The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-23

on the various Farms operated py the
penitentiary are fine and SO heavy that
the superintendent expresses fear that
he cannot harvest them all. The heat
yield is found to be 1000 bushels, oats
IL, 900. Next month every available
convict will be put OF the farms. Prac-
tically all the state convicts now in the
penitentiary will be thus used in gath
ering the crops. The 12I federal pris-
oners will remain in the p~enitenaitry,
as they cannot be used outside OF it.
Superintendent Mewboorne says
there Were this ear Il, 900 acres in
crops. as follows: cotton, $500, corn
$500. peanuts 500, 2s5 in lowland rice.
900 in peas, 2,1o0 in oats and wheat,
80 acres in sorghum
Populist politics took another turn
in this district today, whereby il is
claimed that Sheriff Jenkins. Of Chat
ham, is very likely to get the congress
sional nomination. The reason is re-
publican influence. II is said Jen-
kins had his Chatham delegates well
in hand in his fight against Senator
Butler in the last populist state con-
vention. hat fight was also against
any proposition to fuse with the dem
ocrats. The republicans promoted that
fight, saying their only chanc was TO
cause as large a division among the
poulists as possible, and weaken the
fusion idea and Butler as much as they
could. They say they succeeded well
and that hence when Butler made the
offer of fusion to the democrats the
latter with great a%cuteness saw that
they had to deal with only a faction
of the populists and not the entire par
ty. The republicans now do all their
| work through the anti-Butler populists
but want the other to drive all the
Butler pouplists possible into their
net.
Republicans say that Populist Chair
man Fountain is actually begging for
fusion with republicans in EdgecOmbe
and wants the nomination for treasur-
err. They say he is likely to get it.
They say they have marked Fowler
(populist) in the Third district. for
slaughter" although he has gotten the
| populist nomination.
The p~enitentiary report for 1897, so
long delayed. was given to the press
late last night. 1t would puzzle a
lawyer to understand it. 1t is claimed
| that it shows a net balance of 81, 400.
The governor was given the repor
yesterday.
The republican leaders here Say Sem
atOr Butler can now hurt them in only
one way-by keeping his people away
from the polls on election day. Some
of these republicans were asked what
they thought would be the number of
| negro votes which their party would
fail to get in the state, and they re-
piled that it might approximate 5000.
The republicans confess that the
democrats are making it hot for pop
ulists and white republicans in the
Sixth district and particularly in Rich
mond county, on the race question.
They acknowledge that it is to be a
| very heated campaign.
An Illicit distillery was seized yes
terday in Franklin county, ear Louis
burg.
Seven men are needed for the band
of the First North Carolina regiment
of volunteers, which is in Lees corps,
and which soon goes to Cuba. This
gives an opportunity for musicians
who desire to see the Pearl Of the
Antilles"
1t seems that ex-COngressman Thorn
as Settle has not, in spite of his re-
Bluffs, abandoned his fight for the re-
publican congressional nomination in
the Fifth district. It is said he has
only six delegates, while thirteen are
needed to nominate and that his
friends are trying to arrange to buy
eight negro delegates, two each from
Durham, Granville, Caswell and Gull
fo-1