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Entered at the Post Office at Wilmington
N. C, as second-class matter.
Subscription Price.
The subscription price of the Wekk
r.Y Star is as follows :
single Copy 1 year, postage paid, $1.50
44 6 months. 44 44 1.00
" j 3 44 44 44 .50
FINE TOBACCO.
The Hickory JPress thinks Catawba,
is entitled to the "banner" aa the best
cmnty lor fine tobacco. Its sales will
hardly sustain the claim as yet. Gran
ville has borne off the prize for twen
ty years in the Richmond and Peters
burg markets. It has no rival, all
things considered. There is more fine
! obacoo-Aobaeco that brings the high
prices, not "fancy," but regular and
general raised and sold in that coun
tythari in any other two counties pro
bably in the State. There are sections
of Warren, Person, Orange, Caswell,
and Rockingham thai raise very fine
tobacco. When the fine tobacco raisers
of Granville sell in Richmond due no-
tureol the time is published in the city
paper. Why ? That the tobacco
manufacturers may congregate there
avail themselves of an opportuni
ty u procure the finest weed. W
i:tivu known a large manufacturer to
s i ti-s : four-horse team from Caswell
iu (jSranviiie in dead of winter, when
the red clay roads were badly cut up
and the mad was deep and difficult to
pull through, to procure a load of fine
coal cured, lie explained the reason to
u fyr so doing. He said he had certain
.markets to supply with a fine grade
tjf chewing tobacco, and he needed a
inch, ii!y j,obaoco of bright color, but
.-xoWk-nt body, of the finest silken
tine golden texture. To get
t hose qualities combined he found it
necessary to go to Granville. He
jsn'ul the Caswell tobacco was as-
bright, but not as rich and silken and
oily. He attributed the difference to
something in the. Granville soil, but
said he was not chemist enough to
say what it was. We know that at
Danville, Richmond, Petersburg and
other markets Granville tobacco
.&iKlri highest, and has borne off all
prizes when it, has entered the field
of competition.
J3ui there is fine tobacco made in
many counties, aud the old State is
improving in the quality and quanti
ty now raised. More fine tobacco is
grown in North Carolina than any
-where else on the Continent. The
jmly way to test the matter of su
premacy would be for the sales of
twenty or more of the best far
mers in each county to be compared.
When Catawba can raise $12,000
tsvortb of tobacco on thirty acres and
-with nine hands; or when it can raise
:$2,400 worth on four : acres; or when
a load of loose leaf tobacco fetches
$ 1,200 at the factory door; or when
nineteen tierces are sold for from
$87 to $131 per hundred, averaging
over $100 per hundred pounds for the
entire lot; or when two white boys,
the oldest eighteen,-aided oy a sickly
buy about fourteen,' pan. make over
3,0.00 worth of tobacco in one year
an J get the: money for it, Catawba
may jyell talk of rivalling or excelling
Granville. ..These are but samples.
No doubt Catawba is a fine tobacco
section, and, there .are many fine to
bacco sections in a dozen or two of the
counties, but they are not all or any
of them equal to Granville as yet.
We may j mention that the finest
tobacco sections, outside of Gran
ville, lie contiguous to that county.
It is a fact, we think, that the richest
tobacco sectiou in the United States
is embraced in the territory that
originally constituted Granville be
fore Warren,: Franklin V and . Person
were - made from it. The fine to
bacco lands of Orange lie adjoining
the Granville line. !
By the present process of curing
ike tobacco grown on light lands,
VOL. XL I
uepin) or gray soil can be made
bright." v The most of it, however,
will not have that jrich, fine texture,
silken gloss, and! excellent body that
the best golden I colored tobacco of
Granville and j adjoining sections
have. It is a mistake, therefore.
i l
aifdit is quite common we find, to
Iodic at the yellow tobacco and to'
conclude at once; because it is yellow
that it is as good or better than the
famous weed of a few counties.
If our memory serves us right, the Stab
um not puDiisn jarvjs and Worth's letters,
and was tardy in publishing Saunders', and
if that is so. &c. iMtnbertonBobeaoraan. '
The Stab published the Best bill
entire. It published all of the main
points in the address of Governor
Jarvis.t It published all of the letter
' wi. oauauerm m uiu not, DUDllSO
the Worth letter because it had noth
ing or but little to !do with the pro
posed sell out of jtlre railroad and the
people. So much for the Best side.
The Stab has j published none of
the documents in opposition except
Col. McRae's telling exposure of the
enormities of the Best bill, and one
of Major Hearne's letters that mostly
concerned Wilmington and had really
but little to do with the controversy
and Mr. Dortch's1 two bills.
