The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-12-27
Interesting Exercises Tske Place
at Soldiers Home
Govcrnor'. Greeting Co Pcoplc M the
SLate-IAhrsries for Public Rural
SCbool--Bclsiau ScttcIrs Arrive.
Ncwbcrn People Excited Over Ex-
tra0rdlnary Appearance of Sky.
Wreck Oh the Southern
Messenger Bureau.
Raleigh. December 3.


his desk was piled with boxes. going
out and coming in, and IN ali the
other departments there Was "A like
sign of the season. When asked Coy
ernor Glenn 10 give holiday greet
fug TO his trusty and well-belOVed
people OF North Carolina hc smiled anu
said: With the financial condition
OF the country gradually growing bet
ter and with the present good hope OF
an amicable adjustment OF all complt-
cations between the state and the
railways, thus restoring peace and
harmony. and with the health of the
people OF the state never better North
Carolina has certainly every reason
TO enjoy a happy Christmas and to
look forward to n prosperous New
Year and to be grateful TO him who
is the author OF all good things"
+ The holiday trade has turned out TO
be very good. indeed. The number
of out of town Shoppers has been large
and money has seemed TO be plentk
full this and last week.
Robert E. Lawrence. Esq, was here
to see the governor for a pardon for
Sandy Lewis, convicted Of bigamy IN
Bladen county and sentenced to a year
in the penitentiary. Lewis is now out
on bond
There was no end of talk today
about the vote tomorrow on prohibt-
ton or dispensary. Governor Glenn
is confident of victory for prohibition
Mr. n. b. Broughton said that be felt
very certain Of n large majority. Prcsi-
dent Miller of the North Carolina Fed
Grafton Of Labor said that the major
ity for prohibition would be about 400,
according to his most careful calcula-
tion and he declared that the dispen-
sary people would only carry the sec
ond division in the second ward. every
thing else showing a majority against
1t.
At the Soldiers Home last night the
three nurses in the hospital had very
beautiful Christmas tree for the 32 old
men who are on the sick list. All but
three were brought from their beds
Your correspondent was there with
some local talent TO amuse and cheer
the aged veterans, who are on the very
edge of the grave and carried thCm
message Of love and sympathy and
good cheer from Governor Glenn. Al
ter the distribution OF the presents
In which all were remembered, Com
rade Moore was wheeled forward In
his rolling chair and made very
touching response to the governors
message of love and sympathy and
bore to the governor this morning.
The contrast between these feeble men
and the bright girls and boys who
were entertaining them was very strik-
ing. After the exercises the nurses
entertained the entertainers and sup
erintendent and Mrs. Brooks had I
very delightful supper in the hospital
dining room.
Ihis morning the party Of Belgians
who recently landed at Charleston and
who will settle at Grimesland. n Pitt
county, passed here on their way to
their new home. They were headed
by Oscar Van der Meersch, the others
being Theodore Corvette and wife, and
their seven children. All are from
Ghent, and all speak English. They
will raise truck. poultry. etc. They Will
occupy the lands Of Secretary Grimes,
who is very much interested In the
plan and who hopes 10 see this be-
come the nucleus OF a large colony.
Today state warrants were issued
for ten libraries for rural public
schools, which go as a Christmas gift
to six counties The development Of
the library movement this year by the
educational department has certainly
been remarkable. The department Is
profoundly gratified at the continued
success OF the libraries; OF the great
work done in 1907 in consolidating
school districts and voting special tax
es for schools, and in the really won
derful success Of the new country high
schools. All the money appropriated
by the legislature was promptly taken
up and considerably more was called
fo- and five sixths of all the counties
in the state take these schools, which
mean SO much for all the rural dis
tricts.
A telegram from Newbern stated
| that there was an extraordinary ap-
pearance OF the sky there last evening.
and was referred TO the weather bu-
reau here. Director Thissen said he
would make inquiry as to the charac-
ter of 1t, but 10 was probably due to
some unusual atmospherical condition
There was nothing unusual here. The
wind was very high, blowing from a
clear sky. following an unseasonably
4 xvarrr Aov