davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1908-04-17

Last Saturday night at about II
o'clock the fish dSz, the store house,
barns and cottag{ buildings, togeth-
er with the conteA ,, were destroyed
by FIRE.
The dock was located on the lake,
in front Of the park, and the other
buildings were located in the en-
closure commonly known as Shaw's
Park. The dock and office building
were owned by v alter Pleasant,
the barns belonged to w. f.. Web
ster, of this city, who had the con-
tract to freight the fish to this city,
the pool tables and bowling alley
belonged to man named Allen,
and the storehouse and two cot
tages were owned by J. S. Shaw.
None of the buildings were insured.
The dock and one of the cottages
were occupied by Walter A. Pleas
ant, who has been for several years
operating a wholesale fish and game
business. The fire was the result
Of work done by a band of masked
men, supposed to have been Night
Riders, who were dressed something
after the fashion of the once ia
nous Ku-K KlatfSso Mr.. Walter
Pleasant, who was an eye witness,
informs The Commercial.
The masked men, about irty-
Ave in number, went to the tore OF
Mr.. John Shaw, forced that gentle
man to sell them goodly supply of
kerosene oil and requested him to
deliver some at the ark, which he
did. After marching from the store
to the park in an orderly and qniet
manner the dock was saturated with
oil and the torch applied, and one
by one the buildings were visited
until the work had been completed,
after which the participants with
drew from the premises.
The beginning of the Reelfoot
Lake troubles date back some fifteen
or twenty years, when Major J. G.
Harris first announced to the citi-
zens that he had acquired title to
Reelffoot and undertook through the
courts to establish his rights and
obtain control, and this far-famed
resort has been in litigation contin-
uously ever since. At one time the
Supreme Court rendered an opinion
vesting the title of certain portions
of the lake in Col. Harris name,
and then the fishing privileges OF
the lake were leased by Harris to J.
c. Burdick, of this city. Notwith-
standing this decision by the States
highest court, a large number OF
ETeople living in the great lake coun-
TRY have clung to the belief that said
llake belongs now, as it always has,
Ito the State of Tennessee, and that
Ino man had the right to say who
should nor who should not fish for
3 pleasure or profit there, aud some OF
the citizens have continued so to do.
Scores of sweeping court inJunc-
tions have been served at different
times, numbers of legal battles have
been fought out in the courts and
handsome fortunes spent in law
suits. And still they have utterly
failed to reach solution of the
great problem satisfactory to all
parties concerned.
Some time last year, in the late
summer, the Harris heirs, Mr.Shaw,
Mr.. Pleasant, Mr.. Burdick and 9TH
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1908-04-17
BIDS FOR NEGRO VOTE
Made for Political Effect Says Road
Official

Chattanooga, Tenn, April p
Officials of the Nashville, Chatta-
nooga & St. Louis and Southern
railroads are sweeping in denials
of the charges made by President
Roosevelt in a letter to the Inter
state Commerce Commission IN
which he alleges that this road,
along with the other Southern sys-
TENS, does not furnish first-class
colored patrons with the same
service that it does first-class white
travellers.
Answering this, a high official of
the systen said to-day that in his
opinion the Presidents interest in
the local railroad situation was
merely to Influence the negro vote
in the South for Taft, or whatever
man the administration favors in
the coming Presidential election.
The railroad is preparing to make
a vigorous fight when the matter
is brought to it's official notice by
the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion.
Newspaper men who boarded
different through trains operated
by the system, declared tonight
that the cars for the colored pat
rons are equally as good as those
used by the white passengers.
In his letter to the Interstate
Commerce Commission President
Roosevelt stated that the matter
had been brought to his attention
by reliable colored parties. He
did not mention any names. A
railroad man said that he believed
that the charges made by Presi-
dent Roosevelt arose from dam
age suit in which a fat colored
passenger and the Nashville rail
road were the principals some time
ago. This person, woman, pur-
chased a ticket from point in
Kentucky to Nashville, and occu-
pied a seat in the first class coach
for white persons. W hen the
State line was reached the train
conductor told her that she would
have to move forward to the
coach for colored people. She
became highly indignant; said that
she had paid as much for her seat
as any one else and declared she
would remain in the white coach
or leave the train. After some
argument she did the latter, and
some weeks later suit was brought
against the railroad company. The
case was fought through the courts
for some time, the railroad finally
gaining q decisive victory.
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1908-04-17
BOSTON is FIRE-sW EPT.
Blaze Started in Rag Heap Destroys
$50 Buildings

