i
i i ; '
JANUARY 18, 1879.
1 CAPS
.t S -" - .
FEAR ASD YADKIN VALLEY
RAILROAD.
The Western,' or Fayetteville and Coal-
p fields Railroad was chartered December 24,
of construction begun at
' Fayettenlle the following year. Duncan
G. MaoRax, anj internal improvement
Teteran, a gentleman who has labored
as long, and as faithfully to advance and
perfect our internal improvement system
as any man who has- lived in the State,
wasjhe first Presijdent, and has been fol
lowed oy Chableb B. Mallitt, II-. L.
Mykoyxk, Al J. Jonks and Xl C. Jones,
the latter the present incumbent.
' Gbqbos MoNe: ix Esq. has been called
the' father of this Railroad, .and no one,
perhaps, deserves more credit for origina
ting the scheme tl tan this gentleman; but
in a section of cointry where every citi
zen was a man of enterprise, and where
all, from ,tbe .very agitation of the inter-
rial improvement subject, have done so
1 much in that behalf, aided and supported
every practicable ' scheme, .without regard
to section, as have the people of Fayette
, ville, and the Qape Fear country, it is
scarcely practicable to make any distinc
tion, now, in referring to the early history
and progress 'of ' internal improvements in
North Carolina. lit is enough to say here
that ne people have ever done more for
others, or been the recipients 6f fewer
benefits from oui system, than those Cape
Fear people.
At the break ing' out of the war the
, Western Railroac , as it is known in its cor-
porate capacity, had been completed to
within four milua of Egypt, and was,
during the war, carried to the coal fields,
.to obtain supplies of fuel for Confeder
ate 'purposes: and upon the coal here
obtained .were the blockade and govern
ment steamers at Wilmington largely de
pendent during the entire war. The length
of the road from
Fayeltevjlle to Egypt is
forty-three miles.
and the icost or its con
struction and equipmentwas one million,
one hundred thousand dollars, or a. little
J000 per mile. The first
thirty-four miles of the completed line is
through the sandhills, the last nine passing
through a clay
country, underlaid with
red sandstone.
This sandstone has been,
by the way, pronounced by the Govern
ment architects at Washington as fine as
any specimen of that building f material
ever exhibited at the office of the Super
vising Architect!
In March last Work was resumed on this
roald; the State furnishing a hundred con
victs, and tinder authority of the Legisla
ture to make the road a narrow guage, the
work of grading the line to Greensboro bt
gan. The distance irom Jiigypt io ureens?
boro was fifty-three miles by the direct
route, and it has
been ascertained that the
average 'cost of
-grading will be less per
mile than on
the completed portion
of the line from Egypt to Fayetteville.
Though a much! rougher section, the gen
eral contour of the country better fits the
grades than that through which the old
division passed. The present estimated
cost of constructing the road from Egypt
to Greensboro will be $408,000 for the
' graduation, masonry and ' superstructure,
nr an nvwflop nf npvpn thonaAnd five hund
1 red dollars per mile for the road completed
ready for the running of cars. The line
will pass Ore Hill, in Chatham, where is
said to be found large supplies of some of
ihe finest iron in the country.
"Since March last, the grading has been
"v 'completed for eight miles, a truss bridge,
two hundred and'fifty feet long and thirty
feet high, built across Deep river, together
: with three hundred feet of trestle work
beyond, which have been the great ob
stacles to the progress of the work from
Eevpt onward. ; The cross ties are laid to
the Gulf, three and a half miles, the iron
purchased, paid for . and delivered, and
will be immediately laid On that much of
the track, now that Deep River is
, bridged. . The grading is progressing satis
factorily within seven miles of Ore Hill,
? and there ' now appears no obstacle or
difficulty in the way of the rapid progress of
the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley
Railroad. The average cost of the
'Waduation. masonry and making the
o -
roadway ready for the superstructure, is
but three thousand eight hundred dollars
per mile, and supplied with a proper
working force, the connection at Greens -
" boro should not be long delayed. There
are little or no incumbrances on this road.
It has triumphed over the great' difficul
ties that at ' one time beset it, and HJs
now In the hands of, its friends, and under
the control of a management that will
complete and preserve It. It behooves the
State to foster this Cape Fear and Yadkin
1 f Valley enterprise, by extending to it the
i aid of .all the resources it can command in
its behalf. It is designed to extend through
C : the counties of Cumberland, -Harnett,
Moore, Chatham, Randolph, Guilford,
"Forsyth, Surry .and the northwest sec
v tion of the State.. It will be an important
- connection, bringing into relation sections
of the State that produce Interchangeable
ti commodities, and its resources of business
i would be in proportion to the facilities it
:s would afford, and the development it
v.-; would accomplish. It is a natural' line
of trade and traffic, an old established line
- of business and communication antedating
our system of internal improvements. It
is the old wagon route from Grayson and
Wytheville, Virginia, to Fayetteville, when
that portion of the Old Dominion together
with the Watauga and Alleghany country
traded with the old Cape Fear town.. It is
not yet thirty years since the streets of the
town of Fayetteville were thronged with
wagons and stock drovers from Southwest
Virginia, and Northwestern North Caro
lina. This natural current of " trade wus
disturbed and diverted by the mpetitibn
of the North Carolina Railroad and other
lines of internal improvement, : oecause
Adequate facilities were not alike afforded
tor continued commumcation Detween
these sections of country under the
proved order of things. V
: But restore this natural channel of trade
by opening up this proposed line of rail
road communication, and it will not only
develop some of the best portions;of the
State, but it will revive the business of the
Cape Fear country beyond what it was
even in those days when Fayetteville
and Wilmington were commercial cen
tres for - large-sections - of -North - Caro-
una. Nor would
this improvement be
cbnfinedJtof one
or two localities.
