THE
Emit
1Y '
eirprtse
VOL. IV.
RALEIGH, N. C, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1907.
NO. 4
B1LKINS AT THE EXPOSITION.
The Major Will Go to Washington
and See the President -Some Facts
About George Washington and
the Presidency Hampton Roads
Needs Macadamizing,
Correspondence of the Enterprise.
Jamestown, Va., May 22nd.
We air still here yit. I hev bin
tryin' ter slip erway an' ride Bob up
ter Washington an' stay with thy
Preserdint a fe wdays an' let Betsy
stay here an' watch, the Exposishun.
But Betsy hez cut her eye-teeth er
Iong time ergo an' she hez red in the
papers that Washington iz a purty
gay town fer a grass widdower ter
roam eround in. But I know I'd be
awl rite. I'd put up at the White
House an' put Bob in the best stall
in the barn an' then I'd walk erbout
an' look at the sites while the Preser
dint would be sawin' up hiz firewood I
an' talkin' ter the peeple that cum
ter se him every day. I wanter take
Bob over ter Washington an' go out
an' let him see Mt. Vernon, the house
that George Washington lived in
when he wuz Preserdent.
George Washington didn't hev
much trouble in gittin' eleckted ter
the offis ov Preserdint. Hit wuz new
then an' not many folks wanted the
job. In fack, a gude many ov them
hid out in the bushes ter keep frum
gittin' an offis ter be Preserdint.
Thew beleeved in lettin' the "offis
hunt the man." They didn't know
that the feller that started that wuz
playin' a game ter keep other folks
out ov the way. Hit wuz jist one ov
them gude old-fashioned conferdense
games that they used ter wurk when
the country wuz young an' in hits
long dresses. Nowadays the polly
tishuns. wurk other skin games on
the publick an' on their feller polly
tishuns. A feller run ter me yisterday with
three playin cards an' sed that he
had a skeem ter make me rich if I'd
jist bit on hiz cards a leetle bit. I
tole him I wuz awlreddy rich az
creem, an' didn't hev ter wurg at
tricks like that.
I hev bin sashayin' eround over
erbout Newport News an' Hampton
Roads. Hampton Roads needs Mc
Adamizin' mity bad, fer the water iz
frum fifty ter a hundred feet deep
clear across the road, an' ain't fit fer
nothin' but steamboats an sailships.
They need sum gude roads speeches
up here mity bad.
They air still puttin' up buildln's
here an' startin' places ter sell bo
lona sassage an' things. Hit takes a
lot ter eat fer the peeple that air
cumin' here. A feller or two air go
in' eround sellin' them little red,
white an' blue rubber baloons. I am
goin' ter git a few ov them an' tie
them ter Bob; that will keep him
frum walkin' so heavy in the sand.
If I go up ter Washington I'm go
in' ter ax the Preserdint ter hev a
lot ov money made up fer me so I
kin bring hit home an' not hev ter
work so hard in the comin' days. A
lot ov new money will make a big stir
in Martin's Creek Township an' folks
will cum miles ter see hit. We haint
never had much new money in Mar
tin's Creek Township, fer we air sor
ter off the main line an' they most
awlways purty nigh wear the money
out before we git a chance ter see
whut little cums our way.
, Truly, ZEKE BILKINS.
A Remarkable Document.
Justice Walter Lloyd Smith, who
presides over the third department
of the Appellate Division of the Su
preme Court, brought with him to
the dinner of the New York Univer
sity Law School Alumni Association
Saturday night what he said was the
most remarkable document that ever
came into his possession. Others
who read the document, the last will
and testament of Charles Lounsbury,
who died in the Cook County Asy
lum at Dunning, 111., were disposed
to agree with him. Here it is:
"I, Charles Lounsbury, being of
sound mind and disposing memory,
do hereby make and publish this, my
last will and testament, in order as
justly as may be to distribute my
interests in the world among suc
ceeding men.
"That part of my interest which
is known in law and recognized in
the sheep-bound volumes as my
property, being inconsiderable and
of no account, I make no disposal
of in this my will. ...
"My right to live being but a life
estate, is not at my disposal, but,
these things excepted, all else in the
world I now proceed to devise and
bequeath: v ,
"Item: I give to good fathers and
mothers, in trust for their children,
all good little words of praise and
encouragement, and all quaint pet
names and endearments, and I charge
said parents to use them justly and
generously, as the needs oL their
children may require.
"Item: I leave to children inclu
sively, but only for the term of their
childhood, all and every, the flow
ers of the fields and the blossoms
of the woods, with the right to play
among them freely according to the
customs of children, warning them
at the same time against thistles and
thorns. And I devise to children the
banks of the brooks, and the golden
sands beneath the water thereof, and
the odors of the willows that dip
therein, and the white clouds that
float high over the giant trees. And
I leave the children the long, long
days to be merry in, in a thousand
ways, and the night and the moon
and the train of the Milky Way to
wonder at, but subject, nevertheless,
to the rights hereinafter given to
lovers.
