VOL. XL, NO. 25
Biographical and Historical Sketcl
by Dr. P. s. Dicks, Treating 01
local Persons and Scenes.
To begin, it is supposed I was bora
Aug/ 9th, 1835, in Edgecombe county
N. C., four miles south of Tarboro at a
place known as the Gregory place. My
father and mother both died about a
month's difference in the time, leaving
three children, Seth, James and mv
ielf, I being the youngest, then about
three years of age. Willis Knight
took Seth, B. Shelton took James, and
grandfather Hicks took me.
When I was about four years old I
found-myself, living with my grand
father, he then being married to hie
second wife, and when 1 was about six
jears old they both died. I was then
■ent to live with one of my aunts (my
Bother's sister.) who lived near Rocky
Mount, and was married to Theophilus
Thomas. About weeks after my
arrival my aunt died leaving a baby a
week old, who is at this time living in
Rocky- Mounts 1 then went to live
with another aunt who married Aaron
Thomas and lived there until I was
thirteen jjears old when she and her
husband* died. I then lived with Dred
StaUlfigs one year and his wife died.
After that I lived With Bennet Thomas
one year and he died. I then lived with
old Aunt Delliah Spicer and of course
she is dead. I stayed there about a
/ear and went to Tarboro and bound
myself to Thomas o'Berry for five
years to work at the carpenters trade,
bat left a while before time was
out and went to school a short while.
I then served about one' year with W.
▲. Bassett at house painting.„
During that time I was practicing
sleight of hand, ventriloquism, etc.,
and at the same time had commenced
courting around a little. That was not
very hard to. learn, and as I was suc
cessful in my courtship I was pretty
goon married; the first time to Miss
Keturah Proctor of near Rocky Mount,
and commenced to keep house in Tar-
Mr. "O'Ber
rah Proctor and myself were married
Dec. 25th, 1856, and lived in Tarboro
nearly a year, then moved near Rocky
Mount, where our first child was born,
a little girl, and a very little girl she
was too, only weighing 3 pounds; at
eight months she weighed 8 pounds and
could walk and talk well. After one
year's stay at that place we moved to
Nash county, near the Falls of Tar
River, at which place I made a big
contract with W. S. Battle to paint
nearly all the buildings on the Hill, the
cotton mill, grist mill, stores etc. for
the first time they were ever painted.
After my contract of painting was
finished the foreman of the mills liked
my style of work so much hp hired me
to go to Petersburg, Va., to paint some
of his buildings, so of course that
moved me to Petersburg.
Occasionly during this time I would
give a sleight of hand show. After
tnishing Mr. Crowder's work I gave
uf)\hou3e painting and .began teaching
ornamental painting on glass etc. While
in Petersburg I had advertised and pre
pared to give a show in the Mechanic s
Hall. The program consisted of sleight
of hand, ventriiquism etc. The doors
were open a.id everything looked en
couraging for a large audience. Just
at that time the fire bells began to ring.
Was it fire? No, not in Petersburg,
but at Harper's Ferry John Brown's
raid or insurrection had
A telegram had come ordering I think
two companies from Petersburg, at
one hour's notice to be at the depot and
equipped for war, to take the train for
Harper's Ferry. Of course that ended
the show in double quick time. It
seemed that everybody had fathers,
husbands, brothers or sweethearts
billed for the show but changed their
route to Harper's Ferry in one hour.
We all know that John Brown was
soon captured, the rebellion stopped
and John Brown hanged. Of course a
great many people saw me that night,
but they never saw me show.
I made many friends in Petersburg
and did very well at teaching R my paint
ing. After living there about ten
months I concluded to take a trip on
foot through tne country to Richmond.