Greensbprpndalljpoints i beyond would
feel the impetus, and while Wilmington
and Fayetteville would grow in - commer
cial and manufactuing importance, con
tributing xt their increased ' prosperity to
the general wealth .and public contribu
tions to the State, the tide of general pros
perity would set in along the entire line of
the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railroad.
The .State is four-fifths owner "in the
road. It should be the constant care of
the State to foster the enterprise.
THE REPORT OF IBB COMMISSIONER OF
- i - - GRICULTURE. ,
The report of CoL Polk, which is now
before the Legislature, sets forth in detail
the operations of this Department since its
organization, and shows from the' amount
and character of work accomplished that
the Board has 'neither been idle jior un
mindful of the great interests entrusted to
its charge. North Carolina is the second
State that has established a Department of
Agricpltare and a Fertilizer Central Sta;
tion. We heartily joiathe Commissioner
in congratulating the Board on its a.uspi
cious beginning, ? and repeat, wiist we
have often taken occasion to remark in
these columns, that no act of the Legisla
ture since the war shows a higher appre
ciation of the necessities of our people
than the one establishing this Department.
The recommendations of the Commission
er relate strictly to subjects pertaining to
his work, and are expressed in distinct
terms.
He asks for the enactment of more effi
cient measures for securing returns of
farm products, and that the compensation
of Assessors 'and Registers of Deeds be
assured.
He gives a detailed statement of the
work of propagating fish by artificial
methods, and regards success in this en
terprise as contingent only on more efEec
tive laws, and asks for a general fish law
which will secure the free passage of fish in
all of our principal waters, and als6 for the
creation of the office of Fish Commission
er to be appointed and controlled! by the
Board-
He states that the ton tax on fertilizers
has been enforced in but few counties, and
that grave doubts exist as to its constitu
tionality, and asks that it be repealed, and
that the moneys already collected from
this tax be refunded. He claims that the;
law, divested f this embarrassing feature,
is more simple, effective and economical!
in regulating the sale of : fertilizers than,
that of any other State in the Union, and
that the license, tax is heartily supported
bya vast majority of our farmers. T "!
He asks for a strong law to protect sheep
husbandry, and gives figures from partial:
leturns of seventy -eight counties that show!
about one dog to every three sheep. . There
are 111,039 dogs in the State. He makes
no specific recommendation in regard to
the dog tax, but asks this question, "Does
our StateConstitution guarantee to a citi-f
zen the right to keep and propagate a spe
cies of property by which the value and
existence of his neighbor's property is con-f
stantly jeopardized; and imperilled? : The
returns from the seventy-eight counties
(although twenty-four townships' are,
omitted, and the returns confessedly im
perfect,) show that during the year 23, 03 1.
sleep were destroyed by dogs, being
8,000 more than lost by disease. He!
thinks our present fence law should
be made to conform to the demands which
the changes of time have created and, aU
though arbitrary legislation abolishing
fences throughout the State would work
injury to many sections, still a general
option law, the Commissioner is of opinion.
is desirable. The report asks for a rigid
game law, and suggests that where, upon
proper evidence, any person's stock is act
judged to be habitually mischievous, the.
owner be required by law to confine it tb
his own premises. The utility of establ
ishing an experimental farm is discussed.
These are the most important recommen
dations. A statement of what many of
the States1 are doing for agriculture, witjb
notices of the various agricultural organt
zations in North Carolina, and a synopsis
of the work done in the Department is in
cluded in the report. The outlook is ea-.
couraging. ''C.' : ' V
Two important bills were passed. by the
House of Representatives on Wednesday4-
one authorizing the issue of certificates of
deposit in aid of resumption, and the other
making greenbacks receivable for duties, f
wake: i ok est college.
Great Increase m Number off Stu-
- dents Keductlon In Price of Board.
tCorrespontlence of Thk obsxrtxr.
;;'iT-ii'. Wakk Foekst, Jan. 17.
Messes. EditOes : There seems to be
displayed at ! present all over our State an
i - i a. s
intense and almost universal interest in re
gard to education, liieratnre, and science
generally, and we are exceedingly gratified
to state that Wake Forest College, stands
among the front ranks of those who are
putting forth every effort in behalf of
this ..good grand and great movement.
Sne is rapidly gaining, .ground, in ?the
respect of a rapid increase in, her num
ber of students.. There are at present jn
attendance between 100 and 125, and they
are arriving on almost every train. Only
two left at the close of the past term,
which expired on the 15th inst. The price
of board has been recently very much re
duced.' Good board can 1 now be bad at
from $5 to $10 per. month; in clubs" at
$5, and in private boarding houses at from
$8 to $10. The price of tuition has also
recently. been reduced to $30 per term.
By, this arrangement, young men in tht
most limited circumstances have the giv
rious opportunity of securing a liberal edu
cation, and of becoming men and citizen?
worth the same of North Carolinians ,i
t&m- -i. - r - -," ;
im.jSEW TORR CORRESPONDEJICE.!
I Correspondence of The obsxbvkb.
! A wY Nw Yokx, Jan. 15, 1879.
I 'Messes. Editors : Julius A.. Gray, Esq., '
Cashier of the Greensboro National isanc.
is here, making arrangements to secure an
additional Vamount j cf currency s for ,his j
pank, that it may extend Its accom incxm-.
tiona. - This was hardly practicable hereto
fore, for the legal amount of Bank capital i
jwaa in great measure assigned to other
Sections before the South was in a condi-
iioa to claimits proper share. .ut laieJ
in the stagnation of business, the Banks
here have been materially- reducing their
capital, "and the surplus is readily as "
Signed to applicants .. from tbe . South.
