VOL. XXI NO. 18.
n i nmc i ncT ujucu
il
OLIVLU LUU! WIIILIi
VESSEL WENT IU IMt BOTTOM
WHILE BEING TOWED TO
I PORT.
jlLL THE MAIL WAS LOST
Steamer Carried 3,545 Bags of Mall.
Much of it Originating in Neutral
Countries.
.Queenstown. Six second cabin pas
angers, six third cabin passenger!
ind 13 of the crew of the steamei
HespfTian, torpedoed 150 miles ofl
'Queenstown,- were unaccounted for,
jecording to revised figures issued by
tie Allan Line. This brings the prob
able dt-ath . list, including Miss Car
Oerry ot St. Johns, Newfoundland,
, fhoje body is here, up to 26.
The captain of the Hesperian re
mained by his ship until it sank,
while being taken into port. He de
clined to comment on the disaster for
publication. Any official statement as
. to whether he believes his ship was a
victim of a torpedo or a mine must
come from the Admiralty, although
the captain is quoted as having told
an Allan Line official that the Hes
perian was torpedoed. .
Captain Main andthe officers who
remained aboard the steamer while
efforts were being made "to tow her to
port were able to save some of their
effects before the ship plunged to the
bottom, 70 miles southwest of Fast
set, not far from the scene of the at
tack, taking with her 3,545 bags of
mil, nrnch . of it originating in neu-
tnl countries.
The flooding of the . forward com
partments, which caused the Hespe-
rk to sink so much by the head as
to throw ' the nronellors out . of the
I tiler, made the task of towing her
Ao wstown Impossible In the
cata passengers .folio w ; Miss Ban-
Bister, Mrs. Fisher, Joseph Fowler,
Mrs. Hannah Fowler, Maria Jenkins
iflii Miss Murray.
BRYAN PRAISES PRESIDENT.
Tell Friends of Peace He is Thankful
Wilson Loves Peace.
Chicago. Prolonged applause greet
ed William J. Bryan during his ad
foss at the national convention, of
&e Friends 6t Peac?, when he said:
"I want you to be thankful that
tils country's President loves peace
sudis trying with every means at his
disposal, to preserve our country's
peace."
Shortly before the delegates had
caeered Congressman Henry Vollmer
of Iowa u ViPn ho Qttarktrl th Admin
istration for permitting Export ol
ar munitions to Europe.
Before adjourning the convention
instructed its officers to make known
to President Wilson and Congress the
Purposes of the' Friends of Peace aa
embodied in resolutions styled "a new
oeclarati nn nf InHononHpnofl " The
"declaration." made oo formal de
mand for an embargo on war muni
's, but rioflnrprl far frppdom of the
IPas to all commerce, including that
'to all belligerent nations, and op
Psed manufacture of death dealing
implements for profit. The officers
ilsy werp incininia mn Hrav tin hills
bodying these principles for pro-
fniation to the next Congress.
Daniels Will Not Report Soon.
Msiihton. Secretary Daniels
not make a final report on plans
0r strengthening the navy until he
"as received further information re
larding lessons learned during the
rent war in Europe.
Steamer Cvmheline Sunk.
Jjondon. The British steamer Cym
has been sunk. Six members
01 the dew were killed and six were
wed. Thirty -one others were
ra safely.
British Steamer Mt Sunk.
London. The British steamer Ml
J10, from New York to Belfast, hat
eea sunk. The crew was saved.
. arranza Not Responsible
"asnington; General Carranza
TOl
an emphatic denial from Vera
Cru
Z that Qarramn trnnna VrniV aVfn
? 7 J?art n tlie disturbances along
e lexas border. "I have Issued in
querns tc; General Nafarrette,"
jaa General Carranza's telegram,
avoid energetically any act that
J cause any international compli-
ica it n the border- Deny emphat
W that our trooDs havA either tak
rarw they allow the organization of
Udnas of disturbers.
HESPERIAN 1
TRYON,
E TAX VALUES
IN 80 COUNTIES
:iGHTY COUNTIES MUST AD
VANCE VALUATION OF THEIR
TAXABLE PROPERTY.
AN INCSEASE OF $92,000,000
Commission Makes This Increase In
State Since Last Quadriennial Re
assessment in 1911.
