The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-04
ENTER R|CHL ANDS
Thriving Little Town in
Northern 0nsIow.
Mat This Place Has and What It
Needs. Men Who Can Handle
Tools are Most Welcome
Guests.

IL
is the terminus of the Dover and
Southbound railroad. A mayor, a
board of town commissioners, and
constable constitute its government.
To the credit of these functionarieS, be
it said that possibly outside of the
Jurisdiction of Governor Folk, of Mis-
souri, there is nowhere that the laws
are more systematically executed than
they are here.
Just six miles south of the town is
Catherine Lake and in close proximity
to the latter is the famous Alum
Spring. a noted resort i'm days gone by
for picnic parties and kind of coup
ling tongue for the matrimonially in
clined in all the surrounding counties.
In those days the whole northern sec
ton of the county practiced the "open
door policy in their hospitality, and
"the beau and the belle" ruled su-
preme. Southern hospitality of the
ante-bellum type has always been
strongly marked characteristic of the
people of this county and has left |
deep impression on their social and in |
tellectual habits and customs. Grad !
ually the old slave-holding aristocracy |
has been thinned by time but that
strong, hardy, honest, and hospitable |
feeling, which was the product of the |
old regime has left its everlasting i'm |
print on the descendants of a sturdy |
ancestry. A people, born and reared |
under such circumstances, naturally |
develop into conservative way that at
times may prove detrimental rather |
than otherwise.
There are great possibilities in store |
for this section of the State and Rich |
lands is beginning to realize much |
brighter future. 1t has made radical |
changes in the past twelve months, |
and the next twelve, unless all signs
fail will witness an increase of one
hundred per cent in building and pop
ulation Since January last the town |
has erected and furnished an up-to- |
date graded school building, that will |
easilrr accommodate three hundred |
pupils. This has been done on a cash |
basis, without drawing on the future
resources of the town by means of a
bond issue The town has always had |
an excellent school but not content |
with its past achievements, it will open
the graded school in September in its
new quarters. with a full corps of
teachers.
Business is making even greater
strides than educational matters. Re-
Gently the town has been laid off in
streets and squares any ~>'ovided with |
street lamps. Eight stores, carrying |
a full line of goods, are well support
ed, while two stores half stocked found |
it difficult to make both ends meet not |
many moons since. Two tobacco ware
houses will open for the farmers at
the first of the season. The prices paid
for cotton at this market have been
fraction higher than that Of surround
ing towns, during the past season. and
there is every indication that the to- /
baccO market here will do as well by
the farmer as the cotton market has
done. Durham capitalists have sup |
plemented local capital and now have
under way the construction of bank
The most welcome guests in this
burg at present is the man with the
noe, the man with the hammer. and the |
man with the dollar" Richards. in
her palmiest days of social hospital
ity. never gave the glad hand with |
half the cordiality she now welcoms
the agents of industry. Local capital
will meet outside money more than /
half way. Both the site for the school !
building and the one for the bank were |
donations from public spirited citizens.
Oak, pine, cedar, cypress. walnut, |
dogwoOd. persimmon, and maple are
few of the wood materials used in /
manufacturing purposes that grow i'm
this section in great abundance. a |
plant to work up any of the above ma
terial, and especially cypress timber
would do well in this locality for years
to come. Cypress aboundS not in |
acres but i'm thousands of acres.
No finer section could be found in /
the whole South for trucking than can
be found in the immediate vicinity of
Richlands. The land is exceedingly |
fertile and | am Informed that straw |
berries ripen a week earlier here than
they do in the great strawberry belt. |
The soil is well adapted to all kinds |
of fruits and vegetables and a canning |
plant for canned vegetables and pre-
n a
able industry.
Cotton, tobacco, corn and potatoes |
are the leading crops, but dairying, |
poultry raising and trucking will now
receive a great deal more attention |
since the Dover and Southbound rail-
road has given this territory freight |
connections with A and n. c. r. r. at |
Dover, which connects with the Coast |
Lines through freights at Goldsboro.
Home; eekers who wish to engage in |
any line pertaining TO agriculture will |
search in vain for more fertile SOIL |
that is so we'll adapted to such a di- |
versity of crops. Labor is cheap and |
there is no reason why the town should |
not treble in wealth and population in
the near future. Town lots are sell |
ing off well and i'm addition to others |
buildings completed, two business en-
terprises and seven residences are now |
under construction.
Men with money to invest in manu-
featuring concerns would do we'll to |
inspect this section of the State, and
particularly the territory lying south |
of the A. and y. C. r. r. in the coun
ties of Jones and OnsloW.
The healthfulness of this country, |
naturally drained as it is, cannot be
surpassed anywhere. No stronger
proof of this fact can be given than
the number of grey heads in any kind
of assemblage. Unlike many sections. |
the grey headed portion of the popula-
ton are still alive and vigorous while |
in other places those who should be
present with their grey hair have long
since moved into that country from
which no traveller returns.
The town lacks great many things. |
1t should have better mail facilities
and this can be done by making the
Dover and Southbound carrier. There |
is also a crying need for a good news
paper. The Progressive Farmer and
the "Old Reliable are very much in
axr;dapoo h,,t a Ioe9I ia essential for |