North Carolina Newspapers

, P B I8RXDAT WILMINGTON. N. C, -AT- . $1.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE. 88888888888888888 Ho El 888888S888S88S888 88888888888888888 mww g SSSSSSSSBSSSggSSg 8 8 8 8 8 8l888888lflf i 888SSSSS88S8SS88R ' . 88888888828888888 .. . . 8288S88S88888888S A 8 (.gieaooMOTfOioocjggjggggi 38888888888888888 . a. C - 5: s : : j s s ij:::; nrered at the Poat Office at Umtgton, 1. C, aa secona uaaa Ma'ier.i SUBSCRIPTION P.ilCE. The aubacriptioa price of the We- ly Btajp Is aa -n-.gle Copy 1 year, postage paid.,.,..,, ,,,$1 00 " " 8 month! b 8 months 8 months 80 COTTON AND TOBACCO. of tho South are cotton and tobacco, both crops for which there is a world demand, both very good crops when kept within- reasonable limits, bat both very bad crops when grown to excess. Agriculturally speaking, neither is an ideal crop, for both are land exhausters, which take from the soil and give nothing back, and both on average land require expensive stimulating fertilizers, which must be repeated with every planting; No land empoverisher, which feeds upon the soil and gives nothing back to the soil.it feeds upon, should be cultivated as a regu lar, continuous crop and be made tho chief if not the only dependence of the planter, whose aim it should be to improve his soil and make his acres heavier producers without much " more labor or more expense in fertilizers. Experience should be a teacher, and yet the average farmer learns but little from this teacher. This is no reflection npon the intelligence or the farmer, who is simply follow ing a routine established and is largely governed by necessity, and not unf requently finds it necessary to do what his better judgment does not approve, that is to plant more cotton and more tobacco than he would like to plant, because these are the two crops that it is easiest to raise money on in advance. They are the best collaterals grown upon the farm because there is always a market for them at some price. This is one of the reasons why the average planter clings to cotton and tobacco as he does, and takes the chances Of being paid for his labor. If cotton and tobacco were the "money crops" they are supposed to be the planters of the South would ' be rich, with the more than $10,000, 000,000 worth of cotton they have grown and sold since 1860, and the millions of dollars' worth of tobacco they have raised and -sold. They have helped to build up a great . cotton-manufacturing in dustry in England, in New Eng land and are building up a great cotton manufacturing industry in the South. The cotton manufac turing industry has helped to enrich old England and New England and will help to enrich the South, but the men who furnish the cotton for all this have not been made rich by it. Many of them are little better off to-day than they were ten or twenty years ago, although they have been planting and growing cotton every year. Tobacco has built up tobacco manufacturing towns, and made millionaires out of men who started without a dollar, but jt't hasn't made any millionaires nor many thousandaires out of the men who grew the weed There are different methods, how ever, pursued by the cotton manu facturer and the tobacco manufac turer, compared with the methods pursued by the men who grow the cotton and the tobacco. When the cotton manufacturer finds the de mand for his goods declining and buying slow because of a surplus supply, tie does not go on running his spindles and looms, adding to the surplus, thus pulling ' prices down still lower, but he stops some oi nis spindles and looms and re duces his output until the surplus disappears and the equilbrium is restored, then, if the prices are re munerative and the indications for continuance satisfactory, he starts up his spindles and looms again This js precisely what the majority, if not all of the cotton manufactur ers in North Carolina are doing now, producing less until the sur plus is reduced and better prices ob tainable. That's what the manu facturers do everywhere,' not only in cotton but in everything. Why., cant the same business methods that obtain in the factory be pit into practice on the farm, where they would be really more effective than in the factory or in the shop, Decause tne producer oi tne raw material could, by regulating and restricting the output of his acres, keep prices up to a remunerative figure, and be king of the market. The trouble with the planters of (TTTSi ' H .VOL. XXXII. both cotton and tobacco is that they do not study or heed the law of supply and demand, and plant en tirely regardless of these. They have done this with cotton until the acreage is entirely too much for the market, and they are doing it with tobacco, for the area of tobacco cul tivation is increasing year after year, and very rapidly. There are mil lions of pounds of tobacco grown now where there was not a pound grown ten years ago. and every acre put under either means ultimately an acre more impoverished. As be tween