Wise County Messenger from Decatur, Texas • Page 1

Coimtu messenger. VOL. XXV. NO. 1 THU PitlOE OF COTTON DECATUR.

TEXAS. DECEMBER 30. 1904. WHOLE NUMBER 1235 We told early in the Season tho of the world would use a 12,000,000 bale crop of at 10 The last report placed the crop at a liUle bales, prices remaining: vicinity of 10 they dropped to about three fourths of that figure. The crop was about bales larger than last crop and the price is about half as high as that paid for a large portion of last year's crop.

In other words, an increase of one fifth in the amount of cotton raised cuts the price down about one-half. Could there be a more vivid illustration of the fact that a small surplus works havoc with prices far out of proportion to the amount of the surplus? It is a serious problem with the cotton planters how to get themselves out of the predicament into which they are thrust with a large amount of low-priced cotton on their hands. To enveigh againat manipulators of the markets will do no good. They will goon depressing the price of the staple as long as they can if it suits their interests to do so Help, if nelp is to be sition is practically pitting the keep what is on hand and raise farmers against System, much less cotton next time and whose professional business it is! much more of something else, to bear the market. To make it I ater Since the above was win it will perhaps be necessary 1 placed in type cotton has made to carry a large portion of this another tumble of $3 a bale, the CHRISTMAS 0APEES.

crop over to next year. This latter plan is advocated by many. It is plain at a glance that Us suUcess depends upon a much smaller crop than usual being produced next year. That could result from a 6mall yield result of calculations that go to show that the crop is considerably larger even than estimated in the last govornment report. Some authorities confidently assert that the crop will nearly or quite reach 18,000,000 bales.

next year or from a material this but emphasizes the duction of the acreage planted to cotton. No one can foresee what the coming caop will yield. It may equal, be greater or less than the average yield per acre. So no reliance can be placed on such an uncertainty. The only safe plan weuld be to greatly reduce the acreage.

This plan is advocated by many. The difficulty will be to get people to ce- operate in the plan. Farmers are widely separated, are poorly organized and it is very difficult to get them to act in harmony. Bnt strong efforts are being made in this direction and no doubt much can accomplished along these lines. The mass meeting of farmers of Wise county called by Judge Gose to meet at Decatur Saturday.

Jan. 7, is portance of tho above. positions taken GREEHW00D. had, must come from the farmers. important move in the right themselves.

Some still cling to the i direction Such meetings will be htld in many counties. is to be hoped that representative farmers from all parts of the will be present, and that wise action will be taken. The unions have it in their power to accomplish much in se- curing uniformity of action along hope that the esti mate is too large and expect the next report, due next Tuesday, to rectify the error. There is little probability that the difference in the last and forthcoming estimates will be sufficient to greatly affect the situation. There is little doubt that, despite the weevil and shortage in some sec -1 tions, a bumper cotton crop was raised this year, exceeding all former crops by near a rrillionj bales.

It is also a well known fact that an unusually large percentage of this cotton is yet in the hands of the producers. The burning question now is whether any plan can be devised to enable the holders of this cctton to get better prices for it than those now prevailing. Several plans are proposed. One is to hold the cotton until better prices are offered, and a large number of planters are acting on this plan. The difficulty in making it work will probably be that a large number of people will sell when prices improve a little, and thus prices will be bought down again.

It may be, however, that a suffi cient number will hold the staple to keep prices up. This propo- this line, so that the problem, though difficult, is not hopeless oi solution. An important factor in its solution is the much discussed and partially practiced plan of crop diversification. Reduce cotton acreage and plant the land thus saved to some other useful crop. If this were generally done the reduced cotton crop would bring more money than a long crop, and the stuff produced on the acreage saved would be so much clear profit.