Ralsigh. In the matter of the equ
alization of assessments of real prop
erty in North Carolina for taxation
the Corporation Commission, in its
capacity as State Tax Commission,
issued an order In which the assess
ment made by the county assessors in
80 of the counties are advanced from
5 to 30 per cent and the. assessments
in 20 of the counties are accepted as
made by the local assessors. The
assessments in the three counties of
Mecklenburg, Wake and Pender have
not yet been filed with the commission
by the county authorities and the per
centages of the raises in these. If
any, will be determined later when
the returns are filed.
The highest percentage of increase
applied to any of the counties, 30 per
cent, is. against the three counties of
Alleghany, Sampson and Scotland
counties. The other counties that get
increases, grouped as to their percent
ages of Increase, follow:
Twenty-five per cent increase, Rich
mond county; 25 per cent increase,
Ashe and Caldwell.
Fifteen per cent increase. Bertie.
Catawba, Cleveland, Davidson, Ons
low, Randolph and Wilkes.
Ten per cent increase, Anson, Blad
en, Burke, Camden, Caswell, Chat
ham, Chowan, Cumberland, Duplin,
Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth Frank
lin, -Gaston. , Granville, GuillardV Ire
dell, Jones, Lincoln. Macon, McDowell,
Montgomery, Orange, Person. Pitt
Robeson, Rowan, Union and Wilson.
Five per cent increase, Beaufort,
Buncombe, Cabarrus, Clay, Columbus.
Craven, Currituck, Davie, Gates,
Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Haywood,
Henderson, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde,
Jackson, Johnson, Lenoir, Madison.
Mitchell, Northampton, Pamlico, Per
puimans. Polk, Rockingham, Ruther
ford, Transylvania, Tyrrell, Vance,
Warren, Washington and Wayne.
-The commission declares that this
order is made after carefully consid
ering the assessments for taxation of
property In all the counties of the
state for the purpose of equalization
as between the counties.
The 20 counties that are "white-
listed" as having assessments made by
the assessors that are considered as
fair In their relation to assessments
made in other counties follow: Alex
ander, Alamance, Avery, Brunswick,
Carteret, Cherokee, Dare, Graham,
Lee, Martin, Moore. Nash, New Han
over, Stanley, Stokes, Surry, Swain,
Watauga, Yadkin and Lancey.
More Land For Reserve.
Ashevllle. W. A. Ward and J. J.
Nichols have sold to the United
States Government 431.95 acres of
timber lands in Swannanoa Township,
Buncombe county, for use as a por
tion of the Southern Appalachian for
est reserve. The land is bought un
der the provisions of the Weeks act
The Durchase price is given in the
deed as $2,807.67 and Uncle Sam takes
immediate possession of the property.
The creater part of the lana is cot
ered with virgin timber and the tract
abounds in springs which run into
Tree Creek and Shope Crek. The
land will form a portion of the Mitch
ell range and the government has
been desirous of purchasing it for
some time past.
mw rotton Mill ODeratina.
Marion. The Clinchfield Manufac-
turing Company, Marlon's new minion
An Atfnn mill, has lust completed
the installation of all machinery, and
is now operating at full capacity.
This is one of the most complete, and
rotton mills in the country,
.V V
embodying everything modern known
to
the cotton mill worm. j
n.,.-9 of 113.970 Bales.
Wilmington. There was a big de
A..a oo in fhP receipt and export of
cotton at this port the past year as
compared to the previous year, being
oirectly due to tne uroyeau
The receipts for the cotton year end
t -AiioW 1. 1915. amounted to 285.-
053
bales as against wv.vm ui
no :
n. , . .
the
previous year, a decrease ui xo,
v.ioS ThP pxnorts the past year
70
amounted to 248,945 bales, which was
a decrease of 104,387 Daies uy
previous year. There are now stored
lu Wilmington '32,890 bales ot cotton.
AS
POLK COUNTY, N. C. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1915.
COMING OVER
J0&Vr. Aikv "i Wv. ii. - jV 1 r V"1 'irt'ii '-V'-'fH:
TAFT ON PREPAREDNESS
INCREASED WAR AND NAVY SUB
JECT OF PRINCIPLE "TAFT
DAY" SPEAKER.
Relief of Tension 'With Germany
Should Be Source of Profound Re
joicing by Americans.
San Francisco. William Howard
Taft advocated preparedness for war
and detailed means for its accomplish
ment in an address at the Panama-
Pacific Exposition, delivered at "Taft
Day exercises.