either and an acre of wheat or grass, there would be in the long run more money in one acre of either wheat or grass than in two acres of cotton or tobacco; if each were grown continuously year after year, because With proper cultivation the wheat or grass would become en- richers of the land, and make it a greater producer, while without help the land cultivated in cotton or tobacco would become too poor to produce either cotton or tobacco. Cotton and tobacco in con nection with other things and in moderation, may - become wealth-producers, and with proper rotation of crops may be produced at a cost that would leave a much greater margin for profit than exists with present methods, but as the main crops, the ones which absorb attention to the abandonment or neglect of other crops they are fail ures and worse than failures, be cause they prevent the agricultural development and improvement of the section devoted to them, and give posterity poorer instead of richer lands; There are millions of acres in the South that the life has been eaten out of by the excessive cultivation of both of -these crops,, and the growers eventually were forced to seek homes in the West, where grain and grass grow. Better grain and grass could have been grown on the acres they had left if they had known it and had not been deluded with the folly of pursuing cotton and to bacco to the neglect of everything else. Less cotton, less tobacco, and more grain, grass, xruit, etc., should be the maxim with the Southern farmerwhether he cultivate many or few acres. . . V THIS APPLIES TO NORTH CARO LINA, TOO. Elsewhere we have written about cotton and tobacco culture, and the folly of centering attention on these to the neglect of other crops. As bearing upon this we quote the fol lowing from the Atlanta Constitu tion showing what ' one Georgia farmer does with Irish potatoes: "On one acre Mr. Dunton has raised 200 bushels of Irish potatoes, which he can sell at one dollar a bushel as fast as he is prepared to part with them. This he has done on land which can be purchased for tea dollars an acre; and the cost of raisins: the potatoes was not more than thirty dollars an acre. Hence Mr. uunton can out ten acres on eight months' credit for $100, expend $350 in cultivating them, raise 2,000 bushels of potatoes selling at one dollar a bushel, pay his purch ase money and expenses of $450, and have left in his pocket a clear surplus of $1,550. "This wonderful record is one which should open the eyes of the people to the values locked up in ueorgia soil. Wherever there are consumers they furnish opportunity for tne farmers. When one firm alone sells three car loads of potatoes a day in Atlanta, it is easy to calculate how much it must take to feed the wonder ful army of consumers furnished by the city. What is true of Atlanta is equally true of every other center of DODUlation in tne soutn. xnese cen ters are constantly growing, so mat one railroad alone ships into Georgia . a m a. $20,000 worth of food products a day or over $7,500,000 a year. Tne reports of the other railroads systems .would run np our food importations: to some thing over $25,000,000 year. "What have the farmers of Georgia to sav such a showing as this? There is a home high-priced market to Which they would have to contribute 000.000 of food Droducts before they would have need to export a single dollar's worth. This consumption is increasing faster than the farmers can catch up with it. The State has gain ed nearly 400,000 inhabitants during the Dast ten years, most of whom are engaged in such occupations as makes them consumers of rood proaucts in stead of nroducers. " The example of Mr. uunton snows that there is abundant reward in ca tering io this immense home market. Mr. Dun ton has the advantage of a large, populous and growing city as. a market for his potatoes, and he was shrewd enough to see it and take advantage of it, but good mar kets can be always depended upon in this section for Irish potatoes, which at a dollar a bushel will stand transportation considerable distance. North Carolina is as good if not a better potato growing State than Georgia, if 200 bushels to the acre is considered a large crop there. On average good land that would not be considered a large crop in this State, where we have known twice and even three times as much pro duced to the acre, and as fine pota toes as were ever set upon a table Some of the finest potatoes we ever saw were grown on the mountain sides in Western North Carolina, and we doubt if there is a bushe grown there for more than loca consumption. In the central part of the State they .can be produced in abundance I and of fine quality, and we doubt whether there . is a bushel grown there for more than local consump tion. We produce a ' good many in the trucking section of the East, which are shipped to the Northern mar kets, which soon become glutted, when the shipments cease. More are shipped in the Fall before the crops of Northern potatoes come