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The st, Landwi (Le,) Clarion is ritou SEE fIetlUA doubt one of the best edited and printed eekllies In the whole South.-AIERIGAN eL ocBal s, 1t05, 5; ... e1.4rTHE ST. LANDs CLA"ION, l li d ----------- ---n I.lo0o "Here Shall The Press The People's Rights Maintain, Unawed by influence and Unbribed by Cain." VOL. XVIII.---NO. 37. OPELOUSAS, LA., SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 1908. $1 PER YEAR --~~ ,- -' EVANiELINE WILL GO TO VOTE OF PEOPLE House Unanimously Passes the Fontenot Bill, i Which Embodies "CGompromise lines." ELECTION NEXT APRIL It is Believed that Measure Will Have No Troun bhie Going Through the Senate-The "Comn. promise Line." The question of the division of St. Landry will be put to the voterse of the parish at an election to be held on the second Tuesday of April, 1909, and the question of the parish seat of the new parish of Evangeline, if divi sion carries, will be left to the voters of the new parish at an election to be held on the second Tuesday of No vember, 1909. There does not appear to be ground to believe that anything will happen to shoal the measure in the General Assembly. The bill was passed by the Lower House by a unanimous vote Wednesday, and by this time has been reported to the Senate by the Senate Committee, favorably, and there does not seem to be any doubt of the Senate passing the measure. Senator Lazaro Thursday withdrew his bill from the Senate files, for the reason that it is similar to the Fonte not bill which passed the House, and the latter bill will be acted on by the Senate. The dividing lines of the parishes of St. Landry and Evangeline, as em bodied in the Fontenot, or "compro mise" bill, are as follows: Starting south at the Acadia line on range line between 2 and 3 east, running north until said line strikes Bayou Grand Louis, then following Bayou Grand Louis to where Bayou Petit Passe in tersects said Bayou Grand Louis, then due north to Bayou Cocodrie, follow ing Bayou Cocodrie in a northwest ernly direction to said range line again, then due north - to the Avoy elles line. The new, or "compromise line," takes more territory from the old parish on the north, but gives it more on the south, than was the case un der the original "crooked line," but in the aggregate the old parish loses territory by the "compromise line." The new line puts Eunice twelve miles within the new parish, instead of six, as in the "crooked line." It puts the greater part of the Mallet and Plaquemine Point sections in the new parish, which were all left in the old by the "crooked lines." The line passes two miles nearer Ville Platte, or five miles from that point. Old Grand Prairie, a part of which was in the new parish under the "crooked lines," is now all in the old parish. TRA5EDY AT GHURCH POINT. Town Marshal Shoots Six Holes in Body of lab Thibodaux, While Affecting His Arrest. Immediately after High Mass last Sunday T. 0. Guidry, town Marshal "of Church Point, shot and seriously wounded Gabriel Thibodaux, shooting six holes into his body. Guidry surrendered to a deputy sheriff, and was brought to jail at Crowley. The affray occurred as church was dismissing, but it is said that it is the result of an old grudge between the men. Our information is that Thibodaux set about creating a dis turbance, with the intention of em broiling the marshal into a difficulty. The officer was prompt in placing the offender under arrest, when a third party interceded in behalf of Thibo daux. While the officer was engaged with the intruder, Thibodaux pulled his pistol and attempted to fire. The officer drew his pistol and the fusil ade began. Thibodaux's gun was found to have two cartridges dis charged, while Guidry emptied the six chambers of his gun, every shot taking effect-two in the chest, one in the right arm and three in the legs. Thibodaux is said to be in a dan gerous condition, and will probably succumb to the wounds. Guidry was admitted to bail in the sum of $7000. Taken to the Penitentiary. Sheriff M. L. Swords left Wednes day morning for Baton Rouge, bring ing with him Doris Jennings, white, convicted of burglary and sentenced to seven months in the penitentiary. The crime of which he was con victed is breaking the store of Mr. J. B. Sandoz, in Opelousas, and stealing therefrom two shotguns. A commission passed on his sanity recently, and declared him sane. ITI.MS OF INTEREIST FROM OVER STATE. House and Indian Family Caved in Red River=-Tax Rate of Calcasieu Lowered--Large Land Purchase in Avoyelles. Assessments in Lafayette parise are expected to show an increase ol $250,000. An auxiliary of the Louisiana Anti tnberculosis League was formed