Boston, April 12.-An appar-
emily insignificant fire which start
ed among the rags on dump In the
city of Chelsea to-day, was famed
by a northwest gale into q contlag-
ration which obliterate nearly one
third Of the city. Five hundred
dwelling houses and public buildds.
ings were destroyed, fifteen hun
dred families were driven from
their hahitations and 10000 people
made homeless. Two lives are
known to have been lost and ut g.
late hour it was reported that two
other persons had perished, one q
woman, having shot herself in
frenzy over her inability to save
her property. From fifty to one
hundred were injured,
An accurate estimate of the loss
is impossible. The city solicitor
estimates it at nearly $10,000,000.
The fire, which was the worst
Boston has known in many years,
ragged before a 45-mile gale for
more than u hours, defying every
effort of the combined f., depart
oon+e of Chalsaa c~q.as sstUh-
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1908-04-17
ANNOUNCES PLATFORM
Carmack Issues Declaration of Prin
ciples.

Carmack Issues Declaration of Prin-
ciples.
Senator E. w. Carmack, candi
date for the Democratic Guberna
toriaI nomination, did not deliver
an opening speech in Nashville.
His first appearance on the stump
in debate with Gov. Patterson at
Chattanooga last night. The Sen
ator has announced the following
platform of principles:
II favor the entire abolition of
the liquor traffic in this State.
81 favor law that will take the
election machinery entirely out of
the Governors hands and restore
it to the people.
II favor a mandatory primary
election law.
II favor a law to prohibit what
is called 'bucketshop gamb Ing
II favor law to prohibit the
issuance of free passes or any dis
elimination in passenger rates,
with certain exceptions to be care
fully defined by law.
81 suggest, not as a plan | have
fully matured, but to invite con-
sideration, revision of our State
constitution by careful system OF
amendments, to be prepared by a
competent commission of legisla-
tors and citizens, fairly represent
ative of ali interests, to be sub
mitted, of course, by the Legisla-
-ture to a vote of the people.
81 favor Legislation to secure a
more perfect administration Of the
criminal law.
II favor an amendment to our
laws against trusts and unlawful
combinations TO make individuals
engaged in such unlawful business
more certainly liable to criminal
prosecution and punishment.
IL favor a law to guarantee de-
posits in State banks, guarantee
fund to be created by light tax
on average daily balances. This
law to be supplemented by.a care
ful system of bAnk examination
IND no bank to }e1lue under th,r
F>Nefts of this law, unless shove
p thoroughly sound and sofa
6s1t 6st eApr} this of sufficient i'm
Il ha tue ns tify an amendment
vou1ss San if necessary.
"a and regulation of
him Nqchise cor
: ' : ; ! !
i onir 2porationsl ~
$ 1@sble friction.
powers grated to'such
creates the necessity
for such regulation, they should
bear the cost.
81 have been asked by repre-
sentatives of organized labor as to
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1908-04-17

ordinary powers grated to'such
corporations creates the necessity
for such regulation, they should
bear the cost.
81 have been asked by repre-
sentatives of organized labor as to
my position on certain proposeg
legislation to regulate the employ
ment of child labor in factories,
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1908-04-17

ing DUSIn6ss III IUIS pIHIb. 1L IS
hereby made the duty OF the attor-
neY general of this State to enforce
these provisions by due process of
law"
The counsel have taken an APP
peal to the United States Supreme
Court.
You've tried the rest, now try the
best-Sunshine Flour
The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1908-04-17
OIL TRUST is oUsTED.
From Doing Business Within The
State of Tennessee.