I made a soon start one morning and
just after I had crossed Appomattox
River, on the side of the road a rough
looking man hailed me, who turned out
to be a second Bo'hickmon. Bo'hick
mon was a man who lived several years
ago on his wits and was never known
to work, but in a good humored manner
beat his way through the world and
went tolerably genteel. I think what
kome he ever had was in Warrenton,
N C Well back to my Bo'hickmon
the second. Ssys he to me "Good
mining sir!" I told him good-morn-
9he 9leeku PUcunt
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY THE If'OCKY MOUNT PUBLISHING COMPANY.
ing. "Where are you going?" he
asked. "To Richmond," I answered
"I am going there too, so we will go
together," he replied. So he went
right along with me and it was impossi
ble to get rid of him. I might say
get behind me Satan but that would do
no good, he kept right along with me
all the way until we got to Manchester,
before I could ever get rid of him.
After we had traveled on a little dis
tance he me if I had had my
breakfast. I told him I had, "have you
had yours," I asked, "no" says he,
"but I have eaten a lot of pears." He
said he had crawled up a tree in an old
fellows garden over there and had been
eating pears for the last three hours.
There was a dog under the tree you
know waiting for him to come down to
make his acquaintance, and so he pre
ferred to remain until the master called
the dog to breakfast.
My object for going to Richmond
depot was to teach my painting along
on the way whenever I could find a
student, and then canvass Manchester
and Richmond after I got there. As I
said before I left Petersburg soon one
morning or I might say "we" left
Petersburg and reached Manchester
next day late in the afternoon, a dis
tance of about t2 miles. Well my suc
cess on that route was a complete
failure. I had become an associate of
a notorious beggar snd tramp, and
could see no way to get rid of him.
And that was not all, you see I did not
know him and I was afraid he might be
a highway robber, but I had one conso
lation, if he were to rob me it would
be a failure on his part, for I did not
have but one ten cents in my pocket
I always mf.de it a rule not to carry
much money with m» when I left home
on a foraging,expedition as I might
call it. And that was one of the times
I was glad I did not have much with
me Every place that I called at to
show my samples of painting, before I
get through with my talk he
would put in with his "we" and what
we could do as if he were my partner
in teaching painting. At every place
the people would become disgusted and
say they jj»lnc T ' vre jto take lessonA
would begin begging for something to
eat, for milk, tobacco, eggs, apples and
anything he could get. At one place a
lady told him she did not have any bread
done but she did have a little meat
done, "that's all right we'll get the
bread at the next place, just let us
have the meat," he said. When night
came on I could get nc place to stay,
all on his account so we stayed in an
old blacksmith shop on a lot of wheat
straw. Well we made a soon start
next morning and got to Manchester in
the afternoon. After making two or
three trials to dodge him I finally hid in
a back room of a store. I told the store
keeper not to tell him that I was there
so he passed on, and I have never seen
him from that day to this and I hope I
never will.
(To be continued.)
MISSIONARY CONFERENCE.
Mid-Winter Institute oi North Carolina
Conference Board of Missions in
Session In First Methodist Church.
The mid-winter missionary institute
of the North Carolina M. E. Conference
convened in tha First Methodist church
in this city Monday morning and con
tinued its session until last night when
it closed with a sermon by Rev. A. P.
Tyre, of Washington. Rev. R. A
Bumpass, of Raleigh, presided and
Rev. R. H. Willis, of Wilson, was sec
retary of the meeting. About 40 dele
gates, lay and clerical were in attend
ance and the important subject of mis
sions, foreign and domestic, was ably
discussed and ways and means to pro
mote the cause was decided upon.
Sermons were preached on mission
texts by Rev. J. T. Gibbs, presiding
elder of the Fayetteville district. Rev.
E. McWhorter, of Maxton; Rev. M.
Bradshaw, of Durham; Rev. T. A.
Smoot, of Wilmington; Rev. A. P.
Tyre, of Washington. Dr. Swindell,
Rev. A McCullen, Rev. D. H. Tuttle,
Rev. Constable, Rev. Rose and Messrs.
