The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1897-07-08
VOL. XIII. New Series---Vol. 2.
THE EDITORS LEISURE HOURS,
Points and Paragraphs Of Things
Present, Past and Future.

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| Richmond now has a free house te
house system OF mail delivery. You
mail your letters from your home, pur
chase stamps at home, and have all
your mail brought to your front door
This is progress for this most enter
prising and progressive Southern city.
Ben Tillman, the "pitchfork Sena.
tor" from South Carolina, may be
rough, angular and all that, but he can
deal some withering cuts in repartee.
He may not lay claim to much polish
but he has an originality all his own
and he uses it frequently with telling
effect.
Trucking and berry interests in East
ern Carolina have been very satisfacto-
ry this season. A small farmer near
Aurora is said to have made 81 500 al
ready on his truck farm. The truckers
of this region are hampered by heavy
freight rates. The competition in ship
ping is not sufficiently sharp. We
need more competition-stronge COM
petition at some points-and when we
get it truckers will make more money
and make a greater success of their
business.
Perils at sea are much more trying
than even the most horrible details can
impress upon us. The case of the Alden
off the island of Socrota near the east
ern coast of Africa June 9th. is re-
markable one. For seventeen days
those of the passengers and crew who
were not washed overheard, waited and
almost tasted the while in the cabin
below before any assistance came.
They were compelled to deal out their
scanty rations carefully. and thought
perhaps every day would be the last.
Finally dellverance came through the
Indian government steamer Mayo.
A certain district of Florida was
swept by a destructive tornado last
September, and the sad news has gone
out recently that the inhabitants of
that district are greatly suffering.
They have been compelled to ask for
outside aid.
North Carolina has been signally
blessed all through her history. We
do not remember ever to have heard
of any region of the State asking for
help from any cause, except that men,
orable meeting at Halifax few years
ago which wished the Governor to call
a special session of Legislature to issue
bonds for the county's relief. We ney-
er have felt proud OF that proceeding.
Wonder who in the county does now?
The news has gone out through the
press of the State that the commits
sioners of Chatham have refused to
grant liquor license to any one in the
county. We have not seen any state
ment as to their authority for it. The
average board OF county commission
ers is mighty shaky on the liquor ques-
ton so much SO that only one or two
such boards in the State have made
any effort to test the matter as to
whether or not they are compelled to
grant licenses to all who apply with
proper recommendation. But the ac-
ton of the Chatham county board
opens this question: 1t the commits
sioners OF Chatham county may refuse
to grant liquor license, why may not
the commissioners in all the other
counties of the State do likewise?
Charles Dickens, in his American
Notes." says some very pointed things
about the splitting habit of Americans
as he saw it when he visited this coun-
try. One is reminded of his structures
on the habit by the discussion in some
of the papers about the laws enacted
against it. In Philadelphia there is 9
prohibition against splitting on pave
ments, in street cars and public build
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