The Star might have published.
but did not publish the able speech
of ,Mr. Dortch, the sharp, incisive
and clear attack of Judge Russell
upon the bill of abominations and
almost complete surrender of the
interests of the whole State,1 and
especially of Wilmington and this
section of North 'Carolina. It might
have published, bat did not publish,
Ma or Hearne's first letter, that con
tained some strong points against
the Best bill. i !
We believe the1 Above to be a fair
statement of the jcriurse of the Stab.
Considering that! we hold the scheme
to sell out the interests of the people
to be very reprehensible, and that the
Bent bill and thje jnew bill are not
entitled to the support -of any friend
of Wilmington or of this t-ectiou of
the State, we think our readers will
agree that the Stab has done all that
should be required! and towards the
opposition has 4ftoted more fairly"
than the Robesotiian has "toted"
towards the Stab, j
The Robesonian, in its issue of the
17th of March, U pleased to say that
the Stab has "failed signally to de
fine its position" as to the Western
North Carolina Railroad. This reads
a little curious in View of the leader
in the Stab of February 27th, begin
ningtbus: j j
"Let it be understood the St An in nnl nn.
posed to the sale of the Western North Car
olina Railroad. ii Butwa do bbv tfuii
it ouoht not to be arid1 oil Oia term nmmnni in
the bill (Best1) printed id the Stab of Thurs-
uay. : j
We respectfully submit that this is
plain to most understandings. Be it
remembered that this opinion has
been iterated and reiterated from day
to day, so that a wayfaring man.even
though be should j be the editor of
tho Lumberton; Robesonian could
not mistake "tho; . position" of the
Stab. Furthermore, nothing contra
dictory of this Opinion can be found
in the columns of the Stab. As soon
as we saw the text of the Best bill
we denounced it. jThe Stab is not
one of the latter-day saints in the
matter of the abominations of the
Best sell-out. !
Mr. Edward J.
Hale, in his letter
to Hates Weekly, pays Prof. Kerr a
tribute to which he is entitled. He
mentions how in a recent meeting of
Miners held in New York, bur
geologist was able: to throw impor
tant light upon a puzzle that per
plexed the meeting. A nodule of
quartz from Colorado held a lump of
water-worn gold in its centre. How
did it get there f jMr Hale says; -1
- "After several others bad expressed tbeir
vip.wa Prnfpnanr Wi Ci iCnrr i,f KTntV.
, -- . - v' mm ... , VI 'VllU
Carolina, related his! observations among
tbc cold bearing aaod and roeks of North
Carolina. He bad seen sJicified trunks of
trees which bad been: dug from these de
posits under such circumstances -as ' show
that., ibis substitution of quartz tor
other material la still going on. Professor
Kerr also stated that old-bearing' sandr is
now being worked! for the second and even
for the third time, and with good results.
This fact shows that th: invisible atoms of
gold wbich pervade a sand-bank may be
collected by their j mutual attractions into
visible er&ins.' lust &a the annw in lnni
is collected into flakes during its fall to the
earib. Professor Kerr was listened to, as
always, with great respect, and it was gen
firnllv agreed that hid remarks hkA thrmsn
much light on the beautiful but mysterious
L . 1. iL - a " . .
pnenomonou oeiore toe Association." -t ,
Mr. H. savs that Professor Kerr
knows more of jour State than any
man who has lived in' it. and that ha
it fthln t n do mora' fori it in Tiia npn
liar profession, f e Agree with him
-. !. L, 1 "
inai it wouta oe a great lostr ii tne
State should fb6 deprived of his
Knowledge and experience
i r" " 3 7 -1 r ' ' 9 , . i...,,. - - 1
THtC tXAliKIGH OBSRRVEB.