al Alexandria. An oil well will be drilled at Ile Ma ronne, in Vermilion parish, by Jen nings and Beaumont oil men. Dr. W. D. Haas' home in Bunkie was entered by thieves on last Satur day night and robbed of $225. The Calcasieu police jury at its last meeting made another reduction in parish taxation, reducing it from 8 tc 6 mills. Leo M. Favrot, of East Baton Rouge parish, has been appointed Superintendent of Public Schools of St. Martin parish. Accidentally falling from a third story window while asleep, a fifteen year-old deaf and dumb boy was killed at the Jackson Institute. Amputation of the arm of B. L. Coles, a laborer in the Mamou oil field, was made necessary by blood poison setting in as a result of charbon. Deputy Sheriff Curley Hebert Mon day last arrested a white man by the name of W. A. Phillips, at Cheney ville, charged with counterfeiting. The Gulf Coast Baseball League, composed of Alexandria, Crowley, Lake Charles, Morgan City, Orange and Beaumout, has disbanded, on ac count of lack of support. The State Catholic Federation held a successful meeting in New Orleans this week. Legislation against race track gambling and divorce was urged. Chas. I. Denechaud was elected Presi dent of the Federation. Another artesian well has been brought in for Alexandria, which will be used for the city's waterworks plant. The well is 1080 feet deep and has a natural flow of from 200, 000 to 250,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. The receiver for the Morning World Publishing Co. has been authorized to STRETCH OF SCHELL CANAL WILL BE READY FOR SPRING "We have two miles of our main canal, which is 250 feet wide, ready for use; we shall have five miles ready by next spring, with ten miles of the Opelousas lateral which is 150 feet wide, ready to deliver water for the crop of 1909; our engines and pumps are ready to install and we ex pect to water next year from 20,000 to 25,000 acres of rice." This is the statement of J. Franklin Schell, the originator of the great Schell Canal project and the founder of the Union Irrigation Company of St. Landry parish, to the Crowley Signal. This great project has been in existence for about seven years and now seems on the fair road to FUNDS FOR OPELOUSAS' COURTHOUSE SQUARE. There is no point in Opelousas so prominent as the Court House Square. Every business or social visitor, every attendant on the United States or Dis trict Court, every patron of the ho tel, has this central square before him and from it gets much of his impressions of Opelousas. It lies with the people of Opelousas whether such visitors shall be impressed with its beauty and neatness, or astonished that the people of the City of Ope lousas leave neglected a place so well adapted by nature to form a beauti ful and refreshing ornament and resting place for her people, her children, and her visitors. The ladies of the Civic League have undertaken the work of clean ing and beautifying the Court House Square, grading it to the new walks, filling unsightly places, and particu larly of keeping the grass neatly cut with a mower. This work is now go ing on and the Court House Square Committee of the Civic League wants contributions to pay for the work now being done under Mr. Durio's direction, and to provide a fund to maintain the square in good condition in the future. The town cannot pay for this work and has given only Mr. Du rio's services to supervise the work, the Square Committee of the Civic League having promised'to get funds to pay for the labor employed. The Civic sue the stockholders of the company who have not paid up, it being found that the assets, exclusive of unpaid stock, is insufficieat to meet the lia bilities. An Indian was arrested while walk ing the river front at Alexandria, and when questioned by the city judge ex plained that he was looking for his house, which had caved into the Red' River, together with his wife and three children. There was sent to a prominent smelter at Beaumont, Texas, recently 100 pounds of ore taken from the old abandoned Spanish mines in Sa& bine parish, and telegraphic reports claim that from the 100 pounds of ore was run 15 ounces of pure gold and 30 ounces of silver, which is equal to $650 a ton. At a municipal election held at Marksville Saturday, W. F. Couvillion was elected Mayor, and P. N. Coullon, J. W. Laborde, Jules F. Moreau, E. Michel and A. Gosseiin alderman. C. U. Lafrague was the opposing candi date for Mayor, and A. T. Barbin, T. T. Fields, L. Molener and E. B. Worthy were the other candidates for alder men. A suit calling in question the con stitutionality of the act which makes the Superintendent of Public Educa tion the treasurer of the school funds was