The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-11-28
Views and Interviews.

MIR. IL. IL. I4acy, Commissioner or La
hor. went down to Wilmington last week
40 attend the Masonic Temple Fair be-
ing held there by the Masons TO raise
money to help pay for the magnificent
new Masonic Temple erected in our prin-
tilal city. The fair will continue all
this week aud the railroads win give re.
stuced rates Of one fare, good for three
days. Speaklng ef the fair and the
Wilmington temple Mr., Lacy said:
MaSeas ought to go TO Wilmington
ami ind that Hiram has a monument
six stories high. stores on first floor
offices on second and balance of the mon
Nment in Master MaSnns Hail. Chapter
Temple and Commariry Asylum. On
sac night the Grand Lodge dedicated
the temple the ceremony was short and
was smoothly and gracefully carried out.
There WAS general regret that Mr.. H.
IL Busbee could not be present TO deliv-
er the Grafton, hut when he accepted
the date was Il week earlier and as the
building was not ready to be turned
over the time was changed to date
Mr., Bushee could not possibly attend.
Ne expected two good speeches, ana
we would not have been disappointed,
one from Mr.. lredell Mcars, introduc
ing Mr., Bushee and the other from
Mr.. BuSbee. | heard great many
praise Col. Waddell's speech on the
Night when the fair was formally open
ed. Every Mason who is interested in
abe order at all. whether he is an active
member or not, should so down and
blow in little of his wealth and Incl
slcrtally see some of the handsomest
women in the world and have a good
line. 1t is inspiring and invigorating
TO commune with up-to-date wide-awake
progressive Masons. With only three
more members than we have here in
Raleigh. although they have three lodges
TO our two, and they have not the
incentive for making Il home for the
Grand Ledge that we have, they haya
erected perhaps the handsomest, build
ing in the State. and have so man
aged their finances that it will within
Il few years pay for itself
What is the matter with our State
bride: Every ledge in the State should
seel an active interest in Il temple III the
capital. Go to Wilmington to the fair.
meet the brothers there, give them
the glad hand. and show them by your
presence and. hearty words that even if
You are one of the has beens,' if you
live mostly in the past yourself. and
grieye over the good times that are gone,
you do thrill little when you see live
men with nerve, ambition and go in
them. All Wilmington seems to have
Joined the Masons and is working witt
heart and soul to help raise a few thous-
and TO pay off the floating debt The
fair is perfectly conducted
People are still talking about thar
report of the penitentiary which Super
intenGent Day recently submitted No
body understands it, Col Olds quotes
an official of the Treasury Depart
me,lt as saying of it:
"On one side of this report appears
charge for making an inventory of
farm and on the other side credit for
taking an inventory. This none of us
can understand. Here is statement
showing the cost of the management and
clerical labor per month before this year
and this year. 1T used to be 1928 for
a superintendent and clerk Now it is
$500, the latter including superinten-
dent, purchasing agent, stenographer.
clerk, book-keeper and executive board.
The penitentiary this year got at least
$4,000 from last years products. The
expenses of running things this year as
compared with last year are as Z to 3D.
In the darkest hours of cotton, in
the early fall when Neill's statement
or prediction of 12,000000 sent the
price down far below the real value.
Mrs. w. b. Hunt, of Eatonton, Ga.
wrote sarcastic answer to Nell which
was sent to friend on the Cotton Elk
change in New York and created much
merriment. A prominent cotton man
called it TO my attention yesterday and
suggested that as it ''shut NELL np." it
would be good reading in this paper thar
-'has done so much to save the farmers
this year" 1t reads:
Upon the crop of cotton Neill's making
for the South,
1t matters not the rainfall; it matters
not the drought
Strange, that this city farmer, regard.
less rain or shine,
"Mnles, acres or ''guano' makes
crops that's always fine. :"
Beneath the BRACES River, went Texas
''out of sight"
And steamboats, gay were sailing above
the cotton white.
Rut Mr.. Neill quite calmly said, "Pshaw,
why don't you know,
Beneath the raging pillows the cotton
best will grow?'
And if the flood continues, that cotton
when it fruits,
Will gathered be by pickers, sent down
in diving suits.
Fer cottons an aquatic, Oh suckers
feeds and fwhales)?
The food viii make for Texas an extra
million bales.'
But when the rest of Dixie with drought
was burning dry,
This english cotton planter, he winked
his other eye.
And said: ''All the conditions still point
TO monster crop
The drought has 50 helped cotton the
price must further drop
For cotton needs no moisture; il thrives
on sun and heat:
Eleven millions are assured now, twelve
millions yet may beat"