in, but with these exceptions there is little done in the way of growing potatoes for other markets or even for the home markets,, for nearly all our cities depend upon the North for their Fall and Winter supplies. And yet North Carolina soil can produce as many potatoes to the acre, and as good, as can be pro duced in the best potato-growing States of the North, or West. DECLIaTES TO ACCEPT, . As was, doubtless, anticipated the Cuban convention has declined to accept in entirety the demands made by this Government in the eight clauses published a few days ago. They make no objection to the ma jority of these, but decline to cede ports as coaling or naval stations or to recognize the demand of this Gov ernment to intervene in the event of disturbance or internicine trouble in the island. 'They consider this a surrender o7 their independence and an acceptance of a suzerainty by this Government, which it would, to all intentsaud purposes, be. The re sult of this will be parleying and de lay, but Governor-General Wood seems to entertain the opinion that a satisfactory agreement will ' be reached, later on if not just now. These clauses were so sweeping that few people thought they would be all acceded to, and, there - 'ore, there is neither surprise nor disappointment at the refusal to ac cept. There is an element in the island which would freely accept all the conditions laid down for they are afraid that government by the Cubans would result in trouble and strife and even General . Gomez is reported to be opposed to the with drawal of the United States troops or some time to come. The Amer icans and other foreigners who have money invested in the island, and he Spanish residents desire American occupation which they would like to see made permanent. This difference of opinion that exists, and the various interests in volved, will doubtless result in a compromise by virtue of which the United States Government will be conceded the privilege of coaling stations and the right to keep its eye upon Cuba and stand as a peace maker and protector in case of ne cessity. Masked robbers in a town in Po land recently paid a nocturnal visit to a parish priest and demanded 1,300 rubles that he had collected to pay a debt on his church. He went rummaging around apparently for the money, "grabbed a revolver, turned, fired and killed two of them, when the others scampered off. When the masks were removed , the killed chaps proved to be the prefect of police and his first assistant. They have some marvels of strength among the safe crackers of Chicago. It is recorded that a couple of them drove up to a mil lionaire's house the other day, when one held the horse and the other climbed the front porch, en tered a window and came out with a 300 pound safe. That fellow has missed his vocation, for he ought to be posing as the great, unap proachable safe lifter in some circus. Judge Gary, president of the Federal steel combine says it will be a good thing for everybody." It will be a good thing for the fellows in the inner circle at least, but the little fellows will have to take what they can get, and consider, themselwes luckv if thev get anything after awhile. ar a w . A Pennsylvania man was so jubli- lant over winning a wager he made that Quay would go back to the Sen ate that he celebrated it by giving a banquet to fifty-five invited friends. When the bill was sent in it was for $3,000 and now he isn't so glad he made and won that wager. One o"f the big compartment store-keepers in New York says shop-lifters lifted and got away with about $50,000 worth of his truck last vear. He doubtless made somebody pay for it, although it was entered on account of profit and loss. The latest official reports from the Philhrainen show that 721 Of our soldiers have been killed, 452 . have died from wounds and 2,599 have been incapacitated 'by wounds. Big price to pay for the grab. In one of the late Consul Wild man's interviews he predicted the partition of China into five king doms. Something like that will doubtless be the outcome of the rackets oyer there. AV. llJ V V J WILMINGTON, N. 0., FRIDAY. MAItOH 8; 1901. CURRENT COMMENT. Possibly if Gunner Morgan would shoot his cufEa and obtain a monocle and avoid the example set by certain of his superiors in talking too much he might pull through the society portion of the program. Washington Star, Reg. Admiral Sampson's father was a laborer in Palmyra N. Y.; and Admiral Sampson when a young man did day labor on the streets of the town. This is far from being to his discredit, but it adds to the unaccountableness of his un-American and snobbish objection to the promotion of Gunner Morgan.