The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-08-08
OUR SOUTHERN BUDGET
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SOUTHERN PINES, NC, Aug. l.
The city of Raleigh, with its ancient
park and its wealth of historic interest,
with a population estimated at about
thirteen thousand, is without water
works. Water for all purposes comes
from wells, which pierce the earth to
depth of from thirty to fifty feet. The
coldest and purest water in the whole
city is quafied from the we'll in the State
House park.
The Neuse liver is about five miles
from Raleigh, while the Haw river is
over thirty miles distant, yet it is esti-
mated that it would he cheaper to bring
Haw river 10 Raleigh than it would be
to tap the Neuse. The absence of water
works is very keenly felt, especially in
times Of drouth, when lawns aud vegeta-
ton suffer. An artesian well would not
be very expensive experiment for the
citizens of the Oak City, and it would
meet their needs most etfectually.
on THE PINNACLE,
The janitor of the State House is an
obliging old gentleman, and should be
retained in his position for the rest of
his natural life. | went upon the top of
the capitol building with him the other
day and enjoyed good, square look over
the city limits and goodly portion of
Wake county. The scene is a beautiful
one, not rugged and grand like that of u
mountainous country, but pastoral and
poetic enough to please the fancy of the
most ardent seeker after the quietly
beautiful. Away off in the distance
something that closely resembles noun
tains greets the vision, but it is only a
rise ofupland,w with the cone-shaped pines
forming living crest.
The Governors new palace, now in
process of construction, is pointed out
with pride. 1t is in the midst of ample
grounds, with natural grove of oaks
hemming it in. After descending from
the tower | inspected these grounds more
closely, and with that morbid curiosity
that newspaper men are supposed to pos
sess a certain oak tree was looked over.
The tree has a history.
THE OAK TREES FRUIT.
That oak tree bore Il strange fruit over
twenty years ago. The top is now with
ering and wasting away, the result, i'm
aginative and superstitious people will
believe, of the ghostly fruit that it bore.
The boys in blue were in the city with
Gen. Fitzpatrick, well known as an elo-
quent orator and n dashing and brave
soldier, in command. A Confederate
soldier had been drinking, and while
standing in front Of the capitol, close by
the bronze statue Of Washington, looking
down Wilmington street, he drew a re.
volyer and Hourishing it about fired at a
horseman two blocks away. The horse.
man was Gen. Fitzpatrick. The brave
generals soldiers were indignant, and
their Indignation found vent in hasty
execution of the rash man who had done
so uncalled-ior a deed.
Hon. I. V. Powderly, of Scranton, Pa.
ex-Mayor of that city, and Grand Master
Workman of the knights of Labor,spok,
of this incident in Il letter from thii
place last winter, locating the oak tree
in the capitol park. But / am glad I,
make the correction, and know that al
who have seen tic glory of the parl
will rejoice and feel thankful that il hal
no such sad spot upon the page Of its pas
history.
AN ES-PREsIDENr's BIRTHPLACE.
Few people know that Raleigh wal
the birthplace Of the late Andrew John
son, one of the Presidents of the UniteC
States. The house in which johnson
first saw the light of day was standing
up to last March, when il had 10 Civ,
p way y the march Of progress Onl,