The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-12
~LocKwooD's rof1Lr RIVER.
Petition Asking Congrk.s to annr,.
pirate $4,000 for IN erov se nPs0-

Efforts are to be mai TO secure
from the present congr& an appro-
priation of $4,000 to b{expended in
further improving Lock xood,s Folly
river. Since 1890 $4,000 I'VE been ex-
pended on the improvements of this
river. the last appropriaoon, in 1894.
amounting 10 $4,000
J.. Z. Mercer Of t1Is city. has
always taken a very acute2interest in
he matter of securing atpropriations
for hi work, previous Interpretations
in fact having been very nargely que
10 influences which he brought TO bear
upon North Carolina memhers of the
house and senate. Mr.. Meyer is also
engineering the present mogemeat. He
has had prepared a petition 10 ngress
setting forth the work Heretofore done
by the government, h present needs
for the completion of the Aoject and
asking for TIT. $15, 900 appropriation.
The petition contains valuable infor-
nation. 1t is as follows:
ITO the Congress of the United States:
Greeting: The undersigned citizens
of Brunswick and New nov
ties, in the state of North Carolina, do
hereby urgently and most respectfully
petition for an appropriation OF at least
SIS, 900 for the further Improvement OF
Lockwood's Folly river, y. c.. So far
SIS, 900 has been appropriated for the
Improvement of this river, the appro-
priations being made on September
10, 1890 for $4,000; July 10, 1892, for
SO. 1000, and August II, 1894, for $4,000
and of these appropriations all but
s1S1.49 have been expended.
In a letter dated May 3, 1897, the
chief nf an OinaQrS 6irnctn6 that the inn
provements on this river be discon-
tinued, giving for reasons that the
of and tributory TO aid river
did not justify further expenditure in
that the depth of the channel then
secured was sufficient for all purposes.
AT the discrimination of the work
a hanne five feet deep at mean low
water and 40 to So feet wide had been
secured from the inlet to Lockwood's
Folly bridge, a distance of twenty-five
miles. Since the Discrimination of
work the hanne has gradually been
filling in at points, .noticeably below
Genoa Point, until at present it is in
anything but a satisfactory condition.
1T is believed that for SIS, 600 the
channel can be placed in good condi-
ton, and other necessary improve
ments made, ~noticeably on work at the
bar, and the removal of a numbe of
small shoals above the present i'm
provement, and opposite Dickson'S
landing and other places. In addition
two or three short cuts could be made
at a nominal cost, material to be re-
moved being Of a soft, peaty nature
with no rock, logs or stumps.
THE increase in m tributary
to this section has been marked in the
past two years.
In a few instances have there been
a decrease in the figures as given in the
statistics compiled for the ear 1895,
On the other hand there have been
great gains in certain lines. The she'll
fish business has increased over 200 per
cent, and the timber trade is assuming
large proportions. Nature has so laid
out these grounds and distributed the
salt and fresh waters in their alter
nations in his river, that the she'll
fish products are rapidly gaining favor
with dealers far and neal on account
of their peculiarly delicious flavor.
"R. w. Gibson has established near
his liver shingle mill with a capacity
of 1000, 900 shingles, the plant being
valued at about $40, 900; and if the
water facilities are improved he will
increase 20 per cent. on present plant"
Wilmingtonians feeling an interest in
this movement and desiring to sign the
petition, car do SO by seeing Mr.. J.. B.
Mercer at his shoe store on Princess
street