-? Augusta Chronicle, Demi i The new Illinois plan of deal ing with men who desert their wives .and families, it is reported, is to put them to work in the penitentiary or a work house, at some trade, and de vote the proceeds of their labor to the support of their dependents. If 4 all of such offenders in this State were put to work on the public roads what a magnificent system of turnpikes we would have in a few years. White offenders, of course, should be made to serve double terms. Charleston News and Courier, Denu THE STATE JUDICIAL DISTRICT. Proposed Redlstrictiog Gives New Han over Twelve Weeks of Court. . The bill now before the Legislative committee providing for a reappor tionment of the State to provide for sixteen judicial districts in lieu of the Criminal Courts, which have been abolished, comprises the Sixth, of the counties named as follows, each one being allowed a number of weeks of court during the year, as indicated by the figures' opposite: ' Sixth District Lenoir, 6; Duplin, 4; Sampson, 5; New Hanover, 12; Greene, 4; Onslow, 3; Pender, 3. Total, 37. Other districts are as follows: Seventh District Robeson, 10 ; Cum berland, 10; Columbus, 5; Bladen, 4; Brunswick, 3. Total, 32. Eighth District Union, 10; Stan ey, 5; Anson, 4; Richmond, 6; "Moore, 6; Scotland, 4. Total 35. The committee's report may or may not 09 adopted by the House and Sen ate, but the figures are interesting nevertheless. UPPER CAPE FEAR IMPROVEMENT. Committee Induced to Accept Atnendmeot Appropriating $250,000. The Washington correspondent of the Charlotte Observer, telegraphed. that paper under February 28th con cerning the Cape Fear appropriation referred to in the Stab's telegraphic columns yesterday : "Senator Pritchard induced the committee to accept his amendment appropiia ting a quarter of a million of dollar & t? improve the Cape Fear river from Wilmington to Fayetteville. The prospect is favorable for its sub stantial incorporation in the act and it will be the beginning of a scheme of permanent increasing value to East ern North Carolina. WHITE BOY KILLED. Struck on the Neck With a Stick by a Young Necro. News was received in the city yes terday of the killing ' of Richard Dickens, a young man fifteen years of age, at Rocky Mount Wednesday, by a negro boy sixteen years old. It is stated that young Dickens took the part of several smaller boys who were attacked by negro youths and that while he had his back turned, the largest negro boy ran up and struck him on the back of hs neck with a stick. The young fellow was rendered unconscious by the blow, a blood vessel having been broken and he died Thursday morning from the effect of his injuries. The negro was arrested and carried to the county jail at Tarboro. Harbor Master's Report. The following is the report of Capt Edgar D. Williams, harbor master. showing arrivals of vessels of 90 tons and over at the port of Wilmington during the month of February: American Nine steamships, nage, 11.323; one barque, 525 2 brigs, 669 tons; 8 barges, tons: 22 schooners, 3,072 tons. ton tons; . 2,676 Total vessels, 22; total tonnage, 18,265. Foreign Three steamship?, 2,545 tons; 2 barques, 978 tons; 7 schooners, 490 tons. Total vessels. 7: total ton nage, 4,013. " Recapitulation Vessels, 29; ton nage, 22,278. This shows a very decided improve ment in shipping over last year dur ing the same month when only 18 vessels entered with a combined ton nage of only 10,828. Dockery Allowed $2,000 Expenses. The Charlotte Observer 'says that the House has passed a bill allowing Oliver Dockery $2,000 for expenses in his contest for the seat in Congress from the district occupied by Mr. Bel lamy, and the information is that it will go through the Senate. This is not am troaA aa $5,000 a vear for two years, but it is better than nothing and is probably quite as much as Col. -Dockery expected to make out of his contest . . . News was received ; in the city yesterday of the death at 2 P. M., at her home in Washington, N. C, oi Mrs. Joe D. Myers, mother of Misses Penelope and Janie Myers, who are n!fA waII and favorably known in wtiminfftnn.whera they visit frequent ly. No particulars of the death were receiveu. GENERAL ASSEMBLY. Fayetteville Anti-Dispensary Bill T. Passed the Senate After a Long Discussion. TO SELL OLD COURT HOUSE. Bill Passed Both ' Houses Amended by Morton So That Naval Reserves May Have an Option on the Bolldlof v and Pay for It With Bonds. Special Star Telegram. Raleigh, N. C, February 28 In the Senate the bill to authorize the commissioners cf New Hanover to sell the old court' house, as passed by the House, was amendwl by Mortoa so that the Naval Reserves have an option on the old building, and pay for the same with ' bonds. The bill passed as amended. There was another heated discussion over the Fayetteville Anti Dispensary bill, participated in principally by Mc- ntire, of Robeson, and London against, and Ward and McNeill for the bill.' A vote resulted in a victory for McNeill, and passage of the bill to abolish the dispensary. The bill to appropriate $13,000 a year and $4,000 for improvements at the Soldiers' Home, passed without a dis senting vote. London made a great speech in tribute to the old soldiers, on the conclusion of which a party of adjes came on the floor and presented him with a magnificent