Fly the and walker, and others took
part in the discussion.
I
A safe investment, a good rate of in
terest free from all taxes, an important
factor in the development of any com
munity is a well managed local building
• and loan association. Our stock-holders
and directors are among the progres
; sive and conservative business men of
Rocky Mount. Call on R. L. Huffines,
Secretary and Treasurer, for informa
tion concerning the 12th series of stock
open for subscription February Ist, 1908
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C.. THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1908
WILL SPEAK IN ROCKY MOUNT.
President Pennington, fo tbe Frank
lin Corresponded Diversity to
Address tbe Citizens.
, President Julian R. Pennington, an
educator ar.d orator of repute, will ad
dress the citizens of Rocky Mount in
the near future on his famous educa
tional lecture "Acres of Diamonds" or
"One Day in School."
The educator was the first to organize
a correspondence school in the
and has now been elected president of
the Franklin Correspondence Univers
ity, the largest institution of this kind
in the Southern States, whose head
office will be located in Wilson.
Mr. Pennington, despite the fact he
is but twenty two years of age, is an
ex-professor of two female colleges.
He was the youngest speaker ever in
vited to address the educational mas
ters of America, at Philadelphia last
January.
President Pennington does not care
for publicity, and for this reason, more
than any other, he is known so little in
his native State, North Carolina.
Thousands who are familiar with the
fruits of his genius, know nothing of
him.
To meet Mr. Pennington on the street,
one would judge him to be a very plain
ordinary man. He does not care for
the so called society, nor for stylish
dress. He is slow, deliberate and con
servative in his manner, and has no
trait of a college professor. You
wonder at first sight why he was chosen
the chief-executive of the University,
but as he warms up to his argument in
his speeches, or in business dealings,
you plainly see he is a genius, and that
the Franklin company made no mistake
in their choice.
Mr. Pennington never recognizes that
he should carry dignity with his office
and feels as much at home with the
peasant in his mountain cabin, as the
guest in tbe palace. The worth of a
m*n£ :05ney, makes a very little dif-
him. "So long as a person's
char, cle^T^gJ^^gentleman.''
The edlbcator's mother has been an
invalid f|r the past eight years, and hi>
spare njoments are spent at home.
He said the other day in declining an
invitation to speak in Wilmington "No
Mr. Chairman, I can not be present. I
appreciate the honor you good people
have bestowed upop me, but my mother
is not so well to day, and my first duties
are to her."
Mr. Pennington is a descendant of
the Battles of the State, who have won
such distinction in the judiciary line,
and a great grand son of the venerable
and late Amos Johnston Battle. He
was a son of the late Dr. Pennington,
and a descendant of the Governor Pen
nington, of Dakota.
The president has never yet turned
down a young man or woman who
wanted an education, and invites the.
persons who are interested in education
to write him personally stating their
desire and consolation. If your son or
daughter wants a chance in life, r»o
better friend can be had than Mr. Pen
nington.
Boy Accidentally Shot.
Master Frank Weaver, eight-year-old
son of Mr. S. B. Weaver, of Eason
burg, was seriously shot, Friday, in a
peculiar accident, at his home. The lad
had found an old timey muzzle loading
rifle barrel, and to better get the tube
off stuck that end in the fire place and
was holding the muzzle end in his lap.
The heat caused the charge, which had
probably been in the gun for more than
a quarter of a century, to explode and
two bullets took effect in the boy's
body. The balls were located and re
moved, but the lad's condition is still
dangerous.
The Tobacco Market.
Receipts of tobacco were fairly large
last week amounting to abont two hun
dred thousand pounds.
Offerings some better both in color
and character.
The bidding is spirited and the market
very active, prices fair on all grades,
and especial lugs or medium tobaccos
from 9 to 15 cents.
It is estimated about 1 million pounds
more to be sold.
The best investment ever desfc«e4-f&r
small savings is a well managed Local
Building and Loan Association. The
Rocky Mount Homestead and Loan As
sociation has stool the test of time.
