Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-12-09


nsIes II wsdt6sa At ore poixt, with MY thousand
SQUARE miles Of territory, and population of not
more than twenty to the square mile, great and
prosperous future is before her. If she will only prove
true to herself Her soil yields in perfection cotton,
corp, wheat buckwheat. barley oats. rye, tobacco,
rice potatoes, peanuts, peas, beans. indgo-a plant
native to the Caronas, and which, if the war in
India should be greatly prolonged might be cusivet-
ed here with profit: rhubarb, sugar cane fax, hemr,
all the grasses grapes, with many other useful fruits,
and many of the vegetables known elsewhere in the
world. Her eastern forests abound in naval stores
and timber of all kinds; and her western mountains
with basam fir chestnuts the maple tree, affording
sugar, timber Of all varieties, and gingseng, the
Chinese plant Of immortality, worth its weight in
silver. 3 She has mineral treasures of iron, OF the
" black band" iron ore, the only mine of the kind
on this continent Of COAL granite, marble OF all
kinds and colors sandstone both firm and flexible,
gold silver bar lead and black lead slate, soapstone
limestone, burrsone copper, mari, gypsum plaster,
sulphur, salt and precious stones. Wool can be
grown with profit in nearly every County, while in
some Of the western Counties sheep wake may be
found equal to any in the world. For moro than
two hundred miles her Southern border, reaching
from Bladen to Henderson, the grape may be cult
waited to projection, producing wines superior to
those of Longworth at Cincinnati, and which might
be made to rival those of France and Germany;
while on the seacoast the native Scuppernong grows
spontaneously, the little County of Washington hav-
ing contributed in 1849 six thousand of the eleven
thousand gallons of wine returned in the census
having been produced within our limits. Our water
power is inexhaustiblc, from the beginning OF the
rolling country to the Tennessee line; and in the
East, where vast quantities of swamp lands are yet
unreclamed, and which might be most profitably
added to the area Of cultivation, steam could be en-
Iloyed for manufacturing purposes steam, which
is the great agent in the hands of man for compre-
hending and mastering the physical, and rendering
it useful steam which has enabled continent to
speak to continent as State heretofore spoke to State
which has explored the SHOWS of Russia, the burn
ing sands of India and Of Egypt-which roars on
every ocean, and along our vast rivers from the falls
of St. Anthony to the mouth of the great Gulf,
worthy to be the outlet Of half the world, bearing
the wealth of the frozen regions to the tropics,
and the rich and rare productions of the tropics to
all lands; steam, which Transports hammers and
planes, lifts, bores. propes, saws, grinds, and de-
velops mineral wealth steam, which pioneers the
lightning, flashing and thinking for us along theu-
and wires, condensng weeks into seconds Of intelli
gence and enterprise such and so mighty is the
agent bestowed upon in these latter times to sub
due the physical to tighten labor, to accelerate and
brighten thought and to improve. refine, exalt and
magnify the condition of mankind.
Our State too, has seacoast, which, though some.
what stormy and difficult, is yet equal to all her
wants. if she will only crowd to it. and trade upon its
outlets. Wilmington, near the sea, is strictly
NorthCarolina town, and of the most intelligent
sea- is looking up and looking forward to the high
destiny which lies before her. Hundreds Of miles Of
railroad already stretch away from these towns to-
wards the West, and other lines OF railway will be
completed at an early period, thus uniting the Mis-
sssppi valley with our own ports, and affording the
most direct route for the China and Eastern trade
which has enriched all nations that have been its
carriers or recipients.
Yet, with all these resources and advantages, 9TH
er States export to foreign markets nearly all our
surplus products, and thus reap the benefit of hand
ling them and of exchange, which is gold and silver
South Carolina is credited in the federal commercial
returns with $12 Cos. S9l of exports, Virginia with
$4,346, $780, and North-Carolina with $433, 1881
This is the showing We make before the world in
our foreign exports and yet State bonds stood
higher during the late commercial crisis than those
Of any other Southern State, and higher than those
Of Virginia by ten to fifteen cents, in the dollar
the best tribute that could be offered to our integrity
and honesty people. have prepared with some
care from the census of 1850, statement of the
staples and other articles produced in this State in
Virginia, and South Carolina during the year ls49,
and also of the livestock in each of these States at
that time; from which it appears that the value Of
the staples, livestock and other products of Vir-
gna S99, 2ls, COL 81 that Of North Carolina,
Sci, s42 ll2 70; and that of South Carolina $5s 740
6S2 ~. The wheat, corn, tobacco, rice and cotton
of Virginia were worth $685. 81. 096 of SouthC Caro-
lima, 500 O69, S42; and Of h.Carona, $23 $685.
not included; and in this respect we know We have
greatly the advantage Of our sister States. The cot
ton crop Of South-Caroina alone is worth $12 OOO-
900. afording further proof of the Importance Of
suitableness Of climate and Of shave labor to the
production of this staple Virginia has 10 $50 1876
and North Carolina has 5.453, 975; yet, though Vir-
ginia has twice the land in cultivation that North
Carolina has, and ,622 more inhabitants, she
lacks $s,OOO,OOO of doubling her in these staples,
while our cotton crop is worth s., SOC, 600 more
than hers. She excels mainly in wheat, her crop
being worth $ll ,OO0, 900 and ours So, 100000 Our
corn crop is worth 100000 more than that Of
South Carolina, but her rice crop exceeds ours by
$4,000, 600.
We may safely assume-for we have no means Of
ascertainng the exact quantity-tbat three fourths
of surplus productions exported through the
States of Virginia and South Carolina, either coast
wise or to foreign countries, by which are con-
slant losers, not only in profits to shp-owners and
commission merchants, but in exchange, which is so
valuable especially at time like this :
The population of Dupln. gentlemen, according
to the census Of $780, was g. whites 6O07 slaves
and s45 free negroes-in all 1854 The number
of dwellings in the County was 14l9, and of families
1919 In some Of the old countries there are five
six families to dwelling, but here every family. bas
house, aid home it can call its own. The mum.
Der Of improved acres of land-tha u.s. in actual cul
tivation-is set down at go, 01S and of unimproved
land at 334, $50 acres. Much of this unimproved
land might be recla med by ditching and draining
and marling, thus adding to your productions and to
the health of the Observation-Disclosures I have plea.
sure in saying l have nowhere seen healthier or
heartier people than those now before me- Corn
which the census shows to be your leading crop,
fourishes nowhere better than in our rich swamp
and pocoslh lands. The cash value of your farms
is put down at 81 407 443; value of farming nipple.
ments and machinery at $5s, 4s3. The number OIL
horses given in the census at 1945 worth
of mules 277, worth $22, 100. Edgecombe greatly
exceeds Duplin in this useful animal. having 1929
worth $50 100; but Duplin had 1924 mich cows
two thousand more than EdgecQmhc and worth x67