The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-05-19

25th. This year it will probably con-
tinue into June.
A comparison OF this years shipments
over the Coast Line thus far shows them
to be much heavier than last year. The
largest shipments are made on Monday,
the berries having ripened over Sunday
For purposes of comparison, we will
therefore take last Mondays shipments as
shown by the Atlantic Coast Lines books:
Last Monday 1851 crates of berries
were shipped over the Wilmington and
Weldon road; same day last year, II, 658
over the Atlantic and Yadkin last Mon
day. 839 crates same day last year, TAI
crates. over the Chadbourn road 4,475
crates, as against $3.50 crates last year.
The total shipments of berries over the
Coast Line this year, up to last Monday,
were 96, S25 crates, divided as follows;
Wilmington and Weldon 73, 645 crates
Atlantic and Yadkin. 6,l67
Chadbourn Road ............16 ,913
Icing stations have been established
for refrigerator cars at Chadbourn, Teach
eys, Warsaw, Faison, Mt. Olive and
Rocky Mount.
/ asked why Chadburn had become the
greatest strawberry producing point in
the country and learned that it
was due to four things, without anyone
of which such success would have been
impossible Soil, climate, transportation
and geographical position. The soil
grows the largest and sweetest berries
known, the climate is so tempered by the
Gulf Stream that extremes of tempera-
ture are unknown, and the transportation
AZ E,o,.
quickly put on the market But the most
important consideration, certainly so far
as price is concerned, is the geographical
position of the place. Here the berry
crop ripens just at the right time to sup
ply the demand on a market that at any
other time would be glutted by berries
from some other section.
Eve have given the matter careful
study" said one berry grower, and we
find that the berries get to market in the
following order Charleston. Chadbourn
Norfolk, Maryland and Delaware If you
go South of here you can raise berries
earlier, but when you try to sell
them you'll find Charleston berries al
ready on the market. Go north and your
berries will be later than Chadbourn, but
Norfolk berries will tread on their heels
When Chadbourn berries get to market
they find no other berries there and con-
sequently prices are good"
And this, together with intelligence
enterprise and untiring industry, is what
has brought prosperity to this colony
within half dozen years. How great is
that prosperity a glance at the tax books
will show, even more convincingly than
a trip through the settlement can do.
Six years ago the town of Chadbourn
consisted of a flag station, a side track,
saw mill and a few huts for mill hands.
Today there are more than 200 people in
The town, a modern depot, number of
prosperous stores, one Drown & Bro
doing 600 worth of business year, a
large school house with eight months
school every year, two churches and a
| third in course of erection, two railroads
and third chartered and about to be
surveyed. A bank is badly needed and
will probably be organized before the be-
| ginning of another year. No bar-room is
| tolerated, and no negro can buy a foot
| of land at any price.
Taxable values in Chadbourn township
had increased $4,000 within two years
after the COLOR had been established
| anu tiS IdIio ol Increase mas beeu HoIe
| than kept up ever since. The land origi-
nally sold for 81 an acre and the last sale
made in the colony, few weeks ago, was
at $50 an acre. No sort of land near the
railroad can be bought for less than 81
an acre. These figures are eloquent witt
meaning, IS is also the fact that every
| colonist is content with his investment
| and hopeful of the future.
| I'VE like the land, we like the State
| we are glad we came. We have received
| more than fair treatment and our laborS
/ have been blessed more than one of The
1 colonists told me. A most significant
1 condition of Affairs.