I That we might! assure our. Raleigh
contemporary, the Observer, that we
had no purpose to misrepresent, it we
wrote a hurried paragraph for the
first page of the Stab of yesterday;
The Obshroer is very positive that it
never indorsed the Best bill without
amendment. We willingly aocept
its assurance, and regret that we
have misunderstood, and, consequent
ly, misrepresented Its position. As
far as we know it has been com
monly understood .here , tint the
Observer was the special u.tampipn
of the Best bill which as o offenr
sive to the intelligence of ;Wilming
on with bat some sctteringf' excep
tions. . We williqgly give .the' Observer
the full benefit of a sorreotioa in our
columns. We must add, however,
and we intend no offence, .that we
regard with one exception the amend
ments offered by the Observer, as
worth but little. It is practical de
cidedly when it requires Best to pay
down in cash at least' $400,000. That
is the most sensible suggestion that
has been injected into the discussion
on the other side. A less courteous
disputant than ourselves might say
that it was the only sensible sugges
tion that bad been made. '
The Observer complains that we
copy from the Greensboro State for
mioranvaaont QtiAn r f I Via 0 7i .34-
ver." We saw some points made
in that paper which struck ns
as timely and just, and we, there
fore, copied them. . Because it was
a Republican paper did not alter
the case in the least. If true, it could
not be made false because a Republi
can paper said it. .If false, it could
not be converted into truth by the
same process. The State is in the
right in this contest. The Stab be
lieves honestly, thoroughly in the
iniquitie8,in justice, and inequalities of
the Best proposition. It believes the
whole scb- .ae as set forth is a great
error, and that every true North Ca
rolinian ought to oppose it to the bit
ter end. S believing, we very naturally
prefer t ie support of a Republican
paper to its opposition. It is quite
natural that we should prefer the ut
terances that are with us to tho.e
that are against us. We have uot
designed to treat the Observer with
"injustice." We esteem its editor
too highly to do him a wrong inten
tionally. . -
We have as little sympathy with
the "methods" of the Observer as it
can have possibly with the "methods"
of the Stab in this controversy. We
have seen nothing for many years
that is as offensive to our best con
victions of right and equity and
wisdom as the abominable bill that
finds its staunchest friends and advo
cates among men of ability and
proinihdnce in the Democratic party.
If the Best bill passes without funda
mental amendments, it will be a great
outrage, as we steadfastly believe..!
Possibly the Stab misapprehended
the Observer in the paragraph re
ferred to in connection with Col.
McRae. Whether the fault should
be laid to our stupidity . or the 06-
server's obscurity we Will not take
time to determine. To us it is of no
consequence, and if we misrepre
sented the Observer we here make
whatever correction may be necessary.
As far as we are concerned we are
done with long discussions of the
Itailroad sell out. When the Legist
lature assembled we were disposed
to withhold our hand. The Raleigh
papers appear to have warpied up to
the work recently. Iris unfortunate
that the people are without a
representative among the Raleigh
tndrning papers. , Both the Observer
and News are doing their utmost in
behalf of a sale. We are afraid to
say what kind of a sale they favor
lest we misunderstand their positions,
and might, consequently, unintention
ally misrepresent them. We believe,
however, we may safely class them as
strenuously advocating a sale, and
upon some such plan, if we mistake
not, as the new bill. But we are not
assured of this, so we do not give the
ekact plan they favor.. . .
The Stas id., opposed voyr and for
ever to any 'such sale as is pro
posed in either of the bills that Got.
Jarvis has indorsed. J We believe he
has indorsed them, but we would not
misrepresent him for the world,and if
he has not indorsed one or both really
we will give him the full benefit of a
disclaimer at once.! '
, j We regret that the Observer and
Stab ever disagree and cannot .unite
heartily in the present fight against
WIT-MiyftTONN. C, FRIDAY,
tings.
We;Rke the Observer in
many, respects, aud if it were not that
it;; would require sacrifice of
principle we would gladly endeavor
to make our "fliethods" more pleasing
o our esteemed contemporary. But
very paper must follow the light it
as. The Stab is doing what it be
lieves to be its duty. It is certainly
obeying conscience. It is an inde
pendent Democratic paper, and not
an organ. It reserves to itself the
right always to freely criticize the
Action of the party it supports when
that action is unwise, - improper, dis
honest, unjust or impolitic.
The Stab is heartily sick of Rail
road literature, .and it rejoices that
the time is short before there must be
a surcease if not an ending of the
iqatters in dispute. The next step
after the sale will be probably end
less litigation in the Courts. The bill
of abominations will prove, it may be,
not duly a bill of sale but a bill of
litigation.
It is difficult to be right and accu
rate. Ourj friend of Hates Weekly
Dointed out an error into which pa
pers had been betrayed in regard to
the expenses of the Agricultural Bu
reau. We made the needed correc
tion, and now our friend of the
Farmer & Mechanic tells us that we
are again misled. It asks us to note
a fact as j furnished by the State
Treasurer, to this effeot:
"That the receipts of the Agricultural
Department (alone) for the past three yeats
were $69,102.81, including nearly $1,200
tonnage tax, which has been refunded.
