The
.Rat
eeoJlPini
A RANDOLPH COUNTY PAPER RR RANDOLPH COUNTY PEOPLE.
VOL. 6. NO. 46.
ASHEBORO, N. C, THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1911.
ONE DOLLAR A YEAR
..v
X
History of Asheboro.
(Essay read by Miss Fannie Hannah,
Class Day Exercises, Asheboro Grad
ed School, May 10, 1911.)
In the center of Randolph
county and almost in the center
of the State of North Carolina is
the enterprising town of Ashe
boro located in the midst of a
low range of mountains, between
two rivers, the Deep on the east
and Uwharrie on the west, it en
joys many natural advantages
which results from good drain
age. This town was founded one
hundred and seventeen years ago
and was named in honor of
Samuel Ashe, a distinguished
soldier and statesman who lived
in the days of the American rev
olution. He afterwards became
governor of the State.
In 1793 Jesse Henley conveyed
to the justices of Randolph coun
ty two acres of land on Adams
Creek for public buildings and
on June the 12th 1793 the first
court was held in Asheboro, in a
small wooden building, located
near where the present old court
house now stands. The former
courts had been held at Browns
Cross roads, near the present
town of Randleman. The change
of location was made in order
that the county seat might be
nearer the center of the county.
In 1805 the legislature passed
an act authorizing Randolph
county to build a new court house.
A large two story frame struc
ture was built and in 1830 this
house was sold to Alfred Morris
and Benjamin Elliott and con
verted into a store and a small
brick court house was built in
stead. In consequence of some
defect in the wall this soon be
came unsafe and was torn down,
and in 1835 another brick build
ing was erected under the con
tract and supervision of John
Worth. In 1876 the north wing
and stair front were added.
The first jail stood just below
where Colonel McAlister's brick
store now stands. After serving
its purpose for awhile it was
burned down by a colored man
who got two matches from an
other prisoner named Maten.
His object was to burn the staple
loose which kept him chained to
the floor and then escape but in
this he failed. The present jail
was built about the year 1851.
In early times there were only
a few country stores. These
were owned by John Moss and
Jacob Elliott. "Thus this little
country village encircled by hills
of pine has propressed", says
Mr. Addison Blair in the history
of Randolph county, "very slow
ly for the last fifty years without
assuming the air of town life un
affected by burglars, tramps or
insurance agents." The courts
were held once every year.
About fifty-five years ago
while Asheboro was still a small
village a plank road extending
from Salem to Fayetteville was
constructed through it. On this
road ran the stage coach which
at that time was the most rapid
means of transit. When the
stage coach was two or three
miles from town the bugle would
be blown to let the people who
kept boarding houses know that
it was coming in order that they
might prepare for passengers.
As the bugle notes rang out
with wild ecfros among the hills
announcing the approach of the
mail, all Asheboro was astir;
then there was a temporary lull
in all the business; some stood in
door ways and others gazed
from the windows to see the
passengers; all were anxious to
hear the first break of news,
and to catch a glimpse of that
marvelous vehicle of transporta
tion. At the toll house which was
situated where Dr. W. J. Moore
now lives the horses were ex
changed for fresh ones and the
journey was continued.
About forty years ago the
main industries of Asheboro were
a cowbell shop, a buggy shop,
a saddle shop, the stores of Dr.
Worth and E. A. Moffitt, four bar
rooms and a few houses.
In July 1889 the Southern
Railway from High Point to
Asheboro was completed. It is
amazing to note the influence
this medium of travel and trans
portation has exerted on the ad
vancement of a town a century
old and containing only twenty
two houses, several shops and
two stores. Since the comple
tion of this road tremendous
strides have taken plaee despite
an effort on the part of some of
the older inhabitants to prevent
it. The town almost immediately
began to build about the new
depot, and since that time a pros
perous growth has been con
tinuous. The population has
increased to about twenty-five
hundred, the census of 1900 to
the contrary notwithstanding. At
present there are two roller mills,
the third one almost completed,
two chair factories, a lumber
plant, wheel barrow factory,
home building and material
company, a foundry and a hosiery
mill. The community affords
two prosperous banks and there
is also a building and loan asso
ciation. There are already about
thirty stores and several more
being built.
Asheboro has one of the finest
school buildings in the State and
its school is second to none. The
school for the white children
has ten grades and nine teachers.