Nashville, Tenn, April by
the Judgment of the supreme court
of Tennessee, in an exhaustive
opinion delivered this morning by
Justice NJ. M. Neil, the Standard
Oil Company is ousted from the
State of Tennessee for the acts of
this company at Gallatin, Tenn.
in restraining trade.
By the judgment of the supreme
court the Standard Oil company
can only engage in interstate com
merce, as far as Tennessee is con-
cerned, and the court holds, in af-
frming the decision of Chancellor
j. w. Stout at the trial of the case
at Gallatin, that the Standard Oil
Company did violate the provisions
of section l of the acts of 1908,
chapter 40, and the punishment
imposed in section 2 of that act
should be imposed, viz: That the
Standard Oil Company be denied
to do business in this State.
The two sections of the Tennessee
acts upon which the decision rests
are as follows:
"section 1. Be it enacted by the
Generally AssembIzpf the State Of
The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-22
WILL BIZ HUNG.
For the Murder Which Led to the
Springfield RiOting.

Joe James. the negro slayer OF
Clergy a. Ballard, of Springfield,
Illinois, must pa ythe penalty Of
death upon the gallows for his
crime. The fixing Of punishment at
death was returned at 6:10 O'Clock
last afternoon. after the jury had
deliberated since 1O:45 in the morn
ing. The prisoner was in the court
room and heard ihe verdict Uf the
jury. He could not utter sound
and took the report OF the twelve
men without tremor. Clergy A.
Ballard. the mine engineer, was
killed on the night of July 4th.
Blanche Ballard. "a years old. was
awakened late at night by the negro
in her bed room. Her screams at
tracted her fother, who rushed to
her assistance. Ballard in his night
clothes was unarmed, helpless and
was stabbed to death. The removal
of James and the negro Richardson
from the Jail by Sheriff Werner pre-
cipitated the bloody riots in which
seven Ives were lost.
The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-22

number of the young insects are
destroyed soon after Matching by
means OF sprinkling carts filled with
liquids. Still many Of them ESCAPE
and tho country they cover IS too
vast to be entirely treated with the
sprinklimg process. Fortunately the
young hoppers have habit that ia
cilitates the destruction Of millions
of them.
BY the time they are two weeks
old they have developed an enormous
appetite. Rnt they do not set out
to eat up. the world; in thin array, or
scattered detachments. ~
They collect here and there In
compact masses to move forward on
the food. and when an army Of hoD-
pers advances from one space to
another. there IS nothing left to
eat on the ground they have desert
ed. They cannot fly. they move for
ward only from 400 to 600 feet a
day Now is the time to trap them.
In front of them trench is dug
about six feet deep and wide and
100 to 200 feet long. From, each
end of the trench peaces OF sheet
tin about seventy-tive feet long and
a foot and a half high are stuck
into the ground. forming two lines
of fence spreading fanlike from the
ends Of the trench. These fences
are ntended till their outer ends are
hundreds Of Teet apart. wide enough
10 enclose the flanks OF the invad-
ing army. Then all is ready for the
drive
1t is hot work. beginning AT sun
rise. and all the settlers and the
Government men sent To their aid
take part in it with weapons that
are effective though they are only
picccs of cloth. with which they flap
tn" ground and urge the hoppcrs
forward. Ncry often darkness falls
and the rear guard OF the hoppers
has not yet reached the brink over
which they tumble TO their fate. The
hoppcrs will not stir till sunrise.
and then the Tapping Of the cloth Is
resumed till tbs particular army is
rngulfcd. The crops and grass just
ahead are safe for while.
Bur such work as this spread over
several counties is enormously en-
pensive and is only a palliative OF
the terrible evil. not Il remdey Tor
it. \ remedy has not yet been
found Can the plague OF locustS
be quenched if attacked at its mead
sources? Is there any parasite or
natural enemy of the insect that
can be introduced to quench the
plague or mitigate it? Such ques-
tions as these are now being anxious
" discussed in South America.
The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-22
SOME HOT TALK
HASKELL CALLS HEARST A
LIAR AND
Offers to Prove 1t If the New York
Editor Will Give Him Chance
Before an Impartial Jury.

