The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-23
A MILLION DOLLAR MILL
Chartered to be Built In CASTOR County.
Growing Interest In Graded Schools
I'm Towns In Crime Last
Year shown by statistics.
Messenger Bureau.
Raleigh, n. c., February Is.

messenger bureau,
Raleigh, n. c., February IS.
The secretary of agriculture says it
Is certain that there viii be a consid-
erably larger cotton acreage planted in
he state this year. Most farmers deny
this. but it is their custom to endeavor
to make it appear that they will plant
less than they really intend to plant.
Dealers say o larger acreage is a GER
tainty. They say very frankly that
the are going against their
own interests in increasing the acreage.
but that the recent advance in prices
Is q more pJtent influence than any
sdvice.
The state charters the Greensboro
publishing Company, capital 1900,
stockholders Glen. G. Wright and 9th
ers. A charter is also granted the Lo-
ray cotton mills, in CASTOR county
near Gastonia, with 1000, 900 capital,
and John f. Love, Frost Terrence.
George A. Gray, ]. NJ. Sloan and W. T.
Rankin stockholders. The mills will
spin and weave and have also the privi-
lege of making wooden fabrics and Of
making and selling such machinery
and supplies as may be useful.
The state superintendent of public
instruction recently sent out a letter
intended to develop the graded school
idea In towns where there are no such
schools. The letter is having a good
effect. Today he had a letter from
Mayor Baker, Of Rocky Mount, asking
him to go there next Friday and ad-
dress the people on the subject. He
also received a telegram from RAN
dleman, asking him to go to n a town
for the purpose, also on Friday. On
that day the Teachers Assembly COM
mittee meets at Greensboro 10 make
the programme for the next meeting
and also to fix the place where 1t is to
be held, so it will be impossible for
the state superintendent. who is the
secretary to that committee, to go 10
the towns which AVE invited him. To-
day he t~elegraphed G. D. McIver, pres
dent of the State Normal and Indus
trial college at Greensboro, Il request
to go 10 Rocky Mount and address the
people, and also asked P. p. ClaXton,
Of Greensboro, to go to Randleman and
speak. The superintendent is much
gratified at the interest manifested in
educational matters in the state.
The returns Of criminal statistics for
the past year have been received from
all the counties save four. AS soon as
these are received the summary will
be given to the press. 1t is thought
there was a decrease of crime last year
as compared with previous years.
The railway employees who voluntari-
ly guaranteed themselves in the small
pox pest house near here, after having
been exposed to smallpox at Selma,
have all been discharged. All escaped
the iseas 1t is one Of these men,
named Bell, who sues Selma n john
ston county for &c. 900 damages for
combining him under guard in a house
there with a man who had smallpox.
IN his complaint Bell sets forth that
the Selma authorities, knowing how
widespread smallpox is in his state,
aught to have made preparations to
handle properly persons with the dis
ease and also suspects. The sui is Il
warning to other towns to make such
Trepa TdtionS.
During the past twelve months no
fewer than twenty banks, state. pri-
vate and savings, ave begun bust
ness in this state.
The pulpits OF the First Baptist
church and the Baptist tabernacle
Eere are both yet vacant.
Deputy Collector Lewis reports tho
capture of an Illicit distilIery i'll Hall
fax county.