bouquet in the name of the Confederate Memorial As sociation. Other bills passed; To fix the sal ary of State librarian at $1,000, and allow $330 for an assistant; to incor porate the Southport & Western Rail road Company ; for relief of taxpayers of Harnett county; to- establish a State's prison parole commission. Other bills passed : To prevent fish ing tor perch with nets in parts of New River, Onslow county; to incor porate the Bank of Youngville. The Revenue BUI. In accordance with the special order the House resolved itself into commit mitteof the whole at one o'clock to consider the Revenue bill. Sections one and two were adopted without offer of an amendment. A motion to amend section three and change the school tax to 20 cents instead of 18 was ost. The section was adopted. Rountree offered an amendment to section four by exempting undivided profits of banks. It was voted down and the section was adopted. Then the committee of the whole arose, progress was reporiea to tne House and the sections passed on were adopted. The principal business transacted in the House iu the afternoon was the passage of local bills-Among them were to incorporate the-Bank of Ben son, Harnett county ;to improve public roads of Charlotte township; to author- iz3 commissioners oi uupun to sell the home for the aged and infirm and other publio grounds; to author- ze commissioners of. Harnett to build a bridge across the Cape Fear and is sue bonds; to authorize Scotland county tp issue bonds to pay its part of the debt owed by Richmond county. Democratic Cancus, The joint Democratic caucus decided late to night, by a vote of 59 to 43, upon reapportionment, making ten Congressional districts. The com mittee report, heretofore published, is adopted. Raleigh, N. C March 1. The Anti-dfepensary bill for Fayetteville and Cumberland oounty was defeated to-day in the House by a vote of fifty to forty-eight. sA motion to recon sider the vote was tabled, thereby clinching defeat. The speakers favor ing the dispensary were Rountree, Connor, McLean, Hall of Cumber land, Allen, Graham, Baldwin. Those advocating the bill were McKethan, Watts, Thompson and others. Bills passed .final reading: To amend the charter of the Salisbury and Coast Line Railroad, to establish graded schools in Albemarle; to allow Duplin county to sell its home for the aged and infirm and other publio grounds; to allow Harnett county to issue bonds to build a bridge across the Cape Fear river; to incorporate the French Broad & Southern Railroad Company; to protect owners of boats, skiffs and nets; to incorporate the North State Mining Company; to amend the charter of Rocky Mount The Senate passed the following bills: To amend the law regard ing Big Bridge Ferry, so that commissioners of New Hanover shall have equal control with Pender; to amend the charter of Scotland Neck; to amend and revise the charter of Goldsboro; to authorize Sanford to issue bonds and amend its charter; to allow Launnburg to vote upon electric light bonds; to incorporate the Southern States Trust Company; to incoroorate the Clinton and Dunn Telephone Company ; to amend chap ter 175, Laws 1893, incorporating Wilmington Cemetery; regarding the Croatan Normal School. Robeson; to establish a dispensary at Warsaw; to repeal the charter of Point Caswell; to appoint a cotton weigher for Laur- inburg;'to incorporate Pamlico Lodge No. 73, K. of P. j to appoint a Board of Examiners for State Institutions as elected by the Legislature; to au thorize the Secretary of State to return the . charter of insurance companies filed under the Craig act; to increase the number of commissioners of Brunswick county; to incorporate the Smithfield Firfl Insurance Company. Senate bill to amend the charter o Wilmington, so as to require expen diture of street funds in city wards in proportion to the tax paid, was pass cd. Stab. Representatives of Cumberland county received to night telegrams urging the enactment of a law for ab solute prohibition in Fayetteville and the county. Already the bill by Mc Kethan to prohibit manufacture lor sale in this county outside of towns of two thousand inhabitants, has received favorable report and will be amended so as to apply to the entire county. The belief is it Will pass. It was orig- nally intended to protect Cumberland against stills forced to move from Sampson, Duplin, Bladen and Pender counties by laws passed or in process of enactment. . The answer of Supreme Court Judges Furches and Douglas to the articles of impeachment was completed bnt is not made public. The principal feature of the defence is said to be that the mandamus was issued not on the treasury but the sheU fish : fund, set 1 aside by the Assembly or rather ac cumulated from proceeds'of the shell fish department, and "the mandamus onlv compelled the officer to pay a portion of this fund. Senate Night Session. The following bills passed the Sen ate to-night: To incorporate Green ville Lodge A. Fand A. M; to incor