Six years of successful operation with
out the loss of one dollar is our record.
Call on R. L. Huffines, (Secretary and
Treasurer for full information.
HAPPENINGS IN POLICE COURT.
Coasedy and Tragedy of a Week as
-Cnacted in Calamity Hall Before
Bis Honor, Mayor Thorp.
Th! Rocky Mount Tobacco Market.
police court was small,
onty two drunks dnd a vagrancy case
beLig disposed of. Friday there was
no i.ourt.
Saturday morning the city hall looked
department store on a bargain
ajPph goods and wares of all kinds
diffitayed, including shoes, guns, dry
good clothing, fancy goods and all sorts
of merchandise, new, which the police
officers had captured in raids on sus
picious houses of colored men. In the
lot there was, also a half firkin of but
k'i%nu lot of corned meat. The meat
vas found at the homes of Cicero Ses
soms and Mose Sneed, and was identi
by Mr. P. C. Shore as some stolen
iroro his smoke house Tuesday night.
full investigation Sessoms and
Sneed were bound over to Nash
court to answer to the charge of lar
ceny of the meat. The other merchan-
found at the home of Cleve
land Williams, colored, and it amounted
to considerable, as if a systematic rob
bing'of stores had been going on for
sofiftT time and his house being made
the depository. Williams pleaded for a
continuance until Monday morning and
it was granted. Just as the mayor
Wio fixing to go into the trial of the
laiceny cases Chief Davis entered, at a
respectful distance from the prisoner,
. with a's onery a specimen of the genus
ho»p as ever landed in this neck of the
wcpds. He was a white tramp and his
approach was a signal for all in the court
rooApjproiect their olfactory organs
they could, and simultaneously
all hands involuntarily sought noses.
Leu than 30 seconds was taken in dis
posing of this case and even then relief
wai necessary and sought by raising
thti windows. A quick colloquy be
tjfft* the mayor and prisoner as to the
leaving town if given the
in Jiis
owTwastaken up in the tramp's exit
fi!>m the room and he as hastily**made
his way to the tall timbers.
Monday morning Cleveland Williams,
at whose home the police found £ large
quantity of new merchandise Triday
night, was tried on a charge of con
cealed weapon and being adjudged
guilty was fined S4O. Ownership of the
goods'iias not yet been established and
the case of larceny has not been taken
up. It is believed some of the goods
were stolen from the cars at South
Rocky Mount, and the police are trying
to find out about it. Frank Kelly, a
negro from Elm City, was fined $7.50
for Committing a nuisance; S. G. Joy
ner, for disorderly, Brown
and wife, colored, disorderly, were dis
missed after the evidence was heard.
.A young man by the name of Vick was
fined S4O for cruelty to animals. The
evidence was to the effect that Vick
was given a horse by a man in the city,
the horse being disabled. Vick started
to take him home and see if he c ould
not bring the animal around, but on his
way home the horse got so he could not
go and was left. He later died from
want of sustenance and a warrant
against Vick followed, the trial result
ing as above noted.
Tuesday morning Henry Battle,
colored, for drunk and down, was let
off with $5 fine with the further obli
gation to withdraw himself from the
city 30 days and "dry out." Willis
James and wife were /the only other
derelicts before his honor, the charge
against them, disorderly and fighting.
After their trouble had been aired suf
ficiently for the mayor to get at the
facts he fined James $7.50 and dis
missed the woman.
WMTAKERS ITEMS.
Mrs. Dr. J. C. Bras well has returned
from Durham where she has been vis
iting her sister, Mrs. Newsom.
Misses Bertie and Indy Taylor have
returned from a visit to Nashville and
Wilson.
Mr. Jno. Leach, of Littleton, is in
our town today.
Messrs. W. H. McDonald and Percy
Rawlings were in our town Saturday.
