The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-28

The Treasurer Refuses to Pay Salartes Oh
Railway Commissioner Until the Courts
Decide the Matter-celeEraph and Teie-
phone Company Chartered-Pearsons De-
mand on Ohio Wilson and the Latter's
R~efusal-yhs Largest Libasy I'm the State
Negroes Indignant ut Proposal 60 Lease
the Convicts
Messenger Bureau. Park Hotel.
Raleigh, \. c., September "a.
Complaint is filed in the case Of the
state treasurer against Stewart Bros.
of Winston, ex-state printers 1t sets
forth thai they have been paid by the
state $40, 900 in excess OF the amount
rea-ly due for work. The charge is a
very serious one.
State treasurer Worth says he will
not pay either the present railway
commissioners or Governor Russelrs
appointees until the courts pass upon
the matter. Yet the two Wilson's are
de facto commissioners and will exer-
else all the duties of the office. The
case may go all the way to the United
States supreme court, as it involves a
very grave constitutional question.
The secretary of state grants a char
ter to the Fayetteville Telephone and
Telegraph Company. The principal Of
flee is at Tarboro and George A. Hoi-
d%erness, Job Cobb and A. NJ. Fairly are
the incorporators. The charter gives it
power to put up telegraph and tele-
phone lines in Fayetteville and other
towns and to connect the same. The
capital stock is $40. 000, the duration Of
charter thirty years.
| The spicy letter of Railway Commits
sioner d. H. Abbott to Governor Rus
sell, informing him that his authority
to suspend railway commissioners was
not recognized causes no little COM
ment. He took this step after able
legal advice.
AT 10 o'clock this morning John H.
| Pearson was sworn in as railway COM
missioner to succeed S. Ohio Wilson
| and at once demanded possession of the
| office. Wilson in a polite way declined
to surrender and SO Pearson sues for
| possession, as the governor directed
! him to do.
The state is arranging to pave the
| streets around the capitol square, using
| convict labor. The paving of some of
the walks in the square was finished
today. 1t cost 81, 100.
Marshall Mott, son of DR.. j. j. Mott,
is sick at Atlantic City. He has under
one surgical treatment there.
1t has been rumored that scarlet fe-
yer was epidemic at Greensboro. This
is inaccurate. There are only twenty
| cases.
Some of the populists are wanting to
| know "whO gave Senator Butler such
| authority to speak for North Carolina
populists, as he is neither a member of
| the state or district committee"
1t is escertained that the largest
library in this state is of so, 900 volumes,
and is in Mitchell county, near Bakers
vile. The owner employs a librarian
and invites the people to use the libra
y The owner is an ex-prOfessOr Of
Harvard university. There are IS, 900
volumes in the university library and
about 1000 in the state library.
The storm, which really was not a
storm, this week has done no damage
to the cotton crop.
The removal Of old buildings to make
way for the handsome club house Of
the Capital Club here began today.
A woman from New Orleans got off
the train here night before last. She
said she had lost her health certificate.
She had two trunks, both of which are
unclaimed.
Senator P%ritchard is expected to ar
rive here this week. His friends are
by no means sorry that Charles A.
Cook fails to get the United States dis
trict attOrneyship.
There is much clamor against leasing
the convicts. Some of the negroes are
greatly indignant and say Governor
Russell wants to sell them into slave
| ry." Many people van all the convicts
employed on the public roads.
1t is now said the Southern railway
will build it's new branch from Mocks-
vile to Salisbury so freight will not
go via Greensboro. This will save
twenty-five miles or more and give a
connection with the Norfolk and West
ern.