NORTH CAROLINA. 



59 



cost of fertilizers in 1887 was 25 per cent, less than in 

 1880, while the quality improved 14 per cent. The 

 phosphate-beds of the State have been explored and 

 mapped, and, though inferior to those of South Caro- 

 lina, will hereafter be a source of wealth. The marls 

 of the State have been analyzed and their use in- 

 creased. The establishment of fertilizer-factories has 

 been stimulated, there now beiug nine. The pyrites- 

 deposits of the State have been explored and samples 

 analyzed. Analyses for the board of health have been 

 made of drinking-water and other substances, and 

 noxious ingredients ascertained. 



An exploration of the coal-fields of the State has 

 been made under authority of the board, and a report 

 published by Dr. H. M. Chance. A report was like- 

 wise published in Miniiiy in, North Carolina, by Dr. 

 George B. Hanna. Under thfi direction of Lieut. 

 Winslow, U. S. N., the oyster-beds in the extensive 

 sounds and inlets of the coast have been explored and 

 mapped, and a comprehensive report of the same 

 published. Under Mr. S. G. Worth, Fish Commis- 

 sioner, hatcheries have been operated for increasing 

 the supply of shad, herring, rock, and othet fish in 

 North Carolina waters. Under Mr. . L. Patrick, 

 Commissioner of Emigration, valuable publications 

 have been made and distributed for the purpose of 

 making known the resources of the State. Other 

 publications under authority of the board are : A. De- 

 scription of the Minerals and Mineral Deposits of 

 North Carolina, by F. A. Genth and W. C. Kerr, 

 the latter being the late State geologist; hand-books 

 and bulletins, containing miscellaneous information 

 about the State, published in 1883 and 1886 ; Annual 

 Reports and Hullftiia of the agricultural experiment- 

 sUtion, from 1877 to 1887; Report on the Ores of 

 North C'troli'im, by W. C. Kerr and G. B. Hanna, 

 1 ^7. being chapter II. of Kerr's Geology of North 

 C'lrnfiii-i. vol. IL, now in progress of publication, 

 under the editorial supervision of Prof. Joseph A. 

 Holmes. It may here be noted that since the death 

 f Prof. Kerr the State geological work has been dis- 

 continued. 



The activity of the farming: class is shown by the 

 increase of county and district agv'cultural societies, 

 and by the rapid spread f 'he society called the 

 Farmers' Alliance. There are 1 198 organizations, with 

 about 50, OK) members. L. Ii Polk is president of the 

 Inter-State Fanners' Association. The grangers have 

 iii- i an organization, W. R. Williams being master. 



By act of the General Assembly of 1887 a bureau 

 of labor statistics has been created. The commissioner, 

 Mr. W. U. Jones, has made a report, giving valuable 

 but incomplete information OB the subject. 



Climate. Much attention has been recently directed 

 to parts of North Carolina as health-resorts. The ter- 

 ritory on both flanks of the Blue Ridge, and the sand- 

 hills in the southern middle section, are considered 

 favorable for the cure of pulmonary diseases, and are 

 uiuch resorted to for the purpose. The mountains and 

 the sea-coast are likewise attracting many summer 

 visitors on account of the beautiful scenery and pleas- 

 ant climate of the former, and sea-breezes and surf- 

 Lathing of the latter. 



