davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-13
CAPT. JAMES ID. M'NEII4L
Writes Communication Concerning
Conditions i'm Prohibition Town.

Conditions i'm Prohibition Town.
The following communication was
received last night from Capt. James
D. icNeill, of Fayetteville, and il is
published without comment:
Fayetteville, n c., March 10, 1908.
Editor Messenger:
/ note in your issue of today the
attempt to prove that prohibition pro-
hib:tS or decreases crime. Let me
give you some statistics from a town
that has prohibition laws as drastic
as legislation can make them, and
that formerly was as open" as any
town ever was governed.
From 1887 to 1897 Fayetteville
had open bars and a dispensary for
the last year. We had one police
man. Average annual police court
receipts less than $3.50. (1897 only
$215.8O.) During this period our
Jail was sometimes entirely empty
1t was a matter of common talk that
we had to employ a person to stay
in there for while with the only
prisoner as he was lonesome and
afraid of the rats. Not q single police
officer was killed or even injured
Cases of delirium tremens a rarity
Kelley cases more SO. Per Contra
1897 to 1907. Police force increased
to five. Annual receipts from police
court, $500 to $500 per year New
fail built. Number of courts increas-
ed Jail always full. During the
Tast five years of total prohibition.
two police chiefs killed, one police
officer killed, one police officer badly
snot mp, Geveral young men OF good
families d:cd from alcoholism. hos
pital hardly ever without a delirium
patient. Murder. suicide, Kelley and
McEanna patients and lawlessness
ad lititum, and without doubt more
public drunkenness than ever before
in the city history. How's this for
a comparison? Atlanta and Whining
ton are not in it We have had ex-
perience.
Yours,
JAS. D~McNEILL.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-13
a FVkE TELtGiAM Wis sEAT
To Richmond, Wilmington and
Norfolk Banks
Asking for Shipments of Currcncy
Co Bank I'm Kim City--Money was
shipped and Immediately Return
ed Co Consignors-May Have Becn
Rusc OF Robbers.

An occurrence which created con-
siderable interest In banking and tele-
graph circles about two weeks ago has
Just come To light and although there
has been exerted every effort To solve
the mystery connected with the Incl
dent, the task has not yet succeed
ed.
About the first OF the present month
the Murchison bank OF this city: n
rational hank in Richmond and a
bank in Norfolk. all on the same day.
as later investigation revealed, receiv-
cd a similarly worded telegram from
Elm City. signed by the Toisnot hank
ing Co asking that $4,000 In cur
rency be shipped at once. Each OF
these banks does business with the
Elm City institution and the currency
was shipped without delay.
on arrival at Elm City the Toisnot
bank officials denied any knowledge
OF the various shipments and each was
returned TO the bank from which %
was sesht 1t was then learned thai
To such telegram had been sent
through the Elm City telegraph office
and the most plausible theory is that
the wires were tapped and the mee-
sages sent.
What the purpose Of the senders or
the order for currency was cannot be
stated but IL Is presumed that the
message was sent either by robbers or
their associates and that the plan was
for all the money 10 reach Elm City
at the same time and during the night
before II had been delivered 10 the
banks, an effort would be made 10 rob
the express office and get the money.
The plan, whatever IL was did not
succeed. s..
The telegraph company has had de-
tectives looking into the matter ever
since IL occurred and any clue that
may be found will be followed To the
end in the hope of finding the guilty
parties
The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-13
MRS. w. II. STONE DEAD.
End Came Yesterday Afternoon a
Her Home i'm Shallotte.

