davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18
LIFE IN 1906.

The current issue of The Insurance
Press. of New York, contains an ar
ticle on Life Insurance Distribution in
1906" 1t gives by states the amouGts
of claims and benefits paid by life in
and accident companies. fra
ternal orders and brotherhoods. The
total amount paid out was SAT- ,576.. 99.
Of this sum $4,000. 900 was paid to
foreign policy holders, leaving 1921
576.19 of claims paid in the United
States and Canada. Or this amount
residents of North Carolina received
81, 595, 1872, Wilmington's share Of this
being s185.560. OF the two hundred
cities which received over 800. DIT
Wilmington stands 125th on the list,
New York city, of course, leading with
s27, 946, 642. and Duluth comes last with
800. 200. Of the other North Carolina
cities Asheville comes next TO vii
mington with s87,225, Raleigh next
with s69.113 and then Charlotte with
s66.O56.
In reference to the amount of i'll
surance outstanding and the proportion
the payments made bear to the former
that paper says:
Life insurance statistics show that
the regular companies pay annually in
death claims and matured endOWmentS
a sum equal TO about IL per cent OF
the amount of insurance IT force. TAX
ing the assessment and fraterna1 So
cieties together, the amount Of their
annual payments average less than l
per cent of the total they report in
force. It may be assumed that the
payments by cities and towns reported
in The Insurance Press today repre-
sent about l per cent of the total
mount of insurance contracts out
standing.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18
STATE" NEGRO EX HIBIT AT
JAMESTOWN.

We suppose that many of our read
ers are of the fact, or, if they
knew it at the time have forgotten
that the democratic legislature of this
state last wintec passed an act APP
propriating five thousand dollars to
defray the expenses OF an exhibit at
the jamestown exposition by the ne
groes of this state. A recent dispatch
from Raleigh quotes G \. Hunter, sec
rotary of the North Carolina negroes
exhibit, as saying that the negroes OF
this state will make the most elabor-
ate and finest exhibition by his peo-
pie at the exposition. He says that
he has already shipped two carloads
from Raleigh and another is now be-
ing made ready, besides numerous
express packages sent. One half a
carload has been sent from Durham,
a carload from Greensboro. a carload
from Enfield, large displays from Win
ston-Salem, Asheville, High Point,
Charlotte, Elizabeth City and many
other points. This work is being Wig
orously prosecuted by C. H. William
son, the commissioner, and the secre-
tary. The exhibits are being rapid
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18

ton. that government officials n high
navy and army officers consider the
Japanese situation as grave. While
they do not think there is
n danger of war, they rea-
lie that there is a serious agitation
of the American question in Japan as
a political movement by the party in
opposition to the ministry. In sum-
ming up the situation a high official
stated that eff the administration has
any fear Of trouble with Japan no re-
sponsible official is willing TO admit
it," and that ION the contrary state
department officials profess to feel
hopeful that every thing will come out
all right" 1t was authoritatively
stated that Japan had made no COM
plaint to this government. 1t was said
that the greatest danger was from the
agitation carried On by certain news
papers in both countries, land from
this officials admit that there is dan
ger"
The situation seems to be that the
japanese government is friendly to-
ward ours, but there is a political
party-the minority--which is in
favor of a demand for rep
aration and war if it is not
granted, and that party is stirring up
popular sentiment against the United
| States as a means of ousting the pres
ent ministry and securing control OF
the government. Should it succeed in
coming into power there might be dan
ger of war.
1.-THE United Ststes government
wants no trouble with Japan and will
do all that is honorable to avert it.,
but it can be said definitely there is
to be c~ringing," is the way the sit
uation was summed up today in a
well-informed quarter.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18

it's prompt and energetic action IL has
saved the day for his deservedly noted
state institution but &c row their
efforts with final success these COM
mitteemen must have the nnancia. AMI
moral support OF the friends OF
the college. Peace Institute must
be kept up on !tS former high
standard as n Presbyterian col
lege. The people Of the state inter
ested in education. irrespective OF de-
nomination. should come to the aid
of the committee which has this eooi
work in hand. Any one interested In
this matter and desiring further in
formation on the subject should ad-
dress Hon. James r Young. Raleigh,
y. c. The Messenger sincerely hopes
that President Stockard and his CO.
labors in this noble undertaking
will meet with the encouragement they
deserve TO make their undertaking a
success.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18
THAT WHITE HOUSE CONFER
ENCE.

