The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-10
rHE CHAMBER or ooMnER(

and Ferry Again
The meeting of the Chamber of Com
merce adjourned over from last Thurs
day was held yesterday at $50 o'clock p.
m. at the rooms of the chamber. In the
absence of President James III. Charbourn,
Jr.. First Vice President Walker Taylor
presided. Colonel John L. Cantwell, the
Secretary, was at his post
The minutes Of the last meeting werd
read and approved. after which COM
mittee reports were called for in their
order.
The committee on streets. parks and
public roads submitted the following
written report:
! To the Chamber of Commerce:
The m on streets. parks and
public roads to whom was referred the
matter of the condition of the Brunswick
Bridge and Ferry Company, reports that
it has carefully interviewed several OF the
/ largest patrons of the road who assert
| that the causeway is in as good condition
as or better than it has been for years;
that they have no complaint to make.
| The company has given out a contract to
the amount Of $3.50 for repairs to the
| bridge over Brunswick river, and the re-
pairs are now being made. A new 20 foot
boat is being built for use over the Cape
Fear river at a cost of 800 and will be
ready about September 10th.
Ne G. C. 'ccHIlxDBouRN.
Chairman.
! Mr.. NJ. w. jacob moved that the report
be amended so that the minutes will
| show that the improvements to the road
and bridge were made after the matter
had been referred to the committee:
| Chairman Taylor, who is president of
the Brunswick Bridge and Ferry Com
pany, asked for the wish of the meeting,
and said if there was a second to the
in a position to state that the improve
| ments were arranged for before the mat
ter was referred to the committee.
Mr.. jacob maintained that the i'm
| provements were made since the matter
had been referred to the committee and
that the minutes should so state, in order
to show that no causeless complaint had
been made of the condition of the road
and bridge.
Mr.. w. NJ. Cumming, secretary and
| treasurer of the Brunswick Bridge and
Ferry Company, stated that the improve
ments were planned and begun before the
matter was referred to the committee,
J though they had not been completed.
There was some further discussion on
moved nne aisp as "a 5 RH1nti aao for Mr. Mr.; Jia%bGs
motion. that the report of the commit
tee be approved, with the additional record
upon the minutes, that at the time the
ferred to the committee, the Brunswick
Bridge and Ferry Company had made
arrangements to improve it's road and
bridge, and that subsequent to the refer
ence of the matter to the committee, the
improvements mentioned in the report of
the committee nave been set on foot.
'The substitute was adopted.
Colonel John L. Cantwell, chairman of
the committee, appointed to draft resolu-
lions touching the death of the lamented
Mr.. Alfred Martin, a former president
and honorary member of the Chamber,
offered the following and the same was
animOuS adopted:
Death comes once to all! 1t came to the
long expectant, patient watcher who wei
immortal soul back to the eternal God
who gave it. Yea, once to all meath
oceans wrinkled brow, on mountain top,in
quiet valley, in busy mart, in forest
shades, or gloomy cave: to infancy, child
hood, manhood and age, He comes alike
at dawn. at noon, or night; to call from
joyous hopes, from dark despair or quiet
life. Yea. once for all-the silver cord is
loosed, the golden cord is broken, a link
of the chain is parted, the happy circle
broken, there is again a vacant CHAIR
bors offer tender condolences. Such
thoughts spontaneously arise to us, his
associates, when announcement was made
of the death of our late ex-president and
honorary member, Alfred Martin, and we,
the Chamber of Commerce in special
meeting m unanimously Resolve,
That mourning with his family our mu-
tual loss, we tender them, earnest, re-
spectful. sincere and kindly sympathy in
their afffiction.
Resolved, That We commend to the
youth Of this community as an example,
the amiable disposition, the faithful dis
charge of public trust; the unquestiOned
business faith, and the unfeigned piety of
our lamented friend.
Resolved, That a page in our record book
be dedicated to his memory, and thai an
official copy of this minutes be forwarded
to the family.
JNO. L. CANTwELL.
JAS. H. CHADBOURN,
GEO. HARRISS,
Committee.
Mr.. VIM. A French recalled the matter
of the proposed purchase of the Bruns-
wick Bridge and Ferry Company's fran
chise and property by New Hanover and
Brunswick counties, and said he was
sorry to see that the committee which
had been appointed to look into this mat |
ter had reported that it would be mex |
pedient to purchase the property. He said
the matter of getting in and out of Will
our prosperity, and he thought that a |
matter of SIS, 600 or more should not deter |
the purchase of the property of the
Brunswick Bridge and Ferry Company.
He said he favored its purchase by the
city in order to make it a free ferry.
There were good lands on the little bridge |
road and In Brunswick county, that were
worth $50 an acre, but which could be
ought today for 81 or 81. because they had |
no advantageous communication with the
city, so as to make their products profta- |
BILE to the farmers. The lands or the |
little bridge road were cut off by the |
deep sandy road which leads to Smiths |
creek bridge and farmers could not afford
to bring truck to the city over such a
road. He urged that our city authorities
should be pushed up on the matter of
improving that road, as we'll as on the
proposition to purchase the Brunswick |
Bridge and Ferry Company. In speaking |
of Brunswick county, he said it would |
open up a market for a section that can |
not afford at present to come to Whining |
ton, as the tolls at the ferry kept them |
away It costs eaG1 cart 81. so to make a
trip to the city from Brunswick and the
m could not afford to pay it. He
urged that a free steam ferry would
help the lands beyond the river, in Bruins
wick, and open them up for settlement
and make a market for Brunswick county. |
He was satisfied that in five years time, |
the trade brought to Wilmington each
year would be worth more money than
it would take to buy the bridge, road and
ferry. /
AfoS~r~ T. .--s RI Il