porate Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Co., to amend charter of Selma; to increase the number of commissioners of Robeson county; to incorporate the Washington & Plymouth Railroad Company; to ask Congress to appro priate $2,000 for a monument to the ndian chief Junaluska, a hero of the battle of Great Bends, in 1812; to per mit citizens of Southport to make title to certain lands for the U. S. Government. Raleigh, N. C, March 1. London's bill to amend the constitution to allow the white or negro race to levy a special school tax on their property or there exclusive use in schools, came up on the calendar of the Senate to-day and was referred to the Judici ary Committee. London, advocating the bill, said it was clearly shown in 1897 that the people would not vote a special tax under present conditions. London agreed to the reference. The Senate passed a drastic bill against gambling. It came up on un favorable report from committee, but with a minority report by Ward and Travis, and was passed. It provides that if a barkeeper is indicted and con victed of permitting gambling in his place, he shall be deprived of license for all time in this State; and if a policeman is aware of such gambling places and does not do his duty, he shall be deprived of his right to hold that office for all time. Other bills passed the Senate: To. allow Sanford to issue . bonds for water works ; to amend the charter of Goldsboro; to allow Laurinburg to vote on bonds for electric lights; to prevent the manufacture and sale of liquor in Duplin county; to amend the stock law in Johnston county,; to prohibit the manufacture and sale of liquor in Pender county; to prevent fishing with nets in New river, Onslow county; to prevent en tering certain lands in Onslow county ; to establish a dispensary at Laxahama; to regulate employment at State insti tutions; to prohibit the manufacture and sale of liquor in Bladen county; to revise and consolidate the school laws. Passed second reading: To allow Harnett county to issue bonds; to charter the Raleigh and Cape Fear Railroad Company; to levy a fence tax in Beaufort county; to regulate the stock l$w in Wayne? The bill to appropriate $15,000 for a State arsenal and storage building came up from the calendar, and was referred to the Appropriation Com mittee. It provides, to carry out the recommendations of the Governor, the Secretary of State, and the Labor Commissioner, an additional State building, corner of Salisbury and Mor gan streets. Bills introduced: By Currie, peti tion from citizens of Bladen county against prohibition. By Morton, to pay Mrs. Carrie Aslers the amount directly due her; to pay Mrs. Virginia E. Bunting the amount due her. The House passed the committee bill reapportioning the membership of the N. O. House of Representatives, whereby New Hanover will have one member instead of two as now. The bill is ready for ratification. Other bills passed during the morn ing session: To incorporate swain station, Moore county; to extend the time to commence work on the North ern and Cape Fear railroad; to amend the oyster laws of Onslow county; to establish the-stock law in parts of Pamlico county ; to amend the charter of Southport. The Revenue Act. j The House, at noon, went into com mittee of the whole to consider the Revenue act The inheritance tax section was passed over, and Schedule B was considered. Section 34,. defin ing taxes under tne scnedule, was adopted. The motion of Rountree to amend seotion 35, so as to tax theatres in cities of ten thousand or, more pop ulation $150, instead of $200, was lost and the section was adopted. Section 86, taxing travelling theatrical com panies ten dollars for each perform ance was amended, making the owner of the hall responsible for the tax. Section 37. taxing circuses, was adopted. .Section 38, exempting en tertainments for ( religious, chari table and educational objects, was adopted. Section 39, taxing law yers, physicians, etc., was adopted. Section 40, taxing auctioneers, was adopted. Section 41, taxing real es tate and collecting agencies, was adopted with amendment taxing all who write deeds, and other legal pa pers for money compensation. Sec tion 42, taxing dealers in fresh meats, was amended by taxing those engaged NO. 19 in other business besides a meaf dealer, and was adopted. Section 43, taxing wood and coal dealers, was amended by exempting persons selling less than one nunarea cords of wood per year and persons selling their own wood. Sec. 44, taxing photographers, lumber dealers, etc., ten dollars, was adopted. Secrion 45, relating to tax on junk dealers, and section 46, relating to tax on horse dealers, was adopted. Sec tion 47, taxing peddlers of clocks, stoves and ranges fifty dollars instead of one hundred, as iu the present law was adopted. Bili8 introduced: ByStevensop, to prevent trains running on Sundays. By Pierce, to amend the charter of Newbern. By Willard, to amend the law prohibiting the shipment of email from the State. By