The New York Post, which never
loses an opportunity to make a fling
at President Roosevelt, and often goes
out of the way to do SO. has the fol-
lowing to say editorially about the
recent conference at the White house
on the question of what action should
be taken against Hartman. Though
concluded in sarcastic terms, there is
much meat" in the article which
says:
The midnight conference at the
White house over the question Wheth-
er Hartman is or is no to be
''smashed,' might bewildcr any one
who merely read the interstate COM
merice act. That -musty document
speaks of the duty of the commits
sion' to prosecute violators of the
law, and talks about evidence which
shall be satisfactory to the COM
mission" It occurred to the
trainers of the law that it would be
necessary to have the cases laid before
the cabinet and the president. But
no one should suspect that political
considerations have been injected into
what the law intended to be purely a
judicial process. 1t is not to be i'm
agined hat MIR. Roosevelt was argu-
ing hat night with his advisers, n
of them being a former counsel of
Hartman, over the question whether
it would be good politics to start a
laundering suit against Hartman in
the present state Of financial appre-
hension, and with elections pending.
No: the conn mission and it's LAWYERS
were simply doing their duty in seek
ing the very highest legal opinion. To
discover precisely what the law is,
what the courts will hold, and what
Judges will get raped owe the
knuckles if they do not decide fright
it was absolutely necessary to apply
to the White house.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18
FUTURE OF SOUTHERN SEA
PORTS.

The Savannah News is rejoicing
over the certainty Ct another rail-
road to it's city in the neal future. 1t
announces that the William J. Oliver
Company, of Knoxville, has signed the
contract for building the Savannah,
Augusta and Northern railroad and
that the work of construction will be-
gin at once. The line will connect
Savannah with Chattanooga and. will
form another link between the north
west and the southern seaboard.
The ports of the south Atlantic and
the Gulf of Mexico are now the Objec-
tive points of the new railway lines
object seems to be TO secure the short
est lines from the west and northwest
to the ocean at points convenient for
water transportation to the Panama
canal when the latter is completed.
There must be good harbors at the
water terminals as well as direct rail-
way lines to the sources of the sup
plies of traffic. Wilmington has a fair
showing for becoming an important
shipping point. The completion of the
South and Western railroad, which is
expected to occur within a year, and
the building of other connecting lines
will give her important connections
with the west. She must have a har-
Dor that will permit vessels of deep
draught to load and unload at her
wharves. There is no time for delay
ing in this matter. There is work and
plenty of it to be done. Other south
ern ports are up and doing. II our
people delay action they will find their
city left far behind and unable to make
good in competitor with those who had
the foresight to begin in time to pre-
pare to handle the N that is
to seek a gateway through southern
ports.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18
TO REFORM THE HOUSE OF
LORDS.

The indications are that the present
liberal government of Great Britain is
in earnest in declaring that it intends
to reform" the house of lords. The
ministry, working of course, as it al
ways does, with the party in power
in the house of commons, which now is
liberal, is tired of repeatedly having
the administrations program spoiled
by the irresponsible upper house. This
reform" which means curtailing the
veto power of the house of lords over
the action Of house of commons, has
been talked Of and threatened period
ically for years, but nothing has ever
been don 1t looks now. however.
as if the liberals mean business. But
how the house of commons is going to
restrict the present powers of the 9TH
er house without the latter's consent.
except by revolution, we cannot see.
What the opponents of the house of
lords designate as its veto power over
the commons is nothing more than
the same right the senate of the Unit
ed States has to refuse to pass any
Dill sent to it by the house of repre-
sentatives. The house of lords has the
constitutional right to reject any bill
sent up to it from the lower house
except such as raise revenue. There
fore no bill, curtailing it's right to re-
ject bills could rightly become a law
without its consent. 1t has the right to
throw out a bill which would deprive
it of its present power to throw out
such a bill. The lords will hardly con-
sent to such a measure. How. then,
except by revolution is the laT 20 be
changed?
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18
LOOKS LIKE MIR. CANNON SAID 1T.