In ceremonies preceding the ad
dress, Mr. Taft, using the silver spade
with which, while President he broke
ground for the exposition four years
ago, planted a California redwood tree
in "Taft Circle."
He, .also reviewed portions of the
United States coast artillery at the
Presidio of San Francisco. A silver
loving cup, Inscribed "in grateful
remembrance of his unfailing friend
ship and the fulfillment of his confi
dence that San Francisco knows
how," was presented to him by the
exposition officials.
In beginning his address Mrr Taft
declared Germany's acquiescence to
the United .States contention for the
rights of non-combatants on commer
cial liners "should be the cause of
profound rejoicing by every patriotic
American and the occasion for con
gratulation to the President."
"It must relieve the strain between
the two countries. The shadow of a
serious breach passes," he continued.
"It should not, however, lead our
people away from their duty of rea
sonable preparation. The incident,
though closed as we all hope, except
as to indemnity for the lives of those
already drowned, shows how near, as
neutrals, we are to the war. It shows
that we must be careful to insist up
on our rights as much as that we
ought to be reasonably prepared to
defend, against their invasion by any
belligerent powers."
TEUTONS MAKE HEADWAY.
Riga Only; Section Where Russians
Have Solid Front
London. Except in the region of
Riga, where the Russians are pre
senting a solid front, the Austro-Ger-man
offensive again is making head
way. The western forts of Grodno
were evacuated after two of them
were destroyed by the heavy guns
and stormed by the German infantry,
and It is considered extremely likely
the whole fortress already has been
left to its fate. Vilna, doubtless, will
be the next objective of the Austro
Gernians on this front.
Vienna reports a series of successes
which virtually have driven the Rus
sians out of Galicia; they now hold
only a very narrow strip between the
Sereth and Bessabia. Across the
border in the latter province the Aus
trains say the Russians -set fire to a
number of villages, which might in
dicate a further retreat.
Thus- hopes raised recently in the
Allied countries that Russia at last
was making a stand, have been dis
sipated. The Austro-Germans, how
ever, claim no large captures of men
or guns and the Russians apparently
are keeping their guns wll behind
the infantry.
Turks Burn Town.
London. An Exchange Telegrapk
dispatch from Athens says: "
"Travelers arriving from Constan
tinople announce that Turks burned
the town of Ismad and .massacred a
large number of the American inhab
itants." Ismid, at the head of the
Gulf of Ismid in Asia-Minor, is 56
miles southeast of Constantinople.
WILL HELP WITH COTTON
CLEARS WAY FOR HANDLING
STAPLE WITHOUT CLOGGING
THE MARKET.
Special Rediscount Rates on Promis
sory Notes Secured by Warehouse
Receipts on Cotton.
Washington. Definite steps were
taken by the federal reserve board
and Secretary McAdoo of the treasury
department, to extend aid to cotton
producers of the south and to clear
Che way for handling the fall crop
without the uncertainty and difficulty
experienced last year.
The board Issued .new regulations
authorizing federal reserve banks to
give special rediscount rates on
promissory notes secured by ware.
tifctse receipts for staple agricultural
products with the restriction that
member banks must not charge more
than 6 per cent to the borrower.
Secretary McAdoo announced he
would soon deposit $5,000,000 as an
initial deposit in gold in each of the
federal reserve banks at Richmond,
Atlanta and Dallas. Fifteen million
dollars more Is to be deposited later.
The secretary said that if conditions
showed the need of deposits elsewhere
to aid in handling any other crop he
would extend similar government aid.
The new regulations are broad
enough to apply to all. staple, read
ily marketable crops, but it is well
known that the cotton crop is he one
which has given concern of late.
The board announced that the
reserve banks in Atlanta and Dallas
already had requested a discount rate
of three per cent on the sort of paper
approved in the regulations.
The announcements followed meet
ings that have occupied the time of
the board and Mr. McAdoo most of
the last few days. Although when
the secretary originally proposed de
posits of government funds in South
ern reserve banks alone, many months
ago, the plan was not favored by sev
eral members of the board, it was not
opposed during the recent discussions.
Some members indicated, however,
that as the total cotton crop probably
would be worth about $800,000,000
they did not think $30,000,000 would
go far toward handling it.
A CALL TO PRAYER.
Laymen's Missionary Movement Sends
Out Urgent Call.
