Newspapers / The News & Observer … / June 27, 1909, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
I. ,1 I I t SEC. ODE Pages 1 to 0 4 . - . . . .... 7 V. VOLUME IiXxjxVllI.NO. SG BiXEIGEU N. C. SlJNDAY,juiE 27, 1909. IE 5 CENTO h.. ,1. H', , i ; - . ' ' ' ? - ' , r News and CSreialatioiffl lueMs Mil 10 'M Situated atr the Dead Roanolielt Occupies 1:-; tion For AHD TRADING CENTER The Destined Metropolis of the Roanoke, the Seat of Industries and of Agriculture, Entering Upon a New Era of Progress and Development Oppor tunities for the investment of Capital. Advantages Offered to the Home Seeker Pen- I Pictures of Her past and Pres- ent, Prophetic jof Her Future The Largest !f Spot" Peanut i.iarKei in me ii BY. EDWARp Ut JCOJI N, Amonr the dominant tow is. of th rapidly growing East ! that i re being metamorphosed Into prosperous, thrif ty clttti, none presents mon ttriKlns evidences of the transforming power of Industry and Judlclcnis enterprise than WUHamMon, t, upon a lilll, th mot beautiful town on thv Hoancjke river. It occupies an advantageous jp'oJnt for commerce.. Its Industrial position Is t' commanding, and as arjv agricultural -Cnlr It la. without, a. xlvaV: In i this aectlon.". The population of h' town It 1.800. but It will be multiplied In a tew year, v r-.. y i , Hawks, the North Carolina filstoHan, relates the adventures tit an -expedition In 1686 from Flrj Walter jtalelgh'a colony at Roanoke Jsland under the . command of Sir Ralph Lane 4'hlch a . cended the Roanoke river, trjen bear ing Ita original name of Mo-otoc. to explore the country and to search for gold. A landing was made whre Wll , llamston ' now stands, st? that it was - here that the soli of Martin was flirt pressed by the feet of the conquering "race.. It was many-yearg thereafter be fore settlements were i establihM by the white men. Emigrants from - the ' Chowan and -Perquimans ; precincts, coming across Albemarle Sourtit. locat ed in Martin and the adloinipg coun ties, prior to the VVar of the Itcvo - ; lutlon ; many "of the wealthy citizens of the town of Edenton ajd the coun ty of Chowan owned largc plantations on the Roanoke in Martin ari:l DertJu counties, among them being Governor Johnson. . Subsequently a,"confeldenihte company of these; men v made thir homes in Martin county, " i Th annals pf the Revolution are replete jwlth ac counts 1 of the distinguishing services or these patriots. ( In both, ivii ana military life their conduct was exem plary, and their : scions arfc ; today r li. si t it:. ' ' die ' nil . 1 . . tommerc( W -, J . v r, -;" if Navigation on the i - -1 -. . ;. .... . a Commanding Loca- g and Manntacturinfl among the best citizens of the countv. J ,Wllllamston was incorporated in 1779. and was made the county seat ofr Martin Just after the ratification of- the charter of incorporation, taking ita name from Asa Williams. In lf early history It was the center of extensive lumber and naval stores in terests. Its merchants - exported tar, staves and shingles to the West In dies and imported sugar, salt and mo lasses. Being the farthest Inland point Its trade with the surrounding counties iiLthese commodities ' was large and profitable. Among the prominent mer chants of that day were the Hunters, Yejlowbys, Bagleys, Johnsons, and Mc Kehseys, and in a later period Asa Williams, Kader Biggs. C. B. Hassell arid Rhodes Brothers. .Among their contemporaries in the legal profession Iton. Asa Biggs was the most highly distinguished, having served as a mem be of the National House of Repre sentatives, United States Senator and Federal Judge, A widely known and revered man of that period was C.B. Hassell. an. elder In the Primitive Bap tis church and moderator of their as sociation. His influence was so dominating-that he was frequently called by ,his; friends "the Baptist Pop-." In his -old age at the demand of ihs people, oppressed by the .enforcement of laws placed Upon them by the Can by constitution., be. became a candidate for Ihe Constitutional Convention. In 1575(2 and, though the county was! largely Republican, was elected, Msr- J tin being the only Republican county; electing a Democrat, giving the Pern-1 ocrats a majority of one in the con vention.. He began the writing of the history of the Primitive Baptist; Church, hut death clalminsr him be for a Its completion, the work was finish ny laer pyivesier jiasseu. aiany say that $7. B.. Hasrell was the greatest man Martin county has produced.. There were no "Buffaloes" in Martin county during the Civil war. Hsr gallant men and noble women wen all loyalAo the Stars and Bars; Theflrt rompanr raised - in : Martin "sailed for L Hattcras Inlet on the 2 Oth of May l?6i. commanded by Captain John C. Lamb. Other companies were - subse quently mustered and the county fur nished. . her full quota of troop.