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594 Chronicles of the Cape Fear Rwer

There was but one more building that I can recall belonging

to the public. The Innes Academy, later known as the Old
Academy Building, was a great brick structure, the first floor
of which was used as a theatre and the second as a schoolroom.

In the latter, Ghost Elliott, a famous teacher in the early days,
at one time taught. It was in this building that the comedian
Joseph Jefferson partially laid the foundation of his distin-
guished career as an actor.

Tur New Custom Howse.

The first government building in Wilmington, the custom
house, was built in 1846. It contained the post office, the room
used by the Federal Court, and the offices of the collector. In
1891 a new post-office building was erected. Now a new custom
house is being built.

In the year 1902 a bill was introduced in Congress to make
New Bern the principal port of North Carolina and Wilming-
ton subsidiary thereto. Whatever may have been the purpose
of this action, it was followed by an immediate revival of the
commerce of Wilmington as the chief port of North Carolina.
One of the arguments in favor of New Bern was the fact that
the Wilmington Custom House was not paying the cost to the
government of its expenses, the salary of the collector, Mr. B. F.
Keith, being then $1,000, with commissions increasing it to
$1,400 or $1,500. Now the salary is $2,500, and a balance
over and above all expenses has been returned to the Treasury
Department for several years.

In 1903, the aggregate receipts of the Wilmington Custom
House were $4,760, the value of exports $14,966,754 and the
imports were $290,822. The cost to the government to collect
$1.00 was $1.41. In the year 1913 the aggregate receipts. were
$24.934, the value of exports $19,510,926, and the imports
were $3,460,419. The cost to the government to collect $1.00
was $0.26.

From the above it appears that the receipts of the port of
Wilmington increased 423 per cent, the value of exports in-
ereased 30 per-cent, and the value of imports, 1,089 per cent
within ten years.

The following official table illustrates in a condensed form
the commerce of the port of Wilmington during the years from

Peace Restored 595

1899 to 1915 inclusive. It will be observed that the European

War greatly reduced the volume of trade in the port year of
1915.

Fiscal Year, June 30
Vessels Entered, Foreign
Vessels Entered, Coastwise
Vessels Cleared, Foreign
Vessels Cleared, Coastwise
Entries, Merchandise
Cost to Collect $1.00
Number Employees

Total Receipts
Value Exports
Value Imports

1899 33 1$ 11,093|$ 7,586,526| $ .631
1900 65 | 31 8, 846 10,975,511 754
1901 70| 35 9,053 12,013,659 | .773
1902 : 73 | 43 7,835 11,102,171 | .893
1903 1) 8 4,760 14,966,754 | 1.412
1904 1} 27 8,933 19,085,221 |  .718
1905 73| 23 4,598 17,481,566 | 1.416
1906 73| 47 9,588 18,466,929 | .663
1907 791 61 22,581 18,566,468 | .304
1908 88 73 | 63 22, 686 30,291,681 | 299
1909 66 711 84 33, 093 20,479,726 | 227
1910 60 100} 113 32, 684 20,922,398 | .208
me 65 96 | 156 43, 639 28,304,785 | .169
2 75 90} 161 41,272 28,705,448 | .172
mc 39 96} 154 24,934 19,510,926 | .25
a 75 92} 231 28, 844 25,870,850 |  .252 4,174, 745
90} 30] 109] 152 18, 786 11,308,535 | .39 1,990, 755

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The collector of the port during nearly all of that time was
Mr. B. F. Keith, who has recently resigned, and his successor,
Col. Walker Taylor, appointed by President Wilson, has as-
sumed charge. A good account will be given of him, for he is
one of our foremost men in a progressive age. Of the former
mcumbent there is much to be said, particularly with respect
to his sagacity and industry in carrying to a successful issue his
scheme, supported by our commercial people, for a new Fed-
eral building and extensive grounds in keeping with the dignity
of the port of Wilmington.

Collector Keith first persuaded the Secretary of the Treasury
to purchase the adjacent property, from the present custom
house building to Princess Street up to Wright’s Alley. He
then showed him a sketch which indicated the ground purchased
Surrounded by dilapidated buildings, detracting from the value
of the location. This led the Secretary to send several special
agents to Wilmington, and they reported favorably upon the
collector’s suggestion that the government purchase all of the

158, 887
109, 614
131,475
258, 358
290, 822
264, 550
415, 295
381, 890
805, 203
878, 952
1, 228, 945
2,355, 253
3,205,407
3, 159,043
3,460,419

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