The government bonds to secure the cir -
iculation, which a ; few years ago co3t ten
or fifteen per cent above par, can now be
bought by Mr. 11 ray at a Jittle below pais
and that will be a saving. It is true that
they are Only - tour per cent; bonds, but
these are as good as any for deposite to
secure circulation. The amount of invest
ments in these new four per cents is auiaz
ing six millions on Monday and six'eeq
yesterday. Money must be exceedingly
plenty and exceedingly difficult of invest-
naent to cause such enormous sums to be
! loaned at so low an interest as four per
j cent. When business revives, and money
shall be .wanted f or? business j purposes,
these bonds will go below par.
1 was also ' favored to-day -with a call
from Adjutant General Johnstone Jones,
who is here " representing North Carolina
in a National Miluia Convention. I was
surprised to learn from him that there are
three thousand uniformed militia in North
Carolina, and the State receives $5,000 a
year from the general government toward
the equipment of troops ; and it is hoped
to secure double that amount.
The extraordinary performance of a wo
man, Mrs. Anderson, in walking 2,700
quarters of a mile in 2,700 consecutive
quarters of an hour, was brought to a sue
cessful termination on "Monday evening,
amidst the immense applause of a packed
crowd in the hall and the street adjoining,
and with showers of roses. She has de
posited $8,000 in pank as part of her share
of the admission: fees during the four
weeks in which she has been? engaged in
this wonderful feat. Think pf the woman's
endurance who for every; quarter of an
hour, day or night, during four weeks,
could rouse herself, of ten from sleep, to
make the required tramp. The 'fastest
time; -was 2 minutes 37 seconds; the
slowest 10 minutes. The fastest was the
last. She is fair,
medical care. '
iy prostrated and uuder
The scarlet fevr is raging in this city
from forty to seventy cases reported daily.
The number ot arrests by the police
last week, was less than ; 900, a much
smaller number than has been known in
any previous week for many years. Hurrah
for Murphy's temperance lectures I
There was a great fire last night about 9
o'clock, illuminating the city for a great
distance, very brightly at my boarding
house a mile off. It was the notion store
of Howard, banger & Co:, 100 feet wide on
Broadway and Crosby, by 200 feet on
Grand street, with four lof s each of equal
extent, occupied! as wholesale clothing
stores by Mumberry, Kraus, Lauer
& Co., and Edwin Bates & Co. The
losses are set down at a million and
a half, nearly all j (perhaps more than all)
covered by insurance. ; The morning
papers give no idea ol the origin ot the
tire, peruaps for the reason that a, suspi
cion is entertained. No doubt' a rigid in?
vestigation will be had, for the insurance
companies will contest the payment if they
can, find any reason for doing so. The
immense building was formerly occupied,
as it was still owned, by Brooks Broiher3,
clothiers. It was leased a few years ago
to Cochran, McLean & Co., at the enor
mous yearly rent of upwards of $100,000,
a sum which doubtless helped to cause
their faiiuie some three years ago. The
concentration of such immense stocks .of
goods in single! buildings is one of the
peculiarities of the present time.
Like everything else, the railroads are on
a large scale. Tnc capital; of the Heading
Railroad, for instance, is $34,278,175.
It owes $78,234559, Its receipts last year
were $11,539,593 Its expenses $7,3i9,
366. its income fell short, of its expenses
and interest by $821,950. i A bad showiag.
UAhtUIUN.
Special Correspondence of Thk Observer.
Washington, Jjan. 16, 1879.
Messes. Editobs. The severe freeze of
the snowla3t mght made the Asphalt pave
ments and streets of tbelcity quite slip
pery and dangerous to the pedestrian and
horse several jserious injuries resulting
from falling on the streets have occurred
this winter. T$e proximate cause of the
death ot Mr. Sqhleicher, 6f Texas, was a
fail on New Year's day. j.
; " POLITICAL MATTSES.
The Democratic Senators-held a caucus
yesterday morning to determine upon a
line of policy in regard: to Senator Ed
munds' resolution declaring valid the 13.h,
14th and 15th amendments to the Consti
tution. The resolution of .Mr. Edmunds
was pronounced as party "Clap-trap.
Senator Jone?, of Florida, (who is al
ways active and diligent) called at
tention to the; necessity of an early
repeal of the juror's test oath. He pointed
out the oppressive and unjust manner in
which this law is being eniorced. It is a
little remarkable that Senator Edmunds
who makes such pretensions to broad and
liberal statesmanship can j discover no leg
islation to suggest for the South except
something tending to manufacture capiial
for i the Republican party. The odious
juror's test oath, tne outrages of elections
of Supervisors and United States Marshals,
the unwarranted interference of the military
power of the general Government of the
Southern States, the unblushing and whole
sale robberies by carpet-bag thieves the
"bull dozing" and Returning Board coo
spiracies -all fail to catch. the attention of
this statesman from Vermont. Men like
Edmunds and Blaine hold tneir position in
the Senate of the United States by pander
ing lo the prejudice and ignorance of thpir
con8tituencies--they have not the hoLest
independence to tell their followers the
true state of things in the South,1 but
whatever panders to a local whim engages
their whole attention. This would be ex
cusable, in a small cross roads politician,
but is disgraceful in the man who holds a
position . in the Senate: of the United
S'.ateS. ' .,v- : : - - . ,;. J
mm The Conkling and Hayea fight was quite
lively in the executive session of the Sen-
I ate yesterday I evening. Hayes appoint-
I mnnta tr fh I3iifnm K
ments to the Custom Ho:i9e in New York
do not suit the views of Conkling. ? He
charges ; that jthe 8 President made the
change out of personal spite to him be
cause he did not choosa to bow to the Ad
ministration. ' 1 ' r
; It is' thought that a number of. Demo
crats will voteiwith. Conkling to defeat the
nominations of Hayes. I Thi3" is" & dog
fight, in which the honest people of the
country care but Tittle. " If Conkling's war
on the President resulted in the expression
of broad and patriotic . views in behalf of
the whole country from the Senator of
New York then the Democrats could af
ford to co-operate with him; but ofHhe
two I think Hayes is the better."