-. -The largest numbers of her soldiers served in the brigades of Martin. Ktrkland and Cllngman. In Hoke's division, and in establishing the imperishable glory a of the incomparable Army of Northern Virginia. Among those who served the Confederacy bravely arc Col. Wilson Q. Lamb. J. A. Whitley, X. S.,Pel. J. A. Hobbs. W. H. Robert son and Stanley Leggett. j Location and lleoltli. - - WiUlamston. the county tat of Martl, is located on the south bank of thai Roanoke river; about 35 miles from,(lts mouth. The river forms the northern boundary of.the county. The town Is on a high elevation, over looking; the, river, and is blessed with a perfect natural drainage. , It Is the heart of one of the moat productive regions in. the country, one of Its dis tinctions being that It is the pearyut metropolis of the State, this town being- the largest "spot" peanut market In theyorld, as no other place equals It in buying the peanut firsthand from the producer. , The climate of this section responds to that of Southern France! The mortality rata Is re - y t is 1y i 1 markably low and will compare most favorably with that of the highlands of the Piedmont The water is pure and Is taken from near the surface out of open wells or through the drive pump process. The sand and xoll form a free filter, giving the water a crystal clearness and purity. There is no sewerage system, but the town Is well drained naturally. The business houses are lighted with acetylene gas and a plant 'Is to be In stalled for lighting the homes and the streets. Agricultural Advantages. Martin county contains an area of 500 square miles. The soli is gener ally light and especially adapted to the growth of peanuts, tobacco, bor rles. grapes and truck, but In every sections cotton and corn are success fully grown . There are no natural rock formations, one of the element! that farmers in parts of the country must battle against, and the cultivated lands ere well and easily drained. The 68 square miles of swamps In the county are so situated as to make their drainage feasible and pofltable. They form a vast field for successful de velopment, being among the most fer tile lands known to exist Martin produces as staple crops cot ton, corn, peanuts, and tobacco, but hardly a crop that is cultivate 1 In the State may not be seen here. -.The natural home of the grape Is Martin county. Nearly all kinds of trurk crops and fruit grow to perfection here. The county is awakening to the Importance of producing enough meat, corn and hay for home mipplles V i . ' . ' - - '." vr ' f ":. t -' 4 ! : THE DANK OF and there' la a movement among the farmers to make Martin a corn selling Instead of a corn buying county. Farm lands hitherto considered worthless are producing ten and twelve barrels of corn to the acre. Then lands ire matchelss for the cultivation of the peanut a crop amounting to three quarters of a million bushels per year, worth half a million dollars. Wll liamston claims to buy more peanuts from the carts of the farmers than any other market in the world. This is the most extensively grown crop in the county, and is one that can be de pended upon to pay taxes and debts and create bank account and fatten pork, and farm animals, as every part of the peanut from the nojule of the root to the tip of the leaf can be utilized. . . Many ' farmers raise as many as 125 bushels to the acre, the average yfeld being 60 or 60 oushel The peanut. Is one of the most easily cultivated of crops, as'-well us being are and profitable. Martin county has been producing tobacco fifteen years under the mod ern plan of flue curing. The average crop of the bright tobacco is four mil lion pounds, j Martin-county tobacco won a prize .In the international con test The soil of the county averages 800 pounds to the acre. Some farmers obtain from twelve, to fourteen hun dred pounds to th acre. The soils .of f the county havj been improved by rotation of crop and more com. la .being yielded than for merly. I The 1908 corn crop amounted to 6.400 barrels. Cranberries and grapes are found to luxuriate in many parts of the county, and could 'be cultivated for commer cial purposes almost without effort Fruit culture, while not extensive, is profitable, - and affords excellent ' op portunities for, profitable development. One. of the best paying Investments in the county is bee keeping. - There is throughout the county a luxuriant growth of flowering plants and trees whose sweatness that Is being washed to the ground might "be utilized In honey- making. The finest honey In the world is produced here, this fact being attested by two medals, cne the Paris Exposition award, the other won at the Jamestown Exposition. The town of WiUlamston produced h-ney that was awarded one of the prizes at the Buffalo Exposition. This honey was