The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-31
Views and Interviews,

Mr.. BENJAMIN Posey ex-State Senator
from Cherokee, who was in Raleigh yes
Itodav on legal business, says that West
ern North Carolina is at work, progress
siyc. contented, and the Democratic par
ty is in splendid shape to win signal
victory in the coming election. In answer
TO questions he said-and it Is story
or progress that is inspiring:
.There is more work OF development
going on in the mountains tnan ever L
have known. In quarryirg marble, MIN
ling tale, tanneries and extract factories
in which they use the chestnut wood,
there is activity. We are now building
a furniture factory at Murphy for the
manufacture OF furniture and to use the
timber cut for tanneries. Even the mint
rock leads have been found TO be OF
value, and great quantities are being
shipped daily from Cherokee county TO
Ducktown for flushing purposes III smelI-
ing copper ore. Murphy has the auNah-
tage over almost any town in the western
end Of the State in that she Is situated
Al the terminus OF the railroads Whlcn
arc competing systems, hence the town
gets better freight rates. Ihere IL Lo le@-
son why Murphy should not soon become
ore of the best towns i'll the Western
end of the State.
How about politics." l asked.
'The political situation is good-Whlie
Cherokee county is Republican II Is com
posed of white people ana they are Wiling
70 vote for what they regard as the best
interests of the country, and VIII often
vote for men who can best advance the
interests of the country regardless OF
their political creed As a mountain
Al,
public affairs as you viii find anywhere
The Congressional district is Democratic,
and Will remain so"
1.-THE farming interests Of the country
has improved very greatly. Farmers are
interesting themselves III buying better
machinery and implements for farming,
improving their stocks, importing seeds,
and by rotation OF crops arc improving
their lands, so that, upon the whole, we
expect to make Cherokee one Of the lead
ing counties in the West"
What about the reports OF people
moving to the far Vest" | asked.
Not many are gong from Cherokee,
ne said Most OF those who have eml-
grated from the western counties to the
lar Nest are returning us last as they
can get the money to do So
'The water power in Cherokee, ana
especially Immediately around Murphy,
5 almost unsurpassed, and when Cnce
larncssed. which we expect to be done
before a great while, VIII run immense
machinery and viii also furnish mo
tive power for running electric railroad
short lines from Murphy 10 Hayesv!l:e
IN Clay county, and to other nearby
points, even into the three adjoining
mountain counties in Georgia, thus giving
cheaper power and cheaper road tnan
can be operated with steam.
The scheme is even under way to
build a large school at Murphy under
the auspices of the Baptist Church. We
think this will be dcne in the next few
months without doubt. We already have
a ten months graded school in flourish
ing condition.
You may put Us down on the high
road TO development OF the natural re-
sources that we have in such abundance.
=
Mr.. II. B. Ferguson, of Haywood county,
WHO is in Raleigh on the Wakefield ha-
beas corpus case speaking last night OF
his town and its progress said:
"Waynesville, which had a population
in 1900 of 1857, now has population las
recently taken by order of the board oil
aldermen. of 2,O75. The commissioners
OF Haywood county have recently sold
$50. coo of Waynesville township BONDS
and the Improvement in macadamlzng
If roads will begin at once. The town
has entered into a contract with MI.
Sloan. owner OF the Haywood White Sui
Dhur Springs property, to furnish cleo
tfic power to light the town, the present
power being inadequate to furnish sutf-
ciart light Mr. Sloan has contracted to
)ut in a dam at the mouth OF Jonathans
Creek. which, together with the electric
light plant. is estimated to cost $4,000.
Three Furniture and coOperagc factories
aave recently bccn organized and are
now marketing their products. The Hay
wood County Stock Improvement Com
cany, recently incorporated, has i'm
norted some fine stock ard good results
are expected 10 follow. Plans have been
submitted to build an inclined railway
to Junauska and Eagles Nest
1--WE had not less than 1000 summer
last year. The number increases
every year and this industry is getting
TO DO one of the best More building is
going on now than ever.
"a handsome $4,000 Baptist church is
in process of erection.
politics is all right and Haywood viii
continue to he the banner Democratic
county in the West.
eve have one Of the best graded schools
in The State. 1t has been one of the
chief causes OF Increasing the population
Of Waynesvi1lc desirable class OF PEG
pie have moved into Wayresvillc to en-
joy the advantages Of a splendid graded