Will tbey also note the further fact that
the cost i of : the two Bureaux for three
years, ending March 1st, were not $51,
273.76, as stated by them, but were neatly
seventy thousand, as shown by the State
Treasurer in these columns last week.
Here are Treasurer Worth's figures :
The Agricultural Dpt. and one
year of Prof. Kerr'd $53,876.45
The Agricultural Dept. for Jan.
and Feb. 1880 . ... 2,879.57
Printing paid by the State. .... 976.58
Prof. Kerr's Department, two
years, 1878-79 10.000.00
Total for both to March 1st.. $G7,?32.60
"This much is positively othcul. But
tbis ia not all, It does not include the cost
of the paper, etc , for Col. Polk's 5,000
large iiaDu-ouoK- which paper was paid
for by the Stale under the general bead of
'Stationery.' The publisher of the band
books put tbis item alone at above $1,800.
"Moreover it should be noted that the
Treasurer's figures run only to March 1st,
whereas the third year ended March 12,
nearly two weeks later, embracing consid
erable expense. Furthermore, the true
esti Hints cannot be reached until the back
salaries for the quarter are settled, together
wim a number of warrants issued but not
yet checked oil upon the Treasurer's books."
Judge Merrimon addressed the mem
bers of the Legislature on Thursday
evening on the proposed sale of the
Western North Carolina Railroad.
We have not read the abstract in the
Observer. W copy the following,
which gives in part his views:
"Redraft the bill again, and make it a
fair business proposition, so that you can
compel the parties to do the work. How
easy it is for them, if tbey have the means
wbich tbey say they bave.to nut up collate
ral, say $500,000 or $1,000,000, as a guaran
tee, tne amount to be surrendered when
they comply with tbeir contract. The new
bill is worse than the old one. in not pro
viding that they are to pay damages. He
aid not DelKve tbey would invest tne $7,
500,000 capital necessary to build the road
to Cleveland. In his opinion the result will
be that the State will slowly build the road
with her convicts. He doubted if even Mr.
Best himself knew tbe purposes of those
whom he represents. What he would sug
gest is, that the Legislature cut off all these
possibilities, if this bill was passed be did
not believe the road would be built in two
generations."
A VOICE FHOfd THE MOUNTAINS.
We have received a very long and
logical discussion of the first Best bill,
in which its enormities in part , are
laid bare. . It is from the pen of one
Who lives on IheDucktown road. He
is a Republican in politios, and has
studied the bill with pare evidently.
It is too late to be used with effect
now, and is too long for onr columns.
It covers about twenty pages of legal
cap. It is an earnest and. forceful
plea against the bill that Gov. Jarvis
indorsed. The writer does not oppose
a sale. He is anxious for it, but he
wants a sale made in such a way as to
secure beyond a doubt the construc
tion f of the i Ducktown road. He
wants every possible safeguard. He
is satisfied the Best proposition will
not do, and that when the people of
Western . Carolina understand the
matter they will oppose heartily the
sale . on the proposed terms. He
thinks the Best proposition will leave
the people of Western i North Caror
lina ina worse condition than if no
sale or transfer of property had been
made. He thinks the bill offers many
openings for successful fraud and
mischief, such as to defeat forever tbe
building of the Ducktown line.
; The communication is well worth
considering, and it would! have been
well if it bad been circulated in the
transmontane oounties ' before the
sale I was made. But the haste of the
MARCH 26, 1880.
Governor in calling the ; Legislature
together in extra session has prevent
ed the people from understanding the
important interests ;at stake, or : from
the needed documents being dis
tributed. ' '
We will copy a- few of his. objec
tions. ' By comparing the two bills it
will be seen in what particulars the
objections that5 follow will apply to
the! second as well as to the first bill.
He says: '"
"From a careful reading of the proposed
bill I And these piupuiiiuuseither true or
apparently sor t r tr
"First. That Messrs ... Best & Co. will
have to raise the mean's to complete the
road by mortgages on It, which does not
seem , to suggest that .they , possess or can
qontrol capital -sufficient1 16 complete the
roa4 without using what tbe State transfers
to them as a basis on which and out of
which to build. ' '' ' '
"econd. Tbat the Western North Caro
lina Railroad Company is completely de
stroyed or absorbed, at least by ' tbe reor
ganization, without any provision for its
reorganization in the event of the failure of
Best & Co. to comply with their part of the
contract.