Friends will regret exceedingly to
learn of the death of Mrs. w. II.
Stone, which occurred yesterday af-
ternoon at the late home OF the de-
ceased, in Shallotte. Mrs. Stone has
been i'll for some time with a severe
attack OF lagrippe and several days
ago pneumonia developed, since
which time her condition has been
regarded as critical. For the past
two or three days II was realized that
the end was near and loved ones re-
mained at her bedside hourly expect
ing the sad summons.
Mrs. Stone had reached an advane-
ed age and the news OF her demise
wili bring great sorrow To many
friends in Wilmington and other
places. The deceased is the mother OF
Mrs. w. A. Rourk and Messrs. X.
r. and b. o. Stone OF this city and
these will attend the funeral.
To the members of the bcreaved
family the sincere sympathy of many
friends is extended in this hour OF
their grief.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-13
LEAVES OLD BANK QUARTERS.
Mr.. w. Ii. Cooper Rents Former Lo-
cation OF Peoples Savings Bank
May Start Commercial Bank There
in

Mr.. w. B Cooper has leased from
j G. Wright & Son for a term OF years
the store situated at No. 113 North
Front street, next to the Orton hotel
and formerly coupled by the Peoples
Savings bank The lease Is dated as
effective March 1st and IL runs TO Sep
tember 1st 1910. the sum OF S2015 or
$b5 month being given for this pc
rod
The~building is being repapered and
repaired and IL will present an attras-
tive appearance when the improve
ments are concluded
Rumor has II that Mr.. Cooper. who
Is a prominent wholesale grocer. Will
soon start commercial bank in This
city and that the quarters just secured
Will be used as the banks home. Mr..
Cooper has been out of the city for
several days and he is not expected
TO return uuGl Saturday, hence moth
Ing definite concerning the proposed
bank can be learned, but an announce
ment can be expected in the near fu-
ture.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-13
THE EIGHT HOUR LAW
Committee Hear Arguments Against
the Measure.


the Measure.
Washington, March lo.-Presideht
Gompers of the American Federation
of Labor accompanied by several un-
ion men OF the District Cf Columbia
made his first appearance today before
the house committee on labor In the
series of hearings on the eight hour
bill.
w. II. Fletcher. vice pres Eent OF the
w. and A. Fletcher Company OF Ho-
boken, shipbuilders and representing
also the national metallic trades asso-
Citations, says that If the bill becomes
q law his company will be compelled
To cease bidding for government con-
tracts.
Answering questions put by Mr..
Gompers and by members of the COM
mittee Mr.. Fletcher declared that the
commercial shipbuilding industry on
the Atlantic coast Of the United States
In practically extinct; that about the
same condition prevails on the Pacific
coast and that the only places In the
United States where the industry still
survives are the Great Lakes and 9TH
ct inland waters.
Mr. Fletcher said that the manufac-
turing conditions in this conutry are
such that ship builders can buy
Scotch boilers laid down at New York
for one and a half cents a pound less
than they can be produced here He
advanced as chief argument against
the bill, the claim that II is uncon-
stitutional in that II discriminates
against some manufacturers and in
favor of others.
He denied the right OF the govern
mens to designate the number OF work
hours a day in connection with con-
tracts
Edward Nothagel, representing the
electrical workers of the District OF
Columbia and John F. Rabbit, ~-rep-
resenting the union plasters OF the
district made arguments in support of
the bill,
Mr.. Gompers made plea for the
passage of measure land emphatical-
ly contradicted the assertion that had
been made before the committee by EN-
ployees by representatives that work
ing men as a rule were in favor OF
working over time If they received
extra pay for the same. He claimed
that the representatives OF some of
the employees who had appeared be-
fore the committee during these hear
ings had been instrumental in secur-
ing regislation that practically has
made outlaws of~union workmen.
James H. Hayden, representing the
Cramp Shipbuilding company, assert
ed that conclusive evidence had been
presented to the committee that the
working man of the country desires
the privilege of working over time for
over time pay. He also attacked the
constitutiOnality of the bill
The hearing closed with today's
session.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-13
CUTTING DOWN EXPENSES.
Southern Railroad Lays Off Large
Number of Men Indefinitely.

Salisbury, March 10.-The en-
ployees of the Southern Railway
shop at Spencer except the round
house and car department were laid
off this afternoon indefinitely Two
hundred men are affected.
Selma, Ala, March 10.-Seventy-
five skilled workmen at the shops of
the Southern Railway in Selma were
thrown out of employment today by
an lorder received to close the shops
indefinitely The car repairing depart
ment will be continued with a de-
creased force.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-13
JAS. McNEILL.
Report Was Untrue.

