The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-04
BETHEL
A Trip Through EdgcooDbe and Pitt

Last Friday afternoon the editor OF
HE DEMOCRAT, IN company with Prof.
| {. W. Wilson Of the Scotland Neck
Male School started for Bethel.
We passed into Edgecornbe and soon
came upon the beautiful and we'll graded
county road, which Is worked in Edge
conbe by taxation. The county has
employed a good force Of hands and
their constant work on the county
roads for several months has greatly
improved them The road machine
does good work and one can not fail to
observe the great difference between
the roads which are worked by the
machine and those that are not The
road is marked off the proper width
and the machine when put upon 1t
works the road from the sides, raising
the middle into convex which turns
the water into the side bitches. Then
a heavy roller is run over the road
which settles and hardens it and makes
it easy to travel over
Six or eight men with six mules can
work about mile a day The taxes
for this work are raised on the poll and
on property-45 cents on every poll and
ID cents on 800 worth of property
Some are pleased and and some are
dlspleased with the system. But we
learned that for the most part the peo-
pie like the system 1t certainly is an
improvement on the old system of
working the roads.
Upon our arrival at Bethel we were
directed to the well-appointed and hos
pitable home of Mr. and Mrs. S. T. Car
son, whose hospitality was surprisingly
charming. Many of the people of
Scotland Neck will remember Mrs.
Carson as Miss Lucy Knight, of Edge
combe, who visited Scotland Neck a
few years ago. Her charms as house
keeper and hostess are commensurate
with he, destinations as a young lady.
Their entertainment was simply royal.
The Roanoke Union of the Tar River
Baptist Association held it's session with
Bethel Church Friday and Saturday,
The ministers present were Revs. E. J.
Edwards, of Williamson, pastor also of
Bethel church, r. I. Vann OF Scotland
Neck, J. X. Howell and J. w. Powell
of Rocky Mount, d. Mcleod of Wash
ingtOn, J. A. McKaughan of Enfield,
and c.. Nj. Billings of Greenville. The
mestlng was fairly we'll attended by lay
delegates. The discussions were varied
and interesting. The Bethel church is
carrying a debt of 1925, and of this $40
was raised Sunday morning. 1t would
be tedious to note all the subjects dis
cussed and the ability displayed by the
speakers in the discussions and in the
sermons The work of the whole meet
ing was on high order, and was quite
pIOLtaole.
The people of Bethel, regardless Of
denominations, opened their homes to
the visitors and their hospitality was
unbounded. At the close of SATURDAYS
session of the Union, a resolution of
thanks was passed thanking the good
people of Bethel for their kind and
bounteous hospitality. And when the
visitors left the town they did so with
the most pleasing impressions of it's
good people and will entertain most
pleasant recoliections of their stay with
them.
The town of Bethel has suffered some
in consequence of the Scotland Neck
and Kinston railroad crossing the Abe
| marie and Raleigh road three miles
below it. 1t would have been much
| better for Bethel had the roads crossed
| there but the town still has a good
back country from which it draws good
business Around Bethel there are fine
farms and the farmers seem to be pros
pering, Notwithstanding the hard times
and cents cotton. The secret is, they
raise their home supplies.
The farmers are beginning to raise
some tobacco around Bethel