Archibald D. Murphey, A Master Planner, Died Penniless
He was a master planner,
yet he died penniless.
Murphey, a lawyer by
profession, envisioned improvements
in transportation
and agriculture, and the
establishment of a system of
public schools-all desperately
needed if North
Carolina was to climb out of
the morass of ignorance and
complacency that kept her
near the bottom in the rank
of states and gained her the
nickname "the Rip Van
"Archibald DeBow Murphey,"
a new exhibit
opening Monday (August
15), at the Department of
Cultural Resources' Museum
of History, will relate
Murphey's master plans for
internal improvement in the
state during the early part
of the nineteenth century.
Winkle State."
Born in Caswell County in
1777, Murphey attended
David Caldwell's classical
school and was a member of
the second graduating class
of the University of North
Carolina in 1799. In addition
to his legal career, he
served as a UNC professor,
was elected to the state
senate, elected a superior
court judge, was a candidate
for the United States
Senate and served briefly
with the North Carolina
Supreme Court.
While traveling as a
lawyer, he recognized the
need for the state to assume
responsibility for internal
improvements in education
and transportation. In 1815,
he introduced in the legislature
his first "Internal
Improvements Resolution.''
He followed it with numerous
other bills and resolutions
and his dreams
generated much interest
and support, especially in
the western counties which
stood to gain the most from
the proposed improvements.
Unfortunately, Murphey
and his advocates had to
contend with the easterndominated
legislature firmly
held in the hands of
Nathaniel Macon who
staunchly believed the Jeffersonian
philosophy that
"the best government is the
least government;" and
that government existed
solely to protect the citizens
-nothing more. Unfortunate,
too, was the 1819
financial panic that quickly
brought illiterate and com
placent citizens, who made
up a large proportion of the
population, bac*" to their
conservation, dot. ing attitudes.
To advance education,
Murphey envisioned a stateoperated
public education
program. He offered his
plan to the people with the
comment *1 bequeath this
Report to the State as the
richest Legacy that I shall
ever be able to give it. . ."
His proposal that supported
primary schools for all
white children and university
subsidies' for those
white males with demonstrated
ability, fell short of
today's concents. Nevertheless,
his ideas were a radical
departure when he introduced
them in 1815 and they
earned for him the title of
"The Father of the Public
Schools in North Carolina."
u
Murphey, realizing that the
transportation problem was
geographic, pointed out that
the state did not have one
safe, deep harbor; most of
its rivers flowed into other
states (carrying with them
much of the little trade that
did exist); and rivers were
too shallow to b£ sufficiently
navigable. A severe lack of
bridges, ferries and good
roads increased the hindrance
to travel artd trade.
To overcome these problems,
Murphey proposed
numerous roads and canals.
In 1820, Murphey resigned
his position as judge and
returned to private law
practice. Heavily in debt,
primarily due to land
investments, he hoped to
pay his bills. His income
improved little and he lost
his home, "The Hermitage,"
and most of his
personal property to creditors.
In 1827 Murphey delivered
the commencement service
oration at Chapel Hill, his
last public contribution to
the life of the institution.
Two years later he was
defeated in his bid for
election to the Uqited States
Senate, and during that
same year, he was imprisoned
in Greensboro for
debt. He later moved to
Hillsborough and operated a
law school which failed due
to lack of students. He died
there in 1832 at the age of 55.
The Archibald D. Murphey
exhibit will be part of the
continuing chronological
outline of North Carolina
history "From the Stone
Age to the Space Age" in the
first floor galleries. Graphics
will illustrate the various
states of Muiphey's Career,
and some of the problems
his ideas could have solved.
Murphey, the dreamer and
master planner, died a
penniless and broken man.
His dreams lived on
however and served ds an
inspiration for the development
of the state by future
generations.
The North Carolina Museum
of History at 109 E.
Jones St., Raleigh, is open
Tuesday thru Friday, 9 a. m.
- 5 p. m. and Sunday, 1-6 p.
m.
Admission is free.
753,000 Suffer High
Blood Pressure
There are enough diagnosed
high blood pressure
sufferers in North Carolina
to fill all the outdoor and
indoor sports arenas at
I NC. N C State and Duke
and still have a population
left the size of Charlotte,
Greensboro and Raleigh.
According to a recently
released survey by the
State Budget Division, an
estimated 753,000 North
Carolina adults 18 and over
have been told by doctors
they have high blood
pressure. Totals of other
chronic disease victims
are: diabetes (159,000),
cancer (121,000), heart
disease (273,000), stroke
(64,000), glaucoma (38,000),
kidney disease (239,000),
and lung disease
(117,000).
The Budget Division conducted
the survey to get an
indication of the effects of
state programs on people.
Information gained from
the survey will be used by
program managers and
members of the General
Assembly to establish
yardsticks to measure
whether a program is
doing what it was designed
to do.
The survey contained
estimates showing that
seven percent of the adults
have trouble getting
around freely, 32 percent
have been told by a
physician that they have
one or more of eight
chronic diseases and 10
percent have symptoms of
some neurological disorder.
Fifteen percent of the
adults said they had to go
to bed or otherwise restrict
their activity due to illness
or injury during the month
prior to the interview.