"Item: I devise to boys jointly
all the useful idle fields and com
mons where ball may be played; all
pleasant waters where one may swim;
all snow-clad hills where one may
coast, and all streams and ponds
where one may fish, or where, when
grim winter comes, one may skate;
to have and to hold the same for the
period of their boyhood. And all
meadows with the clover blossoms
and butterflies thereof, the woods
and their appertenances, the squir
rels and birds, and echoes of the
strange noises, and all distant places
which may be visited, together with
the adventures there found. And I
give to said boys each his own place
at the fireside at night, with all pic
tures that may be seen in the burn
ing wood, to enjoy without let or
hindrance and without incumberance
of care.
"Item: To lovers I devise their
imaginary world, with whatever they
may need, as the stars of the sky
the red roses by the wall, the bloom
of the hawthorne, the sweet strains
of music and' aught else by which
they may desire to figure to each oth
er the lastingness and beauty of their
love.
"Item: To young men jointly I
devise and bequeath all boisterous,
inspiring sports of rivalry, and I give
to them the disdain of weakness and
undaunted confidence in their own
strength, though they are rude. I
give them the power to make last
ing friendships, and of possessing
companions, and to them exclusively
I give all merry songs and brave
choruses, to sing with lusty voices.
"Item: And to those who are no
longer children or youths or lovers,
leave memory and I bequeath to
them the volumes of the poems of
Burns and Shakespeare and of other
poets, if there be others, to the end,
that they may live over the old days
again, freely and full, without tithe
or diminution.
"Item: To our loved ones with
snowy crowns I bequeath the happi
ness of old age, the love and grati
tude of their children until they fall
asleep." New York Times.
Mistaken Birds.
We are apt to think that birds
build only in spring or in summer,
because that is their "natural" sea
son and because their ancestors did
so. But have you never thought
that perhaps the heat or the mildness
of the weather may have a direct in
fluence, and may actually invite them
to build? Here is a little incident
which I saw last year, and which
soome to point in that direction.
The 24th of September was spring
like in temperature; a fine rain was
falling, and I was afield, watching a
host of small migrants, chiefly myrtle
warblers and sparrows, but especial
ly interested in the movements of
some young gold-finches that were
learning to feed on thistles. About
a cavity in an old apple tree were
four blue-birds hovering and warb
ling. Looking more closely, I noticed
that each pair seemed trying to get
possession of the hollow, as I have
seen them fighting for a nesting place
in spring. But, to my astonishment,
one male had a straw in his bill. He
went into the hollow, tarried for a
while, and returned without the
straw. Then the female went in and
stayed for several minutes. The birds
were so much interested that I went
to within a few yards of them before
they left. In the hollow was the
foundation of a nest.
A bird called the pine siskin,
which I caught one day, and which
roamed about the house, found an
old vireo's nest and at once took pos
session, pulling and picking curious
ly at the loose fibers as if to arrange
them to a siskin's taste, I have also
seen a pair of wax-wings gather nest
ing material when it seemed too late
in the season even for them. Per
haps further study of the birds in the
fine autumn weather wil show that
they are often led to build useless
nests. It would be interesting to
know how far they may sometimes
carry those untimely efforts. St
Nicholas.
A Baltimore doctor says "pie is
one of the greatest enemies man
has." It doesn't seem to disagree
esDecially with Mr. George B. Cor-
telyou, and he has sampled a various
assortment. Washington Herald.
From Year to Year.
Let me but live my life from year
to year
With forward face and unreluct
ant soul,
Not hastening to nor turning from
the goal;
Not mourning for the things that
disappear
In the dim past, nor holding back in
fear
From what the future veils, but
with a whole
And happy heart, that pays its
'ton - v.; -
To youth and age, and travels on
with cheer.
So, let the way wind up the hill or
down, .
Though rough or smooth, the jour
ney will be joy;
Still seeking what I sought when
but a boy,
New friendship, high adventure, and
" a crown,
I shall grow old, but never lose
life's zest,
Because the road's last turn -will
be the best.
Our Possibilities.
How few of us realize our import
ance in the world's mechanism! Few,
indeed, appreciate their responsibili
ties in the motive power of this great
universe. Each one, a part of the
whole and in great measure a helper
or hinderer in bringing about condi
tions for which the good of all, ages
have suffered and died. Small our
niche may be, but kIf filled with a
clear head, brave hearts and willing
hands who shall say we have not
wrought well?
Then let us not despise the work
of to-day, humble though it be, for
if done cheerfully and well it is a
halo of glory to the toiler, a benedic
tion after the cares of the day.
Glorious century this! Glorious It
is in many, lines that go to make a
great commonwealth, and yet the
crisis is at hand. Our days of ma
terial progress are also days of stren
uous effort; every nerve tense in
grasping for social recogniton, politi
cal preference and pecuniary gain;
often crushing out the best and
noblest in human hearts the real
desire to lend a helping hand to those
who need our help. Shall the great
and noble possibilities of our lives
be crowded out by sordid and ma
terial things? Shall we, too, bow
down to the golden calf and rob this
progressive age of its glory?
Our country is no greater than the
individuals that make up its citizen
ship, and Individuals are only truly
great when they rise above self. We
are safe as a nation as individuals
when we give a part of ourselves
and our means for the betterment of
our fellows. Thus only we develop
in us the true charity or religion that
recognizes always, the Fatherhood of
God and the brotherhood of man.
Exchange.
God does not expect nor require
more of his children than it is pos
sible for them to do, but he does look
to them to make good use of their
opportunities, and he has promised to
Increase every seed that is sown for
him, even to a hundred-fold.
Gold shines only when conse