In
Wilkes seconded Editor Deal's mo
tion? Mr. Deal says:
'There is considerable agitation
over the State on the question of
putting county officers on a salary
basis. Wherever it has been tried it
has proved to the good, and has sav
ed money to the tax-payers. Just
now there is much interest in road
matters, and in the county there are
various suggestions such as road
taxes, bond issues, etc. A big start
on good roads could be had without
additional taxes or bond issues by
putting the officers on a salary basis
and using the money thereby saved
in building good roads. With the
officers on a salary basis and a good
non-partisan business set of county
commissioners to manage the coun
ty affairs, some $6,000 to $10,000
could be put into good roads every
year without a particle of addition
a tax. A majority of the people of
Wilkej favor a salary basis, regard
133 of politics, but they won't do
anything but talk a little under
their breath. As soon as the politi
:al r'Dg cracks its whip they fall In
line without a protest. Its time our
people get a little manhood in them.
We give below a short editorial on
the subject from Phe Progressive
Farmer, the best farm paper In the
South. Read it carefully:
' "We take pleasure in calling at
tention to the article in this issue
urging the farmers of the South to
haVe all county officers put on a sal
ary basis as a substitute for the
wasteful and nnbusiness-like fee sys
tem now In force. Only a week or
two ago we called attention to the
experience of one Southern county
which saved $10,000 to Its roads
and schools by adopting the salary
system. . Another eounty Is report
ed to have saved $20,000. Start an
agitation for potting your county of
ficers on a salary basis.. Bring up
the matter in your party convention
and your farmer's meetings. Write
it up in your local paper, and see If
your editor won't face the opposi
THE SALARY SYSTEM.
tion of the court house officials and
advocate the plan for your county.
And whenever and wherever your
candidate for the Legislature ap
pears, on the stump or elsewhere,
make him tell where he stands on
this matter. If you want your tax
es used for building roads and Im
proving the county, put your county
officers on a salary basis."
Four or five of the biggest Demo
cratic counties have changed to the)
salary basis, but no Republican in
Republican county has advocated sv
change. When Wilkes, Madison,
Yadkin, Henderson, Sampson, Surry.
Stokes, Swain, and other Republi
can counties advocate salaries for
their Republican officers then their
advocacy of it In Democratic coon
ties would show that they are sin-'
cere. As it is they hold on to fees :
when Republicans get the fees, and '
only clamor for salaries in Demo-
cratic counties in the hope of mak
ing political capital. But the people
know their insincerity and yill not .
care what Republicans say. They '
are either "for" or "agin" any prop
osition in any county where they
think they can gain a vote by taking
either side. No men who want re
form can have any part or lot with
them.
JURY LIST.
Names of Jurors Selected for Sep
tember Term of Gaston Superior
Court.
The following Is a list of jurors)
chosen at the August meeting of the
county commissioners to serve at
the September term of Gaston Super
ior Court, which convenes at Dal
las on Monday, September 12th:
FIRST WEEK.
J. F. Starnes, Gastonla.
S. G. Fry, Gastonla.
Robert F. Lay, Dallas.
J. C. Crawford, Gastonia.
H. J. Shannon, Gastonla.
D. L. Payne, Crowders Mountain.
Fred E". Carpenter, Cherryrille.
R. J. Durham, Dallas.
W. A. Hendricks, Gastonla.
J. H. Ramseur, Cherryville.
E. H. Armstrong, Gastonla.
G. W. Ragan, Gastonia.
W. H. Adams, Gastonia.
Miles Witherspoon, Cherryville.
R. B. Sarvice, Gastonia.
J. O. White, Gastonia.
Sidney L. Klser, Dallas.
J. G. Shannon, Gastonia.
J. F. Lineberger, Jr., Dallas. '
R. C. Mauney, Cherryville.
Ed Vickers, Cherryville. ;
M. A. Sarvice, Gastonia.
John1 Wilson, Gastonia.
G. L. Webb, South Point.
S. B. Barnwell, Gastqnia.
J. Bynum Long, Gastonia.
W. A. Leeper, Sr., South Point.
Ed E. Carson, Crowders Mountain.
W. A. Farris, Cherryville.
J. H. Kennedy, Gastonia.
T. L. Payne, Crowders Mountain
M. C. Auten, South Point,
Cicero Harris, South Point. '
W. W. Wilson, South Point .
C. E. Mason, Crowders Mountain. '
J. R. Howell, Gastonla. '
" SECOND WEEK. '
R. J. Sifford, Gastonia.
Fox Paysour, Gastonla. T J '
N. W. Thrower, South Point. "
W. D. Qulnn, Dallas. , j
A. M.' Smith, River Bend.
W. W. Bennett, Crowders Moan -
tain. ' ':- :-';.V i 'V". . ; '' - ' -
Wirt Summey, Dallas. '" i
R. L. Rankin, Gastonia.
J. L. Neill Gastonia.
C S. , Wells, Crowders Mountain.
M.. T. Wilson, Gastonia.
H. D. Roberts, South Point.
R. E. Currence, Gastonia.
David Wright; South Point .
W. L. Ormand, Crowders Moun
tain. ' ' , ' ; ' '
Frank Alexander, Cherryville. -D.
W. Mltchem, South Point.
J. L. Bryan, Gastonla. '
Mr. A. P. Deck, of Bessemer.
''-:.- - --
City, route one, was a business vl
Itor to Gastonia yesterday.