Persons with low income
were the main cause
except among south central
residents.
Survey results show that
adults living in the south
central part of North
Carolina are experiencing
more illness and injury
than other areas of the
state, and circulatory
conditions appear particularly
prevalent. Residents
of the region utilize health
care resources with aboveaverage
frequency. At the
same time, they are
dissatisfied with health
care in the area.
On the other hand, adults
in the western part of the
state appear relatively
healthy, respiratory conditions
being the major
cause of restricted activity.
Visits to physicians are
low, but western residents
use local health departments
and dentists more.
They tend to view health
care facilities in general as
satisfactory.
Pigeon Power Confronts Postal Rates
By DONALD J. FREDERICK
National Geographic News
A postman with wings and feathers may be called into
action if the cost of delivering mail and messages
continues to soar.
Some people in England are suggesting homing pigeons
as the answer to rising postage costs. Says a homer
expert: "Once you are established, the cost of running a
pigeon post is incredibly low."
A small package service is even more imminent. A
hospital in Plymouth, England, already has decided to
test pigeon parcel post. The feathered couriers will fly
specimen vials from the hospital to a central laboratory
in the city for analysis.
Pigeons Promise Savings
Taxis now deliver the specimens, and would still come
to the rescue if bad weather grounded the birds. As many
as 20 hospitals in the Plymouth district eventually may
use pigeons, saving thousands of dollars in taxi fares.
Wins School Honor
Miss Deborah Gupton, a
junior at Edward Best High
School and a member of
Sandy Creek Baptist
Church, has been selected
as a member of The Society
of Distinguished American
High School Students.
Deborah is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L.
Gupton and the granddaughter
of Mrs. Mollie Paschall
of Manson.' She was nominated
for the honor by the
Rev. Doyal Conley, pastor ol
the Sandy Creek Baptist
Church.
Deborah is active in
Acteens, president of Needle
Craft Club, president of the
Candystriper's Club and is a
Beta Club member at
school.
C. C. Bullock Wins
Air Force Medal
The Air Force Commendation
Medal was presented
to Calvin C. Bullock. Sgt.
Calvin C. Bullock distinguished
himself by Meritorious
Service as non-commissioned
officer in charge,
Item Research Unit. Item
Accounting Branch, 317th
Supply Squadron, Pope Air
Force Base, North Carolina
from March 7, 1973 to April
28, 1977. According to his
supervisors, during this
period his outstanding devotion
to duty, technical
knowledge and initiative
were extremely valuable in
contributing to the mission
effectiveness of the base.
Sgt. Calvin C. Bullock is a
1973 graduate of John
Graham High School and
the son of Mr. and Mrs.
James'Bullock of Route 2,
Norlina. He is also the
husband of the former Miss
Barbara Anderson.
Alston Completes
Command Course
National guard Chaplain
(Major) Francis 0. Alston
of Fairmont, recently completed
the command and
general staff officer course,
nonresident-resident, at the
U. S. Army Command and
General Staff College, Ft.
Leavenworth, Kan.
The course is designed to
prepare selected officers for
high positions at division
and command levels.
His father, Robert M.
Alston, lives on Route 1,
Littleton.
Chaplain Alston is the
pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church, Fairmont.
Gospel Sing
A Gospel Sing will be held
at Oak Chapel AME Church
on August 28, beginning at 6
p. m. The Golden Tones and
The Traveling Echoes from
Sanford will spearhead the
program and two groups
from Virginia will also be on
hand. John J. Hawkins will
be master of ceremonies.
Humans have been using the homing pigeon's
remarkable navigation instinct to provide fast communication
for centuries, the National Geographic Society
says.
Many think Noah had the idea first. The Bible says he
released a dove after the flood, and it returned with an
olive twig. But bird fanciers insist a dove doesn't
"home," so it must have been a pigeon.
Egyptians were breeding special strains of messenger
pigeons as early as 3000 B. C. The winged heralds sped
the names of Greek Olympic victors to their home cities.
The Roman naturalist Pliny marveled at the immense
price and prestige commanded by the birds: "Nay, they
are come to this pass, that they can reckon up their
pedigree and race."
The Sultan of Baghdad linked his empire with a pigeon
post system in 1150. Seven centuries later, message-carrying
pigeons started Paul Julius Reuter on his way to
founding a global news service. And just a few years ago
a newsman had his photographic film of a moon shot
airlifted to the office by a homer.
Today, most pigeons fly just for sport. Organized racing
began in Belgium in the early 1800s and soon spread.
Fanciers breed and race their own birds. Even Queen
Elizabeth of England has her own pigeon loft.
Training begins when birds are about four weeks old.
.First they sit in the loft. Then they "roam" on their own
nearby. Finally owners take them on longer and longer
trips before releasing them.
In races, specially banded birds are taken in crates to a
starting point and released. When each bird comes home,
its owner removes the band and inserts it into a device
that records the time. Distance from starting point to loft
is measured; times are checked and the bird that made it
home fastest wins.
When all goes well, a homer can clip along at 35 to 70
miles an hour. With the right wind, birds have been
clocked as fast as 90 miles an hour. Flights of more than
a thousand miles are common for mature racers, and one
United States Army pigeon made a 2,300-mile flight.