The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-07-14
For the Farmer and Mechanic.
N otes of Travel From Raleigh
to Topeka.

M. Editor:-I left Raleigh, or tn,
18th of May, bound for the Na'iona
Convention, |. .. CT. T., q Topeka
Kansas.
Born and reared 4 farmer. the mos,
honorable Of professions or av0cations
naturally was mainly interested in the
crops and all that relates to agriculture.
IN route. Bet wcen Raleigh AMI Well
don the crops were fairly good. though
considerably behind many in Johnston
and the lower part Of Wake. From
weldon to Norfolk the fields we're still
more backward, and this was especially
noticeable as regards the famous truck
farm through which We pass in ap-
preaching Norfolk | must confe,. that
II Was q little painful to NE. to- that
portion of Virginia which lies .So,,tL
81 Norfolk and East Of ). & X. rosd.
naturally belongs TO North Carolina.
and contrasting the present crops with
what they were when | saw them a few
years since In the same month. though
ten days earlier, instead Of LeepinO
pace with the rapid progress in this
line OF farming in other sections less
favored perhaps there seems to be q
backward tendency, which Sugp est. q
want OF skill AMI energy or the u~nfavor-
abieness OF the present season. While
this IS true of tide water Virginia
Eastern Carolina and especially that
section around the old historic elm
City" IS fairly booming and perhaps
am guilty of harboring aspirit similar
To that which animated sDqrs0u'
Pendleton al the battle of Martinsburg,
where 1t is said the ''parsou" who had
been and is now noted preacher, acted
quite bravely. Looking the enemy
IN the face, he was heard repeat
edly to utter the following prayer.
Lord save their souls. Now, Boys,
give 'em heli.' The story has no doubt
gotten a little twisted in time: but will
illustrate the point. do not desire
to see Virginia fall behind: but | do
rejoice to see old Rip go ahead. and
must ''hurrah for North Carolina"
At Norfolk | take passage ON that
beautiful steamer ''Carolina," and
make the run to Baltimore in twelve
hours. Before leaving the steamer |
find a jelly ''tar heel' in the person of
"A Mr.. Lowry, a merchant from Pasquo
tank, going as far west as San Francisco.
lie insist on my stopping over in Bal
tlmore until the evening, as he has to
buy some goods spent the day walk
ing and riding over the city visiting
the parks, public buildings &c.
For the SUN Of six cents one can ride
as long as he chooses on any of the
street ears that run in every direction
through the city, the length Of time for
which your ticket Is good being deter
mined by the amount of headache
required to satisfy the holder. | took
about -four hours wort in mine as |
was anxious TO see and learn as much Of
the city as possible, but | really feel
that | know less of it now than before |
ever saw it. Then | thought | had a
tolerabiy fair conception of it. but now
the thing Is Il little mixe1 and CON
fused. Fen now this little city by
the seaside is one of which my Mary
land anu the whole South may b.
Justly roud, and which is destined to
become Il giant, and take lis place be
side New York, and others of our lar
ger cities. The parks. of which there
are several, are extremely beautiful, and
If they could speak what secrets they
might unfold. The city hall Is a mag
niticcnt structure of which any city
might be proud. This is used for offices
for the city officials. and also contains
two large and handsomely finished
court rooms which are used by the city
council for holding their court. &c.
This body is divided into two branches
Just as our State Legislature. The city
appropriated two hundred and seventy
Thousand dollars for the building, and
strange as 1t may seem, the contractor,
after the building was completed, ne
tuoLy returned thirty thousand of the
amount. | turn him over to Joe Fur
ner to put in the other end of the scale,
against Railroad rings, &c.
10 be continual