Governor Haskell, of Oklahoma.
who is treasurer OF the National
Democratic Committee, Sunday night
gave out at Chicago the following
telegram, which he said he had sent
to w. R. Hearst:
William R. Hearst. care New York
American. New York, N. Y.
Sir: You are stating in speech
and press in substance that during
the year 1899. when Attorney Gen
eral Frank s. Monnett, of Ohio, had
several cases pending in the supreme
court Of that State against the
Standard Oil Company, that sought
to influence him to dismiss those
suits have said, and now repeat
that your statement. Is absolutely
false, and that never had any re-
lations of any kind or character
with the Standard Oil Company.
Our conflicting statements prove
nothing. YOU as newspaper man,
may and should desire reputation
for truthfulness; /, as public Of
fetal, demand that those who ac-
cuse me stand forth and make known
their proof You know that a suit
against you for civil damages. or a
criminal prosecution for libel. means
long delay and affords your char
acter of journalism chance to cover
your expenses before being called
upon to settle do mot want your
money; simply desire to expose you
to the public as false accuser who
has distorted public records and
manufactured statements for base
political purposes. For the purpose
of forever settling this infamous
slander which you are circulating
in your newspapers and on .he
stump, | now propose that COM
mittee of five or any three Of them,
composed Of the editors of the
Springfield. Mass, Republican, the
Chicago Journal. the New YORK
World, the Indianapolis News and
the st. Louis Republic. be selected
to hear you and me under oath and
all other evidences they may de-
sire as to the truth or falsity oil
YOUR charge, at the earliest possible
moment, and render their decision
70 the public in writing. Should
this committee find your charge sus-
tanned | shall withdraw from all
connection with the present preslden-
tial campaign. Should the verdict
he against you. as know 1t WILL
there need be no other penalty tnan
the public contempt due every as
sasson OF character.
C. II. HASKELL.
The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-22
Wide Areas in South America
Made Desolate by II.
NO REMEDY is FOUND
Five Governments Fighting the Pest,
Which Is Yearly Getting Worse.
Swarms Of LocuStS Sixty Miles
LOns and Ten Miles Wide.

A cable dispatch while ago de-
Scribed now IN the province OF
Catamarra, Argentina, many women
had fallen to the ground in convul-
sions of weeping and for time were
almost bereft Of their senses, repeat
ing over and over only the words:
THE locustS, the loCusts." 1t was
the third successive session in which
they had seen the skies darkened
with clouds Of locusts that settled
down upon their fields and plains,
destroying the crops and every yes
| tige of the vegetation on which their
cattle and sheep subsist.
No other part of the world has in
recent years suffered from such a
plague OF locusts as the agricultural
State Of sub-tropical and temperate
South America-Argentina, Bolivia,
Southern Brazil, Paraguay and
Uruguay share the afiliction.
| In these regions the swarms have
been steadily increasing. for num-
Der OF years. Theysare supposed to
originate in the, snuthertY part of
The Amazon basin and IN the Chaco,
Of Bolivia. and OF Northern Arseu-
l-uIa. /,
They come from the. north in
clouds that sometimes darken the
sun and some OF the swarms have
been estimated to be sisty miles
long and from twelve to fifteen miles
wide. But these billions OF flying
Insects, are only the forerunners of
the greater mischief to come.
They make desolate the area IN
which they settle, but often jump
wide areas in their flight. Before
they take to the wing they lay bill
Ions OF eggs in the warm earth which
in few weeks become hoppers
1t is this young. voraciouS brood. be-
fore it can fly. that utterly strips
the land Of everything green as
though it had been burned over.
All the Governments are fighting
the evil Two years ago the Argrn-
inc Government organized Il bureau
under the name Of dcfcnsa general
l@ricGia para for III" destruction OF
he locust. Last wear II" Argentine
Congress placed $4.50U.o00 at the
disposal OF this commission.
Suh-committccs represent The gen
.ral commission in every department
exposed to these invasions and they
extend from the northern limit Of
agriculture in the republic to the
Neukuen River. almost to Patagonia
Everything possible is done to min
imiZe the damage.
\ fine of 100 pesos is imposed up
on any settler failing to report to
the subcommittee in his district
the presence of .ocuSt Swarms Or hop
per eggs on his land. An organized
service embracing thousands Of men
/. in readiness at any moment to
send a force to any place where
danger is reported. The most ef-
sective war is wageG against the
young hoppers.
The official report is that as many
as $4,000 hopper eggs have been
counted in a space less than three
and n half feet square. A prodigious
The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-22
Senator TilIman Thinks the Dem.
ocrats will Win This Fall.
)GIVES HIS REASONS
-, -.,-'-- -. \ -. 80
Which Was, Published in the Paris
Edition of the New York Herald.
The Senator May Take Hand in
the Campaign on His Return.