While SConfciingy affected to ignore
Blaine's Woody-shirt resolutions it was only
because he thought Blaine was getting the
"inside track" in the Presidential race for
1880.. For it is only a 'month since in a
political letter to the New York Republican
Committee be. gave the same-stereotypy
charge of the dang ti of a 4 solid South,"
and the country cin diacoveTj nothing in
the political record of the pompous, dig
nified Senator from the State of New York
to distinguish him from the whang-doodle
politicians of the present day who ignore
the country s good lor self. H
S TTLDBN VS. OBANT.
" Montgomery Blair has written a' letter
in which he takes the position that the
contest in 18S0 will be between Tilden and
Grant 1 He thinks Grant will certainly be
the nominee of the Republican party, and
that Samuel J.f Tilden is the! ; only man
who can carry the four Northern States,
" J .1 tZZJZiZ
, w "cooaiy luou-
. The Senate is 1 discussing the bill tb re
vise the present Patent Laws. The House
is in ill- discussion of the bill for the im
provement of the Mississippi River," Gen.
Chalmers, of Mississippi, made an excel
lent speech on the Constitutional power to
improve the Mississippi, f .; W. l. m.
STATE AND FEOERAL AUTHOR! IT.
Conflict of State and Federal Author-
lty rite :ae Carried at L.ast to the
v Supreme Conn of the United State.
(.Correspondence of Thk Obsrvkr.
The irrepressible conflict between State
and Federal authority goes on, and though
ine scene snins irequentiy tne connict is
unchanged. The latest cases, since that in
Virginia, are one in Florida ana one in
Tennessee. In the former, which came up
in the circuit court of the United Slates
f ?r that State, Judge Settle of course held
the old r ederaliet luea, and in the latter
the Tennessee case- one Davis, a deputy
internal revenue collector, shot and killed
one tiaynes, JJavis, we see it stated "was
iadic.ed in the State court for murder, and
sought to remove the case to the circuit
court of the United States. The judges
of that court, Baxter and Trigg, in order
that the case might be earned; up to the
Supreme court, agreed to disagree, and
certified their disagreement to the Supreme
court of the United States." The case
will thus come up in that court, and its
decision win settle au similar cases.
Charlotte Observer.
We are' glad to see from the above state
ment and editorial which we clip from
Thk Observer that our people everywhere
are becoming interested in the safety and
perpetuity oi tne constitution as it was
handed down to us by our forefathers, and
that the sovereignty of the States will not
be surrendered without a struggle.
Oar lawyers in North Carolina made a
great blunder in attempting to take the
question up in the "Hoskins Case" by an
appeal irom our oupreme uourt. it is
evident that no appeal lies under the 709th
8"ction of the United, States Statutes, as
taere was no decision "against a right
claimed under, the statute," but the de
cision was in favor of the right.
The counsel for the State of Tennessee
have taken the question up by . making a
motion in the cause in the Circuit Court,
where, on important constitutional ques
tions, it is Customary for the Judges to
aisagree ana have the question certified.
Governor Vance seems to have discover
edone error and submits to the Legislature
whether the appeal should be further pros-
ecutea we thins u ought not for he rea
sous aoove statea, but the question is too
vital 10 be ignored or neglected and we
hope that the legislature will direct the
counsel for the State to take the necessary
steps in the Circuit Court to take one
pf the cases to the U. S. Supreme Court.
In Dunlaps case, involving the right of
removal of a criminal case under the Civil
Rights Bill, on account of prejudice against
color or race by the people of a county
where the indictment is pending, the ques
tion has been properly certified on a divi
sion of opinion, but by some strange and
inexcusable neglect it has never been
pressed to trial or advanced on the Supreme
Court djeket, as all cases involving consti
tutional questions are entitled to be. A
rcs.'lu'iou has been introduced by Mr.
Uobb; of Lincoln, inquiring into the status
of thsee cases and we hope that our Legis
lators will not pass the matter by and per
mit our sister States to have all the honor
and vhe glory of maintaining the sovereign
rights of the States.
Ihe question involved in Dunlap's case
has been decided squarely for the States
by Justice Bradley in the Returning Board
casts, I where he decides that the discrimi
nation against the petitioner, to entitle
him to. a removal, must be by a State
statu te and not a mere individual preju
dice r partiarity.
The other question in the Revenue cases
mighii be easily carried up by a motion in
Patterson's case who, it is alleged murder
ed the Snider family in Ashe, and where
the defendants are now out on nominal
bail. Not a man who has moved his case
to the Federal Courts, has, been punished,
and removal now means exemption from
the criminal Jaws of the land. Are we to
have a class "higher than the law," or are
we to administer the law to all alike ?
LRrrmt FRO I BERTIE COUNTY.
Correspondence of Thk Observkr.
, .Windsor, Jan. 12, '78.
Messrs. Editors: Our people have
just heard of the death of CoL David M.
Carter.
In the Eastern and Northeastern portion
of the State he was well known. We
knew him to be a man endowed with many
of the noblest qualities of our race. We
can scarcely bring ourselves to believe that
he js dead. '
Mentally be ranked in our section as
second to no man in the State. Indeed many
of us were proud of him as our strongest
man in the State. Can it be that our noble
Carter is dead ?
