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Friday, January 8, 2016

North Carolina News From the Semi-Weekly Messenger, Wilmington, Jan. 9, 1906

From the Jan. 9, 1906, issue of the Semi-Weekly Messenger, Wilmington, N.C.

Fine Work of the Audubon Society…Capture of Illicit Distilleries…Liberal Contributions for the Cotton Growers’ Association Work…Other Raleigh News Notes

Audubon Society
A letter from Secretary Gilbert Pearson of the state Audubon Society to your correspondent says that he has returned from his recent trip to the sounds of the eastern part of the state, where found ducks, geese and brant in enormous numbers about Harbor Island, Ocracoke and Cape Hatteras.

All the gunners which whom he talked agreed in the statement that there was apparently no diminution in the number of while geese during the past two or three years, and he thinks this is largely due to the protective work of the Audubon society in the far north. The national Association of Audubon Societies has interested President Roosevelt in setting aside six or seven large reservations as perpetual breeding places of wild birds, with the understanding that the Audubon society will pay for wardens to guard them. One of the largest of these reservations is in the Great Stump Lake, North Dakota, in which there are a number of island where countless numbers of redhead, canvass backs, and other ducks and wild fowls breed; another reservation being some island in Lake Huron. Formerly these birds were robbed terribly every summer of their eggs and their feathers which lined the nests. Secretary Pearson says he spent four nights in and about Core Sound, and five nights on Pamlico Sound, and was unable to find a single fire-lighter, though in this territory four years ago he frequently saw lights at night. He says there is no doubt that some fire-lighting goes on, but that persons who did not know what he was at all interested said they believed that conditions were better than before the Audubon law went into effect. In fact this was the opinion of all with whom he talked. One of the most gratifying signs of increase of sentiment for bird protection in North Carolina is the increasing number of letters received by Secretary Pearson and by the various game wardens from people who are willing to give evidence against persons who are violating the laws. Warden Weatherly of Guilford county recently made two more seizures of partridges which were being illegally shipped out of the state. Game Warden York of Mt. Airy had a most exciting chase over the mountains, after a wagon which was reported to be full of partridges, gathered from many points to be taken to Virginia. The last few moles of the chase developed into a regular race, the teamster beating the warden over the Virginia line a little distance. It has been a habit of some of the violators of the law to get the make over the Virginia line and then send it to Richmond, Washington, etc.
 
Revenue Officer Says North Carolina Men Still Drinking

A revenue officer makes the very remarkable statement that 90 per cent of the men in this state take stimulants in some form or another, whiskey, peruna*, etc. He says the moonshiners have far more friends and supporters than is generally believed among cultivated people and newspaper readers, and that the sheriffs in very few cases will even attempt to carry out the Ward law. He says that even the division deputies are not able to enforce the revenue law, and this is why raiders are sent out from the centers to capture the moonshine outfits. The revenue people are naturally much interested in seeing what will be done in enforcing the Ward law, which they say will result in a great increase in the number of illicit distilleries. It is said that distilleries are being captured in this revenue district at the rate of one every other day, say three per week. There are said to be some quite close to Raleigh, and captures have been made near this city.
 
Cotton Growers Association
The next meeting of the North Carolina Cotton Growers Association will be held in June or July. The president of the association, C.C. Moore, is also the president of the Farmer’s State Convention, which meets here each summer at the Agricultural and Mechanical college. It is hoped to have 1,500 farmers here at the summer convention, and to have the gathering made really notable, time being divided between the general work and the cotton growers. Mr. Moore is full of enthusiasm at the prospect of organizing the state. Money is coming in, and it is intimated that Raleigh will contribute at least $800 for the association work. Wealthy farmers are making liberal contributions.

Suit Against Raleigh Academy of Music for 'The Clansman'
A regular suit has been instituted against the Raleigh Academy of Music and its manager, Sherwood Upchurch, because of the presentation here of “The Clansman” a week ago tonight by the Runkel Stock Company, Thos. Dixon bringing the suit. The Runkel company is also embraced in the suit, which is a sweeping one. As your correspondent had stated the play was presented here as “The Clansman” and was written by the state manager of the company, Mr. Breton, but the name was to have been changed to “In Reconstruction Days.” Papers were served today on the persons here, and yesterday on the company at Durham. This company is to be at Durham all the summer.

J.S. Cates
Mr. J.S. Cates, a former Alamance county boy, graduate of the A. & M. college, and assistant in the North Carolina department of agriculture, and at present holding a position as an assistant at Washington in the office of farm management, will spend a few days in Raleigh in the interest of the two departments with respect to cooperative experiments which the national government is conducting at many agricultural stations. He will be associated with the state officers in these lines in a number of most interesting and important experiments in cultivation. Mr. Cates will spend about three months in Texas where his experimentation will be Johnson grass.

*I wasn’t familiar with peruna, so I looked it up on the Web. It was a “medicine” popular during Prohibition because it was 18 percent alcohol. To see a picture of Pernua Tonic, see http://perunapedia.weebly.com/peruna-tonic.html

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