The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-20
Caught From
The Current

We were talking about government
contracts and how many fortunes had
been made on them.
"Some people may be able to make
money that way" said Mr.. Nick West.
Il never have Indeed my experience is
decidedly the other way. You know
they yearly send out from the govern
ment building here list of supplies they
want-the list is usually about yard
long. more or less Well. i received one
of the things for several years. Finally
| decided to try my luck on a bid. |
spent Il whole day figuring on the price
ut which | could furnish the articles
wanted and make a reasonable profit on
them. / never once noticed that it was
set forth at the bottom of the paper that
the government reserved the right to ac-
cept or reject any bid or any part there
Of SO | sent in my list fondly imagin-
ing it would be accepted or rejected as
a whole. Three weeks later | received
IA long envelope, without a stamp ON il.
containing a paper that set forth III
most solemn style that my bid on lone
load of white sand, % cents" had been
accepted and would please delivc: it on
such and such day. / gave the negro
drayman a quarter and told him to haul
load of sand to the place desired on the
day specified. He did so and l forgot
my contract with the government. But
a month or so later my memory was
rudely refreshed by a sharp letter from
the government telling me it was not
common dirt-sand'' but '.riyer-bed
sand that the contract called for, and |
would please at once remove the former
and replace the latter. Do you know
it cost me just $1.50 to get negro to
cart away that sand and bring another
load from the river.
.'Since that day I've fought shy Of
government contracts.
Il never knew the evidences of pros
perity more apparent in Wilmington than
they now are" said Congressman Be-
lamy yesterday. There is more build
ing. brick building, now going on there
than / ever before knew. And business
is fiourishing A new cotton mill, with
a quarter of a million capital, is rracti-
cally assured"
A man who is close observer calls
before observed, viz: That the small
pox is more prevalent and more yirulent
in the Piedmont section of the State
than in the east. sSuch cases as we
have thus far had" he said, ARE Of
an exceedingly mild type, while in the
interior there have been deaths. This
likewise is a characteristic of other dis
eases, due no doubt TO the climate or
Al. nf thn wv III fa-
yer is much milder on Inc coast than III
the western counties"
President Alderman, of the State Uni
versity, is at the Marlborough.
I'm here" he said last night ITO
confer with the committee with refer
ence to resuming work on the Alumni
building and making plans for the Carr
building. Since | arrived here arrange
ments have been completed for again be-
ginning work on the Alumni building
and CARRYING it on to completion. The
designs for the Carr building cannot
be settled finally until Col Carr returns
from New York.
DIR. Alderman goes from here to Tu-
lane University to deliver the address
mt the commencement exercises of the
Medical School of the University.
Superintendent Mebane left yesterday
for Plymouth and Elizabeth City, where
he goes to examine the colored normal
schools and study their needs
II do this he explained with view
to the preparation of a course of study
for these schools by the State Board
of Education. We want to cut the gar
ment for them according to their cloth
The course of study will be arranged
with view to the special needs of
colored public school teachers. We don't
want them studying Latin, algebra ard
a lot of other things in these schools
that will be of no use to them when
they go out as public school teachers