The colored children also receive
a good education. There are
five churches for the white peo
ple and four for the colored.
Two news papers are printed,
The Courier and The Randolph
Bulletin. There area telephone
system and electric light plant
and a newly installed water and
sewerage system. To all the
foregoing should be added the
fact that there are many hand
some residences in our town
which serves to give it a pleas
ing appearance.
Thus while the town has a
history of a century and a quar
ter yet its true life dates from
the coming of the southern rail
way in 1889. Since then it has
grown from a village into a
thriving town. : Judging from
the past twenty five years of
progress, and taking into con
sideration the developments
especially of the last ten years,
and those which are about to be
realized, and looking forward
still more into the future when
Asheboro shall be one of the
main stations of railroad be
tween Raleigh and. Charlotte,
we cannot but predict for the
old county seat of Randolph a
large share in the marvelous
prosperity which is coming as a
tidal wave upon the piedmont
section of North Carolina.
CLARK AND AYCOCK IN SENA
TORIAL RACE. N
Raleigh May 21. Two new
entries in the race for Senator
Simmons seat in the United States
senate was recorded this week.
Judge Walter Clark formally an
nounced his candidacy Wed. and
was quickly followed by a similar
announcement by former gover
nor C. B. Ay cock on Saturday.
This brings the number up to
four and a lively time is ahead in
democratic ranks before the
winner comes in under the wire.
Better Stick to The Prin
ciple of Protection.
The present breaking up of
the Protective policy, due to the
abandonment of the principles of
Protection and the widespread
belief held by so many of the
younger generation that' 4 'Protec
tion is played out," that "Free
Trade is the real thing," and that
the United States "can beat all
creation," is suggestive of serious
times ahead. Nearly a century
ago we withdrew Protection from
our shipping upon the seas; we
withdrew it gradually, the final
effect of which was not really
seen until the outbreak of the
Civil War, fifty years ago. Up
to that time, under Protecion as
originally established, . and as
partially continued up to 1850,
American ship carried anaverage
of 80 per cent, of our imports
and exports. Think of it! For
seventy years, our ships in for
eign trade did four-fifths of all
of our carrying. In the past
fifty years they have not carried
one-fifth; today they do not carry
one-tenth possibly in another
decade they won't carry any.
So strong had our shipping be
come, so tremendous a propor
tion of our foreign trade did it
carry, that, beginning in 1815,
our statesmen (?) began to
think, and to say, that our ship
ping, once an infant, now a
giant, no longer needed Protec
tion. They even had the assur
ance to declare that, carrying
nine-tenths, as they did in the
decade between 1820 and 1830,
we could, by withdrawing Pro
tection, captured the other tenth!
This reminds me vividly of a
story in a school reader of mine
forty years ago, of a dog crossing
a bridge with a particularly large
juicy and satisying piece of meat
in his mouth. Glancing at his
reflection in the current beneath
him this dog saw what he be
lieved was another dog, with a
similarly large, juicy and satis
fying piece of meat in his mouth,
and so our greedy friend on the
bridge snapped at the other
dog's chuck of meat, with the
result that he lost what he had
and gained none of what the
other dog seemed to have. That
is what has happened to us, the
United States, through the ef
forts of our statesmen, between
1815 and 1830, to capture that
other ten per cent, of our carry
ing. The shipping giant of the
decade between 1820 and 1830,
has shrunk to a withered and
ghastly caricature of the husky
and formidable chap of nearly a
century ago.
Our infant industries, we are
now told, are giants, and now
longer need Protection.
Re-
member America i shipping.
Our agriculturists are so pros
perous, so successful, so rich,
that we are told, they no longer
need protection. Remember
American Shipping!
Our sheep raisers have been
Protected, we are told, out of
all reason, and can easily stand
free wool. Remember Ameri
can shipping!
Our cotton and our woolen
mills have been inordinately Pro
tected, we are told, and have be
come Trusts and monopolies, so
that Protection should be with
drawn from them. Remember
American shipping! History has
a habit of repeating itself.
During the period of enforced
idleness upon us and growing
worse, we shall have opportuni
ty to study up the history of
American shipping, and note
what the withdrawal of Protec-
GOOD SO FAR AS IT GOES.
