The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1884-07-19
WHAT SOLDIERS
LIEUT.. .RATCHELOR SAYS MOORE
COUNTY MEN WOULD MAKE!
Encouraging sight. Along the Road
from Gree N sboro To fayrtg~ytllr...
Crop. not Politics.
.Secaa. I sosveorasstese~ ~ ss< CArpase

S-ecaas ssyTsusssssenew ~ fs~ CAreasefs.
On THE CAFE FEAR AND YApkIS VALLEY
ROAD. July i6.-Thc Cape Fear and Yad.
kin Valley Railroad conceived in isas,
begun III 1854, resumed in 1879 and com
pleted, We hope, in 1885, viii run from
the northwestern TO the southeastern cor
ner Of the State and cross three great
railway systems. II Will run through
every range of climate, for Wilmington
has the warmth of Taxas withou; its ter
rible ''Northers" and the Grandfather pla-
teau, the bracing air of Canada without
its extremes of cold and heat. The pro
ductions along the line aro various. -
Timber of all kinds in inconcciyable guam
titles, cotton, wheat, oats, rye, corn, rice.
fruits OF all sorts, building stones, mill
stone grit, marls, phosphate rock, ores Of
many metals and III many forms. The
work on the road has been thoroughly
one-strikingly SO. Nothing is left nj
loose ends. The bridges are substantial.
The grades and curves are easy The
track Is laid with new, 5o-pound steel
rails. Everything about the construction
is good. Verify the men who built this
road knew what they were doing
All along the road where no villages
were before, settlements are springing up
and older villages are improving. CROPS
unOccupied land TO tempt immigrants If ii
can be bought at moderate price Why
is it that our people do 50 little TO cncour-
age immigration Would il not be we'll
to adopt "A little of the Kansas plan
Kansas Is one of the poorest places on the
continent but the settler who goes there
has year 20 make a crop before he has
to make the first payment for his land,
and his first payment is small. That is
the reason why immigrants by thousands
go West and pay from 81 To $50 an acre
for poor land. They have some sort of
chance. There is no reason why we could
not do the same. The increase in popu-
latlon and in value of taxable property
would add to the real wealth of every cit
iZen of the State, and at the same time
we would lose no money by selling on this
basis. The land, cleared and cultivated,
would secure the debt and the amonnt
due, drawing per cent interest, would
be worth far more than land lying idle.
Along the line Of the Cape Fear and Yad-
kin Valley lie many acres, the very home
Of the grape, which would attract French
immigrants if they were only able to
come here and establish themselves. This
section should grow millions of gallons of
wine and thousands of boxes of grapes
fer the table. Lying within twenty four
hours of New York, it could ship fruits
Of every kind to northern markets and
bring money and prosperity into the state.
Col. Green at TOkay has shown that wine
can be made here and made at a large
profit.
But | am preaching too much, and /
meant only to tell you what | saw on the
route One very interesting thing ] miss
ed seeing-Dr. Benbow's farm and dairy
IL L A. r..
cows, three of them thoroughbred Jer-
seys, and has just received from Connec-
ticut Jersey heifer which cost him $3.50.
No wonder he keeps a good hotcl-he
seems to be satisfied only with the best of
everything
Leaving Greensboro, the Cape Fear and
Yadkin Valley follows for a long distance
the old wagon road which led from south
western Virginia to tide water at Fayette-
vile. at every station houses were spring
ing up, and the people were building in
such hurry that they had no time TO
paint This company has had the fore
sight to acquire such landed interest along
the route that settlers shall not be left to
the mercy of land -grabbers and specula-
tors.
At Staley's saw a real old fashioned
North Carolinian. His jeans breeches
(held up with one suspender) tapped
around a pair of legs that would have fur
nished excellent ramrods for the long
squirrel rifle over his shoulder. He wore
a hat of no color whatever, with the brim
turned down all around to shed the rain.
He was gaunt and sallow, and lean and
dry-and his half hound dog at his heels
was as much like him as dog can be like
man. Altogether it was a curious sight.
Did l laugh at him Not much. His
old leather bag was full of squirrels and
did not see any blood except on their
heads. Any man who could kill squirrels
with such a gun has my respect; at least
his shooting has. Instead of laughing /
thought how | would like to have a regi-
ment of just such men. They would
charge in the very jaws Of death when
their blood was up.
There is considerable interest in these
parts in the State Exposition, and in THE
CHRONICLE, but you never in your life saw
people who cared so little for politics.
They are thinking about business and
worry more over the weather than they
do over the nominations. b.