"Third. That a failure on their part to
comply with the contract only works a for
feiture of the grant contained in tbe deed
of trust to be deposited in the hands of the
United States Trust Company, while it
leaves Messrs. Best and associates free to
make out any bills they may see proper
under cover . of 'actual and necessary ex
penses' incurred in constructing and equip
ping said road, to the amount of $850,000
on the Paint Rock line, and to any un
limited amount on the Ducktown line,
which becomes a charge against the State
and a lien upon the road.
"Fourth. That by getting control of the
$850,000 already outstanding as a lien
against said road, together with their
'actual and necessary expense' accounts for
building the Paint Rock line and the Duck
town line to Pigeon River, they can control
about $2,000,000 against the road, for wbich
they can force a sale and get a title, even
after the forfeiture of tbe grant contained
in the deed, by virtue of a purchase forced
upon these construction claims and mort
gages. "Sixth. That under the terms of this bill,
if Messrs. Best & Co. desire it, they can
build the Paint Rock line to its terminus,
issue mortgage bonds that are not payable
until the road is completed to Murphy;
make a forfeiture of the Paint Rock line;
sell it out on the 'actual and necessary ex
pense claims, matured coupons on out
standing bonds, &c; purchase the same
and acquire as good title as they would
have by the State Commissioners grant; re
fuse to build the Ducktown line, thereby
defeating tbeir mortgage bonds ever ma
turing; combine with the bondholders of
the! Spartanburg & Asheville Railroad
Company; sell it out; establish connections
with the roads between Cincinnati and
Charleston, thereby cutting Western North
Carolina eutirely off, from connection with
our own eastern cities, and forever de
feat tbe building of the Ducktown line.
"The most objectionable features are con
tained in Sections 12 and 13 of this proposed
bill, and should it ever pass in its present
shape, I, as a citizen living west of Ashe
ville, immediately on the Ducktown line,
could feel no kind of assurance that Messrs.
Best and Company would ever complete
the road west of Pigeou River. There is
unquestionaly no guarantee in the bill
which can be construed favorably for that
line. There is no forfeiture provided for
that cannot be easily Overcome, while there
is ample power conferred upon Best & Co.
to finally and effectually defeat its ever be-.
ing built by the State or any other means.
The building of that line from Asheville,
west, to Pigeon River, may be used as a
sham until all the manipulations necessary
to be arranged for making tho Cincinnati
and Charleston through line are perfected ,
and secured into the hands of Messrs. Best
& Co., or their 'assigns,' after which they
majr refuse to strike another stroke upon
our; Western line, which may remain for ;
all time to come as a monument to the folly
and inconsiderate haste of our people by
allowing themselves to be precipitated into
such a transfer as is not unlikely to follow
the passage of tbe proposed bill or one of
similar import. The bill as it now stands
is uncertain and unsafe; its adoption I be-,,
lieve to be impolitic if not suicidal to our
dearest interests."
Mr. S. C. Griggs, a Chicago pub
lisher, states that he knows that the
poem entitled "The River of Time"
was written in 1850 by Benjamin F.
Taylor. Mr. Taylor was quite com
petent to have written it. But did he
or Philo Henderson write it, to whom
it is generally credited? We cannot
certify to it, but we have an impres
sion that we saw the poem before
1850. There must be some copies
hid away in . some of the old scrap
books of the State. Our impression
is that a copy of the poem was pasted
op, the walls of an old newspaper of
fice some years before 1850, but it is
impression only. ...
Our esteemed contemporary, the
Raleigh Observer, closes its leader of
Saturday with the following encou
raging reflections:
"We understand that the feeling among
the. members is : f avorable to a sale if the
proposition shall contain what appears to
them to he satisfactory assurances of build
ing the road to Ducktown. In the absence
of such assurances tfiey would prefer to build
the Paint Both branch by otfo instrumentali-.
ties , than those offered by Mr. Best. Some
thing has been' said of the personal cha
racter of Mr.; Best and Of those capitalists
With whom he is associated. That weighs
but little with the Observer, and, as far as
we can understand, still less with the mem
bers. . They, will want stronger bonds than
reputation. Tbe best guarantee of good
faith is a good price,' some cash. IThe road
is dirt cheap at four hundred thousand dol
lars cash. We would be unwilling to let it
go for less." tcul ;
There is one encouraging fact in
the literary activity of Great Britain.
During the year: 1 879 there were 6of
novels published and 700 volumes of
theology. . iSb people are more interest
ed in that oountry in the great ques
tion of salvationof; God and his re
vealed will, than they are in pleasant
or ohpleasant stories written for re
creation, , !
NO. 22,
THE ORE AX "SELL."
