The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-05-11
new BERNIE.
RESPONSE TO A TOAST Al
THE EDITORS BANQUET.

ton at IQ6lr heCeuG OcoS1oA
atThat Place-Some Interesting
Facts Concerning the Growth
and Prosperity Of the City.
While thanking you for the honor
of calling me to respond to this toast,
permit me to say that you assign me
very difficult task. The very tact
that | am to speak Of the industrial
developments of New Berne-a city
old in its history, its intelligence and
culture, and it. political fame, but
comparatively new in its material
growth and progress, signifies that l
am to deal in cold, dispassionate fig
ures, and not in mere sentiment and
feeling. And it may be that many OF
our own citizens, Jogging along the
beaten pathway of their daily life, are
ignorant OF the immense resources Of
this section, SO long left unsuPplied
by the wealth and energy of modern
times. We hope that the intelligent
men Of the Press particularly will IN
form themselves ON this subject. We
are satisfied that our trucking fields,
with their beautiful carpets of green,
are a marvel Of produCtiveness. Why,
gentlemen, do you know that during the
year 1892 we shipped $4,000 pack
ages of peas, cabbage, potatoes and
other truck over our railroad and
steamer lines, fully $4,000 of these
packages being potatoes? And that,
in the Investigation Of crops, the
most of our truckers produce from the
same acreage every year tour different
crops, aggregating, in a good year,
from 5000 to $500 to the acre. And
while miles away from New Berne the
lands have been bought up and planted,
still there are thousands of acres of
good, fertile soil, bathed by the dews
and showers of the best climate in the
world, awaiting the capital, energy
and skill of the industrious trucker.
And such is the wonderful character of
this enterprise, that great as it is now,
every year seems to add to its mar
velOus development in dollars and
cents. And then look at the almost
miraculous exhibit of our fishing in
terest. One would think that the
lamp of Aladdin had been suspended
over our waters from the romantic
coves and inlets around Morehead to
the winding recesses of the Trent.
During the last year 81, 900 packages
of eatable fish, consisting of 10 varie
ties, were shipped from New Berne
and Morehead, packed in ice, and re-
ceivIng transportation to all sections
of the country. Fully 1000 persons
were employed at remunerative wages
to prepare for and handle those enor-
nous shipments. 1t became neces-
sary, to meet the demands Of this in
dustry, to establish an ice factory, run
ming on full time, and turning out 20
tons of ice per day. Besides, there
was an annual importation from the
North of : 900 tons Of ice, and levy
upon the natural supply at our doors
in our frozen creeks and rivers. The
| fishing industry at Morehead, with its
investment of a 500, 900, is, in large
measure, separate consideration in
making up this wonderful estimate of
an industry which only a few years
ago was confined to a few scattered
and helpless fishermen, who possessed
neither apparatus nor capital to &C
complish such astonishing results. Not
the least Of the expansive enterprises
which in the last few years have given
such impetus to this section is the
lumber mills, which throughout the
| Neuse and PamliCo sections have made
such a radical change in the appear
anCe OF the country and the condition
of the people And whatever may be
said of the utility and wisdom of cut
| ting down our trees and sacrificing our
forests, as mere question of CONNER
Cial development this industry has
grown to a gigantic proportion, vast
acres OF land IN the vicinity of New
Berne has been occupied by these
energetic lumber companies. In the
City and within sight of its steeples
twelve steam saw mills are now run
nlhg, whose output of dressed and
undressed lumber is sixty million feet
per year. Many Of those mills are OF
huge capacity. They have drying
kilns and planning mills attached to
them, and use all the latest mechanical
improvements. 1t is estimated, that
adding the numerous saw mills a little
distance from New Berne, over one
hundred million feet of lumber are
shipped as the outcome ofthis industry.
embracing all sorts of lumber peculiar
to our soil, taking the place of the
depleted white pine of the Northern
States, and supplying even the markets
OF Chicago, and Portland in the State
of Maine. Thousands of dollars are
put into circulation through the instru-
mentality, graceful and costly dwellings
are erected, and the general business
condition of the city greatly improved.
If | had the time, gentlemen, and
this were the place for such a discus.
sion, l might so on to speak of our
extensive factory for the production Of
fertilizers, backed by ample capital,
and supplying our agricultural inter
ests through an extensive tract OF
country, l might speak of our can
ming industry, turning out thousands
of packages, and reaching the ready
demands of the markets in many neigh
boring States, l might mention our
numerous facilities for making and
furnishing boxes for truckers, calling
for material and skilled labor, and
securing employment for industrious
workmen through many weeks of the
| And Loot b,,t