The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-10-26

Wu0n Tie great COIUulUnCr, vance. put
the glad song of political redemption |
in his heart and on his lips, in the
Titanic struggle with the late Judge
Settle, the Cumberland farmer cast of
his slough, bore himself erect, and
looked abou him with the light OF re-
awakened hope in his shining eyes
1t is a remarkable fact that for
two Or three years before this time.
the farmers and land owners OF the
very territory that / have marked out
fell heir, amid their poverty and toll
with meager1 results, to piece OF
wonderfuld good luck. From some
cause-many attributed it TO the
Franco-Prussia war-naval ores
went up out of sight, lands, turpen-
tine, rOsin and spirits climbed and
climbed until the man who had even
an old abandoned rosin bed put a
con1iderable sum of money in his
pocket Stills burned day and night,
the choppers and scrapers were busy
all through the woods. In those days
there was some round pine in Cum
berland HarnetJ Sampson, Robson
and Moore counties, and that went at
extravagant prices. In this last case
it was killing the goose'-the former
OWnGTS dChuOWlcuSc ludL IIoW-Uu@ ~
was a period of great financial de-
preston; the great need was money:
and that extraordinary rise in naval
stores availed to buy horses, mules,
cattle and agricultural implements,
with repairs on the old homestead, ON
scores of farms all over the section.
Perhaps one-haIf of the farmers CT
1870 are dead, and the survivors are
hn
cobforttng clay pipe beside the
ingle-nook'' Their sons are the farm
ers of 1906, and the contrast presented
by the pictures Of today and 1870 Is
very striking The large percentage
Of the farmers are cut OF debt; many
of them are bank stockholders and
directors; and they own the land
| whose sod they break with the ploW,
and own it at a good price, for 1t is
! in demanad. Two or three years ago
! a farmer living in the western part
of Cumberland went before the board
! of commissioners with the complaint
that the assessment Of $4,000 on his
| land was excessive; and, after per-
sistent application, the valuation was
reduced to s12.5OO. This farmer die1
shortly afterwards, and not long ago
| IulS lduu was SOiO LII S'O'0Oos
Exterior paint and interior comforts
and adornments mark the abode OF
| the farmer of 1906, in many OF which
you will find the parlOr organ. Ihe
| rural free delivery puts the daily paper
| in his hands on the evening or the
| day on which it is printed, and moro
! are taken through this section than
there were weeyltes subscribed fon
! thirty-five years ago. linen tnat
great civilizer, the railroad, has IN
| yaded the quiet domain of the ploW-
| man. who still turns in his furrow to
watch the train as it whlzzes Dy. IL
i his market is distant he gees and
returns by rail-has his freight trans
Iorted in the same way. Cumberland
now has one great trunk line with
three branches; the Ralelgh ana
Southport R. R.; three other l1reS
projected or under construction in ths
! direct:on; and IS passenger trains ar
rive at and depart from tayettevllle
daily. Robson county has two INES
and two others in course or survey
and construction Moore county mas
three lines. and others prolected'
Harnett has been opened to the Worlo
by the Raleigh and Southport K. T.
Sampson's railroad facilities are stlil
meagre, but Clinton is connected by
a branch line with the old Wilmington
and Weldon R. R.
The farmer of 1906 has lost the
offishness of bearing Of his predeces-
sor of 80 and 35 years ago in his deai-
) ings with his friends of the country
towns, and that jealousy Of the CIT.
man which formerly so largely pre-
vailed. under the conviction that ne
lived high and slept soft, while the
man at the plough handles was doing
all the worlds work. The twentieth
: century armer is in touch With the
world, and knows better. He KNOWS
that his city merchant though living
in a fine house, with his wife ano
children riding in carriage, pass
MANY sleepless nights over large mer'
chandise bills, accounts to be naae
I'D at bank, ETC., and that he mad more
than once looked at his stalWart coun.
ty friend from Cabin Branch, ano
has envied him his thrifty farm. MS
F simple life with nature, his freedom
, from the worry and the business care:
I of the world.
/ How great a gain the farmer OF TO
| | day has made En independence OF
: thought and ctiOn, self-reilance ane
l his relations with his fellow-citizens
1 is shown in his bearing in publ1
= meetings, notably in political conTen
: tions. Thirty-fve and thirty years
e ago the country delegate came int
l. the convention, duty which he owet
: to his citizenship and his fealty; bu
e this duty, in his view. consisted II
S getting a seat as near the wall
f possible. and voting when the tim
f came. Three or four self-constitufe
:. leaders handled the convention, put u
d tn chairman. made all the nomlna
tons, and did all the speaking. Thing
Y are changed now. The country dele
! gate knows how a convention shoul
!. | be organized, all about the rights c
n his precinct, and the rules that shoul
IS govern the body. He is not afraid t
It address the chair On a point OF orde