The New York herald., 1875-12-25
NORTH CAROLINA And THE CENTENNIAL
Relics OF George Washington
and Ponce de Leon.
Products, Mineral and Vegetable, Of the Old
North State.
HER PLACE IN THE GREAT FAIR.

The chair occupied by George Washington as Wor-
shpfu Master of the Masonic lodge at Alexandria va
is in the possession Of Unanimity Lodge OF An
cent Free and Accepted Masons at Edcnton, in this
State, whittier 1t was sent during tho var OF 1912 for
safe keeping II Is of massive mahogany eIaboratey
carved and lno specimen Of antique furniture. An
effort will be made to induce its custodans to allow
this memento OF the lustrious 'tman and Mason" to
be placed on exhibition at Philadelphia next year
Mr. H. w. Carpenter, Of Newbern, has shown mo
fragments OF a mahogany chest which found
1884 in dungeon of the old Spanish fort of St Mark
at ST. Augustin Fla, having been placed there in 1912
by the celebrated adventurcr, Ponce do Leon. Those
souvenirs of tho very earliest occupancy by Gaucasians
OF any part OF the territory now dominated by the
Great Republic Will possess peculiar interest to all
roc loving persons. Ono of these ancient spnters
lies before as write
SELECTION PRODUCTS
am informed that the Executive Committee of tho
State Agricultural Society will make effort to COM
ply with the suggestion of Mr. A. T. Goshorn. Dircc-
tor General Of the international Exposition that in
the preparation of State agricultural collections u
would bo WELL in order to the best representa-.
two specimens to select from the variety OF products
offered at the different autumna fairs those most
thy of being forwarded to Philadelphia. Such sclcc
ors will doubtless be made from the list OF onries at
the recent State Fair In Raleigh will show the
try and the world that North Carolina produces
thing moro than the tar pitch aud turpentine" which
generally considered by outsiders as constituting
tho total OF her stapes As the agricultural do
partment of the great Exhibition will
TAIN in addition to the customary
moth vegetables timber, fruits, cereals ami
mails, wild and tame and animal products a
wide range OF contribution is afforded. And hore is
no doubt that tho opportunity thus presented will be
properly improved. 1t IS fact worthy OF remark that
Gfnl NJ nj in
every article enumerated in the statistics is
produced. Her great diversity Of soil and climate
abcs her to yield variety of productions almost end
less embracing not only cotton tobacco rico and Indian
corn but wheat, rye barley, oats ana potatoes, to-
gehcr with all kinds Of fruits, except tho tropical and
grapes OF every Species foremost of which last is the
luscious Scuppcrnong. This regal vine, which well
merits the title rium imperator, had its original homo
ON Roanoke Island, where single specimen, which
saw few years ago, covered whole acre OF ground.
1t grows most uxurantly requires pruning and but
little care bears early and abundanty, is easily propa
gated, and Is subject TO diseases The Concord tho
Hartford prolific and the many other popular grapes
are every way inferior to the Scuppernong The Ga.
awba Lincoln and Isabella are also natives Of this state
and are excellent grapes of fine wine making qualities.
NORTH cARoLIsA's SOIL AND CLIMATE a
North Carolina has OF 81 900, 900 OF
acres; 1t Is 485 miles In length from cast
to west covering greater breadth OF long-
tude-nine degrees-than any OF the original thir
teen States and reaches from the thirty sixth parallel Of
latitude, which s its northern boundary to the thirty
fourth on Its southeastern border This vast expanse
OF So 704 square miles greater than that of New York
and equal 10 that OF England-is snguarly diversified
in character, embracing 1t does the lowands Of the
aluval region toward the sea- the high table lands OF
the interior and the very loes peaks OF tho great APP
paachan range. Its forests contain nearly overy or
namcnta useful tree These fully represented in
the very complete arboricultural collection o Professor
Kerr. AT the late State Fair held here | examined
specimens OF more than 100 different kinds OF native
woods, which will be sent to Philadelphia. Among the
most distinctive, abundant and valuable species found
in North Carolina arc the longleaf yellow and white
pines, several species Of white oak the red black, will
low and live oaks; seven species OF hickory two of
walnut, the chestnut, poplar cypress and juniper Be-
gum two Of the locust, seven OF the magnolia,
berry, sassafras, dogwood persimmon linden, buck
eye, While cedar and others OF various The black
birch or mountain mahogany, the birdseyo maple the
aromatic red cedar and the Wild cherry are all valuable
cabinet woods, to which may be added tho holly
beautiful closograincd white wood taking brilliant
polish II Is evident from this that the for
ess Of North Carolina covering Doary four-Gths of
her territory and possessing numerous and widely
differing species m ust become big bonanzas OF wealth
at distant period Muttudinous varieties Of Ia.
