The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-13
CHAMBER OF

Business Meeting Yesterday Afternoon Z.
A Building Proposed-Trans Atlantic
Steamship Line-Depth OF Water in Our
Bar and R~iver-Prafse for the Messenger,
"A called meeting Of the chamber of
commerce was held at the rooms of the
chamber yesterday afternoon at $3.50
o'clock to transact regular business.
President James II. Chadbourn. Jr.,
presided, and Colonel John L. Cantwell.
the secretary, was at his post.
The minutes Of the last meeting were
read and approved.
President Chadbourn stated that Mr..
E. G. Quarles, representing the Sea-
board Air Line, was present and de-
sired to lay before the chamber the
plan Of that system to publish a ship
pers directory Of the cities and owns
on the system. He requested Mr..
Quarles to came before the chamber
and explain the purpose for which he
is here.
Mr.. Quarles aid a copy Of the pro-
posed publication before the chamber
and explained that it woul give a d.
rectory Of the business houses, manu-
featuring industries, ETC., in each city
and town, together with valuable sta
tistics and information, etc. He stated
that advertising space would be offered
to the merchants and business men and
explained that, the directory would be
distributed from Galveston to Boston.
He asked that the chamber indOrse the
scheme n proposed therefor to con-
tribute free of cost two pages for the
benefit Of the chamber and such ad-
vertisement of the city as is desired.
After discussion, Mr.. w. E. Worth
moved that the chamber approve of
the directory as a good advertising
scheme. The motion was Unanimously
adopted.
Applications for mem bership from the
following were read, and they were
laid aside to come up in the regular or
der at the next monthly meeting: r.
w. Hicks, s. H. Fishblate, S. Behrends,
w. G.. Jones. =
Committee reports were called for.
Mr.. M. w. jacob, of the committee
appointed to confer with the owners. of
the Brunswick Bridge and Ferry Com
pany with reference to it's purchase by
New Hanover and Brunswick counties
with a view to making it a free bridge
and ferry, made the report for the COM
mittee. They report that they cannot
recommend the purchase of the prop
erty at the price asked. The commit
tee consists of Messrs. M. w. jacob,
D. l.. Gore, T. F. Bagley and j. B.
Mercer.
Mr.. jacob, referring to the Brunswick
Bridge and Ferry Company. said the
matter should not be dropped, and rec
commended that the matter of securing
an improvement of the ferry, the road
and the bridge be referred to the COM
mittee on roads. He stated that the
road was in bad condition and the
bridge was in D. dangerous condition
for the passage of vehicles, some of
the main timbers having decayed. He
also said the large ferryboat had worn
out and was replaced by a small boat
thai was inadequate for the ferry. The
matter was referred to the roa COM
mittee.
The secretary read the report of the
committee on the Southern Baptist
convention. 1t vas signed by Colonel
Walker Taylor as chairman, n after
referring to the efforts Of the chamber
to secure the convention and it's subse-
quent meeting in our city last May, he
says:
The total number of delegates in at
tendance was 7S4, Of which 60 provided
their own accommodation at the hotels
from preference. Dur people enter
tanned the convention in splendid style
and many a delegate was heard to say
and often that it was the most royal
welcome he had ever received. Many
pesSimiStic remarks were INDUCED in
relation to WilmingtOn's inability to
entertain so large a gathering, but ex-
p%erience has put to test this theory and
it does not seem too much to say that
when Wilmington is appealed to on the
line Of duty her people grapple the
question and treat it as a condition.
and not as a theory
This report would be wanting in
one essential part did it omit to men,
ton the valuable service rendered your
committee by The Messenger, to whose
untiring zeal muchSpf the success Of
the convention is dte. Not only did
it furnish confessedly the best reports
ever made in the history Of the South
ern Baptist Convention, but the work
it did in writing up the industries of
h city and contiguous sections must
create in every citizen a feeling Of in
debtedness mingled with that of pride.
Such a journal deserves the support
of any community and we cannot be-
lieve that u people will fail Of their
duty in this respect.
I'm conclusion, your committee feel
warranted in expressing the belief hat
a greater concert Of action will from
time to time characterize the business
life Of our city AND hat with expert
ence, we will learn hat the adage, In
unity there is strength is no less ap-
plicable to commercial trades than to
other forces.
WALKER TAYLOR,
Chairman Entertainment Committee"