We publish in another column d
special dispatch to the Raleigh Times
from it's Lexington correspondent
%reiterating his former statement or
the authority of a citizen of that town
regarding the nature of Mr.. Cannon's
speech at the Guilford college banquet.
The correspondent says the story is
now vouched for byitwo Lexington men
who were present, and that confirm
alton can be had from others who
heard the speech. He says that efforts
were made to hush the whole mater
up. Why do not the newspaper rep
resentatives who were present and
kept mum about the entire speech say
whether they were asked not to pub
lish what was said? They should ccu-
firm or contradict the statements OF
these Lexington men. AS long as they
do not do the latter the public will
believe that if they did anything it
would have to be confirmation CT
the report of The Times co%rrespOn-
dent. Their continued silence makes
it look like Mr.. Cannon said it.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18
IMPORTANCE OF WATERWAYS
DEVELOPMENT.

The Contemporary Review, says
the Raleigh Times. some months ago
contained a most interesting article
on "The Lesson of the German Water
ways" 1t points out the wonderful
dustrial lines since she began, the ex-
tensive development of her waterways
she has inausurated. This is said on
subject of the Importance of water
transportation:
1t is therefore clear that transport
by water is, and must always remain,
owing to it's free nature, sc very much
cheaper than land transportation, be
it by road or rail, that railways cannot
possibly compete with properly organ
lied, properly managed, properly plan
ned and properly equipped waterways.
Hence it is economically Wasteful not
t O extend and develop the natural and
artificial waterways which a country
possesses, and it is absolutely suicidal
and criminal to let them fall into neg
lect n decay.
From 1871 to 1900 Great Britain
neglected her waterways while Ger
many was spending vast sums i'm
proving her natural ones and con-
structing canals. The difference in the
industrial progress of the two coun-
tries shows of how great importance
waterways development is to a nation.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18

The News and Observer quotes Hon.
Champ Clark's remark that Bryan is
the inevitable and logical candidate ,
and says: The thing for all demo-
Gratis to do is to unite and go to work
to elect him. He must be nominated
before all democrats are called on TO
elect him. We do not believe he can
be nominated if those who are opposed
to him will get together and agree
upon the man to urge for the nomina-
ton. Of course, if the anti-Bryan men
lie down before the other side and adj
nit that they a do nothing, the
nomination will go to him, for he and
his friends are hard at work. while
the others are as yet doing nothing.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18

To hear Mr.. Finley talk he is will
ing to do the fair thing and some
body should ask him how it is that
Virginia towns are given cheaper rates
than towns in this state. He would
OF course have some way of getting
out of it, but we would like to know
how he would do it.-Durham Herald.
Mr.. Finley would say it was because
the Virginia cities rates were based
upon those of Norfolk. which we're low
because that city "a a competing
point of distribution because of its
cheap water rates; that if Whining.
ton were put on a parity with Norfolk
as a seaport North Carolina inland
towns would get advantage of low
rates fixed for this competing point.
That is the remedy for the evil COM
planned of. 1t can be brought about
in this way and in no other. Legis-
lation. state and national. viii not eff
feet the relief desired. The advantage
Norfolk and the other Virginia cities
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18
THE OLD.TIME FREE NEGRO.

