The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-24

neutrality-suspicious. Oppose Leas.
Ing the Penitentiary Because of the
Amount of Pie 1T Supplies-Dr. Smith Re
signs
Messenger Bureau, Park Hotel,
Raleigh, n. c., September 22.
J. Y. Hamrick, state labor commits
sioner, returned today from a tour in
the extreme western counties. He says
there is much activity at the marble
uuarries in Cherokee, where there are
fifty square miles Of marble. 1t is all
shipped to Georgia and Tennessee
There it is passed off as marble from
those states Thus some of it was used
in the new library at Washington.
thousand men are mining tale in Cher
okee, Swain and Macon; some in Clay.
In Jackson and Swain at least 500 men
are mining corundum. No less than
$500 are at work in the mica mines.
At some of these 100 men are employed.
Mitchell and Madison are the centre of
this industry. Mr.. Hamrick visited
the DucktoWn copper mine where 1000
men are at work. 1t is in Tennessee,
about q mile over the line. There is a
dispute as to the line. The vein leads
into North Carolina. Mr.. Hamrick
next goes east to get up facts relative
to the trucking industry.
The railway commission has heard
the dispute between the Meherrin
Steamboat Company and the Atlantic
Coast Line relative to freightS from
Murfreesboro. The matter is now in
course of adjustment and a cOmprO-
mise is probable, by which the Citizens
Line of steamers can haul freight daily
to MurfreeSbOrO.
Constant inquiry is made as to what
steps Governor Russell will take re-
garding the two Wilson's, railway COM
missioners. Private Secretary Alexan
der says: "Only one man knows and he
will not tell" This means Governor
Russell. But Senator Butler probably
knows equally as well.
Senator Buffers paper intimateS that
the state will repeal the charter Of the
SOuthern's new line from Mocksville to
MOOreSvile.
The senator in his newspaper today
jumps on Congressman Skinner, say
ing: He has deserted his principles
and betrayed the people by supporting
a gOldbug for the United States senate
and by enlsting in the employment of
the Southern railway to try to debauch
members of the legislature to vote to
sustain the infamous midnight 99-year
lease Of the North Carolina railway"
f.. =. Barbee, well known cotton
buyer here, says the prices are SO low
that the farmers hardly care whether
they pick the crop or not. The fact Is
the cotton growers in North Carolina
are now suffering the greatest blow
they have ever had. They are entirely
dispirited. Prices are put down by
people who calculate on buying cheap
and selling high.
;e, Iao Nd hot In fhn lie
trict Revenue Collector Harkins is af-
ter the distillers with an iron hand.
In spite Of any efforts so far made it
appears to be impossible to get rid of
the families in the penitentiary. One
family has been for over two months
quartered in the hospital The chair
man Of the board is thoroughly dis
gusted at this state of affairs.
Very few of the North Carolina edi
tors went to the Nashville exposition
yesterday. Fears of being quarantined
were the cause of their staying at
home.
The showing as to rates on cotton in
this state are shown to be reasonable.
This the manager of the North Caro-
lima Freight Association admits.
The hearing September Goth Of the
telephone rate matter by the railway
commission will be the final one.
The funeral of Bernard r. Harding,
of the SeabOard Air Line, will be held
here tomorrow. His wife was in Ten
nessee at the time of his death.
The state superintendent Of schools
says that North Fork township is
found to have voted for the public
school special tax. This makes seven
townships which voted. In ninety
one others more people voted for than
against the tax
The state board of tax equalization
has increased the taxable value of
mules nearly per cent, cattle per
cent, hogs 13 per cent, sheep per
cent, and bicycles 6 per cent.
The agricultural department gives
1,O59,9 as the spindles in North Caro-
lima cotton mills. These spin daily Of
No. 20 yarn 529, 9S9 pounds on a basis
of II pound of raw cotton to each
spindle, or LII bales daily Of All
pounds each, a total of 333, 800 yearly.
This lacks 1885 of being the states cot
ton product in 1889. The commissioner
says the estimate is very conserva-
tive one
The penitentiary directors were in
session again this morning. The COM
mittee appointed to draw up a schedule
of terms on which they would lease
the prison to John H. Winder prepared
one with sixteen articles. 1t leaves all
the management as at present. Win
der's proposition was that he appoint
the supervisors and overseers, the pen
itentiary officials to name the guards.
w. H. Chadbourn says this is not sat
isfactory, as it would take the peni-
tentiary out of republican hands. 1T
is the best tking we've got" said he.
There are over $50 offices connected
with it. including guards" The schedule
of terms was this morning submitted
to John H. Winder. He did not like it,
ChadbOurn said. The latter added that
only supervisors and overseers could
punish convicts. The guards can't do
SO and hence the authorities are not
willing for contractors to appoint the
S11neryicorc or The facts Saoyo fo 40