Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-10-09
FAYETTEVILLE CORRESPONDENCE.
FAYETTEVILLE, Oct. 5, 1868.

real thrift and solid prosperity, cannot fal
to fill with serious and even mournful refec
tions the mind Of him who may ponder
upon the history of the good old town
cherislling her with love and Affection
Never, in Yankee parlance, "go-a-head
place, she was formerly full of comfort ano
substance, and, like some old brown stone
homestead, while surrounded by an air OF
quiet and tranquility, was strong and sturdy
in her foundations, and ''of many years OF
usefulness. Now, while her streets yet re-
sound with noise and din, and her business
places are open and astir, much fear that
! it is rather the hustle of anxiety and IN
rest than the impetus given by money
making and the advancement of profitable
business The great inland trade, which,
counting its transports by scores and hun
dretis of oanvass-topped wagons, used to
( wear deep the great high road over Hay
mount into Fayetteville, from the co~nties
of Moore, Richmond, Montgomery, Ran
dolph, Guilford, Davidson, Stokes, Surrey
and all the Valley of the Yadkin, which
brought to us the great stores of the earth,
and carried from our market the commodi-
ties OF our commerce, which came with the
crack of whips and the music of bells, has
been drawn from US by the lines of railroad
which do so encompass us about. All save
one of the factories which did their ap-
pointed task day by day, with the hum of
looms, the whir of machinery, and the in
dustrious hands OF hundreds of operatives,
were offending the sight of the invader in
his march of ruin and devastation, and
buried their life and activity and energy in
ashes and crumbling walls.
But while [ am not unwilling, as citi-
zen, to look fairly and squarely at the
changed condition of Fayetteville, [ by no
means desire to dampen hope and cheer for
the future With the settlement of politi-
cal difficulties we have much that ia en-
couraging to anticipate with our unsur
passed water power there is no reason why
we'll applied capital may not rebuild upon
those charred sites even more useful and
extensive factories and foundries by the
untiring and we'll directed energy of the
or two great lines of railroad, through
the most fertile and productive portion
of the State, with Fayetteville AS the
depot. may not be planned and rapidly
built and, certainly, with this start,
which our natural advantages may well
claim, this town may aspire to be four
times what it ever was. True, alas very
many of our old and venerated citizens,
who participated in the bygone palmy days
of the place, will not be here to share in
the mellow hours Of its ripe and peaceful
old age. Since the storm of war first came
upon us, and the gloom of a peoples great
calamity shrouded in darkness the light of
home happiness on its thresholds, and
placed the stamp of ruin on it's counting
houses and Ware-rOOmS, many whose names
were names Of integrity and honor,
" Cracked their noble hearts" over this
great trouble not less surely than their
brave sons who fell under the cannon, and
they rest in their tOmbs even in the reach
of those who toll after them, whose voices
are not yet hushed. What reck they now
of mart, or mammon, or any mortal thing?
OU Superior Court Clerk mot to out
den transition from the cherished and
revered to the villainous and contemplate
remains about where he was when [ left
him on your hands last week. Us that
bull " or not p Although he has not yet
been qualified, he is still unaccountably al
lowed to fill the Office and to receive the
moneys appertaining thereto-by what pro-
cess Of legal reasoning on the part of the
Judge OF this District I confess [ do not
know. However, he may we'll say of the
indulgent shaper of his present destinies,
" Daniel come to Judgment" by whose
decision "put money in my purse" O.
Ii. Dockery put his name to Callahan's
bond and made affidavit that he was worth
SO much property. The Board of Commits
sioners summoned witnesses on this point,
and here's the ''sum" worked out on either
side. DockerY's statement Plus $4,000.
Testimony of Witnesses Minus 500, 900.
And there are some gentlemen here, who,
If examined, would show the Colonel's in
solvency to bestill greater, but the Commits
sloners refuse to issue subpmnas In
dropping this dirty subject, [ venture to
express the hope, but by no means the be-
lief. that this Clerk elect (Oh Lord j will
hereafter be grateful for the benevolence
and charitable zeal with which certain of
our own people have leaped to his aid, and,
thrusting him into the coveted office, have
closed the door and held him there.
One of the heaviest rains has fallen here
since Saturday evening that has been ex-
perienced in this section for long time.
1 am certain that it has been pretty gener-
al, and as it has continued to come down
pretty steadily for about thirty-six hours,
[ am anxious about the fate of your people
at the other end of the river. It could not
affect the Atlantic ocean much, except to
improve the taste of the water, but its
sudden onslaught upon small place like
Wilmington might be very destructive. I
suppose this freshet will not do much in
jury to the crops, owing to the lateness of
the season, and [ think it will preclude the
danger of low water in Cape Fear until the
| Fall rains come on.
[ am glad to see that merchants here evil
IDENTITY anticipate considerable Fai. trade
in dry goods especially. Large stocks have
been brought out. and several of our stores
will compare favorably even with those of
your snowy little city, such as those of
the Messrs. Lilly, Kyle and J. A. Pember-
ton. The last named has fitted up and
stocked a handsome staple and fancy dry
goods store on Person street, and as he is
a skillfQl and experienced business man,
! H. I