Graham, to require railroads to provide crossings on farm lands. -During the afternoon session of the House the following bills were pass ed; To protect drainage in certain towns in Tyrrell and Beaufort coun ties ; to establish a dispensary at Win ston ; to establish a dispensary at Mur- fresboro;to protect fish and deer in Bladen. Cumberland and Columbus: to establish Bush-swamp township, Wayne county; to require smoke stacks with spark arresters at all mills witnin 200,yarda of private residences. Bills introduced: By Willard. to amend the law relating to the Caro lina Insurance Co. By Nicholson, to incorporate the Dibble Fire Co., Washington ; to prohibit'the manufac ture and sale of liquor within three and a half miles of Hailsville Presby terian church, Duplin county. The bill whioh passed the Senate to revoke the license of a bar-keeDer who permits gambling, first offence, also imposes a fine of five hundred dol lars or six months! imprisonment. Senatorial. Districts. The joint Committee on Senatorial Districts adopted the report of the sub committee for reapportionment of Senatorial districts. It is the plan re ported by Senator Morton and Repre sentative Watts. It creates thirty- nine districts, an increase of five over the present apportionment; the num ber of Senators, of course, remains at fifty. The new apportionment makes five Republican districts, the others are claimed as reasonably sure for Democratic majorities. The new ao- portionment, with the number of Sen ators and counties constituting dis tricts, is as follows: First Currituck, Pasquotank, Hert ford, Camden, Perquimans, Chowan, Gates 2. Second Martin, Wash ington, Tyrrell, Beaufort Dare, Pam lico, Hyde 2. Third Bertie, North ampton, 1. Fourth Halifax 1. 5th Edgecombe 1. 6th Pitt 1. 7th Wilson, Nash, Franklin 2. 8th Craven, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, Greene 8. 9th Wayne 1. 10th Duplin and Pender 1. 11th New Hanover. Brunswick 1. 12th Col umbus, Bladen 1. 13th Robeson 1. 14th Cumberland 1. 15th Harnett, Sampson. Johnson 2. 16 th Wake 1. 17th Warren, Vance 1. 18th Granville, Person 1. 16th Durham, Orange, Alamance 2. 20th Caswell, Rockingham 1. 21st-Guilford-l. 22 Chatham, Moore, Scotland, Rich mond 2. 23rd Anson, Union 1. 24th Stanley, Montgomery, David son, Randolph 2. 25th Davie, Rowan, Cabarrus 2. 26th Forsyth l: 27th Stokes, Surry 1. 28lh Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga 1. 29th Wilkes, Yadkin 1. 30th Iredell 1. 31st" Mecklenburg 1. 32nd Gaston 1. 33rd Catawba. Lincoln 1. 84th-Cleveland, Rutherford, Polk, Henderson 2. 35th Alexander.Cald well, Burke, McDowell 2. 26th Mitchell, Yancey. Madison 1. 87th Buncombe 1. 38th Haywood, Tran sylvania, Jackson 1 89th Macon, Swain,, Clay, Graham, Cherokee 1. Judicial Districts. The committee on Judicial Districts to-night made a change in the districts agreed upon recently. Pitt is put back to the fourth district, Edgecombe shifted to the third, and Alleghany and Caswell put in the ninth. Capt. McNeill and Dispensary. A Raleigh correspondent, writing of Capt James D. McNeill and the Fay etteville dispensary, says: "Senator McNeill is pretty badly flabbergasted by the defeat in the House of his bill to abolish the Fayetteville dispensary. He said this afternoon that he was surprised that the House had been, so to speak, canvassed; but that seven who, it was understood would vote for the bill, voted against it He said he would introduce . a bill giving the whole of Cumberland county prohibition, as he was bonnd to get rid of the dispensary," - - Smilax For The White House. New York Tribune: "Mrs. Henry Rehder, of Wilmington, N. C, has secured the order to supply all the smilax to be used in the decoration of the While House on inauguration day. It is for wild smilax and is said to be the largest order ever placed. Apropos of this, a prominent florist states that women are the ideal flower store assistants, adding: They have more patience, more taste, more hon esty, more manner, than the average male assistant Man may be ahead in decorating, but keep him away from customers.' " 1 1 Petition In Bankruptcy. Creditors of H. O, Covington, gen eral merchant of Laurinburg, N. C, have filed a petition in the United States' court here asking that he be adjudged a bankrupt. He had pre viously, assigned to Walter H. Neal, Esq., and the petition now. introdu ced will be heard March 6th. Will Meet This Year at Wrlf btivllle If Proper Encouragement Is Fortbcom ' . - .taf Other State Meetings. There is said to be bright prospect of the meeting of the State Teachers' Assembly at Wrightsville beach about the loth of June. . The Chamber of Commerce- at its) meeting Thursday afternoon will be asked to hold out some inducement to secure the big meeting of the State's educators upon this occasion, and with the very mate rial enlargement of the Seashore Hotel now going on it is certain that with the beach - and city accommodations there will be no trouble in entertain ing the thousand and