RaOnadt. A marked impetus has since 1880 been 

 given to the development of the State by branch rail- 

 roads, connecting with the main lines. These main 

 lines are: 1. The Richmond and Danville system, 

 running through the State by way of Greensboro and 

 Charlotte, from north to south, and by way of Salis- 

 bury and Asheville into Tennessee. 2. The Atlantic 

 Coast Line system, bisecting the eastern half of the 

 Slate, by way of Weldon and Wilmington. 3. The 

 Seaboard Air Line system, running from Norfolk by 

 way of Raluigh, and now building an extension to At- 

 lanta. The first lias recently added to its system 11 

 branches, aggregating 308 miles finished, and is con- 

 Mructing l.'io more. The Atlantic Coast Line has fin- 

 ished 227 miles of branch roads, and is building 55 iu 



addition. The Seaboard Air Line has finished 166 

 miles. Other important new lines are the Cape Fear 

 and Yadkin Valley, extending from a point on the 

 Norfolk and Western Railroad, west of the Blue 

 Ridge, to Wilmington, of which 130 miles are com- 

 pleted ; the Charleston, Cumberland Gap, and Cincin- 

 nati Railroad, ,of which about 75 miles will be in the 

 mountain and Piedmont district of North Carolina; 

 the Carolina, Knoxville, and Cumberland Gap Rail- 

 road, of which there will be about 60 miles in the 

 mountain regions. The total mileage of finished rail- 

 roads may be stated at 2450, with 550 in process of 

 construction. Other lines in addition are projected, 

 with fair prospects of success. 



Education. The public school system is still embar- 

 rassed by the loss of the school-fund during the civil 

 war, and by the poverty of the people. The constitu- 

 tion of the State does not permit taxes for general 

 purposes higher than $2 on the poll, and 66J centa 

 on the $100 value of property. As the valuation of 

 property is low, it is impossible at present to provide 

 by taxation for keeping the schools open for the proper 

 length of time. The total amount of money collected 

 for 1887 from this source chiefly was $647,407. The 

 school-property is valued at $634,356. The number 

 of whites who attended in 1887 was 202,134; the 

 number of colored, 123,145. The number of children 

 of school age is 353.481 white, 212,781 colored. There 

 are 8 normal schools for whites in different parts of 

 the State, held during the summer for from 3 to 5 

 weeks each. There are 5 normal schools for the col- 

 ored, lasting from 8 to 10 months. Excellent graded 

 schools, supported by special city taxation, are in Wil- 

 mington, Goldsboro, Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville, 

 Winston, Salisbury, Charlotte, and Asheville. The 

 State has devoted the public swamp-lands to the 

 school-fund. Recent surveys show that there are from 

 600,000 to 700,000 acres of these lands, some of which 

 are of great intrinsic value ; but the expense of drain- 

 ing them is so great that they cannot be brought ex- 

 tensively into market until the other lands of the State 

 greatly appreciate. The board of education is engaged 

 now in cutting canals for drainage and building roads 

 through these swamps. 



The State University turns out annually many teach- 

 ers for the schools of the State. Good service in this 

 regard is likewise rendered by Davidson, Wake Forest, 

 Trinity, and other denominational colleges, and by the 

 best of the high-schools. These colleges, as well as 

 the university, have conspicuously increased their en- 

 dowments, corps of professors, and apparatus for in- 

 struction, and are constantly increasing their patronage. 

 There are also in the State many classical schools of 

 the highest rank, some of them drawing their patron- 

 age from distant States. Notwithstanding these aids 

 to higher education, parts of the State are deficient in 

 good schools. In this connection should be mentioned 

 a strong demand for industrial education. This has 

 culminated in the establishment of an agricultural and 

 mechanical college, the buildings of which are now 

 being erected at Raleigh. It is contemplated that all 

 the students of this college shall regularly be employed 

 at manual labor, while carrying on a course of theo- 

 retical study. 



Sea- Portt. The harbor of Wilmington, on the 

 lower Cape Fear, has been much improved by the 

 United States, so that now vessels drawing 18 to 20 

 feet can come to its wharves. This, with its early con- 

 nection with the railroads of the North-wait, by the 

 completion of the Cape Fear anil Yadkin Valley Rail- 

 road, will bring prosperity to this city. Some work 

 has been done under the authority of the general gov- 

 ernment in various rivers and inlets of the State ; but 

 there is a deficiency of good harbors, which drives its 

 products to markets beyond its borders. 



North Carolina has been making steady progress in 

 recent years, and its natural resources, its orderly 

 population, its singularly agreeable and healthful cli- 



