Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-08-15
LOCAL..



Considerable damage to the crops was
sustained in Richmond and Arson
counties. At the head of the road and
near Lilesvi!le the rain fell like unto
young delnge, washing lands, NOV
ing fences aud so covering up and I'M
dermining parts of the newly laid track
between Li!esvi'le and the Stanback
crossing that considerable repairs
were necessary before the train could
pass there yesterday morning.
Above the head of the road it is
thought that mu n injury has been
sustained by the newly graded parts
OF the contract. The dirt was washed
down i'll hugh piles, and even such
levy articles as ..wheelbarrows were
carried, in some instances, a distance
of fully $50 yards from the works.
The prospects for an unusually fine
crop of cotton in the Lilesville section
were recently very bright, but there
has been too much rain of late for
the good of the crops.
The March of Improvements.
A letter received Monday from q
friend at Rockingham says:
The vote in this county was light,
and have not seen the exact figures.
The majority for the amendments will
not be less than one thousand. Indeed
the vote was yearly unanimous.
This village is improving steadily
and will, doubtless, become noted for
its manufacturing industry. The
Great Falls Cotton Mill is in successful
operation. Besides this, Robert L.
Steele and some associates contemplate
the erection of a mill on Hitchcock's
creek, about mile from town. In
deed, operations have commenced.
Then, just above, on the same,
never-failing stream, there are several
excellent sites. Below, and nearer
tswn, Walter F. Leak is making some
improvements, the exact purpose of
which I do not know. Some soy he
means to put up paper mill, others a
flour mill, and others, still, q cotton
factory Sufficient progress has not
been made to settle the question.
There was no party excitement in
the election here, at all. We have no
carpet baggers, and hence the glorious
result.
a Graceful and well Mcrited
Tribute.
In the beautiful address delivered in
March last, by Dr. s. s. Satch well, of
this county, before the Alumni Asso-
citation of New York, we find the fol-
lowing touching tribute to that good
man and noble martyr to humanity,
DIR. James III. Dickson, for SO many
years at the head of his profession in
this city. DR.. Satchwell says:
I'm this connection you will pardon
an expression of State pride, and even
of States rights, in the remark, that
the first operation for club foot ever
performed on the American continent
was by an eminent and lamented sur
geon of my own State, DIR. James III.
Dickson. He operated at Fayetteville,
North Carolina, in the month of
January, 1885, upon a limb greatly
distorted and much shortened, and the
operation was entirely successful. The
leading physician of that State before
and at his death, he was one of the
ablest and most distinguished medical
men in the whole country, and none of
record for purity of life, Christian
graces, and high-souled devotion to
duty and his profession, than has this
modest gentleman, and accomplished,
successful physician. He fell nobly,
with his harness on, a victim of yellow
fever, in the heroic discharge of his
duty, during the prevalence of that
scOurging epidemic, which, i'll the
year 1862, SO greatly depopulated the
now furnishing city of Wilmington. IN
that good old State
A Mysterious Affair.
Last night, about 8 o'clock, the NIL
tilated body of lad, some II or 13
years old, the son of MIR. Robert Car
ter, the well known engineer on the
~ e. d Iav,
the trestle work of the w. & ". r. r.
bridge over Smith Creek, about one
mile from the city. The body was per-
fectly nude when found, with one arm
missing and the neck and portions of
the body appearing to have beer bit
ten by fish. There is no trace of his
clothes, and no one knows anything of
the circumstances attending his death.
He was alive and well yesterday morn
ing and a painful mystery surrounds
the whole affair. 1t is possible that
he may have been in bathing alone Mt
that point and have been acciden tally
drowned, but in that case it is hardly
probable that the body would have
been found SO soon after death. Some
fear that he was foully dealt with, while
others again suggest that he may have
been caught on the trestle work by a
passing engine, his arm cut off and his
body thrown in the creek. The mat
ter will have full to-day,
when an inquest will be held by Coro-
ner Hewlett. -Daily Journal, 1871.
The smith Creek Horror.
There is no calculation, as vet, of
the mysterious circumstances attend
ing the death of the young lad, Willie
Carter, whose BODY was found under
the trestle of the Wilmington & We'll
don Railroad over Smith Creek on
Tuesday night. When first discov-
cred he was lying on a mud sill be-
meath the bridge, only partly in the
water. Coroner Hewlett yesterday
called ON DIR. w. w. Lane, who made
apost mortem examination of the body.
A jury was empanneled by the Coroner
but there was q great difficulty in OBJ
tanning testimony in the case and the
verdict has not therefore yet been rem
dered. The jury meet again this
morning, at 10 o'clock, for further
consideration of the matter.
DIR. Lane is Of the opinion that the
lad was foully dealt with. He does
not think that the injuries sustained
could possibly have been of such a
character if he had been run over by a
tram OF cars, ana 1t is equally cledr
that they were not inflicted by animals
or fishes. The left arm was taken off
near the shoulder and the flesh on the
left side and b1 east is very MUCH lace
rated. The head and face are badly
bruised, the Injuries having apparent
" been inflicted with a heavy club.
In another portion of the body some
Of the parts are missing and here it
would appear that a sharp knife or q
razor had made cash of about an inch
in length on one of the thighs as
though the knife had slipped while
being used.
Altogether there is a painful mys-
terry surrounding the whole affair:
There is but little, if any, doubt that
the young man has been murdered and
the authorities will use every exertior
to ferret out the authors of the hid
3nuc