The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-09-09
RALEIGH NEWS LETTER.
state Convicts Building Railroads,
Cutting Timber and mt State
F~arm-Cotton Crop of the state
Badly Damaged.
Messenger Bureau.
Raleigh, n. c., September s.

Raleigh, N. c., September 5.
There are now 800 convicts grading
the South Carolina and Georgia Elk
tension railroad Qately bought by the
Southern) in Mitchell county. These
convicts marched across the Blue Ridge
from Marion IS miles to a point Z miles
this side the Tennessee line. At the
latter line they began work and are
coming this way. There are 40 convicts
building a turnpike from Wilkesboro
to Jefferson and so are cutting timber
for the Goldsboro Lumber company's
large saw and planning mill at Dover.
Most of the remaining convicts are on
the state farm near Weldon There are
only about IS in the p~enitentiary.
1t is said by the farmers in his sec
ton that they will ave very little pork
this year, owing to the failure of last
years crop.
Ex-District Attorney Charles Bernard
says a lot Of republicans will become
independents this yea in order to show
their independence of the republican
machine"
State entomologist Sherman is max
ing the nnual examination Of fruit
tree nurseries. He has been in the west
a fortnight. He has found but little
JUL 41lC lIulS ICS lICCu 4cihs IL
drought has been very trying to them.
The Progressive Farmer will appea:
next Monday in a new form, 16 pages
The state headquarters Of the Farm
ers' Alliance will be established here
September 10. Members of the order
say it was a mistake in moving head
quarters from here to Hillsboro.
Governor Aycock says that in the
township in which he spoke, in this
county, yesterday all the children saw
two were at school last term and hat
the parents of the two absent were sick
Major John w. Graham, of Vance
county, tells your correspondent that
persons who are of independent ideas
are trying to get some leading hemo-
Gratis to take charge Of that movement
in his county, but they so far have per-
sistently refused to take the step.
The penitentiary board met here to-
day. w. E. Crosslands, one of it's mem
berS, says hat the cotton crop on the
state farm will be 500 bales. 1t is cut
off somewhat by the dry weather. The
corn crop there is good.
Mr.. CrOsSlands brought here cotton
bolls from his farms in Richmond coun-
ty, each blighted by the puncture Of an
insect, which he says is either the Texas
weevil or the Sharpshooter, but is not
the boil worm. He says it is literally
running the cotton. He pulled up stalks
containing 20 to so bOlls each, and found
that not one boil in five had been spar
ed. The insect p%unctures bolls of various
sizes, particularly tiny ones just after
they are formed. Rot sets in quickly
and not a boil punctured natures. H
says that while August 1 the prospect
was the best he ever saw for a crop he
is now sure there will not be over two
thirds of a crop. He is sure the esti-
mates for North Carolina are two high
and declares the result will prove the
accuracy of this statement. The rust
is also very bad, but the damage by the
insect referred to is worse. The first
time this insect appeared there was
last year, during the long wet season,
This year the season there has been
favorable.