Bristol, Va, March 10.-The story
sent from Bristol yesterday to the eff
feet that Jackson Pressler, a white
man, had been taken from his home
in Russell county, Virginia, and
lynched by mob, was untrue. Re-
ports from that county, which are au-
thentic. are to the effect that it is
without foundation.
The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-13
WILL NOT SIGN AGREEMENT.
Cotton Manufacturers Will Curtail
Production at Their Own Discre-

TFUuuCtIOH HI IIltIF UWn D1SCfe-
ton.
Fall River, Mass, March 10.-FalI
River mill owners today decided not
to sign the agreement recently made
at a meeting of cotton manufacture
ers in Boston for further curtail-
ment of three months.
Secretary Clarence NJ Hathaway
of the Fall River Manufacturers AS
sociation said that the mill men here
object to being tied up with such an
agreement as many of them have con-
tracts that must be filled within the
next two or three months. Mr.. Hath
away said that a majority of the
local mills probably would curtail
their production, but they preferred
to do it at their individual discre-
ton and await further Developments
The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-03-13

Have your eyes, examined by Dr.
Vineberg, the eye specialist at
Munds' drug store, Masonic Temple.
No charge for examination. Spectac-
les or eyeglasses from 800 and
up. Satisfaction guaranteed.
swift
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-06-15

four of them we're horticulturists, ex-
perienced in raising crops In the irri-
gated lands of Washington, and that
a plain statement of facts and an in
vestigation of the lay of the land was
all that was necessary to persuade
these four people that they needed an
orchard under the Hanford ditch. The
fifth, a farmer who had recently sold
a farm in Dakota for $50 an acre,
complained that he had come to the
West to find cheaper land, and he was
dismayed at the higher prices he found
quoted on the irrigated fruit lands. He
went away in doubt, but may purchase
later when he understands conditions
better. The other four purchased be-
fore leaving Hanford. One of these
was a woman who had been one of
the most successful orchardists in the
Yakima Valley, and had sold her ranch
a few years ago for a very favorable
price. She was the first one to de-
eide, and she left Hanford satisfied
that her new investment would bring
her even better returns than did her
advantageous one made in the Yakima
at an earlier date.
The Hanford land seems to appeal
particularly to the experienced irriga-
ton farmer who knows good land when
he sees it. The early season, the depth
and vitality of the SOIL the advanta-
geous features of the land and the
freedom from alkali are all points
which need no emphasis with the ex'
perienced horticulturist, for he knows
well what they mean in successful
orcharding, and the fact that hundreds
of these experienced men have either
purchased, or are considering purchas-
ing orchard lands at Hartford, is not
only an eloquent testimony to the
worth of the land and the opportunities
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-06-15

which are presented, but is also fea-
ture which will in the days to come
operate enormously for the benefit of
the district, insuring high class of
orchards, scientific methods of grow
ing and packing, and results that will
quickly serve to make the district
known as one of the leading fruit dis
tricts in the Pacific Northwest.
The Hartford district is large dis
trict, comprising over 10000 acres OF
land under the original project, and
yet there is probably no section in the
State of Washington that is so free
from waste land. Every acre of the
land is fertile and productive, and
likewise level and in need of little
grading. The land is very level, lying
like a table with a gentle slope to-
wards the Columbia River, which
makes an even distribution of the wa
ter possible and insures the finest sort
of drainage. AS yet not particle of
alkali has been discovered in the en-
tire thirty thousand acres of land or
upon any of the land which is likely
to drain on it, and to the experienced
irrigation farmer who has seen land
that was once worth thousand dollars
an acre rendered valueless and turned
into a salt marsh, because OF alkali
seepage resulting from poor drainage
facilities. this means volumes. The
soil itself is probably as rich and as
deep as any that has been encountered
in all the irrigated districts of the
West. 1t is decomposed volcanic ash,
containing iron particles, which expert
enced fruit growers know lend color
and quality to the fruit grown on such
land. Soil of this kind cannot be ex-
hausted, but improves with cultivation
year after year. similar soil in Europe
having been farmed for over two thou
sand years and still being remarkably
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-06-15

