The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-09
MR.. PORTER'S APPEAL
VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE STATE AD-
DRESSES THE PEOPLE.

ne Suggests n Plan to Secure For
North Carolina an Adequate Rerrc-
| aentntion at the an-American en-
| position.
The following Is the address of the
Hon. W. +. Porter to the people of
North Carolina:
Having been appointed a vice presi-
| dent for the state Of North Carolina to
the Pan-American Exposition to be
| held at Buffalo from May 1 to Nov. /,
1901, | take the liberty of addressing
| you us my fellow citizens and present
| inc to you some facts which l conceive
| to be of vast Importance to any good
| citizen,of our beloved state.
| desire to call your attention to the
| fact that this Exposition will naturally
bring together a vast crowd of people
from different portions of the world.
Inasmuch as our state legislature has
! not had the opportunity thus far to
make the necessary appropriation for
a display of our products at this Elk
| position, and unfortunately for US the
regular session of our legislature does
not meet until January, 1901, we are
| fearful that it cannot make suitable
| appropriation in time to erect state
| building so that we might be enabled
| to make proper and creditable exhibit
! for our state.
| A first class exhibit can be made by
her people if the proper efforts are put
forth 1t is proposed that we transfer
| the North Carolina exhibit at Paris to
| Buffalo, which will probably be done,
but that exhibit will not be sufficient.
We want to bring before the people of
| the north and all the western hemi-
| sphere an exhibit that will speak vol
| umes for our state. A suitable display
of the products and resources of North
| Carolina no doubt will be a revelation
to the people and will be of great ben
eft to the Old North State.
There are millions of people without
| any knowledge of our products and
| the advantages that we possess. 1t is
not generally known that the tobacco
| of North Carolina took the first pre-
! MUM at the Worlds Fair at Vienna,
| but such is the case. 1t is not general
| ly known that the minerals of North
| Carolina are the finest in the world.
We have minerals and precious
| stones in our state that are not found
in any other country on the globe.
We have an untold wealth in mica
mines and we believe we can furnish
| sufficient mica for the markets of the
world for years to come.
Our millions of acres of nearly all
kinds of timber are virtually in the
| virgin forests and untouched. The
texture Of our cotton can compete
with the production of any other south
| ern state.
Our corn, wheat, rye and other pro-
! auctions are as fine and Of as good
quality as any in the United States.
We desire a good class of immigra-
ton. ard it is the duty of every good
citizen of our state to use every effort
in his power to bring about a plan to
encourage such immigration. that our
state may be developed and improved
| to such an extent that she may stand
at the head of the column of the south
ern states.
To bring about the results thus set
| forth. it will be necessary for the peo-
pie themselves to take hold of the
| matter. Instead of waiting to see
what the legislature may do for the
state l, as your vice president and rep
resentative, have appealed TO the good
people of our state to come to the res
| cue.
/ propose in the first place that the
citizens Of each county in the state call
a meeting of her people at the county
seat or some other accessible point and
organize Pan-American clubs and take
subscriptions. We believe at least
| $4,000 or $4,000 could be raised in
this way We could then erect build
| ing for our state and could have suffi-
| cient means to make n creditable dis
play of the products and industries of
the state. which would no doubt be
| the means of bringing millions of capt.
| tai into our commonwealth.
1t is believed that the state legisla-
ture would take a broad view of this
effort to promote the public welfare
and without delay reimburse those
who subscribe to this fund.
w. Il. PORTER.