The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-06-29

S " 4NOR0A E66mS W
be reviving. A thousand men are said
to be employed at DucktoWn, getting
the rich copper out of the mines there.
A company has bought 1 500 of coal
lands on Deep river, in Chatham coun.
ty, which will be developed at once.
State Labor Commissioner Hamrick
told The News some days ago that the
number of mica mines in operation in
this State has thrilled since the first Ct
January, says the Charlotte News.
The first cotton bloom of the season
made its appearance in the city this
morning. It was raised by Mr.. Alex.
Adams of Panther Branch township,
whose postofice is Myatt's Mill. Mr..
Adams won the prize of one dollar
offered by Mr.. J. A. Higgs for the first
cotton bloom. To day the bloom was
or exhibit at the store of Sherwood
Riggs and Company. Panther Branch
township maintains the lead in early
crops, says the Raleigh Press Visitor
OF 22nd.
At 5 o'clock Saturday afternoon a
shocking fatality occurred in Union
county. Claude Skies, the 81 year old
son of Mr.. j. Q. Skies, a prominent
citizen of the community, was struck
by lightning and instantly killed, to-
gether with a double team he was driv-
ing. Young Skies was in the field
hauling wheat just before the storm
burst, packing wheat on the wegon.
The bolt killed him instantly, and the
horses fell without a struggle, says the
Charlotte Observer.
Recently while a trial was. in pro-
gress in Squire Hunters Office, w. a
Nichols, colored, insisted in pushing in
over the body and authority of ex
Constable McCord. Mr.. McCord had
been stationed at the door to keep out
the crowd. He showed the negro batk k,
and in doing so, his hand slipped, and
struck the negro on the chin. The
negro grabbed Mr.. McCord's stick out
of mis- hand and struck him three times
with it. The negro was arrested forth
with. says the Charlotte Observer.
A dispatch from Charlotte N. @,
June %, says: Last night a burglar
entered the house Of r. B. Orr, five
miles from here, went into the room
where two young girls were sleeping
and cut off the hair Of both rs they lay
asleep. His presence was then discov-
cred, but he escaped. Blood hounds
were brought into reqisition and if he
is caught he will harshly dealt with"
1t is thought the vandal was in search
of money, a bureau drawer being
opened and and papers scattered
around.
Oliver Peace, q young colored man,
a tobacco curer from Granville county,
was drowned in Neuse river, above Joe
Williams landing, about two miles
above Kinston, Friday afternoon,
about 5 o'clock. He, with others, were
driving fish in nets set across the river,
when he stepped in a hole over his
head. Another negro went to his res
cue, when he grabbed him around the
neck and came very near drowning
him. The body was found Sunday
about a quarter of a mile below where
he was drowned, says the Kinston Free
Press.
Buck" Kitchin passed up the railroad
to Morganton this week, in answer to a
summons ina case in which he and
Congressman Harry Skinner are sued
for $1O, 900 by a citizen of Burke county
by the name Of Corpening, whom they
charged with stealing their money and
some articles Of wearing apparel at the
ST. Louis Convention last year, says the
Newton Enterprise. Mr.. Corpening
was their room mate, and Buck says
his conduct was of such a suspicious
nature before and after they missed
their money that they had every
reason to make the charges against
him.
Abjg snake story comes from Polk
ton. 1t is said that a few evenings ago
the section hands discovered q snake
crossing the track at Brown Greek
~trestle. They say it's body vas as big
around as the body of a common size
dog, that it travelled by jumping and
that it bent down the briRrs like q hog.
One of the wags around Polkton says
than late reports say that it breaks
down trees where it goes. Some of the
citizens of Polkton, however, are in
clined to digcredit the whole story.
They say the report was put out 10
keep the Polkton folks from botheripg