tried in Iberia parish this week. Whatever the outcome of the suit is, it is certain that the Supreme Court will be called upon to pass upon the finding. (The Iberia court has de cided the case in favor of the Superin tendent.) At a forced sale of the property of the Avoyelles Company and Louisiana Construction Company, Pennsylvania capitalists became the owners of 104, 000 acres of heavily timbered land near Marksville, the purchase price being $250,000. It is understood that the purchasers intend erecting in the near future large manufacturing plants near Marksville, to take off the timber on these lands. being brought to a successful conclu sion. The plan includes a canal 250 feet in width from a point on the Courtableau near Washington running across the parish of St. Landry, a distance of about forty miles, with laterals running in a southerly di rection past Opelousas and into Lafa yette parish; through St. Landry and Acadia parishes to the prairies near Crowley and Rayne. The water will come from Bayou Courtableau, which is a tributary, through the Atchafalaya, with the Mississippi. The water is unfailing and the lift is between fifty-five and sixty feet. The country through which the canal will pass is very rich in cotton, rice and corn. League has already purchased a horse power lawn mower for mowing the grass on this square and other public grounds, but will need money to keep up the good work. Subscriptions already received are acknowledged below, and all future subrcriptions as paid will be acknowl edged through these columns. Checks for subscriptions should be mailed to Mrs. W. A. Robertson, Chairman Square Committee, P. O. Box 352. Subscribed and paid in: Jos. M . Boagni ........................ $ 5 00 W. A. Robertson 2 50 E. B. Dubuisson ......................... 5 00 Ike Roos............................. 5 00 P. J. Lefebre.... .......................... 1 00 Littell & Lawler ...................... 5 00 SM . H alphen ................................ 5 00 B . A . G uidry .................................. 50 Harry G. W illiams....................... 50 Yves Andrepont ....................... 5 00 Jno. W . Lewis ............... ...... 5 00 C. H. Masters....................... 1 00 A. L. Lacombe................_... 2 50 W . J. Sandoz ......1... .................. 1 00 E. D. Estilette 1 00 $45 00 "Handkerchief Bazaar." The ladies of the Methodist Church have in store an enjoyable evening for those who will attend the "Hand kercheif Bazaar," at the Methodist Church Lawn, on next Tuesday, the 16th. The proceeds of the Bazaar will go to the parsonage fund. Refreshments will be served, and a cordial invitation is extended to the public to attend. IMPORTANT MEETINGS OF PARISH FARMERS Members of Farmers' Educational and Co-Op erative Unions Bilied for Busy Times. 1BIG GUNS WILL BE HERE Meeting of Locals at Pralre Ronde School louse on June 25th, apd Big Meeting Probable In Opelousas July 15. It is probable that there will be a general meeting of the St. Landry Educational and Co-operative Union held in Opelousas on Thursday, July 16th, at which members from all the unions in the parish will be present. It is certain that the meeting will be held, and that it will be held at the parish capital is almost as equally certain. Mr. R. Lee Mills, parish President of the organization, is in favor of hold ing the big meeting in Opelousas, on account of the many advantages such a procedure would afford, on account of railroad facilities. The latter is much to be considered, because there will probably be distinguished digni taries of the order in attendence up on the meeting, and it would be a hardship on them to have to come here by train and then drive out in the country, Were the meeting held outside of this city. The regular meeting of the parish Locals will be held at Prairie Ronde, in the school house, on Thursday, June 25th, and it is dersired that a full representation be present. At that meeting parish officers will be elected, as well as delegates to the State Convention at Winfield chosen. The Winfield convention will be held on the last Monday of July. Mr. Lee is now in Winfield, where he went to attend a meeting of the State Executive Committee, of which he is a member, and upon his return he will possibly be prepared to an nounce the meeting place of the par ish unions. Mr. J. E. Bullard, State President, will address the meeting of the Lo cals at Prairie Ronde on the 25th, and will probably be in Opelousas for the general meeting to be held on July 16th. MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARS. Civill Engineer Early Missing from lls Home at Lafayette-.Recently Married. Lafayette dispatches convey the in telligence