As a friend he was true. He was the
soul i of honor. Did he ever disappoint
any just expectation ?: Was he not above
Large in heart and a giant in .mind,
where is his equal? In all the counties
of the Albemarle country, be was greatly
beloved. In Beaufort and Hyde, and the
surrounding counties, he began life, known
as a man or extra power, such men as
Stanly, Donnell and CoL Joshua Taylor
were proua to call him their friend.
f But 1 need not write in his praise. , The
city of Raleigh has lost a great man.; ; We
people of this section hope to read a sketch
of his life prepared by some master hand,
who will do justice to him.- We (mingle
our ! sorro s with those )f his afflicted
family. Alas I Can it' be true that David
M.- Carter is dead? f ' " . t W.
,
SENATOR JU!IS, FLORIDA
? j Correspondence of ThxObskbvkb.
V I S DcehaM, Jan- 14, 1879.
V MBSsEs.i Editors : Your Washington
City, correspondent in y&ur issue of Jan'y
8thJ wriling about the return of . Senators
to the city says : "From the "Land of
Flowers" Jones, who misrepresents the
State in the Senate, has already come."
: I respectfully; ask if "this is not a mis
print. For surely the assertion does not
accord with public sentiment about Wash
ington City ; nor in any portion of the
United States.' And among , his own con
stituents, without t regard to party, hei
believed and honored, as one of the' many
honorable Senators, a nrm, honest repre
sentative or the Land of Flowers.
i Respectfully, Dakl. Reid,'
' ' Late of Pensacola, Fla.
Just Arrived at Watson'g Store
" Sugar-cured Hams, Lard,: Bacon Sides,
Pa-apsco and Orange Flour;' the best
brands of Baking Powders,-Canned Goods.
Sugarsof all grades; Coffee, Tea; Crackers
of different kinds; Cream Cheese; Liquors;
Cigars and Tobacco. 1 Call at Watson's for
good Goods at lowest prices. .IX .
Letter from the East.
Correspondence of Thx Obsxrvxk.
j Akooxa, Italy, Dec 18, 1878.
Messrs. Editors: My letter is dated
from a port on the Adriatic, and you will
be surprised to learn that "our correspond
ent" is en route for Egypt, In which coun
try this will bfl posted to you. We go to
morrow to Bnndisi, and there take steamer
for a three days' voyage to Alexandria.
After spending Christmas in Cairo, fwe
take a boat up the Nile to the first cataract
(six weeks up and down.) visit the canal
of Suez, tarry awhile at Jerusalem. em -
bark again at ML Carmel, and return to
Italy in March, by way of Constantinople
and Athens. I shall send you such desul
tory notes of travel as I may be able to jot
down from time to time in, these far away
regions, and if I can add aught of interest
to the columns of Thb Observer, it will
greatly increase the pleasure of my trip to
know that the good wishes of some of
your many readers lot tow me in my wan
denngs. . '
This is a great town on the eastern coast
of Italy, commanding lovely views over
the sea, and to-day is so sunny that it
es a bright contrast to more northern
latitudes where rains, snows and fogs have
prevailed for weeks past i This will not
be in time to wish you a f 'merrie Christ
mas, ' but my thoughts will be with you
all in the Old JNorth State on that day.
Think of my passing it in the shadow of
the Pyramids, and, perhaps, of being at
the Holy Sepulchre on Ash Wednesday.
CAIRO, CHRISTMAS.
Here we are in Egypt; but one's head
still swims from three day's tossing on the
Mediterranean, and letter writing is a bur
den to the flesh. There was no storm, but
we had high winds and a rough sea, and
old Neptune, who probably has his head
quarters now in the Levant, as in the days
ofsheathen mythology, exacted and received
a plentiful tribute from all. In fact the
mat de mer aptly translated by Mark Twain
as the "Oh My!" was epidemic. But it is
all over now and everything looks bright
ahead- Thick clothing has been thrown
aside, so warm is it.
I am passing this happy festival in the
capital of Egypt, and one feels rather
lonely so far from home at the joyous
season. An American clergyman read the
church service in our parlor this morning
our only reminder of the observance of the
day bayond the Atlantic Here no con
siderate small boy makes one long for
death as a relief from his nerve destroying
horn, nor drives to trenzy all four-footed
beasts with his fire crackers meet and ap
propriate celebra'ion of the anniversary of
that day which saw the birth of the fnnce
of Peace.
We passed but half a day in Alexandria,
and came on here in four hours by rail.
The journey was very interesting through
the wide plain, intersected by numerous
canals and branches of the iNile, passing
constantly Arab villages, all composed of
low mud huts, in which people and animals
seem to live together promiscuously.' It
was a Moslem jete day, and near
all the towns were large crowds of the
natives in their picturesque costumes,
amusing themselves at various games;
cranes, snipe and other birds fluttered out
of the marsh grass as the train whirled
by, while the ill-formed cattle and patient
looking camels that were browsing by the
roadside scarcely cast a look at our fiery
invader of the ! ancient solitude. The
weather is lovely. The thermometer stood
at 55 degrees at an early hour this morn
ing, and one realizes that be is indeed in a
land oi cloudless clime and sunny skies.
