The gold leaf., 1900-09-06
(From Our Regular Correspondent


Minor Mention-News Notes.
(From Our Regular Correspondent
RALEIGH, NC, September 3, 1900.
The meeting here during the past week
of the Cotton States Association OF State
Commissioners of Agriculture was an in
teresting one. While only about a half
dozen States were represented, United
States Secretary of Agriculture Wilson
was present and the address delivered by
him. the State Commissioners and 9th
ers (including President Winston of the
North Carolina College of Agriculture and
Mechanic Arts) We're very timely, instruc-
tive and interesting
100000 BALE CROP OF COTTON.
Probably the most important outcome
of the meeting was the estimate, prepared
and given out after careful enquiry and
consideration made of the size of the cot
ton crop for the year 1900, viz, 9,364,
800 bales.
The crop OF 1899, which was a short
one itself, was estimated at 10, 900
bales, so that the crop of 1900 will not
be only one of the smallest of recent years
but will be, according to the estimate,
nearly million bales less than 1899, or,
to be exact. SS5,O00 bales less
North Carolina was put down at 49o :
900 bales, which is considered a very
liberal estimate, for unless the balance OF
the season is very proptious and the sup
ply of labor (said to be short in many
counties) ample to pick it, the crop this
year will hardly reach those figures.
This short crop means that our farmers
ought to- and doubtless will, receive ten
cents for all their cotton raised and
marketed during the season OF 19OO-19O1
and if the market does not approach that
figure at the start it will be good policy
for evrey cotton grower who can do sc
to hold his cotton and hold it as long as
he can, for the price is certain to reach
ten cents before the season is far ad-
vanced. The fOrei On crop, especially in
India (On account of the famine) is rela
lively even shorter than in the United
States, and. of course, the foreign demand
for our cotton will be heavier than usual
In addition to all these, and other facts
tending in the same direction, there has
been an unprecedented growth in the cot
ton manufacturing business OF this coun
try, particularly in the South, and hun
dreds of thousands of new spindles must
be fed this year for the first time. SO the
increased price will largely compensate
our farmers for the damage done by the
drought am very glad to be able tC
add.
SOUTH TO SET PRICE OF COTTON.
One of the most important and gratf
flying points made by United States Sec
retary OF Agriculture Wilson and Others
was the declaration that the South now
has more to do with setting the price o
cotton than ever, and that it will event
| ually be in Il position to do SO absolutely
instead of having it set in Liverpool
Manchester and other English manufac
turing centres and in New York
The change is being wrought largel y
through the rapid growth of cotton man
| featuring in the South. The estimates
of the growing crop each year should bt
made in the South also-at least the con
trolling one, and this new Association O
Cotton States Commissioners will largely
figure in this hereafter, instead of having
one man or firm in New York and one il
New Orleans do it, with the chances o
attempting to control the market in thei
own commercial interests and that o
their ''friends' on the inside-as has beer
| the case OF recent years.
| NUM- II '1AIoIlNA MAN NUf AZ AbfkoAD
North Carolina is certainly coming tt
the front rapidly, in the requirement of ;
| reputation with the outside world as ;
manufacturing State. Not only as tn
cotton manufacturing leader OF the South
| but along other lines. One new industr,
is especially attracting attention at pres
ent. viz, the splendid patent Elastic Eel
Mattress mandatory of Messrs. Royal
| Il Borden at GOldsbOrO, whose claim Q
turning out the "most comfortable an,
best bed on the face OF the earth,' ha
just met with a great recognition at TIVE
OF the greatest expOsitions of the yea1
one in New York State and the other i
the West, and from other outside sources
The result is that these Felt Mattresse
(every portion of the material. as we'll a
the beds themselves, being made at Colds
boro) are now selling like hot cakes a
over the country, and the mandatory
already large concern, will 500
develop into one of the biggest in tn
country, i'll order to supply the demand
All our home folks should provide then
selves with these splendid North Carolin
beds, which are in the reach OF ALL and
they will drop Messrs. Royal & Borden
postal at Goldsboro, they will send the1
a descriptive pamphlet explaining mor
in detail the merits of their product.
spicture of which you will see in thi
paper.
STATE CONFERENCE OF NEGROES.
Rev. c. H. King, a negro preacher, {
Raleigh, who is president OF a State a.
socia ton of negro leaders of some sor
has called meeting of the association t
be held in Raleigh September Goth, sc
the purpose of considering educationa
industrial and political matters" Notl
ing more definite is given out as to tn
real object of the conference
| am told, however, by Raleigh negroe
that this is the same association of whic
George White, the negro Congressman.
or was probably in the past tense now
a prominent member, and of which
was proposed in the spring or early sun