The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-29

the farms, and the Supervisors there
are kept as much in the dark as hereto
fore The Supervisors, however, are no
longer permitted to purchase what they
wish as under Mewborne and Smith
The testimony of Capt. Day follows
in detail:
DATA OF THE FARMS.
The lease from the Navassa Guano
Company for 35S acres of rice land ex-
pires the 31st day of December, 1899;
rental per year, $500. There is no OPP
ton on that land.
Six hundred acres Of land rented of
Buffers, lease expires 31st day of De-
cember 1900; rental, $3.50 per year, pur-
chase option, $500.
The Arson county land, s pieces, ag-
gregating 2,110 acres, rental value,
~, 5S7.72 per year. The option price
ranges from $500 to $11.00, an average
of $1,000, making about $4,000.
The Castle Hayne property's lease ex-
pires in 1908; 500 acres, $3.50, but that is
coupled with a contract to dig the phos-
plate there. They owe sixteen hundred
and sixty odd dollars TO the penitentiary
for labor furnished for mining phos-
reduces this debt to about sixty odd, al
legimg that the State used some ma
ehinery that belonged to the old Phos-
plate Company.
In the Tillery farm, there are about
1900 acres and the lease expires in
1902: that is a part Of the Caledonia.
They farm on shares with them; Til
lery furnishes everything except the la
L ~ ;,aly fhaA 10 OH fhn haS do
the Penitentiary has made
OF the Caledonia lands there are
1920 acres; the rental value of it being
$3.50 The option on the entire tract
| have calculated. is So, 165; the option
on 1900 acres Of it expires in 1901; OPP
ton on 1880 expires i'll 1906 option on
LOGO acres expires in 1902; option on
1000 more expires in 1902. | have re-
ceived letters from Pope and wife, and
from Henry j. Futrel, saying that they
will not extend the option, and that
they do not want to sell. Still, we can
force sale, provided it is done before
January, 1901.
or the Halifax farm, there are 2,136
acres belonging to three parties; $50 to
General Ransom, $500 rental 300 acres
belonging to Mrss Pattie Gee, rental
$500; 500 acres belonging to Mrs. Bette
A. Badger, $3.50 rental; total rent for the
three places, 81 $50. The lease and OPP
tons expire in 1900. Neither Mr.. Day
nor the sub committee sent down to in
yestigate, look upon this as being de-
sirable option.
The Northampton FARM 200 acres,
belonging to the heirs of Col. John Long,
expires in 1900; 1,532 acres, belonging
to c. w. CRANKY, expires in 1900. The
option price of these two tracts is $780,
900. j regard that as the most desira-
Bile of all these lands.
Mr. Patterson looks upon it as being
fine land and in good condition.
My impression is that the New Han
over farm, the Arson county farm and
the Halifax county farm, ought to be
abandoned, and il the State cannot
compromise with the lessons it would
be better to pay the rental value and
quit them.
The Caledonia farm and the Halifax
farm Ct treat them as one FARM anu
the Northampton farm aggregate about
ten thousand acres of land, all that the
number of conyicts now at the disposal
of the State can work; by abandoning
| these other farms you get clear of three
supervisors and reduce the guards 80
per cent. that are needed for guarding
the prisoners. The option on the North
| ampton farm expires January LIST, 1900.
| The State ought to purchase, because
/ do not believe that the owners of the
| land will renew the lease, and my judg-
ment is that the State ought to pur-
chase the Caledonia farm, because /
know the lessons will not renew the OPP
ton or lease.
| Since testifying before your committee
the other day, at which time | said l
estimated about ten thousand bushels
of rice was raised on the New Hanover
farm and was to be sold, | wired the
Supervisor for definite answer to the
letter and he reports 2,4O0 bushels de-
livered to the mill and possibly $500 re-
manning.
EVERYBODY BOUGHT.