taken from hives within 100 yards of the court-house. Labor in Slartln County. The chief essential to. the success In fsrmlng . is labor and the ability to handle it -The man with ability to handle and control labor can get It as easily as the man who -has ability can get anything else In lire. The successful' farmer of today Is, the man who Is ! successful in handling labor. There are instances coming under the writer's observation where a farmer who were Just as well able to pay. who have as good houses,, pay as good wages and are as kind to their. em ployes that cannot get the tabor and control the labor as can his next door neighbor, who mar not have such fa. vorable I conditions, but who has the ability to manage ana control the la borer. - To the latter ; class of men who . own fsrms In this county i- can say that ; there is- , ample ana acunaant labor. to the men who cannot handle lubvr w vxtvat sue- cessfully, I would say that ho soli and no conditions are more favorable with the varieties of crops he would be able to grow here? He could ar range his rotations and labor so that he would be employed the year round In doing the necessary work to. some crop at the required time. ? Martin county has a great number of small farmers who are among the most prosperous of her citizens and who derive the greatest profit from their efforts. The peanut Is especial ly adapted to cultivation by the small farmers because It Is easily cultivated on suitable soil and is picked by ma chlnery. ; i ' , y . The Tobacco Planter's Bonanza. WiUlamston is located In ons of the best bright tobacco betts in North Carolina, and produces more ? fine wrappers, cutters and -export ' leaf than any other territory In the State, The soil of .Martin county Is especially auaptea to tne culture or rme tobac co. Nature has so endowed; it with an the necessary soil, climate and sea sons. It has a fine loamy sand, soli with a clay foundation. ; The land Is well and easily drained, and level, and one man and a team can tend as much tobacco here as two men and two teams can tend in Piedmont Carolina. WiUlamston Is surrounded by a well-to-do class of farmers, full of en ergy, kind and accommodating, hon est straightforward and progressive, who have made greatest- progress In this section of the -country, where tne son is better suited to the trrowth of tobacco. Since 190 the proCTess of the farmers in Martin county has been remarkable. Land that . was formerly worth $4 an acre is now worth 130. and . this Is but one In stance that I cite which comes. under my immediate , observation, and al though there are others yet the coun ty Is large and there are many good farms now-for sale that can.be Im proved and Increased In Value by the "If 3LRTTJf - COUNTT. same method, the proper application of skill in the growth of tobacco. In certain sections of the county, where the people formerly depended entirely on cotton and peanuts, farm land was in many cases exceedlnalv chean and a burden to those where It was not especially adapted to the srrowth of cotton and peanuts. In most every instance where it s not especially adapted to these It Is to the growth of tobacco and these people, when they had once acquired sufficient knowledge and experience to cultivate tobacco, began to appreciate the val ue of their land from the income de rived from the growth of the yellow weed. Those sections that were at the greatest disadvantage before in not having suitable soils for cotton and peanuts are now Martin county's most prosperous sections. One farmer last year raised 40 acres of tobacco with an average yield oi i.zuo pounds to the acre and sold It at an average price of 12 1-2 cents per pound on the WiUlamston mar ket There is another Instance of a farmer who grows four acres every year and makes an average of 1,000 pounds per acre that sells upon an average of 15 cents per pound. There are many advantage In the cultiva tion of tobacco In this section that are not enjoyed by other communities, especially In the Piedmont. It Is easy to get a sufficient quantity of plants to start the crop and It Is easi ly transplanted because the soil is easily handled, being of a loamy light nature with no rqeks. This kind of soil makes tobacco easy to cultivate and Its growth is very rapid; there fore not so long at the mercy of the cut worm It develops rapidly, which makes cultivation fast and soon com plete. The farmers begin the housing about the middle of July, and begin selling by the first of August i"he quantity produced depends largely upon the quantity and character of the fertilizer used "and the skill ex ercised in cultivation. The method of housing the crop makes It easy to grade. The average farmer does not -MARTIN C)TJNTX "COTRTiilOTJSC. . if- 'V- - " : have to exceed six grades and these grades almost