The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-16

His gifts will last long after he has
heen called TO the other world and will
bless unborn children. | am as much
opposed to the cigarette trust as any llv-
ing man, and if ! had the power would
destroy it before tomorrow morning
breakfast, but / do not believe IN max
ing the gifts Mr.. Duke makes the occa-
sion for impugnng his motives. | rather
am glad that he uses his money to pro-
vide better educational facilities, and l
wish that every trust maSnaIe III 1he
country would do likewise. l nave no
fear that the gifts will blind the people
to the evils Of the trusts. For a time IL
may do so with some superhclai MINUS
but will have no effect upon the co1vlc-
tons of thoughtful men and women.
None of the money Mr.. Duke has gwen
has been used more wisely than here ana
none of it has done more good, or pllt
higher education in the reach OF people
struggling in the evil conditions produced
I'm part by the low price of tobacco, press
ed down and down by the Cigarette
Trust.
The sessions of the conference are held
in the college chapel. BY the first OF
the wear. a new and handsome brick
MemOrlaI HAN VIII duol IL tli0. S''hpuA
and give the college magnificent audi
forum and additional dormitories. Dur
ing the past year every available space
in the building was occupied-tl thlnk
there were over GO boardersl and the
college either had to expand or to de-
cline to take young women who were
knocking for admission. Memorial Hall
was designed by Mr.. Il. NJ. Thompson.
architect. OF Raleigh. and will make an
imposing structure. The campus is
very large one, shaded by venerable
trees. and is the pride of all Louisburg,
and there isn't a resident of the town
who does not rejoice in the new life OF
the college.
Five wears ago Louisburg began to
show evidences of eXpansion--an expan-
sion like that which all men approved
when Jefferson purchased the adjacent
Louisiana territory. One of the first
good signs of expansion was to erect
mammoth tobacco warehouses on the
spot where the Franklin farmers have
swapped horses and stories for an hun
.dred years and more. The industry of
selling and stemming and drying tobacco
has been a vast Improvement over the old
time horse-swapping. 1t is but an In
dex of what has happened in all other
lines in the town. Upon the occasion Of
my first visit to Lonisburg ten years ago.
the business houses We're all unattractive
wooden stores without any pretensions
| to architectural beauty Now there are
but two frame buildings left in the
| business heart OF the town.
! Large and handsome two and
three story brick structures have
| taken their places. Its excellent
| hotel. with its pressed brick front. is
| handsoller than you will find in most
towns with three times the population.
| That tells a tale OF progress more elo-
quent than any words can do.
The introduction Of tobacco gave
LolIisburg a new stimulus. The TOBACCO
market here has grown to be one Of the
best and largest in the State. There are
now here five large tobacco warehouses
and more than a dozen prize houses. three
Of which are equipped with steam drying
/ plants. The five give employment to
more than one hundred hands each dur
ing the tobacco season.
At this time buildings are being erect
/ ed that will cost in the aggregate more
/ than fifty thousand dollars. and man
/ who has been away from Louisburg five
years would recognize nothing about the
/ town but the river, the court house.
| some of the old homes situated i'll the
| shade of venerable oaks, and the people.
4 There is little change in the folks. They
| hustle more than they did and have more
| business to do, but they have not lost
| their old time courtesy and gracious hos
i pitality that has characterized it an hum
/ dred years. It's growth is solid an! sub
/ stantial, and has not been of the kind
that builds too rapidly. 1t has fine
/ back country and is the capital of a
county that is second to none in the
intelligence and integrity Of its people
How do Judge? More Franklin county
people. in proportion to population. sub
scribe to the News and Observer than in
! any other county except Wake. That's
an infallible test with me!
4
i On Friday night a very large audi
i ence assembled in the Methodist church
to hear Rev. w. G. Norman, Of Raleigh
He was for four years pastor here ant
has large circle of friends and admir-
4 ers not only III his own denomination
but IN all the churches of the town. III
is as popular here as in Raleigh and
i that means he owns the affection and
regard G. the community. He preach
ed a strong sermon on the strength o.
the church, speaking especially OF tht
i peculiar tencts OF the Methodist church
i 1t was an able discussion Of the faiti
held by this church and the preacher
had the close attention Of every heares
i Messrs. Joseph G. Brown, M. s. Davis
b. w. Ballard and G. Il. McCullers were
elected delegates to the Annual Confer
ence.
On saturday morning the regular bust
J ness Of the conference was continued u
the college chapel. The discussion q
the Orphanage and Home for Snperan
mated Ministers was the special orde
: and the discussion was led by Rev. }. w
jenkins, the father Of the Orphanage.
; On Sunday there will be Love Feas
z at the Methodist church at 9:3O Il. III
? and services will be held at the variou
7 churches of the town by preachers of tn
conference appointed by the c3mmitte
on Religious Exercises.
The sessions of the conference hay
been well attended and taken all III a.
; it has been Il delightful and upliftin
series of meetings. The discussions hay
! been able and have shown that the speak