This town is thoroughly oriental, only a
small portion of it being as yet intruded
upon by European civilization. The
bazaar, or street of the pnncipal shops, is
a brilliant scene of life and animation. The
negroes and Arabs on their donkeys arid
in their varied dress; the Hnglisn book
seller, the Damascus silk merchant, the
German photograph dealer, the Turk
ish pice-trader, the Jewish clothes -
vender the Greek pharmacist, the
Arao money cnanger, me r rencn
confectioner, all mingle heterogeneous
ly the street crowded with all com
plexions of men, m all possible costumes,
and jabbering in all possible tongues ; even
our party finding constant occasion for all
four of the languages, which we can com
mand. And now there is a confusion in
the crowd, and a pushing aside of ,the
donkeys that encumber the street, and two
jet black .Nubians, dressed in white come
running on, and shouting to clear the way
for the passage of a carriage. It contains
some Circassian beauties from the- Vice
roy s harem, ot whom we strive to -get a
glimpse, but see only a mass of pink silk
and white tulle, the latter covering their
faces, and the clear pink and white of the
neck showing that they have beautiful
complexions. It is all a strange and mot
ley scene, and so utterly different frdm the
humdrum of Western life. To-morrow
we take donkeys and ride three or four
miles into the desert of the so-called "pet-
nhed forest, . where there are fossil re
mains of huge palm trees and ferns. It is
said that there is, somewhere in California,
a similar curiosity. Indeed, from hearsay
one would think that everything was to be
found in that State, and that, too, upon a
very large scale. Our old professor of
Mathematics used to say, that parallel lines.
however far produced, could net meet ex
cept in infinity. Possibly that also may be
found in calitorma.
There is more foliage about here than I
had supposed, and to-day we have seen
some splendid acacia, orange, bananna and
date trees. Our visit to the pyramids
which we had seen in our devices, looming
up in the distance, looking so like the pic
tures with which one has been familiar
from infancy, was full of interest. . At a
distance of ten miles from Ctdro, just
within the borders of the great desert.
stand these wonderful monuments, i the
whole object of which has never ceased to
be a puzzle to antiquarians. From the top of
Cheops, to which we clambered there is a
grand view of the city of Cairo and the
valley of the Nile on one hand, and of the
boundless . waste of the Libyan desert on
the other. This latter is very impressive.
and as a picture of utter desolation even
surpasses one's expectations. The sun
was very hot, though weare in mid-winter,
and the glare blinding, necessitating
the use of umbrellas and shades for . the
eyes, and it is a source of wonder bow
man could ever venture into such inhospi
table wastes. Descending from the pyra
mid we examined the Sphinx and ; the
ancient tombs. These tombs are built
like temples, of enormous blocks of gran
ite, some of them about eaual in length
and breadth to a billiard table and several
feet in thickness, and though they date
back more than two thousand years before
the birth of Christ, the lines are as true
and the masonry as perfect as though thev
were erected yesterday. The though that
one is an idst the monuments of a ci viliza
tion that flourished more than 4000 years
ago, and that it was, too, a very high order
of civilization, inclines one to meditation;
but you have little time for revery or sen
timent pi any Kino, ior Arabs ot all ages
and conditions crowd around, screaming
for backiheexJuT, and so iraportuEa'e are
they, that they have tq be drften off with
a stick like so many dogs, - Like dogs,
too, they leave you a memento, and you
are fain to scratch and to devote yourself
to a hunt atttr Meas.
This afternoon we stood nnder the wide
spreading branches of a sycamore, which,
tradition says, once sheltered the Holy
Family from the sun during the flight into
Egypt. The tree, probably, did not sprout
uiku a thcHiSind years after the V rgin was
dend, but yet -it is i impossible to hear it
called "Mary's tree," without a fteling of
reverence.
We shall reach Thebes before February,
and upon embarking at this season of uni
versal gayity for our voyage up the Nile,
it may not be amiss to quote, in conclu
sion, the legend that surmounted the Egyr
tian exhibit at our Centennial Exposition:
"The oldest civilization sends warmest
greetings to the youngest! Old Africa
salutes young America." G.
Failure L.a.t Year.
i From the New York Times, l6th.l
The annual circuHr of Dun, Barlow &
Company's Mercantile Agency gives the
total T number of failures in the - United
State during the year 1878 as 10,479, with
total liabilities amounting tq.f W4,s8d,ia.
In 1877 the total failures were 8.872,
with ' liabilities reaching $190,6b9,ittb.
This increase of 1,606 failures in the past
year is accounted for by the fact that cir
cumstances during the year were "pe
culiarly , influential in encouraging casual
ties Of this character." lhese circum
8-ances are given as six in number : (1.)
1878 was the fifth year of a depression
unparalleledn character, extent, and du
ration. (2 ) Unseasonable weather, dur
ing the first quarter of the year materially
restricted sales and collections, causing a
good deal of embarrassment: (3.) .Busi
ness was materially restricted during tne
first half ov the year by he monetary dis
cussions in and out of Congress, together
with a possibility of changes in the tariff,
which created doubt and uncertainty as to
the future. (4.) An t-normous shrinkage
wis caused by a general and permanent
decline in values all over the wnrld. greater
than ever before in a similar period. (5.)
The yellow fever; epidemic in the South
caused a vast material los3 from the forced
suspension of labor and business (6 )
The abolition of the Bankrupt law, and
the long delay permitted to elapae before
its repeal, had more to do with the increase
of failures than any other circumstance.
Regarding the outlook for tho future, the
circular says : "It is significant that out of
the six leading circumstances enumerated
as contributing to failures during the year
five no longer exist. In the room of these
disturbing elements other favorable condi
tions, are present, which ought, in :h
immediate future, to so much improve
business as to make the decrease of
failures in 1879 much more marked than
the increase 1 in 1878." The most
important of -these favorable condi
tions is the return to specie payments
without a ripple of disturbance in the bu
siness world. Another is tne iact mat
values have now reached a level lower than
the gold standard in normal times, with
out which no marked prosperity would
'have been possible. A third indication of
the approach of better times is the pros
perity of the vast class who till the Boil,
while a fourth favorable feature is the
changing character or the industries ot a
large number of persons as indicated in
the increased amount of land taken up for
actual settlement. f .
