The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-11
Hon. S. L. Patterson,

49,
leigh, N. G..
Dear Slr:-In considering all Ill.
! facts which have come before you dur
ing the past water and spring in re-
| gard to the location Of a test farm n
the trucking region, feel that through
ONE cause and from some source I'M
known to me a very serious injustice
has been done 70 the section around
! Wilmington, and to the group Of Gill
zens in Wilmington who have been ad-
vocating the location of the farm here.
In the first case, because it has been
frequently stated, and copied in news
papers in other parts of the state, tlat
Wilmington has not soil which is suf-
ficiently rich; and in the second case
because there has been an evident at
tempt to make 1t appear that the
citizens of Wilmington were asking Tor
something which was unreasonable tC
expect at the hands Of your depart
ment. Knowing the facts to be quite
the contrary in boil cases, | feel that
it is unfair for this impression to be
allowed TO exist, when your department!
is in full possession of facts which
personally know have been furnished
you to absolutely cOntrovert both ot
these points.
| am further forced to take this pO-
sition because the governor Of the state
was advised by your department that
we did not have the land at Whining
ton, and he volunteered this informa-
ton to the writer, coupled with the
statement that he was given to under
stand by your department that that
yxyoc tho orlu ,oocHn UNIV tho fo m Uao
not located here.
In placing the following facts before
you, | will only make statements which
can be proven by reliable witnesses.
Mr.. Hume first wrote to me, as | IN
derstood with the authority of the com
mittee, that three points would con
sidered in the selection: Land, aces
sibility, and price,
Price. In this direction Wilmington
has done far more than any other To-
cality. They have offered 200 acres Of
land, which is worth not less than SIS.
900 and can be sold at that price, for
one-tenth of that sum, or $1,000, the
county, city and individuals subscrib-
ing the difference.
We have offered to Mr. Hume tracts
of land of undisputed quality as a gift,
and agreed further, where lands were
not cleared, to GEAR and ditch them
free of charge, So that they would be
ready for cultivation. These latter
tracts were turned down by him only
because he said they were too uniform
in quality of soil. and because he stat
ed that the farm should contain a va
riety Of soils.
Location. AS TO location anyone WHO
will take a railroad map Of North Car
Dina can see that the Garrell farm Is
easily accessible to every part Of the
trucking belt, and is really the only
place which is easily accessible to
truckers living On each Of the five rail-
roads travers;ng eastern North Caro-
lima.
Land. 1t seems that different men,
bers of your committee had somewhat
different ideas ABOUT land. When the
committee first visited Wilmington
they were shown the county tract near
Smiths creek, which Mr.. Hume, at he
time Of his previous visit, thought
might do. But tie committee, on max
ing a closer examination. decided that
it would not. But the committee az
hat time were shown the Garreil
place from the road. and they said If
we could offer them that they wollt
take it. Of course, it may be said that
this was not in regular meeting ana,
therefore, not final and binding-DCr
the point is that Mr.. kilgore, who was
| present, saw the rolling character IF
the farm and could Judge of its charac-
| teristics so far rs topography was en-
cerned. The members Of the Whining
ton committee stated that it was unfair
to ask for land like that, which was
! worth at least 500 per acre in compe-
tition with land II the country which
, was not worth ever SO per acre. We
had no idea of being SO fortunate as 10
! secure the place and so dismissed the
| question at that time.
When we found. later, that the conf
mittee did not seem to give what We
! considered due Importance to location
and price, but laid especial stress on
land, we took the steps necessary to
get the Carroll place, and what we con,
, sidered the pick Of the land of the Gar
rell place, for them, with the results
heretofore stated
Before Offering them the land, so that
there would be no mistake. we had the
land examined t.y several soil experts
and had them make for us a written re
port, and maps showing the different
types of soil, and showing the land &c
have q GLOW cp1>ca,I orI tho d;fforan.