The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-05-09
OUR RALEIGH LETTER.
RALEIGH HUMPING" HERSELF TO BUILD
BIG AUDITORIUM AND ANOTHER HOTEL.
Penitent;ary Affairs - Selection OF
School Bookshelf Plan for Extend
ing County SchooIs-No Cotton Mill
Strike to be Ordered-Pricc of Cotton
Continues to Drop-Various Matters.


Strike to be Orderei-Pricc of Cotton
Continues to Drop-Various Matters.
CFrom Our Regular Correspondent
RALEIGH. \. c.. May s. 1901
The business men, n gOOdly per centage
Of the property owners, and the maj Or
portion OF the people OF Raleigh have,
apparently, come at last to Il realization
OF the fact that this town must build an
ample auditorium and erect Il new, first
class and thoroughly up-to-date hotel OF
generous proportions - and that the
work must be done without further delay
and without more adO-Or that else the
capital city will within three years cease
to be the convention city OF the State;
that other towns are seeking the honor
(and the business and advertising the
conventions incidentally, but necessarily,
carry with them), and that If Raleigh
longer delays she is lost.
So we've got move on us in the past
three or four days: we've held two inn
portant meetings, both fraught with
good results of the most encouraging
nature, and unless all signs fail there will
be at the disposal Of the next State pOlit-
zeal convention and other big gatherings
Of people fr.t-class, modern, 500, 600,
bedroom hotel, and combined audi
torium-theater that will seat several
thousand people.
Our folks have at last put on their bus
mess suits and their working clothes, and
the money is going to be raised and the
work OF construction begun on both
buildings-the next thing you know
All this without the aid and in spite Of
the per centage OF rich, land-OWning old
fogies and barnacles-of which dead
weight this town has for many years
had to carry more than its normal share.
The live, progressive element is Oh top
now in Raleigh, and this naturally beau
tiful and God-fayOred city will continue
the march Of progress and Improvement
it has been about for the past two or
three years, and artificially add to its
natutal beauty until no city in the South
will surpass it in attractiyeness or utility
or prOGresslyencss.
We are going to vote anOtherS O0, 600
bond issue next month to continue the
work Of baautifying, macadamiZing,
paving and otherwise improving our
streets and sidewalks.
All the comfort and cOnveniences and
attractions Of a real, live, up-to-date city
will be offered YOU gentlemen, when you
next come to US and name the next Coy
ernor of North Carolna-ina an auditorium
that will hold you and to spare-feeling
satisfied with yourself, the capital OF
your State and all the world, after fine
nights sleep lin Il hotel-room all byT0ur-
self and a breakfast served from the
ground up and which you viii say
tasted a degree better than any ycu ever
smacked yOur lips over before-im Raleigh
al least.
PENIT'ENTIARN AFFAIRS.
The directors OF the penitentaIE have
been iii session here ever since last Thurs
day. 1t was expected that they would
elect a new perlntendent at once, but
they seem to approach the subject with
much hesitation, the matter being passed
over day after day.
The financial condition Of this institu-
ton (althOugh reported by the late man
a2ement to be in good shape and able ia
be self-suppOrting for some time) is said
to be in ''pretty bad shape" again. One
of the directors stated Saturday that the
new board had just paid about S12 900
of old debts and that this left the insti-
tuition practically bankrupt
proposition is now made public by
working of convicts at the State prison
and on farms. and to put them to work
building good roads all over the State
for the next several years.
The board meets again today (Monday)
and a superintendent will probably be
chosen within the next day or two.
SELECTION OF SCHOOL BOOKS.
The State School Book Commission. OF
which Governor Aycock is the head, viii
probably today open and examine the
sealed report OF the sub-cOmmisson
which for five weeks past has been eX.
amining the sample OF school books of al
kinds submitted by the several publishing
houses CD firms aitogether), and in due
time will decide whether the recOmmen
datiOns OF the subcommittee shall be
adopted, in toto or partially, after which
contracts will be made for furnishing and
distributing (and it is said this matter o
distribution has figured prominently
in compelling North Carolina to pay
| more for the same books in the last few
years than other States) the books select
ed for the next five years.
1t is reported here that the firm OF CHM
& Co., of Boston, has captured the
'liOn's share OF the books recommended
ny tie subcommittee, ttlu lllit lIlt
Southern house of b. +. Johnson & Co.
OF Richmond, gets the spelling and copy
books only; whereas most of us had
hoped and expected to see Southern writ,
ten and published books come in for a
big share of the books adopted-"al
things being equal" especially. The
American and the University companies
sometimes yclept the book trust, are
though they will DO benefited largely il
the report is adopted by the full commits
sion without change orreyisiOn-Maury 5
biographies being included among the
number. The name OF the history. or
histories, is not announced. Indeed, the
whole thing is supposed to be secret up
to this writing (Monday). the committee
men being sworn to secrecy. but news
will leak out and find its way to the ear
OF alert newspaper men attending to
their businessmen the proceedings OF
the United States Senate in executive SEES
siOff. That's why I'm telling You some
OF this story in advance, dOncher-knO
SCHOOLS.
The movement to extend the school
terms at the public schools in counties
where the terms are inadeQuately short
by securing the volunteer service OF patri.
| otic teachers who will agree to teach a
few additional weeks OF school without
salary, is meeting with much encourage
ment. \ number OF teachers. especially
ladies, are sending in their agreement t.
| the superintendent OF Public Instruction
and one public spirited woman OF Raj
| eigh Miss Fannie Heck. states that she
will arrange to have fifty young women
teachers go into the arrangement. with
out cost to the State or counties. during
| the years 1901 and 1902 Great good
Is expected to result from this admirable
| arrangement. With this plan supple
menting the 100000 appropriation by
| the State for the free public schools. there
| ought to be a great educational reviva
| in North Carolina
| NO STRIKE To BE ORDERED
| 1t il now definitely settled thar thor.