Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-06
NORTH CAROLINA.
AN UNFORTUNATE DECISION.

The special County rax md the Public
schools Attempted Suic ide- Negro Exodus-
Notes.
Special telegram TO the Dispatch.l
RELsIGH, N. c.. January 5.-As
has heretofore been stated, the decision
of the Supreme Court in the Sampson
county school-tax case is most unfor-
tunste one. Some twenty-five or tweu-
ty-three counties have levied special
taxes for the maintenance of the public
schools to supplement the regular tax.
Many Of these counties are west
Of Raleigh. In some of them the
tax thus levied has been collected
for years. 1t will be stopped in
any county now should even one tax
payer. caring less for public schools
and their benefits than for a few dol
lars, apply for an injunction, as was
done in Sampson county. The result is
sure to be the Gripping Of the public
schools until the Legislature meet'.
Among the mass Of people in the State
there is unquestionably on ardent desire
for the passage of the Blair bill and the
extension Of national aid to public
schools. The white people in the negro
counties are very DESTROYS to see the
bill pass. They say they have borne
the burden of maintaining the public
schools for the colored race ever since
the war.
Capitalists of Massachusetts, have en-
tered into obligations with the land
owners on White Oak river TO clear the
river Of all distractions. The owners
of the lands have granted the privilege
Of cutting all marketable timber near
the river for ten years, provided they
remove and clear the distractions. 1t
appears that the attention of many
people of means in the North is being
directed 10 Eastern North Carolina.
That section has in later years been
greatly neglected.
A young white man named Charles
Salisbury went to Durham from Colds
boro' and, while under the influence OF
liquor. attempted suicide. \ coloret
barber discovered the act and reported
it to a policeman. The most energetic
remedies were applied and his life saved.
Salisbury assigned no reason for the act.
Last night at late hour the cotton
gin mandatory Of Tonnsfski 4 Honey
cult, in this city, was burned. Loss,
! $1,000: no insurance.
The report on the State Library is
that it now contains AZ, 900 volumes,
having nearly doubled since 1870. The
library now in use is small, but next
autumn the new one will be occupied.
This will be spacious enough for 60, 900
volumes, and will be very handsomely
arranged.
The rush Of negroes from the cOuntie3
or the line Of the Carolina Central rail
way to Kansas continues. The large
camp Of these emigrants near Charlotte
continues TO be crowded with them.
1t is reported that life in the open air,
| insufficient food almost starvation III
fact-and exposure to the weather arc
PLAYING havoc with eNoduSterS. on an
average two hundred OF them are m
camp every day or two. Some leave
for the West. but new ones take their
places at once. The camp is in an old
field. This has been trodden until 1t is
barren and the loose rails in the sur
rounding country have been gathered and
| burned. Coal.cars have been raided
for the same purpose. and the emf
grants now in camp are really IN the
midst of famine of fire and food. They
are but poorly supplied with clothes
and totally unprotected from rains.
save at such time as the railroad com.
pany happen to have empty box-cars.
A large majority are women and chill
dren, and their sufIerings are severe.
One cOlored woman from Lilies con
tracted severe case of pneumonia,
which resulted in death. Her body
was inferred at the expense Of Mecklen-
burg county.
Preacher Hammer. of Randolph
county, who about the middle of De-
cember elOped with married woman
Of Randolph county and fled to Arkan-
Sas. is reported to have been arrested
at Little Rock. and will be brought to
this State upon requlsition.
Of the twelve conyictS who escaped
from the stockade on the Cape-Fear and
Yadkin-I alley road, in Stokes county,
only four are said to have been recap
turcd. Most Of the others came from
the eastern counties. and have ere this
returned to their old homes, 1t is sup
posed.
Major W. ". Vass. of this city, en-
Joys the distinction Of being the Oldest
railway treasurer in the United States.
lie was appointed treasurer of the
Raleigh and Castor rail way in 1873.
and has served continuously ever since.
He is now about tifty-eight years Of
age, and is man Of wealth, but viii
never leave the position he has 50 long
filled.
Near Wilmington remarkable iind
of Indian or perhaps prehistoric re
mains has been made. a great many
skulls, bones, teeth, and ornaments
were taken from the locality. The
cOniguratiOn of the ground sustain,
he theory that the place was toe
burial.plac of mound-builders. The
tomb was 100 feet square.