digenous evergrecns and ornamental shrubs were
hibited The Horticulture OF the State also hand
somoy illustrated the display of Towering shrubs and
plants being almost bewldcrlngly diversified. II is In
tended to reproduce these characteristic exhibits at the
Centennial.
The great variety and
ABuNDAEcE or MINERALS
which are found over large portion OF the State will
enable North Carolina TO mako superior exhibit in
the department OF mining and metalurgy. Among the
more useful and important are tho folowing;-Marl,
iron, coal, peat limestone, gold copper, silver lead,
zinc, mica graphite and corundum; also
large variety OF building stones, serpontine
marble chronic iron, barytes oil shales buhr.
slono and roofing states. besides several precious
stones, as tho diamond, garnet, sapphire, ruby,
bcryi and amethyst Mari is found only IN the eastern
region, bN IL very abundant in some twenty-five
countics.%lt has all the qualities OF complete and
permanent fertilizer and rs, for this reason tho most
valuable mineral in the State. Iron abounds
throughout very wide area extending from Weldon
to the Tennessee ne IL found in workable quanti-
of the State and many of the deposits Of remark
able purity Iron has been smeltcd here in orges and
furnaces Tor loo years The coal Is mostly bitumnous
The two principal coal beds are in the middle region
Deep River, the other the Dan. Peat exists
in very large quantities near the seaboard IL IS usod
extensively as fertilizer Gold occurs in workable
quantities in twenty nine OF the middle and western
counties. The first gold mines In the United states
were discovered hero in 1920 and they have Welded
many millions Of dollars The largest known nugget in
the world, prior TO the discovery OF tho California
deposits, was found hero, weighing twcnty-eighs
pounds For more than thirty years silver, lead and
zinc have been mined in this state chiefly in Davidson
county. Copper is found IN some fifteen counties in
the middle and mountain regions. -Four or five or the
considerable number OF copper mines wrought before
the war have been recently rcopened and operated
large scale. Mica is worked mostly
in Mitchell county, many OF the plates being of
traordnary size, reaching four feet in diameter IL s
sold chiefly in Philadelphia for use in stove making
This branch of mining is very profitable. vein OF
graphite few miles from this city, is OF the
extensive known Diamonds OF considerable value
have boon found accidentally in washing gold piece
or sapphire found here sold in London for 81 00O
and ruby crystal Of 3l2 pounds, obtained in this
State, is or was, few years ago, in the cabinet OF
Professor shepard OF Amherst College, Massachusetts,
In fact, larger number OF mineraogca curositcs
found In North Carolina than in any other State OF the
Union. A sample of vegetable Iron ore inch thick,
lies on my table. IL was originally piece of birch.
Tho process by which this wooden swg terrified
turned TO iron is probably akin TO potracton
THE POPULAR INTEREST
In tho Centennial has become general and decided
This Is In great due TO tho industrious dis
trbution throughout the State OF explanatory
pamphlets and circulars by Hon. J. l. Campbell Secrc.
tary Of the United states Centennial Commission,
and Professor Joseph Henry, Of the Smithsonian
n WASHINGTON. has boan
also rendered by tho press OF the State
especially the State Agricultural Joa1nai and the
Raleigh Neio in stimulating the interest in the ap.
preaching Exposition and In encouraging participation
by North Carolina exhibitors In all parts OF tho State
find the people making plans visit Philadelphia at
time other during the six months OF the great
industrial festival The obstacles OF poverty, very
serious TO many In the prevalent scarcity Of currency
and dearth OF business here, will somehow bo sur
mounted. Idtcr tgntttds Is deyisng ways and means
and scduous savings In the affairs Of thc household are
inaugurated. The moneyless are diligently casting