The large liabilities of the past year's
failures are approached only by the figures
for 1873, when they reached $323,oay,uuu
This sum, however, was divided among
onlv 5.163 failures, less than halt thenum
beii in 1878. The distribution of last year's
failures over the country is shown in the
following table, with the precentage, aver
age, &c, :
R" C0e Amount of
Bust- If fill- ofFaU JAabilitieH.
net. urea wes
' j j ..
i . i '
79,765, 1,734 1 in 40 j $35,2t)4,02S
1
229 335 3,199 1 in 71 j . 95,293.466
96,297 1,415 1 in 6S' 26,32,901
240,933 3,436 1 in 7fr 64,309,53
88,361 694 i in 41 13,163,176
674,74il 10,478 1 in 64 $t34,3S3,132
States
Eastern
States.
Middle
States.
South'm
States.
West'n
States.
Pacific
St. and
Ter's...
Tot'lfor
theU.S.
Averaqe LiaQilitie.K&9t,er& States, SiO.S;
Middle states, $29.1 v; Southern Sta'.e., $1-,0D2;
Western State, $18,( 16- Faciii s Sta'es a id I'er
ritories, $18,967. Total for the United Spates,
142,369.
The gradual growth of failures during
the past seven-years is shown in the fol
lowmg table :
Total. , Averaqe
Year A umber.. LabmmR. Lvibuitoe,.
lS.'S." 10.478 $234,4 A. 133 $i!4 1)9
1877 8,872 190 669,9) 2 ,491
1876... 9.092 19 1. 117.. 85 . 21.'i
IS75 .. 7,740 2ul,06tJ35t 25,97?
1874... ... 5.S39 159.'i39.000 27,313
18.3 5.1S3 2'28,89., 00 44.OS0
1872 4,069 121,056,000 29,760
The failures in the Dominion of Canada
during 1878 numbered 555, with liabilities
amounting to $9, 100,
That "Elfin.'' With the great popu
larity of the "American Cousin'.' the
4ti.lfln is . competing with, wondrous
effect. These two brands of cigars, man
ufactured jby Jones & O'Neil, Ko. bo Jb ay
tteville street, will make the nicest and
most acceptable Christmas present for
your gentlemen friends. Call and get a
box and see your friends enjoy them
selves.
Lost. Between the North Carolina de
pot and the crossing of Hargett and Daw
son streets, one gold ring, with an amethyst
set. 1 he nnder will be suitably rewarded
by leaving it at this office. ,
HaEDWAEE, 8TOVE8 AND HOU8K Fub-
nishlso Goods. You cannot find a more
complete or better selected stock in- the
city, than you will find by calling at J. U.
IJrewster s. His goods are bought low
and will be sold accordingly. The best
stock of guns and sportsmen's goods in the
market always on hand. Dupont s and
Dittmar's powder sold at manufacturers
prices. Give him a call: you will not re
gret it. J. O. Bbewster, ,
liolleman Building,
Fayett ville Street.
Foruloekatkd itduTft, the healing prop
erties of Meade & Baker's Carbouc
Mouth-Wash are unexcelled. Fifty cents
a bottle. ! :
Fob all disease's of the teeth and
gums use Meade & Baker's Uarbolio
Mouth-Wash, j. Fifty cents a bottle.
Fob OFTENsm breath from decayed
teeth and diseased euraa.' use Meade &
Bakek's CakbouO1 Mouth-Wash. Fifty
cents a bottle.
Fob Bleed rso Gttms. use Meads &
Bakeb's' Carbolic Mouth Wash. Fifty
cents a bottle. , aue 16 6m
Otstebs. rSend your orders for bvstera
to Gen. L. S. Iiaker, of N. C, aeent of the
S. & K. 11. R.. Suffolk. Va. Ov s'cra are
ypened 12 hoars later t-an Norfolk, and
will be furnished bv the most reliable
dealers. They are classed medium j eitra,
and select," Charges, lowest market Drice.
The world known Wilson S;wine Ma
chine, with extra attacbm!ir,&, coi.-iplete,
only $30. Address Whart n & Whrri.on,
Oompany's aeenta. Greensvro. N. C
Private Board. Several members Of
the General Assembly can get good board,
at moderate prices, with A. M. Powell at
the residence of J. A. Jones, on ilillsboro
street. .'.
DisooLoa io teeth rendered 'beautifuUjr
white by t ie use of Meade & Bakers'
Saponins Dentifrice. Fifty cents at
box. . . .
4
As a Gabule lor sore thioat
Meade &
unequal
Bakj; a Car r; c Moutk Wash
I ed. Fifty cents a bottle.
NEW ADVERTISEMENTS.
.
DR. J. B. DUNN,
Office No, 6 Kahlcr Building,
FAYETTEVILLE STREET.
Messages left at tDe Drug Store of F. H
Heartt will receive prompt attention,
! jni61m , ;
Mortgage Sale.
PURSUANT tn the p'rwers contained in a
mortgage deed, executed Julv 1.' '878. and
icwiut-u in me Register's omc -.
for the county
oi wane. oo"K 44. page 604. we wUl sell as puti-
aoor, in the city
of Raleigh, on
Thursday, 20th February Xext,
A VALUABLE . I
HOUSE AND LOT,
Now occupied by 4Phit. Thiem. Esa . on tho
, Southwes'. corner of. Cabarrus and Bloouworth
streets, in said city. ;t i
" . TERMS .CASH.
1 GRAY STAMPS.
janl6dtds Attorneys for Mortgagee.
