The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-31
FIRST COURT OPENS
Scotland County's Represen-
tative People Attend,
Judge George H. Brown Presides. Cotton Mills
Running on Full Time. The NtW
Oil Mill.
(Staff Correspondence.

Laurinburg. N. c., Oct 30.-The open
ing of the first court here today will, in
after years be remembered and talked
about by all who attended. Judge Geo.
HI. Brown presided, he having exchanged
courts this week with Judge Walter Neal
who is holding Washington county court
1t was understood that Judge Brown
would be unable to convene court until
today, as he could not. after adjourning
court at his appointment, get here before
this morning, He came in from Maxton
and opened court promptly at $50. He
is holding court in Fields Hall, which is
large and conveniently arranged and To-
Gated for court room. 1t will not be
many months, however, before the large
and handsome two story brick-S0xS0
feet-court house now rapidly nearing
completion will be finished, and no coun-
ty in the State will have better court
house and Jail than Scotland.
After Sheriff McLaurring had announced
the opening of court, from ESQ to 300 as
good and representative people as live
in any county, not only in the State, but
in the world, began to assemble and
take their seats. This is a civil term. and
being the first court the docket is not
very large.
The following are the members of the
first jury for Scotland county: j. A.
Bowen, H. C. Covington, C. w. McPher-
SON, N. P. Skipper, C. N. Chance, L. p.
Gibson, A. w. Wright, VIM. Rachels, C.
w. Sneed Jno. Andrew Chavis, Hyram
Norton, VIM. Ransom, Y. v. Wright,
Peter D. Jones, M. J. Mckay, w. E. Pate.
]. H. McNeill, j. T. Fields.
1t is generally believed that this court
will only consume two or three days
more. A criminal term will be held in
Scotland, beginning the 18th of November
The local bar here is represented by
Maxy l.. Johns, j. d. Sham, Jr., d. Stew
art, w. E. Cox. The visiting lawyers
are ]. A. Lockhart from Wadesboro; Mai.
Jno. D. Sham. Cameron Morrison Le-
Grand, from Rockingham. Clerk of the
Court H. HI. Covington, as well as all
others of the court officers, seem to be
completely at home, and the county is to
be congratulated upon having such eff
cient men in charge of affairs.
Notwithstanding hard times and short
crops the people of this section, comns,
from sturdy and sterling Scotch ancestry,
are looking at the situation from a COM
mon sense standpoint. They are not 60
ing to sit down and mourn over wha t
they can't help, but will make the best
of the situation and go to work next
year harder than ever to make up FOR
short crops this year. There are no bet :
ter farming lands or more Industrious
farmers in any section of the State than
live in Scotland and around Laurinburg,
but the extremely wet season this year
has been very disastrous to the crops in
this section, especially the cotton and
corn crops.
The two cotton yarn mills here are
both up to date with the latest improved
machinery and are running on full time.
The new oil mill just completed with a
gin attached, is thoroughly up to date iii
its equipment. 1t is forty ton per day
mill with a capacity of 1000 gallons of
oil per day and $4,000 pounds of cake.
1t was started up on the 2Sth. The COM
pany are contemplating putting in a 120-
pound per day refinery and fertilizer ma
chinery. The authorized capital stock
is $4,000. james A. Jones is presi-
dent and treasurer and the directors are
Jno. F. McNair, X. A. Blue, A. A. James,
l.. d. McKinnon and JAS A. Jones. Mr..
X. E. Carroll is the superintendent and
general manager of the mill. Some of
the new stores and business houses erect
ed on the burned district are completed
and occupied. Work on all other build
ings. that | mentioned in my last letter
from this place, will be pushed until all
the vacant lots left by, the fire about
three months ago will be occupied by
better buildings, all of brick
The excellent high school here. of
which Prof. F. P. Wyche is principal. lis
in a flourishing condition and has an en-
rollment of 113 pupils. H. B. HARDY.