This contention, though trite, is true and is of particularly great importance to the farmer this year. The wild scheme proposed in some quarters to burn a million bales of the cotton now in the hands so as to in crease the price of the remainder is visionary and impracticable. People cannot be brought to do such a thing, and it would be a useless, not to say criminal waste if they should do so. Far better 10 CENTS A A YEAR Magazine Is cleanest, most stimulating, meatiest general magazine for the says one of the million who read it every month. It is without question Best at Any Great features are promised for next or more wholesome interesting short stories in every number, continued stories, beautiful pictures in colors, and articles by such famous writers as Ida M.

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passed off unusually quietly for Greenwood. The young men especially de serve some credit for the nice manner in which they conducted themselves. So many have gone from here to other points, and others come from various points here to spend Christmas we could hardly begin to mention them. We only mention the following: Jno. Nesbitt, solicitor for the International Harvester Messrs.

Lonnie Rudd and Jack Sharp, students in the school of Pharmacy, of Dallas, Mrs. Pearl Kinsolving, of Washington, D. Miss Maud Vermillion, teaching at Rip. Miss Mattie Miller, teaching near Decatur, and Mr. and Mrs.

John Tyler, of Alvord, are all with us. Mrs. Ella Milligan and family, and Prof. Otis, the Misses Taylor and John Glenn are away for the holidays. Our merchants report good Christmas business, the town being crowded Friday and Saturday, and every one seemed to go awTay loadtd with something nice for Christmas.

Mr. Bob Gibson, one of efficiont druggists, left a late hour Christmas eve night and it is reported upon good authority that it will not be Bob alone, but Mr. and Mrs. Gibson. L.

D. Pruner has sold his interest in the blacksmith shop to Ab Johnson; however, he will be retained as an employee in the business Coke Loyd has bought the Aunt Sallie Cummins farm over by Austin school house and is erecting a nice little cottage on same. Esq. McCormack has just finished a tenant house to be occupied by S. H.

Hall. The band boys gave quite a nice serenade on the streets Saturday night. They acquitted themselves well considering that was their first appearance. A petition is out asking for rural route Na. 2 from this place.

If granted it will accommodate the people down on Cecil and Denton creeks, also on the prairie between here and Slidell. igh ockets The marriage of Mr. J. Cates and Miss Opal Kenny oc. curred according to previous announcement at the M.

church in this city at 8 p. m. Tuesday, Dec 27. The church was tastefully decorated and a large company assembled to witness the ceremony. The ushers were, Messrs.

Brownlee Ferguson. Waxahachie, Bob More, Vernon, John Simmons, J. Lillard, T. B. Yarbrough, P.

Gibson, of this city. Altar girls, MUses Bertha Saufley, of Bowie, and Miss Mary Cates. Maid of hon. or, Miss Pauline Kenny, si6ter of the bride; best man, Mr. Cliff D.

Cates, brother of the groom. The other attendants were Mr. Floyd Keany, brother ot the bride, and Miss Ada Cates, sister of the groom. Preceding the arrival of the bridal party the song was beautifully rendered by Mrs. Furd Halsell, Mrs.

E. Baumgsertuer presiding at the After a short interval the peals of the wedding march announced the arrival of the wedding party. Entering by different doors, the bridal couple met in front of the chancel and proceeded to the altar, where Rev. C. W.

Dunn, pastor of the C. P. church, in a beau- tifuland impressive manner pronounced the words that made them man and wife. A large number of invited guests repaired to the home of the parents, Mr. and Mrs.

A S. Kenny, where light refreshments were served and a very enjoyable ev ning spent. The couple were the recipients of numerous presents, including articles of beauty and usefulness. Both of tracting parties are very popular highly esteemed in Decatur, groom being the public spirited mayor of this city, now serving his third term, and also being engaged in the land, loan and abstract business and in the successful raising of thoroughbred stock and poultry. Tho bride has for a number of -years been a popular and exceptionally efficient teacher in our public schools, and is, besides, a lady of rare charms and amiability.