! The verdict against the Stan
dard Oil Trust by the United
btates Supreme Court meets
with universal satisfaction. It
is in line with the opinion that
the public generahy has always
held the opinion that the trust
was an octopus illegally restrain
ing trade and enabling Mr. Rock
efeller and his colleagues to
draw enormous dividens at the
expense of the consumer. All
the same it will not do to be
over sanguine as to the ultimate
effect of the decision, which
stringent though it may be in
some respects, leaves some im
portant things uncleared.
It must be remembered . that
the Standard Oil has immense
wealth, employs the highest le
gal talent and leaves no stone
unturned by which it may cir
cumvent the law. It has a repu
tation (which is common to most
trusts) when it gets into a tight
corner, of giving a letter obedi
ence to law, while breaking it
all to pieces in spirit. This the
Standard Oil will no doubt strive
to do now that the Supreme
Court has decreed its abolition.
In fact it is rumored that it may
make its head office in London
and by some hocus pocus meth
od continue to do business much
the same as ever.
When the public sees some
shrinkage in Oil dividends and a
readiness to accept in good faith
the decision of the Court, then
people will believe that a new
order of things in business life
has come about.
In the meantime the decision
is anaraging in that it shows
that ittie greatest monopoly is
not above the law. It is en
couraging also in that it makes
the way clear for reaching otlier
illegal combinations.
AUTOMOBILE TURNS OVER.
Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Blair, Miss
Bernice Lisk, Mr. Barna Allen,
Dr. McCall, Miss Thelma Allen
and Miss Vivian Saunders went
by automobile yesterday to Rock
ingham and return. Later it is re
ported that Mr. Bavna Allen lost
control of his car in R ckingham
which ran off a high embankment
and turned over. Dr. McCall and
Mr. Allen jumped, but Miss
Thelma Allen and Miss Vivian
Sanders were caught under the
car but succeeded in getting out
without injury. Mr. Allen secured
a derrick and soon had his car on
the road again. The damage to
the car was slight.
Montgeomrian.
Federal Court Jurors.
For the Faderal court which
convenes in Greensboro the first
week in June, the following
from Randolph county will serve
as jurymen: John W. Brown,
Kemps Mill, D. S. Davis, Ran
dleman, R. F. D., J. T. Thorn
burg, Hills Storey L. H. Smith,
Liberty, A. L. Delk, Cox, E. H.
Morris, Asheboro, H. O. Barker,
Randleman.
tion has accomplished for our
shipping in foreign trade. Let
us note what happened to a stur
dy giant of a century go that,
seemingly, had "outgrown Pro
tection.' ' And then let us pon
der on will happen to our pres
ent agricultural and industrial
giants that have, seemingly, also
"outgrown Protection," and
which are about to face the Free
Trade conditions have so well
nigh driven our shipping from
the seas.
Must we ruin our farmers and
impoverish our manufacturers
in order to demonstrate a great
and a thoroughly established
truth? It looks so. Ex,
Good Road Day May 30.
May 30th, which is next Tues
day, is a legal holiday and all the
patrcns on route 3 from Ashe
boro are going to give a days
work on the road. I have seen
men and have ask them to act
as overseer for each section of
the road. Beginning at the city
limit, Mr. Thos. Davidson, has
been asked to take care of first
section which goes to the town
ship line. W. L. Varner next to
the foot of the Joel Ash worth
hill, W. R. Cooper next to A. J.
Cooper's, E. E. Vuncanon thence
to W. H. Parker's place, Jim
Walker thence to Mechanic, G.
C. Spencer from Mechanic to
Tant's Mill, John Rush.frommill
to Flat Rock, U. T. Dawson
thence to Monroe Lewallen's,
John Allred from Lewallen's to
Little river, H. H. Green- from
little river to the Asheboro town
line at the powder house.
I have tried to speak to each
patron of this picnic we are go
ing to have on the day mention
ed, but if I have not seen you and
given you an invitation you come
on any way to whichever sec
tion of road you choose. I have
spent some time and trouble in
trying to organize each section,
and hope you will all turn out
and give a good days work on
the road you use most, and is
nearest your home.
I wish also to give a special
invitation to those who are away
farther than the route reaches,
and do a lot of travel on the Uw
harrie road, to come and help
work up the road. You surely
can not miss the time and you
will be saving money for 'your
self. Marvin Kearns will be
foreman from Farmer to Me
chanic. A number of people
promised to furnish hands. One
man of the over seers said that
every body in his section women,
children and all were going and
have a real picnic. So let us all .
come out and fix our road ready
for the crushed stone when we
have voted bonds for good roads J
Yours for better roads.
i. ivi. onarpe, k. l,.