Meeting of Bastnem Bleu and Otber
, i -i
Citizen at tbe Produce Kxchange
j " ITeiterd-y.
; In response to a call from tbe President
pf the Chamber of Commerce and Produce
Exchange, quite a number of our promi
nent business men assembled nt the Pro
duce Exchange yesterday afternoon, at 4
O'clock to consult and exchange vie ws in
regard jto the proposed sale of the Western
North Carolina Railrond. ;
j On motion of Mr. C. H. Robinson, Presi
dent of j tbe Produce Eichange, A. II. Vau
Bokkeleu, Esq , President of the Chamber
of Commerce, was called to the Chair, and,
upon further motion, Mr. T. Calhoun
James was appointed Secretary. 'i -
! The meeting being orgau-zed, tbttCbair
man stated that Mr. DuBruta Cutlar, who
had just arrived from Raleigb, was pre
sent, and requested that gentleman, to give
the meeting ; some idea of the feeliog - nud
sentiments of the members of the Legisla
ture and other prominent men in Raleigh
with regard to tho proposed sale of the
road in question. Mr. Cuilar thereupon
made a' statement, the purport of which
was that he considered the sale of the road
upon some terms or other as a foregoue
Conclusion; and he further intimated that
there appeared to be little interest or anxie
ty manifested, generally speaking, as to the
wishes of the people of Wilmington in the
premises; There were a great many rail
road men there who appeared to be much
interested in a raiiroad charter which was
granted by the Slate in 1868-'69, to build a
road from Statesville to Danville.
Considerable discussiou -followed, Col.
W. L. DeRossett in favor of, and Mr. Van
Bokkelen, Col. Roger Moore, Mr. Thos.
E. Bond and others in opposition to the
proposed; sale. Col.. Moore, particularly,
took strong ground in opposition to the
sale, and! said if. the road must be sold let
it be after due deliberation and proper ad
vertisement. He deprecated undue haste
in a matter affecting so matci tally the peo
ple of this State.
A resolution was then offered by Mr. A.
H. VanBokkelea, expressing the sentiment
of this meeliog, which was generally dis
cussed, without any definite action, when a
resolution somewhat similar was offered by
Mr. Wm. Calder, also without action.
Col. DeRosset then moved that a com
mittee bo jappoint-d by the Chair to take
the matter of the proposed sale under ad
visement, and that said committee report
at an adjourned meeting to be held at the
City Court room on Monday afternoon at 4
o'clock . Motion carried .
The chair then appointed Col. Wm. L.
DeRosset; Mr. O. H. Robinson, Capt. R.
M. Mclntire, Mr. DuBrutz Cuilar and
Wm. Calder, Esq., on that committee.
Upon motion of Col. Roger Moore the
Chairman! was added to the committee.
Tbe meeting then upon motion adjourned
to meet at 4 o'clock on Monday afternoon
in the City Court Room.
Aettvlty ln tbe Harbor.
There was unusual'activity in the harbor
yesterday; In some places one could al
most walk across the "raging Cape Fear"
on timber and turpentine rafts, around tbe
latter of which quite a number of lighters
were busy relieving them of the numerous
submerged barrels filled with the products
of the pice, and the ever restless tugs were
flitting hither and thither among tbe large
number of shipping anchored here and
there, while the March winds were whist-
line a hvelv accomoaniment to the buav
scene among the riggiug of the vessels at
me wnaryes anu in tne stream.
! The river was so stocked with rafts that
large vessels found it difficult to move
about. The steamship Regulator wanted to
go across the river, but found. it almost im
possible in consequence of the scarcity of
room. I
Attack on a Train.
A dastardly attack was made upon the
incoming passenger train of the Wilmiog
ton, Columbia & Augusta Railroad on Wed
nesday night last. The train was passing
through a deep cut near Brinkley's Depot,
some eighteen miles from this place, just
after dark, when three shots were fired and
a shower : of missiles thrown at the passen
ger coaches. A window was broken in the
second-class car and an iron bolt shattered
a window of the sleeping car and struck a
passenger in the side, but tortunately with
out inflicting injury. The perpetrators of
the outrage are unknown, but every effort
will be made to detect and punish them.
' - . j
memorial- In Conzresi.