70 feet in the course of twelve miles,
but the land around Priest Rapids is
rocky and not fit for cultivation; and,
moreover, Priest Rapids is overy thir-
ty-five miles from Hanford, and to
carry a ditch from the rapids over
such a distance to the HanfOrd lands
is too expensive and impracticable
when there is cheaper and more
feasible way After studying the mat
ter over thoroughly, the engineers for
the Hanford project decided to use
the fall of the Columbia River in
Priest Rapids to generate electrical
power, the same to be transmitted
over wires to an immense pumping
plant farther down the river at Coyote
Rapids, only 10 miles from Hanford.
The Harvesting of the Columbia Riv-
er at Priest Rapids is one OF the most
gigantic engineering undertakings
ever accomplished in the West. A
natural channel in the stream, large
enough of itself to make good-sized
river, is taken advantage of for the
power canal intake, at the foot of the
rapids. This channel runs through
solid rock, and for the first mile is
over a thousand feet wide. At the in
take, the engineers, in order to get
greater power efficiency by raising the
height of the water at that point,
have constructed a weir or dam OF
rock and cribbing across the river. In
this way a great volume of water Is
retarded and diverted into the canal
that otherwise would pass down the
natural channel of the stream. The
power canal proper, which has been
constructed by the company's engi-
neers. is about 140 feet wide at the
top, 70 feet wide at the bottom and
at the present stage of river carries
% feet of water, stream wide enough
and deep enough to carry any one
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-06-15

productive. The Hanford soil is of a
great depth, does not bake and Is al
ways in good filth. 1t Is the kind Of
land which, combined with proper eli
matte conditions and sufficient water
for irrigation raises fruit which brings
the highest price on domestic and Eu-
ropean markets. And of the soil and
the climate, the Surveyor General of
the United States has reported: "This
township contains a large portion of
first class farming land within reach
of cheap irrigation from the Columbia
River. This is the mildest eli
mate in Eastern Oregon or Washing
ton, insuring cultivation of almost trop-
ical fruits, and the pure atmosphere
is unrivaled, even in the foothills of
the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Cal
ifornia'
Here, then, we have an official re-
port on the soil and the climate of
this great district from a man whose
report should serve as the last word
on such subjects. The only other
requisite to bring about happy con-
dition of affairs is the water with
which to irrigate. And here we come
to the most interesting, if not the
most wonderful, feature of all.
Unlike the Yakima or Wenatchee
Valleys, there is no stream flowing
out of the mountains nearby which
can be tapped at higher altitude and
f1umed down by gravity system to
supply the water for irrigation pur-
poses. The mighty Columbia, which
sweeps around the land in a majestic
curve, though very swift of current,
has not the heavy fall in few miles
which, with the Yakima and Wenat-
chez Rivers, makes possible the grav-
ity bitches and fumes. At Priest Rap
ids it is true, the river falls over
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-06-15

enormous Cedar River pipe line,
which supplies water for the entire
city of Seattle for irrigation, CONNER
cial and domestic usages. This enor-
nous pumping task is accomplished
by the power generated at Priest Rap
ids from one unit of the power plant
alone With present ability of oper.
ating four units at this power house,
and with a further possibility of gen.
Grating 10000 horsepower with the
head and volume of water now brought
down by the power canal, the posi-
bilities of the great Hanford plant
are almost beyond comprehension.
The main irrigation ditch, from it's
intake at Coyote Rapids to it's outlet
two miles below the town of Hanford,
is 1914 miles long, 20 feet wide on
top, 8 feet wide on the bottom and
about feet deep. In addition to
this main ditch, the company already
has constructed about 9h miles of
laterals. The main ditch and these
laterals serve at present $4,000 acres
of land. The high line ditch will
serve 10000 acres more, and the aux
iliary ditch an additional 1000 acres,
the three bitches covering in all the
entire 10000 acres of land in the orig
inal Hanford project. A ditch run
ming north from Coyote Rapids is also
contemplated, which will serve three
or four thousand acres.
Under reach of the big high line
ditch is also an enormous tract con-
sisting of about 100000 acres of the
finest kind of land, which has been
withdrawn by the government under
the reclamation act At least half of
this land can be readily served by the
irrigation system of the Hartford IT.
rigation e. Power Co., and when it is
opened by the government, it will be-
come one of the vastest irrigated en-
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-06-15

