The semi-weekly messenger., 1898-02-01
Messenger Bureau,
Raleigh, N. c., January 29.

Your correspondent had special IN
terview today with J. M. Mewboorne,
the new penitentiary superintendent,
regarding the policy as to convicts,
the state farms, etc. Mewboorne said:
Il think, perhaps, we can carry out
the law and make the penitentiary
self-sustaining. 1t requires $130,000
to $4,000 a year to operate the peni-
te1litiary. We will make it if we can.
Maybe we will do it. There is a con-
siderable falling off in the number of
convicts. A few years ago it was over
1,400, now it is only LOGS. Convicts
are going on the county gangs. AS to
the phosphate mine and farm at Castle
Haynes we don't intend to buy it.
We can't go into the phosphate busi-
ness. 1t would require vast deal of
machinery and cost much for repairs
1t is rather too much of a commercial
transaction. we would have to find
a market for the phosphate. We
might find one and we might not We
would have to put out drummers in
the field and we have enough business
on our hands without that Of course
if the buyer of the mines wants us to
furnish cOnvicts for digging phosphate
we would do that. It is too risky for
us to try to do anything ourselves.
We might be legislated out of it in six
months. 1 have been to the Anson
county farm. That farm ought never
to have been leased at the high figure
of $4,000 year. 1t has been magnifi-
Gently improved. Supervisor Rein
hardt has done a wonderful
amount of work there. 1t is beauti-
fully located upland farm, with 1,50O
acres in cultivation. There are 900
acres in timber, which we are cutting.
AS to the farms on the Roanoke river,
the Halifax farm is far too dangerous.
It's lease has only two years more to
run and then it will be surrendered
The Northampton farm is far superb
or It's lease has four years to run.
The Caledonia farms (really they are
one) are the finest I have ever seen.
But about half of it is subject to over
flow. There is always the element of
risk. We have made a good lease for
the Tillery farm on the Roanoke.
Tillery furnishes thirty ploughs, and
half the fertilizer. He furnishes all
save the labor. We furnish the con-
victs, clothing, feeding and guarding
them. 1t is fair contract Now as
to the plants. l am determined to
plant enough Of food crops to supply
all the people and the criminals en-
ployed on all the farms. We will
make plenty of corn and wheat and
oats and peas and will have also ample
gardens to yield great supply of veg
etables. We will have plenty of hogs
and cattle; not too many hogs as
fear cholera when they are in large
droves. But, remember that the first
thought will be of ample food crops.
All the women on the farms were
brought to the penitentiary today, and
practically all of them will be employ
ed in the shirt factory there"
The old officers of the Soldier
Home are all reelected for the year.
The new superintendent, r. H. Brooks,
takes charge Monday. Captain Fuller,
the retiring superintendent, who by
his fall is disabled for life, goes to his
old home at Kittrell Monday.
Wolcott Lay, special agent of the
United States treasury, arrived today
to supervise the transfer of the rev.
enue Office from T. M. Simmons to E.
c. Duncan. Lay says the transfer will
be made by Monday evening,he thinks,
but possibly it may take two days
longer.
There are, by reason of lack of
means, only six inmates of the negro
consumptives' sanitarium at Southern
Pines, but there are no less than fifty
one applicants for admission. Alfred
S,,sa yho
is now there has consumption, as
meteorological examination clearly
shows. 1t is incipent. He was per-
fectly we'll when he arrived here last
October.
Otho Wilson is the latest candidate
for postmaster at Raleigh. This news
causes quite a laugh here. James H.
Young, colored, says Senator Pritch-
ard promised him his endorsement.
Republicans her are laughing at
Governor Russell's message to the
president through Marshall Mott; that
if Senator Pritehard were not elimina-
ted from republican politics North
Carolina would be irreparably lost.
The most influential republicans say
that of all republicans in this state
not one has less influence than the
governor; that his party casts him out
and spurns him, and that Senator
Pritchard has more influence in min
ute than Russell in year.
Joseph j. Woods is dropped as su-
pervisor of the Castle Haynes farm
and State Senator Cannon, of Bruns-
wick, succeeds him. 1t seems that
the state will occupy this farm but a
little while longer.
1t is asserted that good progress is
now being made in the construction
of the Richmond, Petersburg and
Ridgeway railway, and that by early
autumn the Seaboard Air Line will be