The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-05-30
OUR RALEIGH LETTER.
THE DIMUNITlON OF FORESTS C0kTRlBU-
TED LARGELY TO DAMAGE BY FLOODS.
Intense Interest in School Book CUES.
important to Tax Payers as to Tax
Listers - College Commandments
Entertainments News Notes.

-tHIpOT tdul ~ ! Ak = ySIS 40 " TX
Listers - College Commencements
Galore-Numerous News Notes.
CFrom Our Regular Correspondent
RALEIGH. n. C., May 81, 1901.
The rain and wind storms of the past
week have worked sad havoc to crops
and real property in a large territory of
DESTROYING millions of dollars worth,
and Just at a time, too, when we were
congratulating ourselves that North
Carolina had escaped the destructive ele-
ments that had caused so much damage
in other States.
Here in Wake and Durham counties
rain fell in sheets, washing away most OF
the bridges across all the streams and
running crops in miles OF territory. The
rural mail deliveries has been suspended
and the wheels of machinery in cotton
and other mills stopped.
The storm appears to have been great
est and most destructive in the Piedmont
section. especially along the Catawba
river, while the mountainous streams OF
the French Broad and the Swanannoa
have overfowed and inundated vast
area of country and several towns, in
Guiding Bitmore. Asheville and Durham
were lett in darkness by the flooding of
the electric light plants. In Mcdowell
county alone the damage amounts to
5000, 900, in Burke 100000 and many
other counties suffer severely, although
it is not yet possible to estimate the full
damage, as communication is cut Off
1t is said that the rapid dimunition OF
our forests is largely due the losses sus-
tanned in many of these counties; that
the unprecedented rise of the streams is
due to that fact, and that the same
amount of rainfall 20 years ago would
have caused little or no damage; that in
the future, as the telling OF timber trees
goes on, we may expect similar or worse
results 1t is pointed out, however, that
the denuding of the forests would not
and will not be SO great if people would
stop their wastefulness in destroying the
forest, and just here a word OF caution
and advice to our farmers and land own
ers to correct this destructive habit is not
| out OF place.
While it is known that cotton has been
greatly damaged and thousands OF the
| acreage lost for this season, it is perhaps
| too early to correctly estimate the full
effect of the damage in the crop this year
| and the price next fall
| INIENSE INTEREST IN IhE SJHoO1I BUM
| QUESTION.
| 1t is remarkable and yet not surpris-
ing, how much interest the people of the
entire State are taking in the school book
| question-not only the teachers and
friends of education,' but parents, ad
vanced pupils in the public schools and
important matter and that the State
Board OF Education SO regard it is at
tested by the care and elaboration which
Governor Aycock and the balance of them
are giving the matter.
| In the course Of a conversation today
with a prominent and patriotic educator
your correspondent noted the following
observations to him. In abiding to the
''strOng array OF counsel, including law
yers and agents from various sections OF
the State and some outside of it, which
have been here and are now again
''dropping in to talk up the publca-
tons of the so-caled book trust,' said:
II think your informant last week was
mistaken in the inference that the trust
is likely to get the lions share of these
contracts, contrary to the recommended
tons of the subcommittee, which recent
| ly selected a list from the books offered
! by the % firms. | do not believe the
| DOdl u VI Viii Dt uutLCcu W
! this array of book trust counsel. 1t is
| evident to me that the commission in
tends to give the matter thorough inves-
tigatiOn, and those here this week inter-
ested in the matter share my views.
| PRICES OF BOOKS FORCED DOWN.
| They also agreed with me in believing
change in the books used advisable
especially since it has been explained that
this would cause no extra expense to the
parents of children, the latter being per-
mitted to use the books they already
| have until they finish with them. A
prominent public man from the West
| tells me that his people are more interest
| ed in this matter of school books than in
any question for long time; that they
think the Legislature did wise thing in
passing the Aycock law and hope it's
provisions will be faithfully carried out.
| Il happen to know that the new books
will cost more than one-fOurth less than
those now in use, and furnished by the
| 'trust'-from % to 35 per cent. less. The
| firms not in the trust have forced the
price down by their bids, and the trust
had to meet the lower rate in order to
stand any show at all of securing the
| contracts.
This good result, already reached.
means the saving of many thousands of
| dollars to the parents of the State
enough, and more than enough, to pay
for all the books used during one of the
five years for which the new contracts
are to be let
| | was told today, on good authority,
that the contracts would probably not
be let for week or two, may be several
weeks-not until the commission COM
petes the thorough investigation and
| consideration they are determined to give
| the matter.
IMPORTANT TO TAN PAYERS AS TO TAX
| LISTERS.
| The State Board of Tax Equalization
has just sent out printed instructions to
the hundreds of tax listers throughout
the State. defining their duties and the
duties of the tax payers as well, as pre-
scribed by the new revenue and machinery
acts. Tax payers as we'll as tax listers
should thoroughly acquaint themselves
with this document.
One of the features of the law is that
when tax payer fails to give in notes.
| bonds, stock. or other other evidences of
debt owned by him. the same shall not be
| recoverable in an action at law in the
courts of this State. That alone will
catch many a tax dodger.'
COLLEGE COMMANDMENTS GALORE.
Last week a number of colleges held
their annual commencement exercises
two OF Raleighs female institutions
among them. Baptist College and Peace
lnstitute-and this week the splendid
A. 4 NJ College is holding one of the
| most brilliant and successful commence
ments in its history, beginning yesterday,
an outline of which was printed in these
letters two weeks ago. At the Baptist
| Female College the two students who
nursed the small pox patients Misses
Bessie Love and Miriam WEIGH, OF WAY
nesyllle) We're presented with gold
| medals for heroic conduct"
! VARIOUS MATTERS.
The doctors and undertakers excuse
! the connection, no reflection intendedO