The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-16

terday morning, budget of appropria-
tionis for the next six months, aggrpga-
ting S31, 275, or about $4,000 more than
was spent during the past six months
The disbursements during the past year
were $44. 60931.
Mr. j. G. l.. Harris was elected tenn
porary chairman of the Board of Agri-
culture to serve in the absence of
Mr.. Maultsby, and in the absence of the
chairman Mr.. Harris was requested
and directed to prepare the report of
the Department of Agriculture to be
submitted to the approaching session of
the Legislature, as required by law.
y legislative committee was appoint
ed, composed of j. c. l.. Harris, ]. r.
Joyce and w. G. Sprinkle The purpose
of this committee is to recommend such
legislation as will be deemed necessary
for the proper maintenance and general
welfare of the Department.
At the afternoon session the Board
adopted the following resolution, elect
ing six fertilizer inspectors and provid-
ing for three additional ones to be APP
pointed by Commissioner Smith and
Chairman Harris:
"Resolved, That ]. s. Wilcox, w. ID.
Alfred, Fletcher Bobbitt. j. S. Hamilton,
W. b. Trogden, ID. A. Shoaf be, and
they are hereby, appointed fertilizer in
spectors, at Il salary of $50 per month
and actual expenses while in the actual
discharge of their duties, for the period
ending June 18th, 1899.
Resolved, That each of said inspec-
tors shall be assigned definite territory
by the Commissioner, and that they shall
commence the discharge of their duties
on January LIST. next.
Resolved, That the Commissioner and
the chairman of the executive commit
tee, are authorized to apopint three in
spectors, in addition to those herein elect
ed, whenever, in their Judgment the pub
lie interest may demand their services
at the same salary as herein provided
This really makes eight regular inspec-
tors now in the employ and on the pay
roll of the Board, as j. l.. Kelly, Ohio
Wilson's brother-in-law, and w. b. Hen
derson. (col.), Jim Young's successor,
claim that their terms do not expire till
June 14th next, having been elected for
two years.
Kelly will be allowed to remain in, but
an effort will be made to GUST Henderson
and put in his place a young man at the
penitentiary, named Dortch. Commits
sioner Smith gave Dortch his place at
the penitentiary. and is now seeking toI
have him transferred to the Manure
Pile.
The three extra inspectors will be-
named between now and January LIST, as
it is the desire of the Board that they
begin work ut that time. The appro
priation, as above noted, was increased,
Secretary Ramsey said, for the purpose
of paying these extra men.
All regular inspectors chosen yester-
day, except J. S. Hamilton, have preyi-I
ously been i'll the employ of the Board
in that capacity. Mr.. Hamilton is from
Duplin. He was put on in place of j..
c. Ray, of Boone, who will be required
to devote his time entirely to cattle
quarantine work. He will receive for
this SO month. the same salary as
was paid him when inspector.
At the morning meeting Of the Board
a preliminary report on the "E'ish-0il
and Fish-scrap Industry of North Caro-
lina," was read by Mr.. 7. G.. Pearson,
who has recently spent much time in
vestigating this branch OF the fertilizer
business in the Eastern part of the
State, under the direction of State
Geologist Holmes.
In the course of this report Mr.. Pear
sou traces the early history and the|
difficulties of the fish-oil and fish-scrapI
industry i'll North Carolina.
Those who first attempted the en-
terprise generally found" says Mr..
Pearson, that the expenses of securing
the fish, extracting the oil, and manu-
featuring the scrap, together with the
cost of transporting these products to Il
Northern market, were greater than the
returns of the limited output Of the fac
tories would warrant.
"Since the people of the truck-growing
section of Eastern North Carolina have
come to regard the ish-scrap guano as
good manure for their soils, the Men
haden factories have found home
market for one element of the product.
and those operating of recent years have
met with much greater success than did
those of previous dates. The industry
may now be said to he fairly launched
in North Carolina on paying foot
ing.
THE region along the Atlantic coast
where this industry can be carried on
with profit, may be said to reach itsj
Southern limit in North Carolina. AM
oil and guano enterprise started att
Charleston, S. c., Il number of years
ago, was soon abandoned ON account of
the abundance Of sharks in the water,
which continually cut the nets to pieces.
''The first factory of this kind inI
North Carolina, is said to have been
built on Harker's Island, in Core Sound,
in 1865. But little machinery was used
the oil presses being operated by hand
and the fish used We're captured byl
means of gill nets. The business was
successful and later steam boiler was
purchased and both haul and purse
seines were put into use. In 1873 the
apparatus, then valued at $4,000, was
removed to Cape Lookout, with the in
tention of rebuilding there, but the fac
tory was never put into operation.
''In 1866 stock company from Rhode
Island, built a large factory at Ports
mouth, on the south side of Ocracoke
Inlet This was known as the Excel
sior Oil and GuanO Company. Fifty
thousand dollars was put into the invest
ment, modern apparatus was secured
i Il, .s-AI