STUDENTS AND SMOKING.
The habits of college boys con
tinue to receive the attention of
the medical journals, particular
ly the habit of smoking. There
is a growing belief that students
begin the use of tobacco too ear
ly and follow it up with too
great zeal. And it is a well-ascertained
fact that college, stu
dents who: do not smoke attain,
as a general thing, a higher
rank than those who do. Smok
ing, sanely says the Journal, of
New York, may be as a symp
tom of the contemplative habit
of mind or, to put it less kind
ly of the lazy habit of mind.
But contemplativeness should
not begin, too soon. Laziness is
the last thing desired in a young
man who; by the very nature of
his open professions, is expected
to be "up and doing" in a stiff
endeavor to qualify himself for
future success. Tobacco along
with other stimulants, really be
longs to middle age, according
to the same authority. At that
time of life the nervous system
begins to be impaired, and the
milder naracotics have their val
ue in conserving energy in pre
venting waste. For the youth
of 20 to adopt the props some
times desirable for the man of
40 is an error. By adopting such
a course1 he unconsciously on
f essess to a premature degenera
tion. The college b jy .vho post
pones for a while the use of pipes
and cigarettes may count upon
emerging from hi& educational
ordeal with better body, brain
and prospects.
JUDGE CLARK'S CANDIDACY.
Chief Justice: Walter Clark of
the . North Carolina Supreme
Court is probably the only Ameri
can jurist in high position who
maintains that the United States
courts have no power to declare
an act of Congress void on con
stitutional grounds. He dissents
altogether from the great judi
cial tradition which Chief Justice
Marshall established. He would
have the American national legi
slature, like that of England,
sole judge of the, constitutionality .
of its own acts. That, owing to
differences in the social and po
litical institutions of the: two
countries, such power would pos
sess far more radicalizing influ
ence here than it does there, he
would doubtless agree. Judge
Clark, in fact, is thoroughly
radical by temperament.; He
has a legal intellect but not a le
gal temperament at all. ; The
profession's regard for precedent
and tradition rather irrates him
than otherwise. Laying "hands
upon the very ark and covenant
of American jurisprudence is an
eminently congenial occupation.
Radical as a judge though nev
er in any empty fashion, and
within the rather narrowoppor
tunities which North Carolina
cases brought his way as a poli
tician he would be truly extreme
He is, in fact, an ultraradical
public man who let the appoint
ment of a Governor divert him
into a judicial career, ; where,
with no little success, - he has
been agitating politically ever
since.
To any one who knowsany-
thing about Judge Clark a state
ment of his platform is almost
superfluous. He favors a tariff
for revenue whatever that
means to him; election of United
States Senators by the people;
election of Federal judges by the
people of their districts; popular
election of postmasters and the
initative, referendum and recall.
He also favors a Democratic pri
mary oh the same day all over
the State to nominate United
gtate Senat0rs and State officers.
j d clark is able and in(jus.
frinn His skill as a nolitician
has been repeatedly shown in
getting the Populist-Republicans
to endorse him for re-election to
the Supreme Court fifteen years
ago, in keeping the eagerer
damage-suit practitioniers solid
behind him, and in various other
ways. Probably more as a mat
ter cf personal satisfaction than
as a matter of politics, he has
through the newspapers and by
pamphlet, im moderately assailed
the railroads and the banks. His
violation of the judicial proprie
ties has not only been general
but has extended to particular
cases which he first agitated and
then heard. It is clear from this
recital that the successful result
of such conduct thus far, does
more credit to his ability and
shrewdness than to the voters of
the State. It the people of
North Carolina want a Senator
who will vigorously" advertise
them as the most radical and
capital-baiting in the Union, they
should by all means pass over
Senator Simmons and Governor
Kitchin, together with ex-Governor
Aycockand choose Judge
Clark. Charlotte Observer.
Cedr Grove Sunday School Convention
Cedar Grove Township Sunday
school convention is to be held
at Back Creek church the 1st
Sunday in June There will be
morning and afternoon sessions.
All Sunday Schools in the town
snip arc requested to send dele
gates, Ida Lowe, Sec.