They enter upon their married life with the best wishes of their hundreds of friends for their future happiness and prosperiey. long life and happiness be their portion is the wish of their many Mr. T. E. Finch and Miss Leona Helm gave their friends a surprise Wednesday of last week by meeting in Ft Worth, where they were married at the home of a friend at 3 p.

m. These amiable young people are well known here and their many friends wish them much happiness through life. They are spending tho holidays here with the parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wes Helm.

Murphy-Regers. Mr. P. J. Murphy and Miss Mattie Rogers, of Brumlow community, were married Wednesday afternoon by Rev.

T. Z. Cagle at the letter's residence in this city. Marriage Licenses- J. W.

Newsom and Miss Beatrice Acord. H. I. Ford and Miss Odie Robinson. C.

A. Brammer and Miss M. J. Ash. J.C.

Thompson and Allie Beaty. G. C. Wisdom and Miss Bartholomew. Jesse Johnson and Miss Mane Cobb.

C. Mullins and Miss Artie Thompson. R. Baugh and Miss Lillie May Pipkin Claude W. Morris and Miss Ina May Franklin.

J. W. Kelley and Miss Myrtle Prescott. J. T.

Barnes and Miss Effie Prescott. J. H. Cates aud Miss Opal Kenny. P.

J. Murphy and Miss Mattie Regers. L. Shults aud Miss Lillie Henny. C.

R. Harris and Miss Allie Sherbet. W. A. Teague and Miss Hattie Jones.

W. H. Elliott and Miss A. Royal. If you want to learn how to keep any set ef books, if you wish to become a practical stenographer, if you desire to make an efficient telegraph operator, then go to the Roberts Business College, Bowie, Texas.

TO CUR.E A COLD IN ONE DAY Take LAXATIVE BROMO QUININE Tablets. All drnggisifc refund the money if it falls to cure. E. W. signature is on every box.

teacher in 25c, Bea-Gibson. On last Monday morning the friends of Mr. Fred Rea and IJiss Belle Gibson were surpris ed to learn that these two estimable young people had been quietly married the evening before at the residence of the mother, They are both well known and highly esteemed here, Mr. Rea having for years been an efficient salesman with several firms in this city, being now engaged with the popular grocery house of Messrs. Russell Dallas.

His bride is a beautiful young lady possessed of many womanly charms and graces and the numerous friends of the couple wish them every happiness in their married life. Gibson-Fenwick. At the First Baptist church in Fort Worth, on Dec. 25, Mr. R.

E. Gibson and Miss Estelle Fenwick, were happily married. Mr. Gibson is a popular druggist of Greenwood and also joint owner of the telephone exchange of that thriving town. The bride is the charming and accomplished daughter of H.

S. Fenwick, of Greenwood, and for some years has been a popular and efficient the public schools in Attention Farmers and Cotton Grewers. At the request of a large number of Wise county farmers, I hereby call a mass meeting of farmers at the court house in Decatur on Saturday, January 7, 1905, for the purpose of discussing prices and acreage of cotton to be planted in the county next year. Let each precinct in the county organize and send delegates. In the multitude of counsel there is safety.

ohn G. ose County Judge. ost gold watch fob pendant with monogram thereon. Finder will be suitably rewarded by returning same to this office. It to the Oldest Living Twins.

Publication of an item from Washington, regarding 8i years old has brought out the fact that Freeport, leaas by several years. Dr. Charles B. Gillespie and his sister, Miss Mary Gillespie, are and were born in October, 1 20 thus being old. Dr.

Gillespie has medicine for nearly half a cenu.sy. i Ie was captain of Company Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania regiment, and served throughout the civil war. Freeport has been the home of the twins since the close of the rebellion. It is 'believed they are the oldest living twins in the United States. this and other counties.

May Old Roman Bread. The best example of old Roman bread been found at Pompeii, a town that -was destroyed by an eruption of Vesuvius in the year 78 A. D. Forty- eight loaves were dug out of one bake shop..