DR.. j. w. Babcock brought back
with him from his European trip q
number Of newspapers and news
paper clippings, one of which is O.:
/ considerable interest 1t is an in
terview in which Senator Tillman
on the .22nd of August expressed his
belief that Mr.. Bryan will be elected
president.
DR.. Babcock says tnat Senator
Tillman is deeply interested in the
campaign and wishes to come back
and get into it,. The Senator's pla'.s
at present are to sail for America
| on the 18th of October.
The interview referred to was sent
by Mr.. Crockett. London corrcspon-
dent of the Paris edition Of the New
York Herald. aud is as follows:
Among all the prophets Of DEM
ocratic success at the coming elec.
tions, none is more confident that
United State Senator Benjamine r.
Tillman of South Carolina. who,
after an extensive continental ,oHr.
is enjoying his first visit to London.
1T may be that the wish Is father
to the thought said Senator TIL
man, when | encountered him at
the Office of the AmericaA Express
Ccpueny. but 1t looks to MEAS II
MIR. bryan has powert1'i good
rtaance Of cleaning up tb: other
crowd this IE1me. In the fist place
be has been nominated in spite OF
the best .drsanized newspaper. fight
against him cTer known, thus demon
strating his innate strength with thH
rank and HE OF the Democratic
party.
"M.. Taft, on the contrary. has
been nominated solely at the dieta'
ton OF Mr.. Roosevelt and against
the wishes OF the masses in the Re
nublican party. While Mr.. TAFT Is
a loyable character in every way
and | don't wish to be construed as
saving anything against him as {
man. his sclf-obliteration and wh''
| should call the element OF sub
scrviency shown in his visit TO oFS'ri
RAY to have his speech revised, al"
no, in his favor.
..rncrr. az. .i',rr facts that .ni'"
annnal to the people. II. for N
Stance. we are going 70 MeX!cahi|''
our country hy having president
aDpoint his successor. thronsSA me
machinery Of the Republican part!
aud tho use OF uflceholdcrS 10 Stock
nominating convention it is sllnI'i!
Going to make Il great slump down.
ward in the history of the American
rcnublic. \ gain. if the country
;c really in love with, and ANXIOUS
m have carried out the relorini
which Mr.. Roosevelt stole from the
Democrats and proclaimed as my
nolicies.' the people will recognize
that Mr.. Bryan more fully repre-
sents those ideas than does Mr.. Iai''
Then. again. the vice presidential
nomination Of the Republican con-
yention is an insult to the name CT
reform. Eevryhody in Washington
is familiar with Mr.. Sherman align
ment with the plutocratic influence
Of the country, and unless l mis-
take the character OF the people
generally they will consider that his
nomination was surrender to pln-