The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-08-31
ROAD IS IN POOR CONDITION
Report of Corporation Commits
sion ON Carolina Central
the Next Year-Peculiar Conditions
of the Weather During the Summer.
Other Raleigh News Notes.
Messenger Bureau,
Raleigh, n. c., August %.

State Veterinarian TAFT Butler has
returned from New Haven, where he
attended the annual meeting of tn
American Veterinary Medical Associa-
ton. He went to New Haven from
Springfield, H., where lie attended the
Interstate Association of State San
itary boards. He is now preparing a
circular in regard to the outbreak of
forage-pOisoning among the horses IN
Hyde and other counties in north
eastern North Carolina. DR.. Roberts,
assistant to DR.. Butler, has returned
from Hyde, and was specially inter-
viewed. He said hat horses had been
dying there since the first of July and
that he is informed Of 40 deaths.
Practically all attacked die, very few
recovering. There is no question as
to its being fOrage-pOiOning. Every
thing that was known about this dis
ease has been confirmed by this out
break, which is no worse than five
years ago. Some prOblemS present
themselves, the chief one being the
best way to get proper food to the
animals, the God there being all in
fected. The people have lost almost
all their crops this year and have
nothing else to use as feed except last
years forage which is infected. Most
of their horses are mOrtgaged. They
have no crop with which to pay the
mortgages, in fact a number Of them
are ruined, yet don't seem to feel this.
The Oldest settlers say that in fifty
years they never saw a time as
this. The people have shipped away
a number of horses to Washington,
Greenville and Norfolk, for sale, and
in some cases to get them to other
food, but the agricultural department
advises against this course, as it be
lieveS the same end can be accomplish
pliShed at less cost by sending up
country II getting proper food for
the animals. Some farmers are buy
ing food from other points. The dis
ease is worst in Hyde, but there is a
good deal Of it in PamlicO, and a little
of it in Beaufort, Washington, Jones,
Craven, Tyrrell and Currituck. In
PamliCO there have been about As
deaths. The crops are miserable, in a
section which usually produces splen-
did ones. Much lOWland is under wa
ter, there are daily rains and the at
m%OSphere fairly reeks with moisture.
A great many Of the people there can
not be convinced about the disease
and have some very foolish notions
about it. Many believe that it is due
TO grazing, some think that grazing il
the moonlight, when the dew is on pro-
duces the trouble, while others think
it is caused by grazing when the sun
is hot. Yet others think it is due to
worms in the ground, to miasma, to
mosquitoes, to malaria, to surface wa
ter, etc. 1t is very hard to combat
. these ideas.
Reports are coming in to the North
Carolina division of the Cotton Grow
ers Association as to the condition of
the cotton crop in various counties
Greene reports a fifty percent crop.
Robson siXty-four percent, Cleveland
s~eventy-five percent.
Governor Glenn leaves here tomor-
row morning for New York, as the
head of the North Carolina delegation
to meet w. J. Bryan and invite him
to speak here to State fair in October.
The governors staff will accompany
him.
Secretary T. X. Bruner of the agri-
cultural department returned from the
mountains, where he visited ten u
ties and secured a very satisfactory
collection of fruits, vegetables, etc, to
be taken to Boston for display.
The corporation commission makes
a report on the condition of the Car
Dina Central railway from Hamlet to
Wilmington, finding it to be in bad
condition with light and old ffty pound
rails in use some "a years, with many
defective crOssties and a OF bed soft
for lack of drainage, the claim being
made that the latter is due to excessive
rains, the officials saying that with
prudent operation of rains the o is
not dangerous, and that with eight
trains daily there have been only
three derailments in the past twelve
months, only one Of these being due in
any way to the condition of the track.
They are working So men, cleaning
bitches and draining the road. The
commission is assured that next year
heavy rails will be laid and the road
put in thoroughly good condition, and
properly drained and surfaced. The
commission thinks the freedom from
dCClOSuL vi tic lOco 10 "a ~
management and the very straight
track.
Nothing is more interesting just now
than the weather, and certainly North
Carolina has had every variety Of it
this season, from parching drouth to
daily soakings. Your correspondent
went up into the admirably equipped
weather bureau station and had a chat
80 rTIiocear ocl-iro fNr rho
story of the weather. Mr.. Thiessen
says it had been a very remarkable
year. He was told the professional
weather prophets had fallen very bad
in their prediction and smiled broadly
as he assented to this statement. Yes
"terday your correspondent talking
with q orCnn of farnorc was told nv