The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1885-11-06
VOL. XIV.
An Old and DiIapidated Looking Town
Putting on New Fail Dress.

Everybody who has travelled on the
Wilmington and Weldon railroad IS famil
lar with little borough half way between
Wilson and Weldon, which the porter calls
Bat lburer." The town is small, it is
dingy looking, it is old. No man would
stop unless he had business or knew the
people. The store buildings are old and
cheaply built.
The people none better anywhere
until the tobacco fever struck them last
year seemed content to live on as their
fathers had lived, without improvement
or progress They all made cotton and
plenty Of it. The farmers were known
far and wide as cotton producers and by
hard work and good management We're
successful. Two years ago this writer,
who knows the place and people well,
thought the town as dead as Hector.
Two years ago few of the farmers con
ceived the idea of trying to raise tobacco.
a few acres were planted with graft ying
results Last Fall I. p Braswell and Son
built small warehouse, distributed to-
bacco seed to the farmers in the neighbor-
hood and last season sold in the warehouse.
with only three sales, fifteen thousand
dollars worth Of the weed. They have just
completed a large and handsome ware
house, the dimensions of which are 40X125
The first sale III the new warehouse took
place Tuesday. \ good crowd was pres
ent; there We're plenty of buyers; a large
lot Of tobacco was on the floor and good
prices We're paid. Those who know how
many acres have been planted in tobacco
say that the sales at BattlebOro this year
will amount to $4,000.
Heretofore 3, 900 bales of cotton, and
$50, 900 worth OF goods have been annu-
ally handled and sold in the place. The
cotton will fall off this season, but the
sales will be increased
The following are the other improve
ments in the pushing burg: Whitehead 4
Marriott have built prize house -dimen-
sions 30x6O. When we saw it Saturday
it was full of fine tobacco.
The Missionary Baptist church, which,
when completed, will seat 300, is in process
of erection 1t will be a nice building,
dimensions 36x6O. Jno. d. Odom has
built a large livery stables This writer
rode from Tarboro to Battleboro behind
one of his fine horses, and IS gratified that
such fine horses are to be kept in such fine
stables as his new ones are.
Mr. A. J. Hearne is building factory in
which he will manufacture the Manure
Distributor, an invention for which he has
recently obtained a patent. This dlStrlbu-
tor is pronounced by farmers a good thing,
and Mr.. Hearne already has orders for
quite a number to be used before the next
planting. The new rail- DAD warehouse,
not yet completed, will be an ornament to
the place.
There is needed in Battleboro-andb badly
too-a paint factory The houses nearly
all of them-look dingv and old, and many
of them are down right dilapidated look
ing.
The town gets its name from the well
known family of Battles, which has pro
duced SO many men eminent in North
Carolina history. Several families of the
name live within eight miles Of the place
but none of the name now live in Battle
bOrO
Battleboro is on the threshold of pros
perity such as it has not heretofore seen
The people are wise in opening new streets
selling lots cheap, offering inducements
| for people to move there. That's the way
| to build up town, and the example ol
| Battleboro- small as it s-might we'll be
| followed by many larger and more preten
| tious towns.
Mr.. Andrew Hobgood will not go hunt
ing again soon. On Tuesday he was hunt
ing on one side of branch and Mr.. Jas
W. Mason on the other, when Mr.. Masor
| fired at bird, one of the shot striking IL
Mr.. Hobgood's eye. The ball dd not pas
through the eye and he will not lose thu
use of it permanently.