Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-10-24
It Was Opened Monday by Gov
ernor Daniel Russell.
SEvENTY-EIGHT FAKIR'S HERE
Tho Republicans Hold a Conference at
Greensboro The Late Major Peterson
Tho Banks of the State Increase in pi-
vorccs-NIoro convicts Sen. to tho state
Farms-Delinquent Railroads Farmers
Refuse to Sell Their Cotton for Nine
Cents Per Pound.

Raleigh. N. c., Oct 23.-The fortieth
annual State Fair was opened here at
noon to-day by Governor Russell.
Much work was done to-day. Yester-
day afternoon q special train from Ha-
gerstown. Md, brought seventy eight
fakirs from the fair there. Last year
the, fakirs We're here in small num-
bers. This year there are more than
ever before. A number came from the
Greensboro and Burlington fairs, and
next week the most OF them will go to
the fair at Winston. Thence they will
go to that at New Bern. BY this 1t
will be seen that there are many fairs
this year in North Carolina, and those
at Weldon and at Fayetteville must
be added.
REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE.
1t is very notable that within the
past few days not few of the Repub-
licans in this State are expressing fear
that Bryan will be elected. The lead
ers of the party We're at Greensboro
yesterday in large numbers in confer
ence with the State chairman, Senator
Pritchard, whose call to them TO meet
him there was more than pressing be-
ing, In fact. almost imperative.
THE LATE MAJOR PETERSON.
Major Matt Ransom Peterson, who
died OF yellow fever at Havana n few
days ago, and whose wife committed
suicide an hour later was native OF
Sampson county, this State. He leaves
q widowed mother and a sister there
and an uncle, Mr.. CASTOR Peterson, at
Wilmington.
THE BANKS.
The banks in this State have done
wonderfully we'll and have made mo-
ney this year. There is general pros
perity in the State. This shows more
In the agricultural line than in many
years past Farmers are more largely
raising their own supplies. This saves
them from the clutch of the deadly
mortgage or crop lien. Last year there
was notable falling off in this re-
spect, and this year the decrease is
maintained, 1t is learned from registers
of deeds. The farmers who raise cot
ton are thus largely enabled to hold it
this year They are not rushing it on
the markets. but assert they will not
Sell for less than 10 cents q pound.
Most of them believe it will go to II
cents after the holidays.
INCREASE IN DIVORCES.
term OF the Superior Court for
criminal cases began here to-day.
There are no less than seven divorce
cases on the docket. The increase in
divorces, not only in this county, but
all over the State. is causing much
comment. A lawyer says he thinks
the average is now as high as five to
each county in n year. In one county
there were no less than eighteen
THE STATE FARMS.
Forty more cOnvicts have been sent
from the pentcntiary to the State
farms, on the Roanoke river. to pick
cotton. The weather for picking has
been for the past sixty days the most
perfect ever known. and never at this
season was the crop so nearly gath
cred.
DELINQUENT RAILROADS.
Two or three of the railroads in this
State have failed to send in their an
nual reports UP to June LIST to the Cor
poration Commission. The comm sson
is required by law to impose n fine of
$500 on all railroads that fail to submit
these reports, so if they are not sent in
at once the fine will have to be col
lected.
REFUSED TO SELL COTTON.
Farmers in this section refuse TO sell
their cotton for 8 cents. so the receipts
for the week past were light only 401
bales. as against 54S for the CORE
spending week last year, and then it
was selling for Z cents. Two weeks
ago, when the price paid was 10 cents
and up. 1249 bales We're sold. Up to
the present date for the year is 6,S12,
against 5,132 for the same period last
year. No
A DISPUTED WARRANT.
State Auditor Aver on Saturday is
sued the warrant for 1851 to Theophi-
lus White. This is the sum over which
there was so much dispute, and which
the State Auditor and State Treasurer
said that there must be an order from
the Supreme Court before they would
pay this money. for they considered it
not n legal affair