Mr. Henry Cutchin who is represent
warcjs, of Rocky Mount, is in town.
Mi J. L. Dickens is improving very
rapify and will soon be out to see his
man# friends who have been very
ftnfifcjg about him for so long.
W* learned to hate "Puritan" fanat
icisnland the black Abolition party at
tbt mtbxeafc of the civil war for the
reason they were so hateful and odious
to the south. If the country should
ever be so unfortunate as for them to
get in full control of the government,
it will be a dark day in American his
tory.
There was a terrific wind and hail
storm last night but no damage done
by it.
As the legislature was courageous
enough not to pass a "State prohibition
law," but submit it to the people of
the State, we hope it will be equally as
gallant and stand pat on the railroad
rate bill, and let the supreme court de
cide the matter.
"Rolyat."
To Postoffice Patrons.
The postmaster of Rocky Mount de
sires to call attention to the practice of
some patrons of rural delivery of plac
ing loose coins in their boxes each time
they desire to dispatch letters instead
of supplying themselves with postage
in advance of their needs.
This practice imposes undue hardship
on rural carriers in removing loose
coins from boxes and delays them on
the service of their routes.
The postmaster, therefore, urgently
requests that patrons of rural delivery
provide themselves and keep on hand a
supply of stamps consistent with and in
advance of their needs. It is also very
desirable that rural patrons place in
their mail boxes small detachable cups
of wood or tin in which to place coins,
when necessary, in purchasing supplies
of stamps.
And to city folk, please have your
houses numbered. It is an advantage
in case of important mail.
HOD. DOO Gilliam Stricken.
Hon. Don Gilliam, of Tarboro, ex
senator from Edgecombe and one/Of the
most widely known North
Carolina, was stricken hat is
thought to be apoplexy
the street in Raleigh last Friday, and
the pavement, inj'iring himself
JjjflMall.
trations of physicians aija nurses he re
gained consciousness and, it is believed
now, will have permanent recovery.
Mr. Gilliam was in Raleigh to attend
the special session of the legislature.
His brother, Mr. Henry Gilliam, who
had been in the capital city, had left
! that morning for his home and was
I caught by wire at Wilson. He returned
to Raleigh to be with his brother.
Are you a stockholder in a home build
ing and loan association? If you are
not, come and let me convince you that
stock in Rocky Mount Homestead and
Loan Association will pay you a better
rate of interest on your small savings
than any investment you can make.
The 12th series of stock will be open
for subscription February Ist, 1908.
R. L. Huffines, Secretary and Treasurer
FOR SIOO,OOO PUBLIC BUILDING.
Senator Simmons Introduces Bill in
11. S. Senate to give Rocky Mount
federal .Building.
Senator F. M. Simmons has intro
duced a bill in the U. S. senate for an
appropriation for a SIOO,OOO public
building for Rocky Mount. By virtue of
its importance as a growing city of
large volume of business done here
annually, its large and rapidly increas
ing postoffice receipts and for many
other reasons Rocky Mount is entitled
to such an appropriatian much more
than some other towns and cities which
get them. No effort on the part of the
citizens of the city should be lacking to
help the will through congress.
Other town 3 included in Senator Sim
mons' bill for appropriations are Tar
boro, Wilson, Greenville, Monroe and
Henderson.
R. F. D. Carriers to Meet in Wilson.
Nashville, N. C., Jan. 22. —The next
regular meeting of the Rural Letter
Carriers' Association of Nash, Wilson,
Edgecombe and Halifax counties will be
held in the town of Wilson, N. C., on
February 22, beginning at 11 a. m.
Every carrier that possibly can is urged
to attend, whether a member or not;
but if you are not a member we hope
jo»in us promptly—do not put it
off longer^—and thereby show your ap
preciation for what the Association has
done for you.
Brother A. W. Parker of Wilson, re
quests that each carrier who intends
coming to drop him a card at once. Do
this and a good time awaits you.
