Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-14
ACROSS THE BORDER.
THE NEWS FROM THE OLD NORTH
STATE CAPITAL.
Mig Republican Deal Said to he
ON Foot-May Recoverable Pent-
tentiary - Labor Statistics Mill
Churches-Notes.


Tor PrltcnaTu CAUSES pttHty VI ldtf III
the State. Governor Russell's private
secretary said this morning that he was
laughing at some Of the reported &C.
quences of that charge. Unquestionably,
there is something in the wind The
interesting factor in all OF It is what
Governor Russell may do. He has no
love for Senator Pritchard. All the State
knows that. He greatly desires his at
torney and earnest supporter, Charles A.
Cook, to get a position. But II Senator
Butler believes that the Governor is ,ry-
ing to supplant him as senator. then
there will be a howl and sudden DISCO
luton of a newly-formed friendship.
1t is said by Guy Barnes the new Pub
lie Printer. that a good deal Of the State
paper shipped here from Winston. and
which he is storing. is useless and old.
1t has been shipped four times.
Senator Butler is sending his Populist
organ to "anti-mUnopoly Democrats and
Republicans" of whom he has lists.
This city is being gayly decorated for
the State Fair. The manager Of the
bicycle races says il Is assured that
ting course-a half mile one-will be used.
1t is, of course, an earthen track, but
will be rolled hard.
Judge Purnell. after a hearing under
habeas corpus proceedings, dismisses the
case against j. b. Roberts, man who
was charged with swindling some people
at Monroe by personating United States
post-ofiice inspector.
Mrs. Watson, who was shot here Mon
day by her husband, is now in hospitql.
Hope of her recovery Is increasing Ore
paper made the announcement that her
quick paralysis was due to the cutting Of
her spinal cord by the bullet which her
husbands revolver fired into her side.
The United States District Attorney
finds that a number of persons are vio-
lating a national law by issuing scrip
in denominations from cents upward.
He will prosecute In such cases.
A 6-year-old child Is reported to have
picked 100 pounds OF cotton In a day.
The price paid here for picking is now
30 cents a 100 pounds.
Traveling-men are now saying that
they find business rather dull in The
State.
Bird shooting has begun in several of
the counties.
THE PENITENTIARY.
The Republicans and Populsts are Try
Ing TO hide their own bad management
o. the penitentiary by shouting that in
| 1856 the Democratic administration
spent 10000 from the Treasury on II.
| The ex-Superintendent Mr.. Leazar,
showed that not cent of State money
was used in 1896. The Fusonists are de-
claring that he left 1t $4,000 in debt.
Senator Butler declares that "transpor
/ IT,. h.a
election of the next Legislature. He
says that while people are screaming
for white supremacy" they are Sc
cretly scheming to turn the State over
to fusion of gold-bug Democrats and
railroad negroes"
| 1t is expected that there will be quite a
large attendance here at the State Road
| Congress October 10Th.
The annual meeting of the North Caro-
| lima Confederate Veterans Association
will be held at the capital October 10th.
LABOR STATISTICS
From advance sheets of the report
OF State-Labor-Co Commissioner j. Y. Ham,
rick for the current year some interest
inc facts are obtained He says This
State is one of the leading cotton manu-
! featuring States of the Union, and no
| other State in the South can show with
I'm 10000 the number Of spindes Save
Georgia and South Carolina). The mills,
| one-third of which run day and night,
can spin more than the States product
| Tho aggregate horsepower is $500, 600
capable of running 600 spindles.
Wages OF cotton-mill operatives ERE
much lower than those paid North, and
there are no laws regulating the hours
Of mill labor. which rests on the same
| hos ba iah ba 70 In 4,
forest, and In the mine. The cotton
mills are in forty-eight counties, and have
2l,62l looms and 1,ole,247 spindles besides
twenty-five hosiery-mills. with lao knit
ting machines. and two dyeing and An
| ishing mills. In all these mills there
are employed 26,2S7 persons, of whom
S,4iS are men, 1905 women, and $3.50
children, and there is in use about q LOO
horse power.
The average wages paid skilled male
| operatives exclusive of machinists en-
gineers, firemen, and superintendent are
| Sill per day; for unskilled, IA cents;
skilled women, 67 cents; unskiled, 40
| cents; children, "a cents, the general ave-
rage being 65 cents a day for 1897. against
62 cents for 1896. or the mills reporting,
93-4 per cent. report an increase in wages,
Ala per cent. a decrease, and the re-
mainder no change; 81 per cent. charge
employees house rent, while As per cent.
make no charge. The hours of labor
| average II 1-2. The mills were in opera
ton on an average last year 2SS days.
ABUNDANT HELP.
There appears TO be an abundance or
| mill labor in the State. There is no an
| tagonism between the employer and the
| employed. The employees are better salts
Gal ri of
| labor are being settled by the persons m
| terested, and neither class fayors legisla-
ton, for in answer to inquiries on this
| point only 5 per cent. are in favor OF
| legislation There are no strikes, IA
| yoritism. dissatisfaction, or unjust de-
| cisions. Ninety -four per cent. of the mills
report sufficient religious advantages Tor
| employees. Almost all the mills nave
churches for their employees, and In a
| great many cases officers and stockhold-
| ers of mills are teaching operatives IN
| Sunday schools. The pastors OF such mill
| churches are better paid than those oil
| country churches, or, In some cases even
! better than those of city churches. As
to the financial condition OF operatives
only per cent, of the reports say 1t Is
! bad. The percentage OF children en-
ployed in mills who can read and write
| has increased from 20 liz per cent 10 q
per cent. this year.
There are newly chartered mills at Tay-
louisville Concord, Cherryville. Gastonia
| Iincolnton. Charlotte, Milledgeville
spray Waxbaw, and Huntsville-eleven in
| all There are mills heretofore unlisted
al Mt. Pleasant, Prosperity Staley, Ran
| dIaman and Yadkin Falls There are
| mills now in course of construction OF
| i,st completed at Tayiorsville, Stubs