The New York Times of recent date
contained an editorial on the subject
of free negroes in the south owning
slaves in slavery times. The Times
was candid enough to admit that it
had never before heard OF the exist
ence of such conditions in the south
until il had read IN article in the
the fact was stated. 1t is surprising
that such an unusually we'll informed
paper as The Times should have been
so ignorant on a matter which for
years attracted so much attention.
One would suppose The Times 10 be
up" on all facts connected with slav-
cry in the south.
We thought that every one knew
that it was nothing unusual for free
negroes to own slaves. There are
many instances of il in this state.
This writer has distinct recollection
of an old free negro-a blacksmith
who was the chief ECrse-shOer in his
village lin times before the war who
married a slave n who saved up
money enough to buy his wife from
her owner. If our memory is not at
fault the husband refused TO hold his
wife as a chattel, blu: manumitted her
by due process of law, thereby making
her his equal. AS far back as
we can recollect odd Uncle
Jackson Chavis' and his wife
were respectable and respected mem
bers of the community in which they
lived. 1t scenes to have been a family
OF free negroes, for there we're other
branches of the family who were not
slaves and were well thought Of AMI
treated with respect by the white PEG
pie. Years ago many an hour has this
scribe spent sitting on a stool on
Uncle ~Jackson's" forge watching him
shoe horses. sharpen pillow points and
the like, considering it a great honor
when the old nan would, as a favor.
allow him to work the bellows that
kept the charcoaI nTe aglow.
The Times quotes The News and
| Courier as stating that in the south
these free negroes had no political
privileges. AS to how this was ia other
states We do not know, but in North
| Carolina the free negro, up
to the adoption Of the amend
ed constitution in 1888, was a
citizen in SO far as he had the right Of
| suffrage, just as did the white man.
| Up to that time he had TIE same priv
| ilege Of franchise as did the viii .
voter.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18
FOR BENEFIT OF ORPHANS
Many Improvements to be- Made 10
Methodist observation-disclosures Of
New Faith Make Their Appearance
Messenger Bureau.

mtSpeuBcl butcdu,
Raleigh, June II.
Superintendent Cole OF the Metho-
dist ~oruhanage, said today that the
number Of pupils had reached ia. IL
is quite steadily increasing. There
will be many mor comforts soon
than there have ever been before.
The system Of sewerage has been ask
ed for, connecting with the city's out
let. The o~rphanage Is now within the/
city bounday. or Will be July 1st when
the extension becomes effective.
Nobody here seems 10 know any
thing accurately about the extension
of the Norfolk and Southern railway
under any other name whatever from
here westward. An official Of that rail
road said TO me today that ii was max
ing no survey. and he expressed q de-
sire 10 know who was making IT. as
stakes have certainly been set for
miles westward Of Raleigh
There has been some little talk about
a possibility Of having an encampment
Of confederate veterans here during
the state fair in October. OF course an
unusually large CIowl Of them were
in camp at Richmond recently. but
a great many are not able to go any
great distance. Some years ago there
was an enCampmcnt at the fair IN
Raleigh ani it wa a very great sue
cess.
The people Of what is known as
fess TO speak with tongues. Their first
appearance vas in the city hall yes
terday afternoon and last evening
about 300 people gathered TO hear them
There is a man and also a woman
and they speak for I time IN the or
binary language Of every day life,
then suddenly 20 or pretend 70 20 in-S
TO a sort Of trance and then speak a
lot OF gibberish. This may last for
as much as w minutes and IL Is in
! terpreted by one Of the men Of their
faith or sometimes BY another wom-
an. The cracked voices or these peo-
pie were almost unbaarable last night.
Most of their audience seem 10 be from
The country. These people come from
the south Of here. along the South
Carolina border and for two or three
days past people Of this section who
profess TO believe in them have been
giving the announcement that they
would be here and were quoting that
part of the bible which alludes to the
speaking OF tongues. Some church
members whe were at the meeting
last last night expressed a great deal
of ridicule for the entire proceedings.
lie seems TO be a new branch Of the
holiness cult which had such a vogue
bu Ia few years ago and which run
a number Of people crazy and broke
up many families along the North
Carolina coast, from Elizabeth City 10
Beaufort.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18

The report from Mexico City that
President Cabrera of Guatemala has
been assassinated is said to be false
Many Guatemalans have been gun
ming for him for some time and the
only reason he has lived so long is
that he was successful in dodgng them
awhile. If he has been killed there
will most likely be another revolution
in that part of the country.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18

