The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-02-21

Ia apt r. A. Shotwell can fiji a
| column on a single postal card. lie a..
| perhaps the closest writer IN the state.
| but n no less brilliant one. neverthe-
less, as his columns in the FARMER AND
MECHANIC Will tell. = Concord Sue
Thanks. friend Harris: We plead
guilty to the fine writing. though that
is quite an )ther thing from writing
finely. Perhaps one of these days.
should YOU find yourself passing a cou-
pie of years in a Northern Bastile
(Which kind Fortune forbidn YOU may
learn that long letter TO your sweet
heart can be penned on the square inch
ef envelope to be hidden by the post
age stamp, thereby saving the insolent
guards the trouble of reading.
A bloody affray occurred near
Affords mill, in Middle Creek town
ship, on Wee nesday evening, the 18th
inst. Rufus DWELL and Troy Langston
were at the mill. When the latter
started home Powell called after him
to stop at the path turning from the
road to his home Langston did 50.
and Powell or coming up struck him
with his whip. .'Get off your wagon
and let Us figi,t it out like men, said
Langston, disr ounting from his horse.
Both agreed to leave their knives at a
stump, and L. gston did so-his knife
being found II .xt dav on the stump.
But Powell II rely pretended to de
posit his. and finding he was getting
whipped, cut Langston slightly across
tae collar, and the back-then stabbed
him dangerously. He is now under
care of DR.. Banks. Powell was ar
rested and examined by Magistrates
Jones, Adams and Stephenson by
whom he was bound IN 500 to next
term Criminal Court
1t is merely a suggestion, but per
haps there may be ten men WHO feel
as much interest ia the subject as we
do. North Carolina has several hun
dred gentlemen Of wealth and leisure,
who could very well afford a trip to
Paris, If they cared 10 go. Suppose
ten of them were to consent to report
to the Governor and the Board of I'M
migration, offering to attend the great
Worlds Exposition, as Volunteer re-
presentatives of the State of North
Carolina, duly commissioned to invite
the millions who Will there congregate
to come and find homes in our midst
The expense would be little greater
than an ordinary trip to see the Exhi-
bicion while the influence of such
men as Col. II. b. Short. Col. Wharton
Green, Col. VIM. Johnston, and a
dozen others we could name, backed
by the declarations Of our Governor,
Commissioners of immigration, and
members in Congress, might turn
Southward part Of that tide which is
building up vast empirs west Of the
Mississippi.
Our regular weekly circulation
now lacks only about dozen copies OF
1000. We hope some friend will send
in club to make up that figure, 50
that we NAV count, as heretofore, an
average increase of 100 ne1c subscribers
per lreek for the sicteen ceekS the paper
has been IN eristeHce. We do not men
ton this in a boastful spirit, but mere
IL to show to advertisers where they
can reach the best classes Of our peo-
pie. We have no desire TO out-strip,
out-shine. or in any way interfere with
any other paper. OF all editorial weak
nesses there is none we desire to steer
more free from than that petty jealousy
which too often makes the journalistic
Ishmaelite espy rival III every other
paper and narrowly watch It. seeking
for cause of offence and warfare. 50
far from this we are always glad to
hear of the establishment OF new
paper. In our staid old State, where
the dissemination Of knowledge is the
great and terrible want of the hour,
every journal Is > public benefactor.
Even though it may have but co''2le
of hundred subscribers il Viii have
treble that number Of readers and,
even if the editor We're blind, and an
idiot. and filled his columns with ran
dom clippings, he could not oroid
printing much-nay, very great
deal-that is new, and useful and cal
culated to educate the masses. Be |
sides there are hundreds of persons IN |
every county who will not take paper