The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-04-08

attempt to coloniZe this section, the ques-
tion was often asked us, Why we did not
select more attractive and fertile place,
and we even received considerable ridi-
rcule for attempting to make a successful
settlement here. This skepticsm was
largely the result of want of a thorough
knowledge Of the resources of our section
and was also due to the fact that so
little attention had been given to our
agricultural interests and opportunities
And lands that are today valuable, were
then considered worthless. To illustrate
six years ago, one large body of land
located within less than a mile of the
present town of >Chadbourn, was consid-
cred well sold at $500 per acre. Within
the last few months a portion of the
same land has been purchased at cost
Of $50 per acre, by parties who came here
from the Pacific coast. And numerous in
cdents can be cited of land, sold five
years ago at $500 per acre. which has re-
Gently found ready purchasers at from
$40 to $3.50 per acre. These advanced
prices have been the direct result of in
tensiye and intelligent farming. :
The tax values of chadbourn township;
have increased in the last five years 93l2
upon which the colony is located, have
increased SO per cent. School and church
facilities have increased 300 per cent.
Volume of commerce has increased 1000
per cent. ~
The immigration of this section has
been drawn from a majority of the States
of the Union from Maine to Washington
but principally from Pennsylvania, Michi-
gan, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, New Mexico
and Oklahamo. In my opinion, the sue
cess of this colony is largely due to this
cosmopolitan citizenship, so to speak,
with their necessarily varied experiences,
and their intelligent and profitable inter-
change of ideas, coupled with their energy
and sobriety.
The press of the State, in the last five
years, has treated the trucking interests
of Eastern North Carolina with consider
able prominence. Owing to this fact, even
many North Carolinians have come to
look upon the eastern portions of the
State from an agricultural point of view,
as a trucking belt only. While the truck
ing business has assumed vast proper
tions, extending from Elizabeth City in
the northeast to the South Carolina line
per cent. of our agricultural resources.
The tobacco industry has grown to splen-
did proportions, in almost all of the
eastern counties. l regret that l have no
statistics at hand to show the volume
of business done in this particular line.
1t lis a mistaken idea of many North
Carolinians that oats, corn and stock can
not be successfully grown in Eastern
North Carolina. In fact, our successful
farmer is the one who raises not only
truck and tobacco but also his own
cereals and stocks. The successful one
in this vicinity is sure to follow his early
truck crops with a profitable crop of corn,
forage, etc. 1t has been indisputably
demonstrated that oats and wheat may be
rrofitably grown, many of our farmers
having obtained a yield of from fifty to
seventy-ive bushels per acre of the
former.
Our limited space will permit us to
mention only few of these successful
settlers who have come here within the
past five years:
Messrs. A. F. Coultas, B. H. Hartley,
J. Z. Whitaker and J. R. Wilson, of Illi-
nois; M. #. Leonhart and ]. E. Hortan
OF Iowa; B. r. Mores and J. V. Howe