The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-01-08
CANDIDATES FOR sPEAKERsHIP
-Four Names Prominently Men,
toned for the Position.
Appropriation Asked Toward Paying
for Land on Which Confederate
Cemetery j. Locatcd-Six Murdercrs
To be Tried-Work Done by Con-
NiCts-Annual Meeting OF MasonS.
Messenger Bureau.
Raleigh, y c., January .

MeSsenSer Bureau,
Raleigh, y c., January ..
Secretary Bruner of the state board
of agriculture goes TO Conway. Ncrth-
ampton county and the next ia, IL
kelford. BERTHE county, at the special
request Of the farmers TO confer with
them regarding immigration for that
section.
!! There are four leading candidates
for h speakership OF the house, these
being Chief Murphy, E. J. Justice. w.
{. Dowd, and j. S. Manning. Hets
were made today that there would be
no election On the first ballot.
h state treasury today received a
letter from an Ohio chapter Of Daugh-
ters Of the C%onfederacy asking that
this state make some appropriation
towards paying for lands on Johnson's
Island. covering the Confederate GEM
etery, in which are the remains of prls-
oners who died in the famous prison
there. The land has been bought and
! bronze statue to the dead is new
being made in Rome. Italy, by Sir
Ezekiel, who was a Confederate SOL
der. State Auditor Dixon was a p.is-
Oner at JOhnson's Island.
Today B. c. Beckwith, of the state
board of internal improvements, went
to Greensboro to inspect the co!cred
Agricultural and Mechanical college.
While there he will inspect the very
fine system of bookkeeping at the
Normal and Industrial college. The
latter institution has been inspected
by Governor Glenn, who also inspected
the University OF North Carolina. Mr..
Beckwith says that all of the institu-
tons in which the state has an inter
est have been inspected except the
colored A. and NJ, and on Monday he
will hand in his report to the governor
to go to the legislature.
Last month Special Agent Bowling
inspected the Office of Revenue Collector
Duncan here and his report was re-
ceived today, rating the Office rs A,
No. /. Collector Duncan is much pleas
ed. He says his men have worked hard
this year and have destroyed perhaps
more illicit distilleries than ever, The
dOckets of the courts show how many
arrests were made and there were
many convictions.
Six murder cases are to be tried at
the term of the superior court of this
county this month at which Judge +.
B.. Jones Dresides.
The annual meeting of the directors
of the state penitentiary was held
yesterday for the special purpose of
making the report to Governor Glenn.
The directors called OF him in a body
and informed him that the net balance
is $3.50, 600, among the assets being
1000 bales of cotton, of the estimated
value of 10 cents, though this is a low
estimate, as over half the cotton is
of last years crop, which is in such
demand by cotton mills. The sugses-
ton is made that the sales of this
cotton be made directly to mills. The
p~enitentiary has done a great deal for
state development. the cpnvicts having
built something over 1,400 miles of
railway in the state. Enterprises
which are proving of great value have
been aided. For example, in the early
stages of the Raleigh & Pamlico Sound
railway it was seen how important the
line would be in the development of
the state and SO nearly $4,000 was in
a way advanced in convict labor, all
Of which was paid for and now The
road is being pushed as a great enter
prise and promises much to all OF
northeastern North Carolina. The per-
itentiary aided at a critical time IL
pushing to completion the much-need-
ed turnpike between Jefferson, in Ashe
county. and WilkesbOrO. 1t may be
that the roadbed will be used for a
trolley system. The grade is so easy
that a horse could be trotted to a bug
CIV all the way from WilkesbOrO 10
Jefferson, across the Blue Ridge. The
management of the penitentiary kas
been very thorough, the number Of
escapes this year being fewer than
usual. Everything is done on a bust
ness basis. The number of convicts Is
precisely the same as it was a Eear
ago. this being the first yea for a long
time in which it has not diminished.
There are, of course, a number of dis
abled %cOnvicts, a. a number of
ties seem to make a practice to send
this class to the ~penitentiary and keep
the a~ble-bOdied ones 10 work on the
roads. The largest body of ~conviCts
is employed at the state farm near
Weldon. Other gangs are at work at
Wilmington, near New Bern. and on
the Raleigh & Southport railwae in
construction work. One gang is en-
ployed by a logging firm in getting
timber.
Very complete preparations are be
ing made for the annual meeting IF
the Masons OF this state for this week.
a large attendance is expected. a
number of the legislators are members
of this great and powerful order.
Every nch n Man.