Birmingham state herald., 1897-01-24
CARROLLTON.

 Stateutes Imperfect as to Estates-The
 People in the County in Better Spirits.
 Cafrolton, Jan. 2s.-(Speeial C5fres pom denee. )-aany years ago a leading Iaw- yer oI tnls state pointeo out some of the dnnculues in interpreting the statutes or Alabama in regard to the eS- tates of married women. 1ney are Dy no means perfect, and in the opinion or our juoges need the attention of the legis- lature before the code of 1885 Is adopted.
 Under the present law the husDand may authorize his wife to engage in busi- ness CT trade by f1ling his written con sent in the probate office. The wlfe IS thereby empowered to make contracts verbally, and buy goods by the car load, even if the husband objects to her pur- chase of the articles in the line Of ner dealing. Yet in all other contracts, not connected with her calling, the law re- stricts her capacity to buy the simplest article for her household ssGIthout the written assent of her husband.
 The wife can not secure the debt Of her husband, yet she may convey ner iahus to a person, who has furnished to her husband money, which was squandered by him, and the consideration will be up- held there being no fraud or coilusloh on the part of the husband and grantee The fact that the grantee was 8 broKer, advancing money in transaction when was void, can not annual promise to pay the advances with a full knoWledge of all the facts, the deed having bsen subsequently made by the husband ana wife in payment of the dsbt.
 The legislature cannot have the time to examine the code in detail, and many persons In this county fear that their work will not be an improvement on the code of 1896. The defects before pointed out were due to the legislature whlch adopted the code of Alabama on the 2Sth of February, 1887, with such statutes passed at the session of 1Ss6-S7. which were required to be incorporated In the same. The law was written as It was found in the books. Robert c. Pricell Peter Hamilton John P. Tilman and F. R. Clark are entitled to the praise of be- ing the best codlfiers that Alabama hes ever selected. The general assembly was not at fault as such body Is necessarily bound to act without delay.
 4 gentleman in this county states that the exhibition of a tax receipt at the polls will rout any advocate of consti. tutional conventions that the taxes or this county are high on account of debts hanging over Pickens at the time of the meeting of the last constitutional con vention, and the people of Pickens are meeting these debts. He states that potn democrats and populites are united In opposition to any further taxation for the purpose of education. He thinks that the vote will be practically unanimous against a convention.
 The river is in good boating order but there are no products for the common carriers to convey along the Watercourse, which at one time was the only means of getting goods for the merchants rom Mobile, the trading point of Pickens Tne Gulf City has lost much of her trade Tn cotton but she is looking after her in- terests in other lines in a way that IS bringing customers from this section to her gates
 Two travelling men from Mobile, repre- senting different lines of business, re- gently visited several places in Pickens county, and thedr methods Of business are based on the assumption that the peo- ple must read newspapers before they can become merchants in the interior or good customers for such local deaiers. They are laboring to build up the wnole state. and the length of time that they have been in business shows their thor oughness and their independence in their work.
 Pickens is very much aroused about the railroad, and those who have been doupt- CTS now admit that there is strong prop ability of getting an iron way through the county after long delay in chasing down corps of engineers In making sur yeys The assurances of President Cbarke have given the people confidence Tn the enterprise of the Mobile ond ohio haii- read. .,
 It is believed that Columbus and rus caloosa will be connected by railway within twelve months by some route. CaIrOlltOn OfferS tne pest pulHt oii tiiS line. and will command the longest area of local traffic. It is stated that the survey by the Bonner place IS the cneap- est while that by Reform is the shortest The engineers are the autocrats in the matter and no one knows what they Will do. !,
 The people of the county are in much better spirits on account of the fact tna' the engineer is in Columbus ready 1ol work. Land that is for sale Will com
 .r;o Nr1 ha enterprise.
 Pickens is practically a prohibition county without prohibitory legislation Gov. Johnston has left such matters te the householders and freeholders Of eacf precinct, and that course has been snoWn to be wise irl this county. It is true thai there are two or three places on the river where spirituous liquors are sold, but Il is believed that it is safer to trust to en, frightened public sentiment to contro such affairs than to resort to statutes:
 There has been some violations of thf revenue laws in this county, which have been greatly exaggerated. But the ieal of the federal judge in Birmingham has in a great degree, stopped the practlc' of illicit distillirg.
 Nr John w. Norton who has been sen to this place to represent the Methodis conference, is a worthy successor fol such men as Speer Whitten, Anderson and Boyd who exercised much influence 7 The people have given to Rev. MT. Nor ton a warm reception. Mir. Norton ha' shown his fitness for the work for wbicl he has been selected.
 Elder J. B. Small, who resides in thi place, is minister Of sound and prac tical views of the best way to improve society by sermons in the pulpit. Hi dlscourses are pointed and his hearers leave the church with ideas that they can carry home with them.
 Rev. John D. Dean. who resides a Franconia, and has 9 charge in Carroll ton, is an excellent preacher, especially selected for good work He keeps his cOngregation interested in his theme.
 The people of Carrollton will not laci for spiritual advice during this year and if they do not profit by the exercises in the churches, it will be their owT fault.