invariably conform to the time -of housing. The farmers house their tobacco by stripping the cured leaves off the stalk in, the field; these leaves are stripped every week to days as they ripen until the whole crop is heused. This usually takes upon an average of four to six weeks. In this way grading is faclll tated, because' each stripping is prac tically a grade to Itself and is thus kept together, handled In bulk to gether, bleached together and mark eted together, whereas the old method in the Piedmont section was to cut the - whole - stalk and cure the whole stalk at one time, making every grade come In one bulk. Another advantage in this method of curing tobacco la that the farmer has a longer time to grade and if labor is short he can extend his grading through the whole year, be ginning Immediately after curing the first barn. Many small farmers take advantage of this and when the weather is bad. grade tobacco in their pack' house with their families and every member of the family can do some part of the work. Tobacco Warehouses. WiUlamston is the market for the tobacco of all this section and Is well equipped for the handling, of large crops. There are three warehouses. three prize houses and a well equip ped steam plant for redrying tobac co; and a hogshead factory, with ex cellent . transportation facilities by boat lines and railroad. The WiUlamston market is fortun ate In having tobacco warehousemen who know how to get the best prices for their patrons, In that they know the crop, the market conditions and the value of the tobacco. This mar ket has buyers from all-the big man ufacturers and Jobbers; of leaf tobac co, among which are the American, 1 XOTTS CLUB'S RE Imperial, Continental and a number of Independent - order and contract buyers. The. warehouses are the Roan oke, Dixie and Farmers. Fruit and Crapes. The soil and climate of no country is more suitable to the growth of trult and grapes than that. of Martin county. Trees irrow rapidly and de velop quickly and when properly pro tected from the insects bear bounte ously and luxuriantly and no one trav eling through this section can pass without observing the great number of fruit trees which are as profitable for the amount of energy and time de voted to them as any phase of agricul ture. The grape Is indigenous and grows' wild and when cultivated Is verily a garden of Eden. Great quan tities of wine are -made from the Misch. the James, scuppernohg and Concord grapes. Every farmer and every per son who owns a home with ' space enough for a back yard haa a grape vine. Large 'quantities of grapes are shipped annually in the uncrushed form, barrelled to wineries in Norfolk and Virginia and some sections of the State. Some of the citizens make large quantities of wine either to sell locally to the retail trade or to. ship. There Is one firm which makes large quantities of wine and has In store over 9,000 gallons. It took a Mary land man to see the great profit af forded the citizens of this community to squeeze this plentiful grape Into a very delghtfu! wine. Any one Inter ested in this business can get full In formation from Leggatt Barnes, of WiUlamston, who are familiar with every phase Of the culture and crush ing of the grape. Live Stork. X have had much to say concern ing the peanuts and its growth In this section, but no on who has not lived in this section can realize the vital Connection between the prosperity of this community and the growth of the peanut. Every part of the peanut Vine In all shape and form is an ex cellent, fted for stock, tor work ani mals and for fattening cattle. There are excellent pasture lands and there are many people who do not feed their stock at all. and some few only dur ing the extreme cold weather of the winter. The reeds of the branches and the low grounds are green the year around. The grasses grow n abundance and stock living entirely on pastures remain in good condition and with a few peanut vines In the winter make excellent meats. The peanut left in the, ground at the digging Is the chief source of food for the purpose of fattening pork. Hogs thrive,, grow and fatten more' rapidly upon the peanut than any -food that could be fed thenC These conditions are in ducive to stock raising and ' dairying and make meat cheaper. 1 Very few horses and mules are raised, in the county, but the -people are (retting into this habit more and more as. they realize the ease , with which thorough bred ' colts . can V be raised and the great cost of a good horse at this time. . The number-o1 volts In this county last year was com paratively small, but from an actual record there are at this season -60 per cent more , colts, mules and ? horses. thuu last year nnd It U jrcdlctcd that 4 Cv- .-Y.;r.-. .-v j.. US i.