We heard on the street the other
poor 10 take his home paper. nut all
the same he read a Loticc I'm n TAPER
telling how To prevent n horse from
soldering and sent one dollar for
recipe. When the one dollars worth
of information came il was.
Teach your horse how TO SPIT
Exchange.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18

have over those in this state should
move the business men of the inland
cities to join with those III Wilmng-
ton in securing the only remedy there
is for the great discrimination which
is Dractced against them.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18

Although Mr.. Henry Wattcrson's
description Of his darh horse is : me-
what indefinite he manages to maxi it
clear that he does not refer 10 Alton
+ Parker or Grover Cleveland. More
over. the horse beinL described as
dark. Mr.. Bryan is also very clear
Iy excluded-Pittsburg Dispatch.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18
The local woman's club had orer. d

The local woman'S club had offered
a prize for the best essay by any mem
Der, on How TO Make n husband
Happy" II was a cash prize and
summer expenses Were in the near dis
tance, and the competition was large
and warm.
The winning paper was just three
words long. and, stranger even than
that, it was submitted by a spinster
of 81. Her dictum was merely this:
Feed the brute -Orphans' Friend
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18

There is no agency that does more
TO build up the material interests a
a community or section than railroads
That has been demonstrated here in
Moore county in the last ten or hf-
teen years-Sanford Express.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION:

VIE DAILY MESSENGER by mail
one year. $500: six months, so.Oo;
it, s4.~U, one monlh' oo
cents.
THE SEMf-WEEKLY
GER (two eight page papers,, by mai
one yeas, $1.00; six months SO cents
In advance.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-18
JAPAN'S

There can be little doubt, from the
tone of the dispatches from Washing
The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1907-05-30

It was a delighted audience that
rose and left the theater Tuesday
night after the last act of the annual
High School play. The astuteaess
OF the actors" was demonstrated in
their selection Of the laughable COM
edy Between the Acts Replete
with delightful dialogue, repartee
and come back" it was a produc-
ton which moved smoothly from cur
tain to curtain, and though only an
amateur effort showed the ear-maTks
Of persistent rehearsals.
Fred Ellis, as married man try
ing to keep the fact from his pref
udiced old uncle, assumed the bur-
den OF the play. Alexander Mean
der" his upncla, is known to hil;
friends as Roy Smith. Miss Anna
Sumner made a charming wife,, as
suning easily the role OF Mrs. Dick
Comfort" and behaving comm end
ably under trying circumstances.
Many a real coon would have en-
WED Harry McCardell his inimitable
makeup in the negro character,
Harris" Miss Van Cleve as "Clem-
entine Meander" wa~ the sour old
lady with dill pickle disposition
which the role required, making life
burden for her unhappy husband,
Alexander.
A comfortable sum was realized
for the assistance of the high school
library fund, and measured thus the
performance was big success.
The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1907-05-30
Hotel Arrivals.

Following are the arrivals at two
of Wenatchee's hotels for May goth,
1907:
Roosevelt-H. ]. Coleman, Omak;
l.. H. Pinkham, 1909; B. NJ. Herney.
city; Miss l.. Robb. Miss B. Robb,
Everett; o. H. Mum, A. H. Marsh,
Jno. Henry, Seattle: O. B. Gray,
Page, N. D.; D. w Wright and wife,
Cashmere.
Great Northern-M. B. Haynes. A.
S. Metcalf, H. c. Varney, Robt.
Wakelin, E. Foster, Seattle; A. M.
Green, city; A. Van Holderbe,e. Phil
Gerhard, Spokane; C. F. Butterfeld.
Portland; R. H. Erwin. Cleveland;
l.. D. Grove, Wateryille, F. w. Voll-
mer. Lake Chelan; P. D. Callahan.
1909; r. H. Gillin, Seattle; Bruce
Wees, North Yakima; Frances Ken,
meth, Luther Kenneth. S. D. McDon-
aid, Chicago; A. r. Morton, Spok-
ane; w. L. McClelland and wife. Sc
attic; Mrs. ]. D. Bowman and daugh-