The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-09-04
Reports Of Damage to the Crop
From all Quarters.
Preparing Contracts for Text Books
Opening Speech Of the Campaign.
Railroad Traffic Delayed b. Wash
out-Smallpox Inferfered Materi-
ally With school Attendance Last
Year-CharterS Granted.

Raleigh, \. c. August SO.
The attorney general is preparing
the contracts for furnishing text books
to the state for the aext Ave years.
these being made BY ten firms Of pub
fishers which were awarded the CON
II lady, and she was a winner in the
contest.
State Auditor Dixon. at the request
of Senator Simmons. will take the lat
ter's place in making the opening po-
litical speeches Of the campaign. 81
White Oak. BlAden county on the 4th
Of September. Mr.. Simmons having
tt be out o. the state at that time.
Charles l.. Alternately, Esq, Of Beau
fort, is here and says the trestle be-
tween Morehead City and that city
will be finished in sixty days.
The Buckhorn Falls power plant IS
to be sold September 29th, at the III
house door at Pirtsboro and the re-
ceivers think it will bring a good price,
The sale is being advertised in the
leading electrical journals.
Your correspondent today interview
ed Secretary Thomas B. Parker Of the
North Carolina Cotton Growers
Association regarding the condi-
ton Of cotton. Mr.. Parker said:
The damage this week is even great
er than at any previous time. there
having been no sunshine worth speak
ing Of and almost continual rain. A
lot of cotton has been fairly drowned
and its leaves are falling. Reports
coming in officially to us make a terri
BILE showing. The reports from
Wayne county, says that on ordinary
light land there is fifty per cent of an
average crop; on stiff lands sixty per
cent and that on some especially of
good stiff lands the figures would have
reached one hundred per cent but for
this weeks rain but that all these es-
Inmates will be cut by an early frost
20 per cent: under these conditions
the estimate being made that the crop
in the county is about 63 per cent of
an average. Craven county makes the
worst report yet received, showing
only twenty-five per cent Of an aver
age. The farmers there are so greatly
discouraged that there was no posi-
BILE chance to collect any views for the
Cotton association. The further east
you go the worse the reports are. Two
weeks ago in the central section il
looked as if there would be quite a fine
crop, but now no n can tell what the
crop will be. Reports Of shedding,
rust and other damage come in from
all quarters
The railway officials are kept on the
alert these days by fear OF washouts.
The Seaboard train "a delayed
a number of hours today near Norlina.
being caught between two washouts.
President Jno. A. Mills of the Raleigh
and Southport road says he never saw
anything like the rain and water en- his
line. yet he has had only two wash
outs. The track is covered with wafer
at several points and is at some places
laid on top of the ground which he
says is a good thing. as it is practically
impossible for the ground itself to be
washed away in such a case.
This has been a very remarkable
summer in more ways than one. II is
the first known here in which roses
and magnolias nave bloomed colttnu-
ously. The daily rains continue, coming
from the south, and there has been
but q few hours of moonlight durinG
the month.
Wake Forest college opened today
with a larger number of new students
than ever before known at an opening.
II was found from the figures in the
Office of the state superintendent OF
public instruction that smallpox in
terferred very greatly with the enroll
ment and attendance at many OF the
public schools last year, the reduction
from this cause being very consider
able.
In 1910 state bonds, four per cents.
to the amount of $3,409, $50 become due
State Treasurer Lacy when asked about
the new bonds which will Of course be
issued to retire this lot said that If
thirty year bonds were issued he felt
very sure he could obtain par for them
at three per cent. In 309 $4,000 Of
bonds fall due, these being S1l0. 900
issued t pay ~penitentiary debts in
Cured under the fusion administration
and $4,000 Of prison farm bonds.
from the proceeds Of which the spien-
did farm on the Roanoke was bought
The penitentiary will take rp the 500
900 Of farm bonds and pay the inter
est on these. It is not known what II
will do in regard TO the $4,000 o.
bonds.
Charters are granted the Bessemer
City Comet Band. incorporated. giving
It authority to erect building, deal n
musical instruments OF any kind and
do any sort Of business. the capital
stock being 81 900. Another charter =
yran.ei the Hatth~ork-Galioway-Trot-
te- rorpcnv. Of Rridy-ilie. 70 - a
dec nsrsireee, ~art'al ST e1 -z5 no Vet
another chatter "a b he North STAT,
Came Club oonrenv. at ~'e-ko-. Bia-
den county, capital sock $500.
Cnha affords Al iafcat'on r. WI {
may ne exoe~.>d r q ~ II n lass -