of the steamers plying the Upper Co.
lumbia River without embarrassment.
Over 5000 feet of this canal, or vir.
tually mile, is constructed through
solid bedrock The length of the can
al from the intake to the power house,
where the water is precipitated over
the enormous turbine wheels, is 5000
feet, and in the entire distance the
engineers have succeeded in bringing
this enormous volume of water to the
turbines under present head of ~
feet. The present power canal carries
volume of water which under the
lowest possible head is capable of
generating 10000 horsepower While
plans have only been made at present
to utilize about 2,400 horsepower of
this, yet the company anticipated
time when the necessity for the rec
lamation of other land and the need of
the power for other purposes would
utilize a much greater amount, and
so they have constructed their power
canal with this in view.
The power plant itself, handsome
concrete structure, modern and up-tO-
date in every respect, has likewise
been built with an idea to future de-
velopments, being constructed for four
power units, only one of which has at
present been installed. This one unit
generates at the power house 2,400
horsepower by means of an enormous
turbine wheel weighing about twenty
tons and connected on heavy verti-
cal shaft with an electric generator.
The plant also contains smaller ex-
otter turbine, which is used to start
the other machinery. The four power
units will be capable, when installed
and in operation. of generating total
of about 10000 horse power. The cleo
trio energy generated at the power
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-06-15

house at Priest Rapids is trans
mitted a distance of 16 miles
over a three-phase copper wire
to the pumping station at Coyote
rapids, where it serves to oper-
ate the gigantic pumps that force
the water from the Columbia
River into the head of the irri-
cation canal which waters the
Hanford tract.
The pumping plant at Coyote
Rapids is another handsome con-
crete structure containing the
two great centrifugal pumps,
which have a present capacity of
10000 gallons a minute. The wa
ter is raised by these pumps
through a 66-inch continuous
STAYED pipe through a distance
of 400 feet to the intake of the
main ditch, the maximum actual
raise of the water being about
81 feet to the big lower ditch.
A more coherent idea of the
power of these two tremendous
pumps may be obtained when it
is stated that their aggregate
capacity for "a hours is close
to 90,000,000 gallons, or about
three times the flow of the
The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-06-15

the river are many hundreds of square
miles of level territory, all fine fruit
land when brought under irrigation:
and all possible of reclamation under
the Hartford ditch. To the South the
majestic Columbia sweeps along on
her way to the ocean, with many a
level mile of promising bench lands
sloping up from her banks on either
side. To the East, across the river
the bluffs arise almost abruptly from
the banks to the height of about $50
feet and on the table land at the top
of these great hills, fertile and produc>
tive wheat farms stretch away over
scores of miles to the Northern IA
cific railroad and to the Palouse coun-
try beyond. Surveying all this from
a vantage point, one suddenly realizes
that he is in the very heart or the
great and wealthy commonwealth OF
washington. surrounded on all SIDES
hv rich and productive country, pros
nerous towns and great railway trunk
lines that furnish advantageous trans
,,orto+ion to every portion of the ma
tion and bring untold progress ana
development along the courses OF Iheii
steel tracks. D:,,o,,
And here, in the Columbia hlVer
Valley are the finest fruit lands IN
the world. Here, and here only, has
the combination of exactly the rlght
kind of soil, exactly the proper altl,
tude. and the hot, sunny days anu cooi
nights of the summer MADE conulllollo
the most ideal for fruit growing pun
noses in the world. This is true ohly
IF the valley of the Columbia River
ond its tributaries. There are other
fne IRRIGATION districts in the North-
,uaS+ hut in none of these do the ideal
fruit growing conditions prevail as
III - Columhia River Valley, where