The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-06-20
Eastern North Carolina.

A Land of Bounteous Plenty and
Limitless Possibilities The Gar
den Spot, Declares Charles K
Thamas in a Speech at Beaufort
on the Occasion Of Celebrating
the Completion of the Railroad
Bridge Connecting Morehead and
Beaufort, June 9th.
Eastern North Carolina, upon
whose shores break the waves of the
stormy Atlantic, carrying upon its
broad bosom the fleets and navies O
the world-grand old ocean, but ever
new and fresh and beautiful as the
morning; Eastern North Carolina
stretching from Virginia's line to the
Palmetto State, and westward tC
the Piedmont or hill country is the
garden spot of North Carolina and
of the South. Its sounds and water.
ways and rivers tributary to the
sounds and ocean;its balmy climate,
fertile soil, vast and varied resources
of water, field and forest; it's men
and women, worthy descendants OF
those who first settled the colony III
the seventeenth and eigh teenth cen
turtles, make its progress. prosperity
and commercial upbniiding worthy
OF the thought, wisdom, energy and
best efforts OF citizens and statesmen.
| love every foot ofNorth Carolina
soil, but | may be pardoned some px-
travagances of expression in speak
ing OF that section in which | was
born and reared, because OF my i'll
tense interest in all that concerns its
welfare and progress.
Eastern North Carolina for genera
tons has been the home of Il noble,
refined and cultured people We are
now celebrating ut Jamestown. Va.
the first permanent settlement OF he
English people upon this continent
three centuries ago; but more than
twenty years before Jane,tnwu.R Raj
eigll' 5 adventurous ships LANDED upon
Roanoke and founded here II gDuIlv
land, 1t land OF Iwondrous beauty
and fertility, such IL promised land
even as the spies sent GU" by Moses,
the leader OF the Lords chosen ppO-
pie, Israel found in Canaan of ora pes
and milk and honey, ami wine and
fruits.
And when II century after Roanoke
and jamestown, Eastern North Car
olina WAS almost permanently set
tied, it became the home OF men of
nglo-SaNon blood and heritage who
ald broad and deep the foundation
OF the colony and State; the home oi
patriots and soldiers and statesmen:
OF Il people W no scOrned the tyranny
OF kings and Parliaments; who won
the first victory over / he British at
Moore Greek. and lighted the fires
OF patriotism at the Congress in Hal
flax April II, 1776. Ii became also
the most fertile and prosperous spot
III our great Commonwealth, the
paradise OF the home seeker home
builder.
But so great have been the natural
advantages, so vast the resources
OF Eastern North Carolina: SO cen
tent its people, with its balmy eli
mate, Italian skies, fertile soil and
teeming waters that his section has
not made the rapid progress which
the God OF Nature and ofNatiOns in
tended.
With such people and such re-
sources us | have pictured to your
minds Eastern North Carolina need
ed one thing more-the magic touch
OF capital to send the life blood OF
commerce throbbing and pulsating
through every artery of trade and
business to awaken it to wealth and
activity as great us its people and
natural advantages. And it is be,
ginning to feel this magic touch and
arousing even It's IL man strong III
bone and Sinew and intellect fresh
from the Slunbers OF night time.
a transformation is being wrought
Ill Eastern North Carolina, due in
part to the steady progress of twenty
years and the skill, ingenuity and
character OF our people; and in part
to an influx of capital, in recent
years.
Twenty years ago the cultivation
OF the strawberry in Eastern North
Carolina for shipment was practically
only beginning; now the crops ship
ped by the Atlantic Coast Line Rail
road in refrigerator cars annually is
worth millions of dollars.
Two decades ago we did not rpAliz.
the vast undeveloped resources o
our truck farms; now, land whirl
formerly sold for five dollars per acre
cannot be bought for one hundred
dollars per acre. And we ship our
melons and vegetables to the North
ern markets, competing with any
section OF the United States.
| have in my minds eye II young
man, energetic, Industrious, econOu.
cal, making such Il small fortune
upon Il few acres Of land at New Bern
in cnltivating lettuce alone, as to ell
able him to buy Il comfortable home
furnish it and marry IL beautifu
wife. have also in my mind -four
brothers, who when our lumber in
terests were as vet undevelopeI