The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-21
BION IL. BUTLER.

BlON IL. BO OILtk.
I.umberton, Sept. 1S.-If the people
OF Robeson county were as handy
with the loud pedal as the people OF
the Sandhills county it is interesting
to speculate on what this part Of
North Carolina would be. Get a bunch
Of men into conversation about the
development of North Carolina and
they lay stress on what the SandhillS
is doing, and point with q lot of en-
thusiasm to the fact that RobesOn is
a mighty forward agricultural coun-
ty, but tell them that RObeSOn has
been making progress as fast as any
county in the State, and it comes as
a surprise The impression seems to
he in most places that Robson is like
Topsy in Uncle Toms Cabin, who jest
grove =. and was pretty much always
this way
But the romantic fact is that Robe
son is a new county, and it's prosperity
is Of recent date. More than that,
Eobeson is not a finished county, rest
ing contentedly on the pinnacle OF
satisfied ambition and accomplished
task. Robeson is pushing ahead about
as fast as any part Of the State, and
the big jobs are looming up in front
ready to be tackled, and with the
plans forming to carry them out.
Big Growth i'm Ten Years.
The census of 1900 showed Lum-
berton to be a sleepy little town OF
something over 500 people, without &
factory or industry OF any kind wortf
mentioning. The census ten year:
later found suburb that had ovel
500 people. In 1897 Robson count.
had one bank, the Bank of Lumber
ton. with a capital of $4,000. ina
bank has a capital now OF $4,000
and fourteen other banks in the coun
ty, increase the banking capital t
half million dollars. Meanwhile
big chunk has been cut out Of Robe
son to make Hoke county. In 100
a little cotton mill was started i
Robson with 10000 spindles. NOV
in the town are four mills with so
900 or $4,000 spindles and capital c
over q million dollars, and a produC
worth a couple of million dollars
year.
We are accustomed to think {
Robeson county as a great agricu
tural section and correctly. But Robe
son as a plain fact IS a remarkable e>
ample of rapid transition. If we tax
the census tables for the last thirt
or forty years we see that Robeso
has climbed up from 5000 peop
with mighty little apparently ahead I
them. a community Of mill men ar
turpentine hands until it is now or
Of the foremost agricultural COUNT,
of the United States. The farm pr
ducts of the county in 1910 passed II
S7.000,0 900 mark, a mark, which if q
the counties Of the State did as we
would mean that North Carolina cOu
claim first place among the States
the Union. Robson county, form b
ing nondescript in 1870, famed mo
for lawleSsneSS and backWardne
than for anything else. by 1910 h
swiftly advanced to stand among Il
foremost farming counties Of t
whole Union. Robeson is one of t
three or four counties that make t
record crops of cotton in the Unit
States. Robson is one of the b
counties of the South, and the for
most one of the State. Robson is t
biggest live stock county of the Sta
twenty-five years ago the cotton CT
ran about $1,000 bales. Since then
has mounted UP to 5000 bales. TIVE
~ years ago practically no tobac
was raised in the county. Now it
almost as staple as cotton, with or
in the four townships of Orrum. VIII
House. Sterling and FairmOunt, reac
ing about 100000 pounds
Two Tobacco Markets.
Two good tOba eco markets are
the county at FairmOnt and Lumbt
ton, and new warehouse is expect
next season in Lumberton. TobaC
Is newer crop than some of
others, and is rapidly finding fav
But the idea of varied crops has tax
hold. and is making a significant
road in the agricultural practi
II. M. Barnes and Judge Mcneil
the Farmers and Merchants Ba
were discussing the expansion Of CT