more visitors' that would be drawn this way by the event President Jacobi. of the Chamber of Commerce, has recently received let ters from Prof. J. A. Holt and former State Superintendent 0.' H, Mebane expressing themselves in favor of the Teachers' Assembly meeting here this year, and intimating that they would visit Wilmington in a few days to look over the field. Concerted action upon the part of Wilmington people appears only necessary to obtain the meeting. The North C&rolina Bar Association meets at Wrightsville June 24th 29th, inclusive, and there is now reason able belief that the' encamoment of both regiments of the State Guard will be held at Wrightsville a little later. Suits Against the Seaboard. Lloyd C. McKoy. of Phoenix. Bruns wick county, has begun three othrr suits against the Seaboard Air Line for damage alleged to have been sus tained by him in the burning over of his lands from sparks claimed to have been emitted by defendant's loepmo tives in 1900. It is understood that he will ask for $1,000 and costs in. each case. The suits were brought last week in Columbus Superior Court by L. V. Grady, Esq.. of this city, and J. a Schulken, Esq., of Whiterille. SPIRITS TURPENTINE. - Asheboro Courier: Little Clyde the three-year son of Mr. Luther M. Stout was burned so badly that he died from the effects after suf fering for several weeks. Goldsboro Araus: Some verv fine second-crop Irish potatoes were laid on our table this morning by the champion truck farmer of the Dudley section, Mr. W. B. Bowden. Carthage Blade: Messrs. J. M. Way and J. B. Vick. who live near the southern border of Carthage, have discovered that they have an endless supply of genuine pipe clay upon their land and expect to have it worked in the near future. Samples have been -tested by heating into a - white heat several times without any damaging exect. Sanford Express: After an ill ness of only two days Mr. Piatt Bui lard died at his home at Margaretts vine on last xnursuay. - reopie who have planted their gardens will have to do the work over again as the seeds are no doubt damaged by the cold weather. Flocks of wild geese are passing over on their jour ney back to the North. , Weldon News: Carter C. How ell was accidently killed on the Sea- ooara Air Litne last Thursday night.' Her fell between the cars and was in stantly killed. He was known in Weldon, and lived here some years years ago. He was a brother of Cap tain J. F. Howell, of Rocky Mount, a well known conductor on the Atl antic Coast Line. Wilson Times: After a useful life of nearly seventy five years. . Mr. Arthur D. Farmer died last Monday at his home in this city. - Un Friday. February 15thT near Mr. S. H. Tyson's in Saratoga townshipof this county, two negroes, Charlie Waters and Simon Foeman. were playing cards. A disagreement as to the winnings resulted in a quar rel which terminated with Charles grabbing a shovel and striking Simon on the head. Charles fled and Dr. Walton was called in who took sev eral stitches in Simon's head.- The in jured man was later moved to his home in Pitt county, where he died last Tuesday. Simon is supposed to to nave gone to Pitt county also and a warrant has been sent there for his arrest FATHER AND SON ARRESTED. Charred With the Murder of Wife and Mother at Birmingham., Ala. Br Telegraph to the Morning Star. Atlanta, Ga., March 2. Arthur Foote, a 19-year old boy was arrested here to day on the charge of killing his mother ia Birmingham, Ala, Mrs. Foote was found one; week ago with her throat cut. Thejxy strongly pro tests his innocence. Birmingham. Ala.. March 2. Charles A. Foote was arrested here to day charged with being an accessory to the murder of his wife in this city one week ago to-day. Arthur Foote, the son of the couple, was arrested in Atlanta this afternoon on the charge of murdering his mother. BATTLESHIP MASSACHUSETTS Will Remain at Pensicola Until the Fleet Sails for Havana. By Telegraph to the Morning star. Pensaoola, Fla., March 2. The battleship Massachusetts will not sail , M y a : 1 or uaivesion to-morrow ap an nounced, but will remain here until the North Atlantio squadron sails for Havana. The Texas congressmen wanted the squadron to go to Galves ton while the fleet is in the Gulf, but it is said that Real Admiral Farquhar protested and that a compromise was proceed to Galveston. The pilot bad been engaged and stores were being taken aboard when' authority came from Washington this afternoon for the Massachusetts to remain with the fleet BUBLIC BUILDING BILLS. PassedNBoth Houses With Increases in Amounts Appropriated. oj Tejagrapn to tne Horning star. Washikgton, March 2. The Omni bus Publio Building passed by both houses to-day carried the following in creased " Aberdeen. S. C. $67,000 to $100,000; Brunswick, Ga., $50,000 to $100,000; Elizabeth City, N. a, $50,000 to $100- ooo; Newport News, va., $ 100,000 to $325,000; Winston, N. a, $50,000 to 60,000; Bristol, Tenn., zw.uuu to 000; Columbus, Ga., $156,000 . to $159,000.