The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-18
n CAUCASIAN TO-DAY
1utler's Paper is IN the HANDS
of the Sheriff
JUDGMENTS AGAINST IT
Editor Aver Says All VIII Dc
Well in a Few Days.
he REFUSES TO eoRRo" MONEY

by Money That Comes in For
Subscriptions and
Advertising.
Thesgh it is dated Thursday, the usual
ssy for the Caucasian to make its week
~ bow before its readers is "Wednesday,
To-day is Wednesday, but the Caucasian
will not be cut to-day. There is good
reason why it should not, and the reason
in that the Caucasian office is now in the
hands of the sheriff. Now, as the sheriff
is not in the newspaper business regular
ly, though he has had some considerable
experience in Raleigh, he does not pay
much attention to having the paper come
cut on time.
The office of the Populist organ OF
North Carolina was closed yesterday af-
teruoon shortly after 2 o'clock by the
sheriff, on a judgment for $191.34, OBJ
tanned In Justice Harry Roberts court by
Air. ] n. Holding, owner Of the Raleigh
Faper Mills. This amount is for the
,aper Oh which the Caucasian has been
minted and has been due, Mr.. Holding
saws. since last February. He
alleges that he has made every
possible effort to collect the debt
but has been put off from tim'.
10 time. Promises were all that he re-
eeived He knew that Senator Butler,
president of the Caucasian Publishing
Company, had the money and could easily
either pay the debt or arrange with tn
stockholders to have it paid. But it was
not done. Several times he had made
drafts on definite promises from those
in charge of the office; he had always
been compelled to take up these drafts
himself. Finally, when creditors began
to push Mr.. Holding, forbearanee ceased
to be a virtue, and promises would no
longer go. So Holding yesterday went
before Justice Roberts and obtained
judgment for his debt, with the result
above stated.
The failure is the result of the hard
times and poor collections. 1t was said
by the management yesterday that the
liabilities would not exceed $500, while
the assets are easily $4,000, outside of the
name and goodwill and subscription hst.
The assets consist OF presses, engine,
type, fixtures, office furniture, etc. In
en- advertising contracts.
The receipts, it seems, ran away be-
hind during the summer months. Dur
ing the campaign the improvement in re-
eeipts was considerable, but not enough
to regain what had been lost during the
summer Editor Aver was of the opinion
that had more time been given the paper
could have paid out Of debt.
I asked the foreman and business mana
ger, Mr. r.. G. Rivers, what the circula-
ton was He said that last week they
printed 800 copies. He believes that an
appeal to the subscribers of the paper will
bring in at least 81 200 on subscriptions.
Asked il the paper was not behind with
its printers, he acknowledged that it was
one week behind. They had been furth-
er behind during the summer, he said, but
with the improvement in receipts nearly
all the debts of the paper had been par
TALLY paid off.
1t is learned from another source that
some of the printers have three months
wages due them. One of these, and per-
haps others, last night got judgment on
their accounts 1t is probable that other
creditors will take similar steps to-day.
1t is well known that about one month
ago the printers had wages for from three
to four weeks due them, and that they
cult work in order to compel settlement.
The matter was soon adjusted and the
composition bills have since been more
regularly paid,
Editor aver said last night that he
supposed he could easily borrow the mon
ey to bridge over the difficulty, if he We're
disposed to do so. This, however, he said
he would not do; he would simply wait for
the money to come in through the regular
channels from subscribers and advertis-
ers, and when he had received enough
he would satisfy the judgments, and not
before. lie was confident that the paper
would again be all right in few days,
and not an issue would be missed, though
this weeks issue viii be late.
He did not seem very much disturbed
by the action that had been taken, and ex
pressed little concern one way or the
other, as to the final result. This is quite
different from what IL used to be. There
was a time when he liked to be called
editor Aver, of the Caucasian" There
was a certain amount Of dignity in the
name, but that was when he
was comparatively unknown to
fame and didn't have a dead
sure job for four years as State officer
in his grasp Now he prefers to be called
State Auditor Aver.
When the first gun of the campaign was
fred and Mr.. Aver launched out into poll
tics, he began to grow tired of the eternal
grind and monotony Of weekly journalism.
1t is true he did the best he could to keep
up the spice and gaiety Of the thing by
abusing the wicked Democrats, saying
nothing about the more wicked Populists
and defending the most wicked Repub-
Ecans But even this devils dance soon
grew tame, and he took in Ohio Wilson's
Monkey Show, the "HayseedeT'; but as
the campaign progressed and Hal became
chairman Of his party's State committee
even Ohio ceased to be amusing. The
arst1NhiIe editor felt the cares Of State