N-C Qio^^v\c^t ^^SoiAYCJS.*^ ^ Class __^2g^ Book jH?r » ».*t RKSOT^ROFS NORTH CAROLINA. 'nd -oOo- Tlie TTnifed States Commissioner of Immigration having re- cently addressed a letter to Gov. Worth as to the resources and rapahilities of the State, the Governor prepared and transmitted the information contained in ^le subjoined communication. Its publication has been immediately induced by a letter from the President of the American Emigrant and Homestead Com- pany, New York, which will be found below, and which explains itself: American Emigrant Aid and Homestead Company, ) 62 Broad and 2 Nen- Street, ' ' New York, June ftth, ]SPS S To His ExcelleHcii, ih-e Gorernnr of Xorth Carolinn : Sir :_Reports have been received by this Company from Europe, that efforts are made there to dissuade the Europeans from immigrating and settling in the Southern States, by circu- lating statements that the European settlers in the Southern States are treated inhumanely ; which can be refuted successful- ly only, by referring the Europeans to the statutory laws of the respective Southern States, relating to the mode of acquiring property, and to the civil and political rights and privileges r. si- 'I RESOURCES OF NORTH CAROLINA. secured to the new settlers or foreigners locating therein. To enable the Company to do this task effectively, you are most respectfully requested to furnish it with copies of such laws of your State, or to refer it to such other authentic collections thereof, as are actually in existence and in force in your State. A statistical information of your State resources, of the cli- mate, of its various localities, and of agricultural adaptedness of soil, would be very desirable also, for the misrepresentations re- ferred to, extend even to these objects. As the object of the request is to obtain from you a weapon to enable this Company to defend the interests of your State and of its landholders, it is expected that this liberty will be excused. Herewith you will be pleased to find our charter organization, and a newspaper containing the expression of our determination to aid the South in obtaining immigrants. I have the honor to be, Very Respectfully, Your Excellency's Obd t Servant, P. C. WRIGHT, Tremlent. STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, j ExKcuTivE Department, '- Rm.kigh, June 13th, 1866. S P. C. WRIGHT, Esq., Presi/lent American Umigrant Airland Honieu'ead (Jnmpmu/ : Sir : — In response to your letter of the 8th inst. , 1 write you substantially the same facts contained in a letter, of this date, to the United States Commissioner of Immigration at Washington. Geographically, North Carolina is situated half way between New York and the Gulf of Mexico, being included between the parallels of 34i degrees and 364 degrees. It extends from the Atlantic coast five hundred miles westward stretching more than one hundred miles beyond the Blue Ridge mountains, and con- tains an area of 50,000 square miles, having therefore the same extent as the State of New York. This territory divides itself naturally into three well marked sections : On the West, the mountainous plateaii, having an elevation of "3,500 feet above the VJ) ■B RESOITRCES OF NORTH OAROIJXA. 8 sea, and being traversed by several chains of mountains, many of whose peaks attain an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet. On the East lies a low plain, nearly level, partly alluvial and partly sandy, extending about 150 miles froni the coast ; and between these two spreads the hill country, whose elevation rises gradu- ally from 200 or 300 feet, on the eost, to 1200 feet at the base of the mountains. The eastern section is mostly covered with pines (Pinus ntts- tralift and P. taeda), the middle and western with vast forests of oaks (of many species) interspersed with the poplar, hickory, walnut, maple, &.c. Seven large rivers, with their numerous tributaries, traver&e the State, furnishing imlimited water power as they flow down from the mountains through the middle sec- tion ; and as they move with a moderate current, across the champagne country, on the east, into the chain of sounds v/hich skirt the coast, they furnish, with these, an aggregate of 900 miles of inland navigation, which might be doubled by carrying westward the system of slack water improvements already com- menced. With these navigable waters is interlaced the railroad system of the State, amounting to 998 miles completed, and 400 more in progress, which, with about 350 miles of plankroads and turnpikes, brings the sea coast into ready communication with every part of the Stale. THR soil,. is very various ; alluvial and peaty accumulations abound near the coast and along the rivers, while in tlie middle and western regions the soil is mainly of granitic origin, and represents eve- ry grade of sandy or clayey loam of various fertility. THE Ci.lMATE. has also a wide range, being tempered on the seaboard to some- thing like the mildness of that of the Gulf States, while in the mountain region it approaches the rigor of New York. In the middle section, which constitutes the larger part of the State, and represents the average climate, the mean annual tempera- ture is GO degrees (Fahrenheit) — the mean summer temperature 4 RP^SOrRCES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 75 (leg., mean Winter 43 (ieg., extreme Summer (diurnal) 89 degrees, average absolute minimum 99 degrees, extreme Winter (diurnal) 20 degrees, average absolute minimum 12 degrees The annual fall of rain is 4o inches. The number of eloiuly dajs in the year is 130 ; rainy days, 60 THE VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. are numerous. The most important are vv^heat, corn, oats, rye, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, rice, cotton, tobacco, tur- pentine, grapes and fruits. Wheat and corn are produced