Chicago. A call to prayer address
ed to every individual in the country
and. carrying the words "pray, pray
without ceasing," was sent out by the
Laymen's Missionary Movement of
the. United States and Canada in
preparation for a series of conven
tions, the first of which will be held
In Chicago October 14 to 17.
The movement is designed to be of
a nation-wide character for the
spread of the gospel during which
75 convenions will be held in va
rious cities culminating in a National
Missionary Congress In Washington,
April 26 to 30, 1916.
The denominations which .have en
tered into the movement this year
include among others the Baptist
Convention (Southern), Christian
Church, Methodist Episcopal Church
and Protestant Episcopal Church.
Exchange Market Improves.,
New York. Ail indications tended
to confirm a report circulated in Wall
Street that Great Britain had borrow
ed from $50,000,000 to $100,000,000
temporarily in this market to -correct
the exchange rate on sterling, until
such time as her commissinoers shall
reach New York and consummate ne
gotiations looking toward thefloatlon
of a much larger credit loan nere.
NEWSPAPERS TO
T
WADE H HARRIS OF THE CHAR
LOTTE OBSERVER WILL RE
CEIVE INDIVEDUAL
CHECKS
FOR CALDWELL MEMORIAL
Committee Meets at Statesville, Or
ganizes and is Now Ready to Re
ceive Contributions.
Statesville. The committse ap
pointed at the last meeting of the
North Carolina Press Association to
'nake arrangements fo the erection of
a memorial to the late Joseph P.
oaldwell, long-time editor of The Ob
server, met here a few days ago for
the purpose of completing an organ
ization for the campaigning of volun
tary contributions. There were pres
ent Mr. R. R. Clark of the Statesville
Landmark; Mr. Archibald Johnson of
Charity and Children; Mr. H. B. Var-
ner of The Lexington Dispatch and
Mr. Wade H. Harris of The Charlotte
Observer. Mr. James H. Caine of
The Asheville Citizen, the remaining
member of the committee, missed
connection, but sent a telegram re
questing Mr. -Clark to act for him.
The Caldwell Memorial Fund Com
mission was organized with Mr. Clark
as president, and Mr. Harris secretary
and treasurer.
Every newspaper in the state is
authorized and requested to receive
contributions, and in every communi
ty in the state a committee of per
sonal friends of Mr. Caldwell will be
appointed whose services In the
cause will be supplimental to those of
the local papers.
Some money has been fowarded
even before the committee was ready
to take up the work.
The memorial is to : be provided
through voluntary contributions from
ther friends and admirers of the late
editor, and the committee is now In
readiness to receive monies. Indivi
dual contributions may be forwarded
by check or through other commer
cial sources to Mr. Wade H. Harris
at Charlotte, to whom also, the col
lections by the newspapers will be
forwarded from time to time. The
form which the memorial will take
will be r determined by the nature of
the contributions as a whole, and the
location will be decided largely by
public sentiment as developed. These
two mattere were discussed only in
formally by the committee.
Trull Pays Death Penalty.
Raleigh. Leaving as his final dy
ing confession the statement that he
assumed, sole guilt in the murder and
robbery of Sidnfy Swain in Charlotte
on the night of JMay 16, 1914, Charles
E. Trull went to the electric chair in
the state's prison here paying the
death penalty with a remarkable de
gree of self-control.
It was exactly 10:30 o'clock when
Trull entered the death chamber,
walking between two prison guards.
However, he advanced to the death
chair unsupported, while a silence per
vaded the crowded chamber that was
distinctly oppressive. As he advanc
ed with somewhat unsteady step , he
muttered prayers such as "Lord, have
mercy on my soul" and "Lord, blese
my poor mother."
Home For Women About Ready.
. Fayetteville. In a ringing appeal
to the people of the state Mrs. Hunter
G Smith of this city, chairman of the
advisory board of the United Daugh
ters of the Confederacy, which will be
in charge of the Home for Confederal
Women, Is asking the patriotic men
and women of North Carolina -for con
tributions towards the furnishing of
the home so that it may be opened in
October. The home is nearing com
pletion and it is the earnest desire of
the committee to have it thrown open
for occupancy at the earliest possi
ble date after the contractors have
turned the building over to the direc
tors.
WEATHER FORECAST.
South Atlantic and East Gulf States
The week will be one of generally
fair weather and normal tempera
tures.
NORTH CAROLINA MARKET.
Prices of Cotton, Corn, Oats, Peat,
Butter, Eggs, Etc., on North Caro
lina Markets During Past
Week.