that Mr. C. S. F. Early, civil engineer, has disappeared from his home in Lafayette, having left Monday morning, since which time no trace of him has been received. Early is a well-known in Opelousas, being the supervising engineer of the Bayou Mallet and Plaquemine Drain age Canal, a drainage system now under construction near Opelousas. He recently maried Miss Luna Fitch, at Opelousas, and his wife, who is at Lafayette, is reported very ill from the shock of his disappear ance. Early is a Mason of high standing, and is reported to be a wealthy man, although he left home without any money. "Dry" and "Wet." Mr. Laurent Domengeaux and Mr. Savoie, both residents of Coulee Croche, and living but a mile-and-a half apart, were in Opelousas Tues day evening. "We are having too much rain around home," said Mr. Domengeaux, "and unless there is a cessation the crops will suffer much. We have been having rain two or more days every week." And Mr. Savoie, who, as we have said, lives a mile-and-a-half from Mr. Domengeaux, said: "The drouth in my immediate neighborhood is get ting serious, and unless we have rain in the next few days it will go hard with us. We have had no rain for some time." And both gentlemen were& telling the truth. One was having too much rain, and his near neighbor was verg ing on a disastrous drouth. Lina Comes Back. Wm. Lina, well known here, having run a barber shop for many years when Opelousas was not what she is now, has concluded to cast his lot with New Opelousas. He is just waiting for the Dejean brick building, on Landry street, to be completed, and he will occupy the ; west end as a barber shop. Lina has been in Crowley since his 1 departure from here, where he has j experienced a varied career, finishing up in the political arena, where he happened to get on the wrong side ! after a few brilliant successes. 1 We wish him well in the old town. ORGANIZATION OF NEW BOARD OF ALDERMEN. City Fathers Elect Officers for Term, and Raise Salary of Mayor Halphen from $480 to $1000 A Year. The new city administration was inducted into office Tuesday, when the 1 officers nominated in January and elected in April received their com missions and qualified, and that night elected the elective officers. As completed the roster of officers is as follows: L Mayor, Michel Halphen. r Mayor Pro Tempore, Isaac Roos. Chief of Police and Collector, C. L. T Haas. City Clerk, Chas. F. Bailey. Treasurer, J. J. Perrodin. City Attorney, Payton R. Sandoz. Street Commissioner, D. Durio. City Physician, Dr. I. E. Shute. Superintendent Waterworks and Electric Lights Plant (holds over until September), A. C. Jones. Police force, H. G. Williams, I special police; Geo. Goodloe and Plais Horn, night officers. Janitor, C. Mornhinveg. Judge City Court, Ennis S. Kerr. Constable City Court, I. Rousseau Guidry. The commissions for the new of ficers arrived on Tuesday morning's train, directed to Mayor Halphen, and the Mayor and Aldermen immediately qualified and the Mayor issued a call for a meeting for organization that night at 8 o'clock. The Mayor's office was well filled with interested office seekers and spectators when the hour of 8 arrived. There were many lightning rods di rected councilwise, and the candi dates were there in person to urge their claim and fitness to the various positions, some armed with petitions signed by "citizen taxpayers" of the city. The job which excited the most admiration on the part of applicants was that of constable to the city judge, which pays $800 a year be sides the "extras." Accompanying some of the applica tions were offers to do the work at bargain house rates, but these seemed to strike no responsive chord in the breasts of the city fathers. One diplo matic alderman did pick one of these petitions from the table, after it had been read by the clerk, looked at it with strained interest, rolled his eyes to the ceiling, blinked three times, brought his chin down with feeling into the V formed by his index finger and thumb, and the paroxysm was over and all danger passed. The fact of the matter was that the meeting of the Board that night was a formal affair, as the jig was up before the shades of night had settled upon the city, a caucus having ap portioned the spoils early in the even ing. The caucus was held at the office of Mr. Ike Roos, and there all differences and preferences had been weighed and sorted, and all there was to do that night was to confirm the selections of the caucus. The peti tions were not presented to the cau cus, and their reading to the council was not calculated to change the situation. In fact most of the of ficers had been elected when the clerk thought of the communications and applications, and