- 1J - : wK if $ " r ViJ u. , h r ; , m - A'PiV - . , V- RESIDENCE OF ELDER nextxj'ear and the years to come the increases win be sun greater. Miscellaneous Enterprises. . Besides the tobacco market enter prises Wllliamston has a pignut fac tory Woolard Cultivator y Factory, a buggy and carriage factory, the Wico mico Lumber Company, the last being a new plant the mill of which Is soon to be erected; a cotton-gin. three blacksmith shops, a- bottling works, three livery stables, two hotels, a wholesale grocery store, two -department stores, a hardware store five general supply stores,, two drug stores, four retail grocery stores, a newspa per and Job printing office, and two banks., .. There are six physicians, six law yers and one dentist in WiUlamston. Postal Statistics. A n Innrtntrrkvortnhlo' nrnnf of the growth of the town is shown in the following statistics from the Williams- i - CEPTION ROOMS. ton postofflce: Gross receipts for the official year ending March 3 1st 1D04 42,459.08 Gross receipts for the official year ending March 31st 1909 ..- Postmaster's salary, 1904.... Postmaster's salary, 1909.... Allowance for clerk hire, 1904 Allowance for clerk hire,. 1909 Rural carriers' salary, per year Mail messenger service, per . year Rent paid for office, 1904...: Rent paid for office, 1909.... 3.921.75 1.200.00 1,600.00 108.00 260.00 3,528.00 109.00 200.00 300.00 Total amount paid to run the office, per year. . . ...... ,-.$5,687.00 :s-v . v v.. v. - yMTXXvX FARMERS AND, SYLVESTER HASSELL. The money order business has rnore . i man doubled since 1904. The Enter Prise. In 1904. was dlxnitrhiul In thrA sacks, now, it takes four. The Gospel! Messenger, in 1904. used 10 socks,. notr' ' 18.- In 19 04 . the postofflce made up4 two poucnes for the , freight Train; local mallr was sent C to . Parmele. North of Parmele, another pouch was used Iabled Norf & .Wilm R P. O. Tr. No. 103. The Sunday mail was r sent to Wash. & Charles rTp, O. Tr No. 22. Now there Is a postal.-clerk on the train on Sundays.. - , ,f- : There are fqur . dally mails on weal days,' with a mail . clerk in , charge. The mall going . -North. Southland' West leaves . at , 8 : 2 8 a., nv and 4:3 1$ p...m.. , . . .. ,.. ,r .. t,, ;v;'j ..-". --i x The mall going. East leaves at 1:1,6' p. m. and 6.05 p. m. -i . ;. .1 The mall leaves here at 1:H p. m.V, eastbound , qver the ' Norfolk ; and , t Southern railway, for - Washington. w dwu, ueauiorc, etc. . ; ' , . a -; Wholesale Traded' 'j.'-ft'vt Wllliamston i as a a f distributor1,' ! of goods for the. wholesale and Jobbertfv; trade has no superior east, of Rocky Mount. Freight rates are as low as any towrt In the v State and her I transportation facilities v are', exceeded . by none. . ' WiUlamston haa railroad and boat - lines for all pftlnts North. South, East, and West, , the competition by, transportation companies between the railroads and the boat lines being such, that In any Instance the freight rate Is 50 per cent that of Its neighboring towns, andMn. addition . to - the rate the service and schedule are convenient and Induclve to this class, of businesa - i , ;! .: r-- j -. , U Cjbuntf; Schools. 7: vThere are- TO schools In Martin counfyi-fTWhlch. 47-ar: whlte.--The'iriK. average term, rural. Is 86 days. There are four special tax districts. The, value of the -rural school property In the county is $31.000.. The value iof the school property created by special , act of the legislature Is $10,000.. : The school, tax Is ,18 cents : and $1.50. on: the poll, exclusive of -special tax dta tricta. 'In tho building of new school ; houses for the past two or three years the citizens and -. patrons have - been generous enough ; to give, -put. of, their, 1 own .pockets, one-half and have vnot shortened their terms; $4,600 expend-' ed in improving: and. building school houses. last yearf about $2,000 of this h amount, was contributed by " the varl'. ous .districts, and ' the money coming from private sources. and 'did: not -in. r any way affect the : school : terms, f- Three of the poorest districts' in the -1 county today - are i contributing one-t- .i half of the expense of a building, and y the ' average school 1 house wlU cost, h $600, exclusive of the school ground.-if The school fund for last year exclusive..! of the special tax school districts was ' $17,510.88.- The number of white i rural school teachers employed "was V. 47 of those 13 have. Normal trainings. 33 have had fouryears and over; in . experience: ,T of them ;have college, , diplomas. Ten teachers are employed in , the city schools. - There are two Continued on Page, Two.) a.1 u ,t 1 1 t. r.' t.f.i. , Hi.. - -: 'j. I- On1 i I. V-i.;. ? ... -. y-i WCJXCUJi2iTStJXXSI J 1. 1- 1 ' 1 ; -T IT,. , V
The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 27, 1909, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75