The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-07
Messenger Bureau,

Raleigh, n. c., January l.
The report of adjutant general Cowles
was completeG today and is a gratifying
one. 1t says the state guard is in fine
condition. During the year no company
was disbanded. There were fewer resig-
nations and discharges than ever before.
Nearly 100 applications for permission to
organize companies are filed. The
strength of the force is now 1874, an in
crease Of 153 during the year. The guard
is in as good a condition as possible IN
der the circumstances. Annual encamp-
ments woald, Of course, increase its eff
fciency. The inspection of all depart
ments by the inspector general is found
to be an excellent plan. The a%ppropria-
ton by the state is only 5000, the small
est made by any state for the same num-
Der Of men. The force is equipped for
field service. The allowance is only $50
a year to each company. The state does
not expend a dollar for clothing. arming
or equipping the guard, the government
doing all this. Troops were called out
eight times during the year to aid the
civil authorities.
John r. Smith, the new commissioner
of agriculture, was in his office today.
He says that the number OF inquiries
during the past two weeks for informa-
ton relative to the state is reported 10
be the greatest ever known.
North Wilkesboro is the last place to
suffer by fire: the loss being 81, 600 and
Insurance Sc, 300. The fire losses in the
state during the past year have not been
large. .
The state treasurer is notified that the
Bank of Brevard is bought by the Bank
of Henderson and goes out of business.
The treasurer says that during the
past year less than 5000 of old state
bonds came in for exchange. He says ne
thinks very few more bonds will ever
come in. There are some 100000 yet out
standing.
Robert H. Brooks succeeds Captain
Fuller as superintendent of the Soldiers
Home here. -Four months ago, by a fall.
Captain Fuller broke his thigh and is
therefore incapacitated.
Work on the Capital Club building,
which the Capital Club Construction
Company is doing, progresses slowly,
owing to the cold weather.
| The arrangement between the city and
J the state is that the latter will remove
the massive iron fence around the capt.
tol square and that the city will place it
around a cemetery. The fence was made
| in Chatham county in 1851 by q man nam
| ed Barnes, and cost 5000.
| The South Carolina teachers cannot
meet with the North Carolina Teachers
Assembly this year, and have declined
| the invitation. Perhaps d number of
them can be with the assembly one day.
| There is a remarkable fight against DR..
| John McBrayer, who wants to be post
master at Shelby. 1t is alleged in affi-
davits that he is an atheist.
1t is expected that the Marlborough
| House, while closing the Park hotel to
transients, will make it available when
| there are crowds of visitors.
TIL poultry show at Asheville is a big
affair. l.. Banks Holt, of Alamance
county, has 700 chickens in view; Julian
S.. Carr has 25o, a BIltmore farm 500.
Another long distance telephone line is
1 t0 ha h1li1t this time from, Ralniob ror4b
| ward.
C. c.. Pagan, the discharged assistant
clerk of the railway commission, decides
to make no fight in the courts for that
| office, but left for home today.
The directors of the North Carolina
railway met here today, DR.. r. NJ. Nor
ment presiding, and declared a 3k per
cent. dividend for the half year. The
next half-year dividend will be of 8 per
cent. The first is payable February Goth
and the other August 18th.
Judge Purnell allows an appeal to the
| circuit court of apeals from his decision
in the matter of the ownership of Smiths
Island, at the mouth of the Cape Fear
| river.
Judge Simonton grants the Western
union Telegraph Company until April, in
the United States court, for the further
presentation of it's case, against the low
er rale ordered by the railway commits
sion; this to be provided the company
does not take the case from before the
! federal courts.
There is an effort by the attorneys for
! the Wilson's to get a hearing of the rail-
way commissionership case before jan
uary Goth.
1t is said that Carl Duncan thinks it
would make fewer enemies to retain the
office force in the revenue office here
| (save four clerks than to try to make
appointments, subject to the approval of
the treasury. The office is now rated
"A L." All the clerks save four are pro-
tected by civil service.
The populist county commissioners
seem determined to GUST w. C. McMackin
! as supervisor of public roads here.
| With a much smaller force of deputy
collectors Collector Simmons has, during
| his four years term, captured many
more illicit stills than his predecessor.
| AT the office of the secretary of state
| three entries of beds of streams were
made yesterday, as land entries.
/ The lowest temperature here this win
ted was Is degrees Sunday morning.
| 1t is said to be true that the sum paid
the employees of the last senate was
much larger than that paid those of the
| house.