Ahoskie Cotton, 8; corn, $1 bu; oats,
65c bu; peas, $2 bu; Irish potatoes, $1.25
bbl Western butter, 32c lb; Si. U. but
ter. 30c lb: eees. 15-17c doz. '
Asheville Corn, 96c bur oats, 55c bu;
Irish potatoes, $1.50 bbl; Western butter,
aOc: N. C. butter. Sic: ees. 18-25c dox.
Charlotte Cotton, 8 c; corn, $1.05 bu;
oata. 60c bu;. Western butter, 85c lb; eggs,
18-.Z0C dos.
Durham Cotton. 8 Her corn, 92c bu
$3Ja, bui peas tm
T
ESTABLISHED MAY, 1894.
GERMAN
S
LINER HESPERIAN1
THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY PAS
SENGERS ABOARD ALL ARE
SAFE.
J.-:
' J -.
ARMED WITH VISIBLE GUN
Off South Irish Coast When Attacked
All Passengers Landed afely at .
Queenstown.
London. The Allan Line steamer
Hesperian, with 350 passengers, bound
from Liverpool for Montreal, was at
tacked without warning by a German
submarine off the Irish coast. Al
though the torpedo found its mark the
vessel remained afloat and, according
to a statement issued by the company
every soul aboard was saved.
No submarine was seen, and prob
ably it was too dark to observe the
wake of a torpedo, but all the pas
sengers and crew who arrived at
Queenstown in rescue steamers agreed
the attack was made by a German un
dersea boat, basing their opinion on
the force of the shock and the great
volume of water thrown into the air.
The force of the eplosion was tre
mendous, and of the passengers land
ed at Quenstown, many of them
scantily clad, about 20 were Injured.
There were nbv American passen
gers on board so far asj the Amerk "
can Consul' could learn, but two mem
bers of the crew were American cit
izens and they both were saved.
About 30 wounded Canadian soldiers
going home to recuperate were
aboard. Most of the other passengers
were Canadians or English.
The torpedo struck the Hesperian
In the forward engine room, and the
ship immediately began to settle by,
the head. Captain Main ordered the
passengers - and crew , into the boats
but with his officers remained on the
bridge, although at that time he
must have felt sure his ship would
go down.
The discipline was perfect, but one
of the boats, the falls 'of which be
came jammed, capsized, and those in
there were thrown into thenwaters. In
the darkness some confusion prevail
ed, but all were picked up, and -with,
other passengers and the crew, were
transferred to the rescue steamers,
which arrived, in answer to wireless
calls for assistance.
TROOPS ON BORDER READY.
Would Not Hesitate to Cross Border
After Mexican Bandits.
, Washington. All United States
troops on the Mexican border are un
der orders to be in readiness to meet
any emergency. War department of
ficials said extraordinary vigilance
had been ordered as a result of re
peated raids in American territory by
Mexican brigands and soldiers, and
renewed reports of preparation for an
organized invasion from across the
Ricy Grande in the states of Coahuila
and Nuevo Leon.
As long as the raiders continue to
appear in small bands, it is under
stood none of them will be followed
into their own territory, but officials
indicated that the American com
manders would not hestitate to pur
sue the enemy until they were com
pletely routed-should anything re
sembling an organized invasion ol
the United States be encountered.
Persistent reports that, some of th
Mexican raiders slain wore Carranza
uniforms have reached officials here.
Rnmors have come, too, that there
is a concerted move by Carranza lead
ers in Nuevo Leon and Coahulia to
arouse Mexican sentiment against the
Pan-American movement for re-estab-lishment
of constitutional government
in the republic.
Charles A. Boynton Dead.
Washington. Charles A Boynton,
one of the veterans of the Associated
Press and one of the best known
American newspaper men of the last
25 years, died here at his home, aged
79. He had not been in active service
since 1909, but until recently had been
in fair health.
' Martial Law In Haiti.
Washington. Foreign influences im
Haiti, working to block the plans of
the United States to pacify the repub
lic and rehabilitate its finances under
American supervision, have made it
necessary to declare martial law in
Port au Prince, and in practically all
but two of the country's open porta.
Rear Admiral Caperton, acting within
his general instructions, declared
martial law and explained that his ac
tion was. taken because of a situation
which was beyond the control ot to
local government ... .
TORPEDO
J
.v'-l