544 Chronicles of the Cape Fear River Peace Restored

545

laid off as a town, and called Smithville, in honor of Governor piteously for new books in all the depart
Benjamin Smith, and it retained that name until 1887 when it science. The name of this building is Gan Be ere any Abd
began to be called Southport. Southport has been the home of mith Hall.’

“What member of the wi
: e widel ;
most of the Cape Fear pilots for nearly a hundred years. Its thus given his familiar name to ; see ‘amily of Smith has

salubrious climate and kindly inhabitants make it one of the university hall? Hi isti a7 Re, an island, and a
most attractive and wholesome winter and summer resorts in was Benjamin. He was
our country. Its harbor is spacious and its deep water would
float the largest battleship of our navy. Its possible importance
as a coaling station for steamers from the south outward bound,
and its prospective usefulness to the Panama-Canal traffic in
that respect, is attracting attention to it as a convenient port
of call.

Of this interesting town our venerable ex-president of the
University of North Carolina, Hon. Kemp P. Battle, has said:

“Near the mouth of the beautiful Cape Fear River, on its
right bank, is a pleasant little town. It is fanned by the deli-
cious sea breezes; huge live oaks gracefully shade its streets. In
its somber cemetery repose the bodies of many excellent people.
Its harbor is good. It is on the main channel of the river.
From its wharves can be seen not far away the thin white line
of waves as they break on the sandy beach. But the ships to
and from its neighbor, Wilmington, pay little tribute as they

ass and repass. Its chief fame is that it contains the court-

‘ee oF cans = Seniicks Jcnael is Smithville. 7 In the legionary corps raised for servic

“Opposite the good old town is a desert island composed of confidence of his countrymen in his ee es a p43 enemy. The
undulating sand-hills, with here and there occasional green flats their electing him fifteen ti 'sdom and integrity was
and dwarfed pines to relieve the general monotony. It is ex- mes to the Senate of the
posed to the full fury of the Atlantic storms. New Inlet once
poured a rapid stream between the island and the mainland.
But daring and industrious man now seeks to force by walls of
stone the impetuous floods through the river channel to the west,
to float larger ships up the river to the port of Wilmington. Its
pape: end forms the dangerous cape which Mr. George Davis | - He is entitled to the signal h

quently describes. } of the infant instituti onor of being

“The University of North Carolina has amid its group of of liberal supporters of a sos the leader of the
buildings one in its shape and portico and columns imitating a - F oe: that reason alone his na ania Lae ee
Greek temple. Its basement was until recently the home of the students who eal] = —— be revered by all
State Agricultural Experiment Station, which has done so much 7 ery one who desir a niversity their Alma
to protect our farmers from fraud, but now it is the laboratory es the enlightenment of our
of the professor of chemistry. Above is a long and lofty room
containing the library of the University. On its shelves are

man ‘ent books of great value, but t spaces plead , gers and prob-
Saale Gr FENG OE | mails. The daily schedule was protected

 

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