TMORTANT SALE. BY VIRTUE OP THK
X -powers containeii m a mortgage from J. P. '
H. Kass and wife to J. T. Leacn, registered in
t, 1 shall on Monday, February lTttf. 1839, at the
uourt tiouse aoor, iu Kaieisrn, proceed to expose
to public sale thf inter e.-jt of said Kuss aud wile
in Ho acres of 4and,' iym. on Walnut Creek, in
Wafce county, and bounded by the lands of Wil
liam Scott and Ths. (4. Jenkins, Thes. Howie,
J C. Biake'and others This tract is subject to
prior mortgages, which will be annouueedou
day of sale. - J. T. LEACH. . 1
KBADK, BCSBKE & BUSBKK, '
jams 80s Attorneys for Mortgagee.
DISSOLUTION.
7HE COPARTNERSHIP IN THB GRO
cery Busiuesa between ta- undersigned w
this clay dissolved by mutual consent F. C.
Christophers will setile the i.usineas of the late
nrm w. U. CH Kla'l O PH SKS.
1). P: MKACHAM,
W. L.. HARRIS. -
IV 0. Christophers-
M. W.Sorrell.
Ohristophcrs & SorrsU.
P. C. Christophers, .of the late firm of P. c.
Chrls'ophers A Co., and M. W S rrelf, successor
to Sorrell A . Jackson, , having formed a co
partnership, will carry on the .
GROCERY and COMMISSION' BUSINESS
at the old stand, of ..
F. C. CHRISTOPHER i'& COMI'A.YY,
Harjretl Slrefl, i
Will be pleased to liave our numerous friends
and cuHonier to car. Having tne exuerteiic-
of a number of years iu the Grocery Buaiuefis,
we can compete with any house in the city.
MEAT MARKET.
We make a specialty of Fresh Beef, Pork,
Sausage and Butter. Also
TOBACCO.
TOBACCO.
A full stock Ok
all gra tes on hand, whoiivi.,'
Jhrislodiers & Sorrell.
and retail, at .
jan:4-tf
FIRE CI8TEK1NS.
EALKD PROPOSALS will be received up tn
12 O'CLOCK Jf., JASUARY 22, 1S79,
For the4)Uilding of .
FT V 12 CISTEBS,
Of 3,noo gallons capacity each, to be located li
theCommitice nciiirire.
Ka tt b-il must he accompanied by plans ami
specifications. Bidd- ra will be allowed to a;
par !? fore the tJommiitee in person at the
openlugof the bids.
bids ure also s.dieite i on plans and speciti
cations now in thf Clerk's offlt e. -
Bids will be sealed and addressed to the Citv
Clerk, marked : '
: -'" KOPOSALS FOR CISTERNS."
;r,y order of the Board of Aldermen, city.(
Raleigh.
C. W. LAMB ETII. Clerk.
Jan. 8-deod till date. ' ' . . .
PERRY & CO.'S
STEEL PENS
Of superior English Make ; lamous for duratnN
ity and elasticity ; great variety of styles snit"i
to every kind of writing. For sale by dealt-ri
generally. ,-.
TWESTV-FIVE assorted
samples tor
trial, includingUTT T?AT fHTJ
the celebrated - AND JCxJjOVJLi
Pens by mail, on receipt of 25 Cehts., j .
IVISON, B LAKE Si AN. TAYLOR &TD0.,
SOLE AG ANTS FOR THE U. S., j
130,and 140 (irand Street, New York.
sel2-wed&sat-oin3w-6m.
:7th:
GEAWD DISTRIBUTIOJi
Mm
By anthorlty of Commonwealth of . Kentuci:!.
Drawing and details under supervision of prom
inent citizens of Kentucky, in the city of Louis
ville, pn - -- i
Thursday, Jan. 30th, 1879.
NO SCALING ! NO POSTPONEMENT! .
PRIZES PAIDjlN JPTJJL.! s
In Cash
DISTRIBUTE!'
TICKETS .
Unparalleled Success of tie Popular
Read the following attractive list of prizes Cj
the JANUARY DRAWING: !
1 Prize $30,0o0 i loo Iz's i(m et $XSi
1 Prize......... I0,ooo: 800 PVs 60 16.-
1 Priz.... ... . 5,0on,;i ,600 J"z's 80 " t".01, ;
lorz'sti.ooe'tiio.oooii.ooopvB . io io
ia n-izes faoo eacn fio.ouo.
Prizes $8oo each. Approximation Prize $2,'
Prizes $200 eacn, Approximation Prizes tWv
8 Prizes $100 each, Approximation Prizes $
1.8R0 Prizes, :.-'.
Whole tickets. $2: Half tickets, r i SI
$50; 55 Mcfeets $100. . ,
Remit by Post Oflice Money Order, regis1 ,rf0
lerter, bank draw or express. Full listoi ';
ine published in Louisville Courier-Jovu nal
New York ; Herald, and mailed to all
holders. For tickets and Inforhtation alre
COMMONWEALTH DISTRIBUTION CO,, "j
T. j: OOMMKRFOPD. Seey, Courier-Joitrn
Building, Louisville, Xy,! v . .
dc-wedFrl-WV0-i4. , v
jka. thurs, Atue-Wa--i-23. .
1- 1 : 1 1 ...hm
ruwianooson ut.i.
urn vrr?v: rn r,n r .i... AAnnixf
ihould he bofor nakias coitncti either itJ
papers or thrsegk Af enu. It oontmM ,
prices, eirealotiooa, and mach other Uerj
wbich vnU xim tm mnd monty to t()M Mo J!,
formmtien about. r making orjet for Xe"!!
Adrenlsios. Bead addreaa ea poUl cart, a
book will bo frwrdea trt of charm.
mSBSSBBB
feb 81-Dlj W ed&bat k Wlj
111510
j. Aim "