the council res cinded the elections so that they might be read, and then proceeded to make the same elections just as if nothing had happened. The methods of selecting the officers was perfectly regular and proper, and are in line with usual procedures in matters of this kind. The officers selected are good and capable men, and that is sufficient. Upon assuming his duties Mayor Halphen arose and addressed the spectators and altlermen, saying that he felt that a few words from him upon the occasion would be meet and following a custom. After prefixing his remarks by say ing that under our organic law it be came the duty of the people, at stated periods, to select from among their fellowmen officers to manage public affairs, he said he was not unmindful of the onerous and responsible duties which devolved upon him as the head of the municipality of this city. He expressed his deep sense of apprecia tion of the confidence the people mani fested in him by selecting him to the position, and assured them that he would do everything in his power to merit that confidence. "But," said His Honor, "no man can expect to ac complish much without the hearty and active co-operation of the people, the whole people, and to them I must look for the success or failure of my administration. I will do my best, having at all times the welfare, hap piness and betterment of the munici pality and its people; how well they will do their part in assisting me re mains with them to decide." Mr. Hal phen's remarks were received with ap plause. The clerk then stated the object of I the meeting, and the Board proceeded j to business. Mr. J. J. Healey nominated Mr. Isaac Roos for Mayor Pro Ternm. Un animously elected. Mr. John W. Lewis nominated Mr. Chas. F. Bailey for Clerk and Collector of Waterworks and Electric Light Plant. Unanimously jected. Mr. Lewis nominated Mr. C. L. Hayes at Tax Collector. Unanimously elected. Mr. Roos nominated Mr. D. Durio as StreetCommissioner. Unanimously elected. Mr. Lewis nominated Mr. Peyton R. Sandoz as City Attorney. Unani mously elected. Mr. Dietlein nominated Dr. I. E. Shute as City Physician. Unani- 1 mously elected. Mr. Roos nominated H. G. Wil liams, Plais Horn and Geo. Goodloe 1 as Police Officers. Unanimously I elected. Mr. Lewis nominated Mr. C. Morn hinveg as Market House Janitor. It was here that an application 1 from Mr. Jules Sittig for Janitor was read, which prompted Mr. Lewis to 1 ask if there were no other communi- 1 cations andt applications bearing on I other offices. The clerk replied that i there were, but he (the clerk) had 1 understood that everything had been I settled and it was therefore useless a to read the applications. The Board I called for all applications and com munications on the subject of all of- I Sficers, and a motion by Mr. Healey I that the election of all officers, where there was more than one application, I made that night, be rescinded, was carried. i LCommunications from Messrs. B. H. Harman and Chas. Carson, offering to accept the positions of night police at a salary of $50 per month, were read; and also one from Mr. Willie Prud'homme for a position on the police force at $50 per month. The council then confirmed the ap pointments of Messrs. Williams, Horn and Goodloe on the police force, and elected Mr. C. Mornhinveg as Janitor. Three applications for the position of constable to the city court were presented, viz: I. R. Guidry, C. A. Reynolds and H. A. Dominique. Mr. Guidry, the caucus choice, was unanimously elected. The following standing committees were then selected: Purchasing Committee --J. J. Healey, to act with the hayor and Superintendent of W. W. & E. L. Finance Committee.--Dietlein and Healey, to act with the Mayor. Mr. Roos moved that the salary of the Mayor be fixed at $1000, which was unanimously adopted. Mr. Lewis, in voting for the measure, explained that at a previous meeting he had voted against a similar motion, for the reason that he realized that the city was facing a qrioua financial problem; but that on further consider ation he was forced to admit the total inadequateness of the present salary of the Mayor, and thought tlat he was justly entitled to $1000 pir year. The Board Ben adjourned till the 23d instant, w'en the bonds of the new officials will be received. THE NEW GIRAND JURY. Twesty Names Selected by Jary Commlssisa from Which to Select Inquisitive Body. The Jury Commission of St. Lan dry met at the clerk's office Monday last and pelected the venire of the grand and petit juries. The petit jury will be found in another column. The names of the gentlemen from whose number the Grand Jury will be selected follows: J. B, Childs, Plaquemine