Prom the Congressional Record we learn
that on Wednesday, he 17th, Mr. Russell
introduced in the House a petition of citi
zens of. North Carolina for the improve
ment of j Lockwood's Folly river, which
was referred to the committee on Com
merce; and, on the same day, a memorial
of citizens of North; Carolina for the build
ins of a coast canal from Lockwood's Folly
to the Cape Fear rier, in: North Carolina,
which was referred jto the same committee.
some or tbe Trouble of Officeholders
. 1 Just about this time the average Republi
can politician is "pestered" a good deal by
'some of his colored! constituents from the
country, who appear desirous of giving
him a lien on a part of tbis year's "crap" if
he will buy him a mule; enforcing the re
quest by the comforting assurance that "I
voted fur! yer last year, and I expect to do
so agin."
a, mule."
Formerly it was "forty acres and
Now it is the long-eared animal
"all alone by himself."
Interesting concerning Mr. Sey
mour. The Richmond Dispatch's
Washington special of the 19th says:
. ; "Tbe statement of Senator Kernan, a
townsman and an intimate friend of Mr.
Seymour, is having its effect to-night. He
says Mr. Seymour is not a candidate; does
not desire the nomination, and would like
to see the; Democracy unite on some one of
the excellent men. named, but that he does
not see how Mr. Seymour can escape yield
ing to the wishes of his party if he is nomi
nated at Cincinnati."
Spttfis Tuspgntme.
-.444. W f I i .4ZJLJ
Raleigh Observer:' One firm of
cotton dealers in this city has handled,
hus far the present season, between 30 00O
and 35,000 bales of cotton .
; ijooinghaavpw-i-i, . Gib
son's stoiet id this cohntyT'we 'ub'i.eirWnd,
has purchased this season. 1.000 tous of
Peruvian guano at a coat of $7.3 COO.
I - Goldsboro Mail : The anah net.
bf the water sent by Dr. Risin-i! tu" D .
Ledoux, taken from fieVerwl uf Hit; Wt:lS i;i
this place, show H!arni..fi imju.i it s.
We learn from tho State Journal mm
Western North Cir!:n.-i h-y is ! iv:;.
Northern hay uut or tin- itiin.h i.-.ikf.
f On Wednesday, the 10th day .r
June, I860, in the city ut UU . .. in
vention of ihe Dsniocriii'.c ti.i iM iv.!iv
parry iu the Fouith (...nrv.. i.u i I)iti:ci
will he held for ihe i-mpse t n. ni.i a-n.
their candidates 'or Uoii4i-s mui o i'lesH.
dential elector, and appuii.'ius l Adeif.
gates to attend the Dim .crniic N'v.i:.iini
Convention: " ' f - '
Asheville Journal: On last S at
urday, near; Democrat, io this c mu-y, ih
Rev. J. L. Swain was fouud- deal Ii
teems that he had gone to the woods to Ml
timber, and one tree in falling had lotted
tgainat aubther. Jn cuiiiug down tin; u
Cond tree the firstone broke loose satldenly
(bove and crushed him to ihe erth. He wu.s
found a few hours afterwards by Utv m. m
bers of bi& bereaved family, who were m
formcd by a littlo boy that Mr. Swain w3t
found dead in the woods where he w e.t u,
pork., I
I The following is the Itailroad
Joint Committee: From the benatc L-anh
of David-oa; Davidson, of Bu:.eomb - Ei
win, of McDowell; Dortch, of Wayn. ;
graham, of Lincoln; Mebaue, of Caswell -Bryan,
of Pender (Democrats); Graham, . f
Montgomery; Everitt, of Forsyth; While,
f Perquimans (Republicans) From the
House Carter, of Uuncombe; Cook, of
Franklio; Brown, Of Aieck'wnburg; Cobb,
of Lincoln; Covington, of Union- Bryson',
of Swain; Lockhart, of Anson; Richardson,
Of Columbus; Vaughn, of Alleghany; Ber
nard, of Put; Davis, of Catawba (Demo--crats);
Clark, of Craven; Davis, of Madi
son; Ellison, of Wake; Scott, of New Han
over, (Republicans).
t Goldsboro Messenger : We re
gret to learn that Mr. John Buck, r, at
Princeton, wa3 so eeriously kicked in tbe
breast by a horse, a few days ago, that at
one time his condition was thought ex
tremely critical. At last accounts he w.
improving. The measles are amoey
the children in various parts of this town.
-The Presbytery of Wilmington wiii
meet at Brown Marsh Church, Bladen
county, on Thursday, 25lh of March.
There is a considerable freshet in theNeuse
river, and we learn that at one time the
bridge at White Hall was in great danger
Of being washed away by floating logs and
debris lelton the banks by Gen. Ramson's
force. One span of the bridge is badly
Raleigh Observer: J. N. Bunt
ing's horse ran away with his buggy, on
the Fayette ville road, yesterday morning,
and smashed tbe vehicle into bits. Judge
Bunting was thrown out and badly bruised.
