The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1883-11-24
WILMINGTON.
NORTH CAROLINA'S PRINCIPAL
PORT OF ENTRY.
Her Onward Tendency..Her Croakers
her Greatest CuFse..The Foreign shin.
ping Trade and Important Mannfac-

Special Correspondence Of the Chronicle
WILMINGTON. Nov. 2i.-From eyerv
geographical textbook used in North Car
olina. the pupil learns that Wilmington il
the largest city in the State Notwiih-
standing this pre-eminence given 10 Ii, it
is a place which is almost n terra ilscognita
To the majority OF the people in North Car
olina. The cause assigned for this seem
ingly inexcusable ignorance, is that the
place doesn't advertise itself enough
Winston, Durham. Goldsboro. Greensbo-
70, Charlotte and Ashevilie have men
among their population who possess suiii-
cient public spirit and push to attract or To
command the attention OF the State at
large Wilmington apparently. To n Ger
tain extent, lacks this. To add weight TO
this hpTslen she has tha, Inn W rsSlMq.i We
toh VII. step quickly to the front and-tase
the place that every true-hearted North
Carolinian so earnestly longs for her To
take. As the years advance, the rank OF
the aged and discouraging fault finders are
rapidly being thinned out, and in conse-
quence their influence is being felt less than
formerly.
But there is an undoubted feeling in
this city no longer to occupy back seat
in the States estimation but to be UP and
A year has witnessed considerable change
in WilmingtOn's condition, and to-day
there may be detected something border
ing on the outskirts of an actual 'boom,"
strange and unfamiliar as such word or
thing is to the honorable old city.
Hon. T.. ID. Hall, the present Mayor, in
highly enjoyable interview, assured me
that Wilmington is just now entering upon
a period OF prosperity unequaled by
any other Southern city. Said he, The
place now contains 4,3OO houses and
population Of over 2O,OOO." The sanitary
condition OF the city was never better, and
will compare very favOrably with any
other city in the country. There was not
a single interment in Oakdale Cemetery
during three months of this year. Situa-
ated within eight miles Of WriShtsvile
Beach, wherefrom is one of the finest turn
pixies in the South, and Smithville, Oaks
Island and Bald Head Beaches 80 miles
distant by the river, it is yearly becoming
OF greater Importance as summer resort.
One thing is sadly needed here, and that
is hotel building commensurate with
the size of the place.
l notice good deal of building going
on, among which is a large carriage man
ufactory. The authorities are commenc-
ing some very important city improve
ments. for instance the laying Of the
streets with Belgium pavement. The wa
ter works are now in excellent working
order, and the mains and pipes are al
IuOoC udIIy CACcIucu Ills has ITcQuc ICly
been OF great value to the community for
sanitary purposes and its convenience in
extinguishing fire. .t..
Wilmington is the largest port of entry
in North Carolina, and of course does the
largest foreign and coastwise trade. Wa
ter over tire bar SmiCfIvific hats fytcri iti-
creased from twelve to seventeen feet, be-
ing deep enough for the largest ships.
The harbor is claimed to surpass those OF
no ri Co1
New Orleans is the only port South of us
that is better. The Government has spent
one and half million dollars in improv-
ing the navigation of the Cape Fear River
and there is but little now to be done to
give the water the depth it had before the
new inlet was formed by the storm of 17G9
During the past sixty days three large
steamships have cleared from this port for
Liverpool, with an aggregate cargo OF 13,
2o5 bales OF cotton valued at over half a
million dollars. The foreign trade of Will
mington is increasing rapidly, and the cot
ton congresses, three in number, are kept
busy preparing for shipment cargoes of
cotton for numerous sailing vessels and
steamships. Twenty-seven vessels have
been known to be at the Wilmington Com
press Company's wharfs at one time. ten
Of which were to 60 to Great Britain and
seventeen to the Continent Of Europe
The cOastwise trade in lumber, cotton, ma
val stores and sundries is assuming i'm
mense proportions and the vessels all leave
port weighed down deep into the water
with heavy cargOes.
largest naval stores market in the world
although Savannah last year disputed this
claim and had to be convinced by stern
figures that it was wrong. Upon investi
CATION it was found that the excess in IA
vOr OF Wilmington in stocks i'm hand, re
ceipts and in exports over those Of Savan.
nah summed up tremendous amount.
Wilmington ought to be a great manu-.
featuring place, and a tendency in that di-
rection seems to be making. The cotton fac.
tory here is running on full time, and is
one OF the very few print factories in the
| South. The Navassa Guano COMPANY
and the Acme Manufacturing Company
are large concerns. The Wilmington
Iron and Copper Works, the Cape Fear
| Tobacco Works, the Champion City Cigar
Factory, the Cape Fear Flour and Pear
Hominy Mills, the Carolina Rice Mills
are large industrial establishments, worthy
a visit from every North Carolinian who
comes to Wilmington. There are numer
Gus other smaller manufacturing concerns
besides seven large saw mills. which dc
an immense business with the ports Of the
West Indies and South America. The to
| bacco factory is doing a good business
larly adapted to the curing Of tobacco
and it became evident long since tina
this soil will produce the finest quality O
leaf. The fisheries are source of mucl
wealth to Wilmington, and are becomin.
more valuable and numerous every season
Messrs. w. E. Davis & Son deserve consid
cradle credit for their enterprise in givina
an impetus to this profitable industry
Wilmington's communication with tn
cotton and naval stores belt cannot we'll b.
bettered, but it will be even m ore importan
when the Cape Fear and Yadkin Vale,
Road will place Wilmington in more di
rect connection with the great West. Col
Hall told me that the people of Whining
ton would subscribe 100000 to build tn
road from Fayetteville to this city. /
railroad tapping the rich Onslow section
greatly needed, and Col. Bridgers, Pres
dent of the Wilmington and Weldon Rail
road, and Col. Hall, are going soon on
tour of inspection, looking to the buildin
of the much-talked-of road from Whining
ton to Sneed's Ferry, in Onslow county.