Point; Chas. Duplissy, Lake Cove; E. M. Bo agni, Opelousas; C. P. Richard, Ope lousas; Geo. Caillouet, Opelousas; H. D. Courtney, Chicot; Edgar T. Dupre, Plaisance; J. F. Vidrine, Plaisance; H. E. Estorge, Opelousas; Hyp. Meche, Grand Cotean; Cleophas Dou cet, Grand Prairie; E. L. Loeb, Ope lousas; Alex Mair, Opelousas; D. L. Fontenqt, Ville Platte; Robert Lafleur, Eunice; J. A. Budd, Opelousas;Ernest Miller, Eunice; O. E. Guillory, Ville Platte; Sam Thomas, Chicot; A. J. Howell, Lonepine. School Board Change. Prof. Wilfred Boudrean has been appointed member of the School Board from the second ward, vice J. L. Guilbeau, resigned. He received his commission Thursday. Prof. Boudrean is an experienced school man, and will fill the position with distinction. NO PAY FOR JKURORS IN EXPROPRIATION Supreme Court Decites Mooted Point, Revers. Ing Former Decree is Same Matter, REMEDIAL BILL PROPOSEB Jury Fees In Expropriation Cases Have Cost St. Landry Parish Many Thousand Dollars, but Will No More. By the decision of the Supreme Court, rendered Monday last in the case of Opelousas, Gulf & Northeast ern vs. St. Landry Cotton Oil Co., jurors in expropriation suits will henceforth get no compensation for their services. Chief Justice Breaux in the deci sion says "There is no statute relat ing to fees for jurors in expropriation." This decision was obtained through the efforts of the Parish of St. Lan dry, throuhh its attoney, Hon. B. B. Dubuisson, to disburden itself of the heavy expense entailed in trying ex propriation suits. Many .of these suits were tried in the court in this parish, and the costs have aggregated a large sum, which was saddled on the parish. Mr. Dubuisson for the parish endeavored to have the parties cast in the suit pay jurors' fees, which contention was disallowed by the district court. An appeal was taken to the Supreme Court, anld that tribunal maintained the judgment of the lower court. The parish asked for a rehearing, and upon rehearing the Su preme Court reversed itself and de cided that neither the parties cast in the suit nor the parish were to be held for jurors' fees. The court says that there is a dif ference between costs in civil casea and jury fees in expropriation suits, but that the parish is a third party. We understand that Mr. Dubuisson has prepared a bill looking to remedy-. ing this apparent defect in the law which does not allow any fees to jurors serving in expropriations suits. While Mr. Dubuisson properly thought. that this enormous expense should not. be put on the parish, it does not. seem fair that jurors should be forced to give their time for nothing. SALE OF SUCI00L AIlB$ Bayou Jack Section Brlngs $4,910.75 at Pub Ho Sale, by Ouat tate Purchasers. School Section 6 in Township 3, South of Range 5 East, was sold at public auction at the Court House door on Saturday, the 6th inst., as previously advertised in these columns, by A. Laurent Stagg, Parish Treas urer. The land, which is located on Bayou Jack, was put up for sale in four lots of 160.22 acres each, being the regu lar quarter sections of the section. The land was appraised at $6 per acre by M. L. Swords, Elijah Fisher and Henry Lastrapes, Jr., selected by the Clerk of Court and the Treasurer. After rather slow bidding, principally made up of raises of 5c per acre, the following adjudications were made: The N. W. r of Section to Eli E. Winch, of Marshfield, Wisconsin, for $7.85 per acre, making a total of $1,257.73. The S. E. / of Section to same party at $7.75 per acre, making $1,241.71. The N. E. / to W. E. Caldwell Co. of Louisville, Kentucky, at $7 per acre, making $1,121.54. The S. W. / to same company at $8.05 per acre, making $1,289.77. Total realized for the entire section $4,910.75. Both parties paid the full amount of their adjudications in cash, it being optional with the purchasers to pay one-tenth cash and balance in nine annual payments with eight per cent interest, or the entire amount of adjudication in cash. The W. E. Caldwell Co. is a well known lumber concern of Louisville, and was represented at the sale by Mr. J. B. Crawford. Mr. Eli E. Winch, of Marshfield, Wis., is President of the Marshfield Stave Company, and was represented by Dr. H. B. Wren, of Collierville,, Tenn. Visit Brother. A Baton Rouge special to the' Times-Democrat, dated June 9th, says: One of the few rays of sunshine which occasionally beam upon the de voted head of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to-day shed its radiance on Speaker Dupre, who was surprised by a visit from his sis ters, the Misses Belle and Cleveland Dupre. The ladies were warmly wel comed in the junior chamber, and watched the proceedings 4ith inter est during the early afternoon.