The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-05-20

ksa$TEaSEeeN our ereatcataIog, Tor lc postage. IN
1852
it did seem to me that the Judges view
of my effort ought to have been modified.
BY contrast my remarks became tame
and duh, and | very nearly forgot that
| had said anything at all about him.
Back in the early days on the Wake
county farm, one summer, | had the task
of cutting bands around the bundle of
wheat as they were fed into the threshcf.
With n big butcher knife, s~lashing away
at the tough wheat straw, | made q bad
lungc just as the Old negro feeder reach
ed for Il bundle, and split one of his
l fingers wide open. He stuck to his job;
put some narrow strips of plaster across
the cash. and kept ON firing the bundles
into the old threSher. | felt mighty bad
about it. AS he reached out for each
bundle that ugly cash came directly un-
der my eyes, a constant reminder of my
carelessness. The next day that dam
aged hand reached for a piece of iron
which was sliding into the thresher, and
the sharp teeth caught iron and hand at
the same moment. When we got him
out his hand to his wrist was hanging
in shreds. 1t was a certain sort of re-
lief to vas to see hat the ugly knife
mark WIG gone. l am surprised to find
that Judge Clark, in answering Wilson,
remembers SO distinctly the little cut |
gave him. 1t must be true as the old
proverb has it: I'VE come to hate those
we have sought to iniure.' | find among
the-Russell letters two referring to me,
showing that at the time they were writ
ten Judge Clark was seeking to 90 ne
harm.
| declare that I knew nothing of all
this when my former letter was written.
| did not know that | could possibly
make any personal complaint against
him. and my purpose was to simply
c~riticise Judge Clark's public record, as
any citizen has the right to do. Had |
known the contents Of these two letters
then. | should most certainly have held
my peace. If l know myself, l have no
malice in my heart toward any man, and
| cannot afford to enter into Il discus
sion in which malice and hatred are TO
be the controlling forces. Now. it seems
to me that an explanation is due my
friends.
Note that letter No. /. as published
by Judge Clark, refers to 4 speech l had
made a short while before, in a hearing
before the Railroad commissioners, in
which / am quoted as attacking Judge
Clark and Governor Russell. Thereupon
the Judge calls the attention of the
Governor TO the fact that they can get
revenge by advancing the tax value OF
Pages road. His purpose in this was,
Of course, that the Governor should adj
wise the Commissioners (his appointees)
to advance the value of the road for
taxation. Very we'll; Page objects; OBJ
lection overruled; appeal to the superior
Court; Commission sustained; appeal tC
the Supreme Court. Now see me and my
attorney walking into Judge C1afk's
court. seeking even-handed justice. We
would have got it-in the neck. But this
letter is very old, and since Governor
Russell seems to have been less vindic-
tive than his adviser, we will let il
-, pass.
= Note, however, tina in trying to ex-
I plain this letter, Judge Clark writes Il
2, his friend. Col. Holt. under date of May
10Th, 1902. telling him that the poin
\ that struck Page and still strikes hin
= yet is that his railroad property wa:
Y grossly undcrvalued for taxation, ans
- that he was paying his employees mucl
@ less than other railroads. Hence his re
S cent pamphlet. Had he saved the none.
e he has spent on them (the pamphlets
and what he invested in the McKinle.
. campaign fund and put the same int
z reasonable wages for his employees am
the purchase of proper appliances 10
+ his trains he would not now be so presSe'
o to pick out Judges who shall relieve hln
from paying damages when passenger
or employees may be killed or lnJure'
! by negligence in operating his ROAD.
~ ao,'t fn1.Jnt tho little clt- nos
:, are the points" that struck Page, mar
YOU. Let us examine the point a llttlc
: want ito pick out judges who shall re
Iieve me of damages l believe l men
toned the names of Judge Shepherd an
Judge Common in my former letter. Ar
these the gentlemen against whom Car
brings this charge? End. Ny road wa
grossly undervalued. | do not thing SO
but probably would not think SO IL
was so. beg to say that the Rallroa
Commissioners have always valued J.
not Moreover | have never a'he
them 10 reduce their valuation. nor nav
7 even once objected to their figures Inc
have seen the property and nave sai
what they think it is worth; Judge olar
has never seen it, I believe, but ne 'hlhA
it is grossly undcrValued.
ard was and am paying employee
loco than other roads. They seem cor
tented and happy, and | think they WI
saw they receive as much for thclr ldpo
as any other railroad employees III IL
state. for the same class OF "olh'
ain The road is not equipped pfoperl-
etc. We have had fewer a&clden'a ,"'
any other road in the State WIN HI
!. -, r6lcape. have the best unballaSle
track in the State, among the cl''' :