His injuries are not serious, though painful.
- We understand that Judge Meirimon
has accepted an invitation to address the
Railroad Committee in the hall of the House
to-cight. There was quite a remarka
ble runaway on Fayetteville street yester
day. A countryman was thrown off his
wagon, but held fast to the rcias, and let a
frout wheel pass over him without being iu
the least hurt. He still retained his bold
on the reins and was dragged prostrate
through the mud for many yards. At last
he was thrown in front of the rear wheel
and stopped the wagon.
, Charlotte Press : From what
we can hear policemen will probably re
ceive fifty dollars per month during tho
summer months. Mr. William Phifer,
has a sassafras oil distillery on his property
near this city, which Is turning out a good
article and is profitable. Hon. D. a.
Fowle, of Raleigh, has accepted the invita
tion of the Greensboro ladies to deliver ihe
memorial address on the 10thxf My.
Speakers Robinson and Moring appointed
a square sell-out Railroad Comuiitlee,
Messrs. Dortch and Richardson being the
only exceptions. They appear to be con
trolled by outside influence as much so as
were the Speakers in the Littlefield days in
'67-'68, : only they are Democrats. The
committtee stands 18 Democrats, 7 Repub
licans, and from the selection it would be
better, probably, were the latter in.the ma
jority. Charlotte ! Observer: John
Whitehead and Frank Hughes, of this
State, are among tbe recent graduates at
the Pennsylvania Medical University.
Dr. Thos. Anderson, of Statesville, a day
or two ago, while out bunting, had ' one of
his fingers shot off.'i The barn belong
ing to ; Mr. Rufua Overcasb, who re
sides four or five miles west pf China Grove,
in Rowan county, wad burned last Friday
night. The structure was totally destroyed,
together with three borees, cattle, forage,
and all his wheat. It is learned from
CoL Cowles, Superintendent of the Mint,
that the sum unaccounted for by tbe Mint
inthischy to the 'United States govern
ment, and included among the sums due to
the Government at the outbreak of the
war, is $23,000, instead of $32,000 as pub
lished. This sum was seized at tbe begin
ning of the war by the Charlotte Grays in
the name of the Confederate States. It
was sent to Charleston, and, being in gold
and silver, was used in the outfit of Mason
and Slidell. - f
Kinston Journal: Elder J. Z.
Tyler, pastor of the 7th Street Disciple's
Church, Richmond, Ra., has consented to
deliver the -annual literary address at the
Commencement of Kinston Collegiate In
stitute in June next. Parrott's second
lumber raft from above White Hall, passed
by Kinston on Monday for New Berne,
contaiiiing-about 40,000 feet of lumber.
The "Best bill" has been remodeled
by Hon. George , Davis of Wilming
ton and Ooi. Ruflin, and now tbey
say the State's interest is more-perfectly
guarded. The chaDges are not very im
portant, but was rather a delicate piece of
political maucBUvreing to draw support.
All over the State numbers of , wiseacres,
newspapers as well as individuals, bad an
nounced tbeir willingness to support a sale
of the road, but wanted the hill amended.
Now, since these eminent legal North Car
olinians have had tbe drafting of tbe bill,
these doubting Thomases will say it is all
right, without having any just idea whas.
changes have been made.
Raleigh Farmer and Mechanic:
But let us see, where is Ducktown? Wan
der westward from Asheville 30 miles to
Waynesville, in Haywood, thence 25 miles
to Webster in Jackson,' crossing tbe Bal
sam mountains, thence 20 miles to Frank
lin, crossing tbe Co wee muumaias, thence
30 miles to Valleytown, .crossing tbe Nan
tabala mountains, tbeece 20 miles to Mur
phy, crossing tbe Valley river-mountains,
by which time you bave reached the far
southwest corner of the State. Then
ride along a rude countiy road 13
miles still further southwest and you
strike tbe State line, so near the
corner of both Georgia and Tennessee that
you can bop into either State in an hour's
time. But keep on about two miles into
Tennessee and you will come to tbe little
hamlet of a few dozen houses, a fly speck
on the map, known as Ducktown. Tbe
veins of the Ducktown copper and iron
mines extend for some distance into North
Carolina, we suppose. But after all Duck
town is a mere name, a second "Duluth"
a sounding "Brass" and a jingling cymbal,
for tbe political rhetoricians,: , ;