The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-06-02

| which met in St. PauPs on Wednesday
| May 22nd inst, held special exercises
on Friday, the oath, to commemorate
the two hundredth anniversary of the
| organization of the first vestry organic
| ed in North Carolina, which event oc-
Cured on December 18th, 1901.
LOCATION.
Edenton is truly called the Naples of
| America 1t is situated on Edenton Bay,
! which is really the head of Albemarle
Sound. The Roanoke, ChOwan and Cashie
rivers empty into and form this bay.
Edenton Bay is a most beautiful sheet of
water and is said to closely resemble the
Bay of Naples in the picturesque beauty of
its surroundings. Edenton has a popula-
tion of. 1886 and is 70 miles from Norfolk,
Va, by Norfolk and Southern Railroad
and 50 miles by the Dismal Swamp Canal.
The town is a fine business center and is
the supply point for a large section of
country of varied productions. 1t has
good water connections and quite a num-
Der of steamers and different kinds of
craft ply between its port and points on
the sounds, rivers, and outside places
FISHERIES.
The most important industry here is
fishing and the largest fisheries on the
Atlantic coast are within a radius Of
twenty-five miles of Edenton. The 'catch"
for the season just closed is estimated
as follows: Shad, 500,000 behring's, o.
600, 000-which is about one-third less
than the 'catch" of behring's for 1900. The
catch of herrings for that year was
5 per cent above the average. The high
price paid for fish by dealers more than
compensated for the small "catch" and
fishermen made good money and are well
satisfied
The fsheree of Dr. w. r. Capehart and
j. G. and +. Wood are the largest in the
United States. Their seines are about q
200 yards long, the entire length with
rope added being three miles in circum-
ference. These seines are set by steam
ers and hauled in by stationary engines
on the shore. They average five hauls in
every twenty-four hours.
WELL EQUIPPED FISH HATCHERY.
Just half mile from the town limits
across Pembroke creek and in full view
from the water frontage Of the town is
one Of the finest, best built and most mod
ern equipped fish Matching plants in the
United States. This plant was built by
the United States government two years
ago, and is under the able management
of Mr.. Stephen G. Worth. There are
fifteen acres of land belonging to this fish
Matching establishment, which was ceeded
to the United States government by the
State of North Carolina for the consider
alton of 81 000 The Matching building is
2Sx70 feet and cost over S., 600, this does
not include the Matching jars equipment
and other accessories amounting to an ad-
ditional cost of $4,000 Up to this date
1000 has been appropriated by the Gen
eral Government for the establishment
of this hatchery. This sum does not en-
ter into the running expenses of the sta
ton, which amounts to about So 900 more
per year. A steamer, a Roanoke Island
canoe, an alco-vapor launch and eight
Susquehanna river bateaus comprise the
egg collecting outfit, along with the minor
wood and tin vessels in which the fish
eggs are taken and conveyed to the
hatchery About 100000 900 eggs were col
lected this season, a number probably
twice as great as that of any previous
season and the results in fry Matched and
liberated were quite satisfactory The
above collection of eggs represent a net
out the Intervention Of the fish commits
sion, all of them would have been shipped
within the parent fish to the markets and
consequently would have persisted. The
fish commission merely saves and restores
to the waters a product which would 9TH
erwise be lost. The primal object of the
station is the Matching of shad eggs for
the maintenance Of the commercial fish
~ h. l- oYN1 ,aiNy hi
mercial industry amounting to more than
one third of a million OF dollars annually.
The greater portion OF the acreage be-
longing to the fish Matching station is to
be devoted to pond culture for the propo-
cation of black bass and speckled perch
for inland ponds and streams. The point
of land upon which the hatchery is
built is one of the most picturesque on
Edenton Bay and was formerly owned
by Joshua Bodley, Esq, who was appoint
ed agent by the Earl of Granville for the
sale of land in the Carolinas. This land
afterwards became the property of Ste
phen Cabarrus, who married Bodley's
daughter, and for whom Cabarrus county
in this State was named.
ITS PRESENT[AND FUTURE.
Edenton has two good hotels, one news
paper, five churches for whites and sew
eral for colored people. One good bank,
several we'll equipped schools four saw
and planning mills, one scroll and fancy
wood mill, one iron foundry, two excel
lent ice plants, and one Iarge cotton mill.
There is no boom but real estate is up
to it's full value. Business is in healthy
condition The farming lands in this sec
ton are very fertile and under good man
agement yield abundant crops of all kinds. |
Shipping facilities by both railroad and
water are the best that could be desired. |
The outlook for Edenton as the future
place for big trading and shipping bust
ness, especially in all kinds OF truck, is |
exceedingly good No town on the At |
lantic seaboard is better or more beauti-
fully located and at the same time COM |
bining business and pleasure to greater !
degree. The Bay of Edenton is incompar-
able for delightful yatchting surre' nded
as it is by shores whose margins are /
too picturesque to admit OF true and |
Just description by brush or pen There |
is never danger here from rough water
and storm, and the most timorous may |
venture on sail on its lovely waters |
without the least fear of harm. The hos
pitality, politeness and charm G Eden |
and