The Pensacola journal., 1917-08-03
STATE CAPITOL
GOSSIP ON LARGE
NUMBER SUBJECTS

III LSL IlIIle III the history OF the county |
will hold a local option wet
and dry election August 81, and Tai
lahassee is more or less interested in
the outcome. Wakulla and Liberty
are the only two Florida counties
having never held elections of this
kind, and therefore are wet and are
being wet until it is voted dry unless
said county is part of territory that
had previously voted dry. These two,
however, are original Florida coun-
ties, existing long before the adop-
ton G. the present state constitution
There are no saloons in Wakulla
county, but the temperance people
there back of the movement think
it best to vote the county dry be-
cause the Wells quart-a-month bill
does not limit the amount of alco-
holic liquors that may be received
by any person in territory that is not
dry, and they fear that this condi-
tion may result in supplying blind
tigers and other violations of law in
neighboring counties.
The campaign in Wakulla has al
ready reached the interesting stage
Floridian OFF to France.
Mr.. and Mrs. Willie C. Lewis and
their daughter. Miss Clara Lewis,
have gone to New York City to see
young Averitt Lewis and tell him
goodbye before he leaves for France.
to serve as an Interpreter for the
allied armies. Overitt Lewis. who is
the son of Mr.. and Mrs. w. c. Lewis,
speaks five languages 1uently. He
has the best wishes of his numerous
friends at Tallahassee.
High School Text Books.
Sealed bids for furnishing the hi@h-
school books of the state under the
successful Cash bill of the last leg
isla+ure extending uniformity to in
Cludn high schools as we'll as the
grades, have been submitted to the
sub-text book commission which has
thirty davs in which to report to
the head text book commission, COM
posed of all the members of the cab
met and headed by tho Governor,
Tho suh-commIssion considers the
hooks offered and the various bids
for supplying same and recommends;
the head commission adopts. No re-
adoption of hooks to be use1 by the
praded schools was necessary at this
time. as the existi7~ contracts for
these were extended for another two
years by the Forartv bill which
lature and received the approval of
nasscd the last session of the leC!s-
the governor.
Wakulla Oil Signs.
Mr.. r. NJ. Gates has left with
! State Geolooist Sellards samples of
] oil %oly af Of 10
less than two thousand feet from
the Bonhuer Oil Company's we'll in
Wakulla county, of wh5h corporation
Mr.. Gates IS president. The sand is.
Judging from all physical appearance
true oil sands, showing rI~~r a Ions a
verv high percent. of bitumirous
globules in the silicious sands. The
company is highly encouraged and
will push the work of drilling to thc
denth where "gushers may slumbel
with profits"
Engineers Death a Mystery.
The world will never know exactly
how Engineer Ollie c. Colbert met
his death under his own engine or
: the log road of the Southern Mil
Company about sixteen miles below
Helen, but it will always be sup.
posed that he went to sleep with hiy
| head resting on the rails between
! the wheels of the enpine and the ten
der County Judge Benjamin A. Me
ginnis, as coroner, accompanied by
Sheriff J. P. Houston weUt imme.
( diately to the scene and the verdict
was death by accident. His head
was crushed by the engine, but there
was not a scratch on any other part
Of his body. Mr.. Colbert, who was
a man of excellent habits and most
popular with both co-workers anC
employers, had dismounted from nj:
dav, and while resting for a while
before the workmen arrived, sat or
the ties by his engine. While so rest
ing he evidently fell aslep and set
tied backward till his head was or
the track. His fireman, not knowing
that his chief was there, mounted
the cab and shifted the engine with
the tragic result recorded above. Mr.
Colbert, whose family resides il
Munson, Santa Rosa county, was
probably killed instantly as he ut
tered no sound. The discovery ot
blood on the wheels of the tendeI
and none on the drivers of the engine
| brought the officers TO the conclusion
that Mr. Colbert lay between the en-
CINE and the tender when they were
moved. Tn body was shipped K
Santa Rosa county.
Cook Charged With Theft.
Oscar Bryant, a well known Negro
cook of Tallahassee, was arrested
Monday morning for the alleged theft
of $500. Something over this amount
of cash was missed by n. A. David,
son, proprietor of the Davidson Cafe
and hotel. some weeks ago. He had
it under his pillow in his room. Hav-
ing cause to suspect the cook, Mr.
] Dn.-:Ana.. l.H.An---,I Dat l.. E-.I