Come! Fraternally,
.. O. H. Baines, Sec.
PRICE 5 CENTS
STATE PROHIBITION BILL.
4
Measure Passes Both Branches of
Legislature and Will be Submitted
to Vote ol People This Year.
A State prohibition bill has been
passed by the general assembly and will
be submitted to the people for ratifica
tion April ard August. If ratified
by a majority vote at the polls the law
will be effective Jan. 1, 1909 „.The sen
ate bill was introduced by Long, of
Iredell, and in the house Dosed, of
Mecklenburg, fathers the meawre.
In substance the 10 sections of tfe
bill contain the following provisions,,
which are largely modeled after the
Watts and Ward laws: *"•'
The bill for state prohibition provides
in the first section that liquors shrll
obtainable only cm prescriptions from a
physician from medical depositary or
drug store, the physician specifying the
amount required, but that wines aM
ciders may be made from grapes, ber
ries or fruits raised on tne land- of
the makers or other persons and sold at
■ the place of manufacture only in quanti
| ties ot not less than five gallons, t.hf*-
package not to be opened on the pre
mises or any of it drunk there.
Section 2 defines spirituous, vinous
and malt liquors.
Section 3 prescribes.fine or imprison
ment for violation of provisions of lie
act.
Section 4 makes place of delivery
place of sale.
Section 5 makes it possible to procure
wine for "religious or sacramental pur
poses."
Section 6 allows commissioners or
town aldermen to prohibit drug£ sts
from selling liquors.
Section 7 repeals all laves in conflict,
that none of the local and special 'its
for prohibition now in force sha! be
repealed whatever the result of ;rie
election.
Section 8 makes violation of ;?.ny *
feature of the act a misuemea or.
Section 9 makes the law eilkctive Jan_
1, pro v th^
Section 10 provides that election shall
be held on the first Thursday in August
next and details the machinery for the
election.
U.The house amended the senate bill as
to time of holding the election, naming
the last Tuesday in April.
■■ »
Mr. Thorne'S Dates Mixed.
(Raleigh News and Observer.)
During the discussion cf the prohibi
tion measure in the Senate yesterday
on Mr. Bruton's amendment to permit
the sale of homemade wine without re
striction Mr. Mason and others argued
that if wine were to be included, the
full ear of corn, the wine sap apple and
the sacharine potato as well as the
barley, malt and rye that are grown,
within the State should not be discrim
inated against. Into the riscussion
entered Mr. Thome, of Rocky Mount,
to declare that he had heard that Nash
county was a great place fci*the making
of corn whiskey and that a "wine drunk
was the meanest drunk in the world.' *
Senator Thome's negative reply to a
query whether he spoke from experi
ence, was not needed in view of the
fact that he placed Nash in the corrt
whiskey category—when everybody
who ever smelt a cork knows that its
fame rests of its cider-brandy.
C. C. Moore Re-olecM
Charlotte, N. C., Following a two
day's session the annual session of
North Carolina Cotton Growers' Asso
ciation at Charlotte came to an end
Wednesday. President C. C. Moore
was unanimously re-elected.
The association put itself on record
against unrestricted immigration and
bucket-shops and in pursuance of a plan
fcr a stronger' organization elected a
state organizer. Resolutions were
adopted endorsing the warehouse sys
tem as a factor in holding cotton for 15
cents. The convention was addressed
by a number of prominent southern
planters and business men.
Bev. D. H. Tuttle Breaks Becorfl..
(Raleigh Christian Advocate.)
On last Sunday Rev. D. H. Tuttle
secured eighteen new subscribers te
the "Old Raleigh" in ten , minutes. If
this record has ever been surpassed in
our conference, we have not heard of
it. Brother Tuttle has set the pace.
Now let the brethren exert themselves
to keep »p with him. It will keep them
busy, for Tuttle is one of the princes of
hustlers.