The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-24
THE vEDDER LANDS
Surveying Parties Have
Returned from the East.
A. & NJ. College Boys Did Excellent
Work. Prof. Riddick Will Not Talk
About DistiIleries. Trouble
With Squatters.

Prof w. c. Riddick and his schol-
ars, members of the Junior and Sc
Nor classes of the A. and M. College,
employed by Charlestown parties, have
returned from Onslow and Jones coun-
ties where they have been surveying
what is known as the AlliSon-Vedder
lands The Charleston parties have
an option on these lands from the
State. The surveying party surveyed
about 100000 acres of land, all the
work having been done by A. and M.
College instructors and students. Ihe
organization consisted of three survey
ing parties, each in charge of sur
Neyor, with it's own tents and complete
camping outfit. Each party consisted
of six men, students and instructors.
The students not only gained valuable
experience in this service, but were
paid well for their labor.
II is remarkable that there was not
single case of sickness in any OF
the parties and Prof. Riddiok said
that he had reached the conclusion
that q college boy could stand more
hard work with less grumbling than
anybody else.
One tract of land contained about
10000 acres of swamp, and large
part of the men were up to their knees
in water, and in bushes SO thick that
they had to cut their way through
them. These places had never be-
fore been traversed by man. Efforts
were made to employ natives, but they
We're afraid either of the work or the
swamp.
The party had many thrilling ex-
periences They were constantly in
danger Of attack from snakes, black
bears, wild cats and other dangerous
forest animals. Many interesting
trophies were brought back in the way
of rattlesnake skins. deer hides. bear
teeth, etc.
A barge part Of the land surveyed
10 very fertile and can easily be
drained. There is considerable timber
on it, and it's timber products are
convenient to railroads, and is very
valuable.
There was some trouble experienced
at several places with squatters, Dut
they were pacifed.. Prof. Rlddlck
thinks there will be no serious con-
fiict of claims, and he said, most of
the claims will be settled without
suit.
There remain probably between So
600 and 900 acres still to be sur
veyed, and this work will doubtless
be continued next year.
The surveying parties were IN
charge of c. L. Mann T. S. Lang and
Jerry A. Heritage. The parties We're
composed of the following students OF
A. and NJ. College: Messrs. MUIR, Tom
hnson, Gibbs and Schwab. Skies,
PiVer, Edgerton, Moore, Maxwell,
Koonce, Kenyon and Buys and oth-
ers, as there were constant recruits
as others left. Those named We're in
the party from the beginning. me
work done by, these young men was
physically hard work. Frequently
they walked twenty miles day gong
to and from their camp. They executed
their work satisfactorily and cheer
fully and it is a matter OF PRIDE 10
A. and NJ. College that people IN
other states recognize the thorough
ness of it's civil engineering courst,
and are willing to pay its instructors
and students to do work
Prof. Riddick had entire charge OF
the surveying work, and at times the
parties were thirty miles apart. Fle has
kept two lawyers in these counties
busy during the whole progress OF
thelsurvey They investigated records.
and attended TO the sdu;t :-erS Prof.
Efddick would not talk about plocH-
AIDE stills even the number he saw, out
this, he said, is because the work has
not been completed.