with facility and abundance in all parts ; rye, oats and potatoes flour- ■ ish in the middle and western regions ; rice, sweet potatoes and | peas in the eastern ; tobacco in the middle ; cotton in the south- i ern couniies of the middle, and in the eastern section ; turpen- tine and pine lumber are peculiar to the East. The fruits most extensively and largely cultivated are the apple, peach, pear and cherry, represented by numerous varieties. No part of the continent is better adapted to these than the middle and western regions. The principal grasses are the orchard, herd's, timothy and blue, to which must be added clover and lucerne. All these flourish in the middle and western regions, and some of them grow wild ; hence, stock raising is easy and profitable. The stock chiefly raised are horses, mules, cows, sheep and hogs. The grapes usually cultivated, besides foreign varieties, are the Sciippernong, Catawba, Lincoln and Isabella, all natives of the State, the first three being excellent wine grapes. The Scup- pernong is peculiar to the eastern section. The following ab- stract from the United States Census report, for 1860, will best show the productions and capabilities of the State : Live Stock, - - 3, .326,000, annual product. Wheat, - - 4,700,000 bush, annual product. Corn, - - - 30,000,000 " Oats, - - - 2,800,000 " Rye, - - - 437,000 " Peas, - - - 1,900,000 " Potatoes, - 830,000 " Sweet Potatoes, - 6,140.000 " ^S^ RESOURCES OF NORTH CAROLINA. Cotton, Tobacco, Rice, Wool, Honey, - Turpentine, 58,000,000 bushels, per annum. 32,900,000 pounds 7,600,000 " 883,000 " 2,055,000 " 1,000,000 bbls THE MANUFACTURES are chiefly cotton, wool, spirits of turpentine, lumber, ii-on and paper. The amount invested in the manufacture of cotton is !j^2,250,- 000; lumber, $1,000,000; turpentine, $2,000,000: iron, $500,000; wool, $350,000. FISHERIES abound in the sounds and rivers of the eastern counties. The species of fish mostly taken are the herring, shad, blue fish, mullet and rock. The number of barrels annually packed for market is about 100,000 on the waters of Albemarle Sound.— Considerable quantities are packed at other points. MINERALS. The most important of these are coal, iron, gold, copper, silver, lead, plumbago, limestone, marble, agolmatolite, soap- stone, manganese, whetstones, grindstones, roofing-slates, por- celain clay and fire clay. The coal is bituminous, and exists in two beds, situated respectively one hundred and two hun- dred miles from the coast, on Cape Fear River and on Dan River. It is abundant, accessible, and of good quality. Iron ore of excellent quality, abounds in all parts of the State ; the principal seat of its manufacture being on the Cape Fear, Catawba and Yadkin rivers. Gold is found in almost all parts of the State, especially in the middle region ; the annual product, for many years, has been $250,000. Copper mines abound in the middle, northern and western counties. Plum- bago is found in great abundance near the capital, and again in the western region ; marble in the middle and western : and marl everywhere in the eastern section. -5>i' b RESOITRCRS OF XOrJTH CAROLINA. A chain of silver abd lead mines (containing goM also.) travei-ses the central ])ortion of the State. thy: population in 1860 was 1)92, 62:>, of which one third are colored. 3,298 are of foreign birth. One-tenth of the population live in towns and cities. LAND. According to the census of 1860, there were 6,500,000 acres of improved land, being about one fifth of the area of the State. The price at which these lands are held ranges from about 3 dollars to 100 dollars per acre; the average would be about 11. The only qualification necessary to enable a f<:>reig!ier to own land, is that he take the oath of allegiance to tlie State, or have become a citizen of the United States. PUBLIC SCHOOLS Avere maintained in the State, by the means of the income derived from the Literary Fund, which amounted to two million five hundred thousand dollars in 1860. About half of this fund has been swept away by the war; and the system of District schools which had brought a rudimentary education within the reach of all, free of cost, has been entirely prostrated for the present, but will doubtless be revived in a few years. The State may be reached directly from Euroi)e through any of her ports, — Wilmington, Beaufort or Norfolk, from which railroads penetrate every part of the State. From New York the distance by railroad or steamer is about 20 hours. The munber of newspapers published in the State is about 70 ; all in the English language. The above statistics have been prepared, \\\t]\ much care, by the State Geologist, Prof W C. Kerr, whose information and research will vouch for their entire reliabilbity. You state that " reports have been received by your Company from Europe, that efforts are made there to dissuade the Europe- ans from immmigrating and settling in the Southern States, by cir- culating statements that the European settlers in the Southern States are treated inhumanely," &c. eov- RE80URCES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 7 Nothing could be more unfounded than such a report, so far as th=s State is concerned. Citizens of foreign birth have the same protection of person and property under the laws of North Caro- Hna as her native citizens — and where the}- are as industrious and honest, they are as thrifty and as highly esteemed — many such oc- cupying positions the most honorable and influential. To foreign settlers, of honest, energetic character, the State extends a cordial welcome; and I can assure you. when such come, instead of be- ing "treated inhumanely/' they will be offered the rights and priv- ileges, and the same support and countenance, enjoyed by our na- tive citizens. Very respectfully, Your obedient servant, JONATHAN WORTH, Governor of N. C.