Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-05-27

AoAA"S Su1uch sHhylh6 1dIy to the wind
but memory must be at fault for il seems
one OF the old towns that hal its growth
away back when statues Of King GEORGE
ornamented our Court Houses and SQUARES
Now the stream widens, bluff on aItern
ate~sidcs-here On old mansion has its
landings and everywhere along the shore
the everlasting fish traps. The distant
points are nellowed by the haze of the
early Spring and We lounge in the shade
and dream of the scene when the fathers
OF this beautiful land came first to plant
their offspring here somehow we do not
always see them in the gay coIorcd gowns
and ancient bonnets with slaves of an
thority, and surrounded by their retainers
kneellng on the virgin soil and THANKING
God Tradition lets in the fact that this
noted adVenturer was rope maker. that
one was brick-layer and some only free
hooters, but with wealth camo education
and refinement and the Sun has never
shone upon n more cultivated social circle.
AS the sun declines Wo are at the mouth
of the Chowan and enter Albcnarle Sound:
here is its eight and away four miles
across bay OF the Sound, emboWered with
elms, catelpas and yellow wood, lies The
city We seek. Upon our right, eight or
ten miles hence, we see the dark hull Of
the light boat at the mouth Of the Roam
oke, and as we go into tho harbor we en-
circle seine mile i'll extent. In the
distance upon the Sound shore are the
cap5tans turned by mules drawing it slow
~ ashore with it's heavy burden of her
rings and shad.
We rarely see anything more charm
ing than our approach TO this quaint
old town-as we glide along each old
dwelling with its wealth of trees and
lawn open upon us, and then tile OLD
provincial Court House (once Il Legislative
halD and its ancient green extending to
the beach, skirted with elms. and farther
back we see the spires of the churches and
imagine long lines of struggling houses
under the canopy Of trees. At the pier
we meet the heads of these houses, and
clergy and laymen find n resting place
among friends, and those who dispense
the beautiful rites of hospitality for Christs
sake. All have homes, and some arc
palatlal. At highs We sit in the moonlight
under the elms-the air is as balmy as
June-as we look down the Kings cour.
yard and across the sheet of ever beautiful
water in our front our imncination IA
busy with peopling the scene with the
generations that have loved here and sue
cessively passed away. This is the region
first occupied by English emigration iii
America, and yet there is no place Tint has
more visible facts to connect the past and
present These generations were not
boros and ''rude forefathers of the ham
let" refined men and women stamped
their. virtues upon the age and Gods
ministers were here to baptize and watch
the flock. They were buried with Chris
tlan burial and monuments arose to keep
alive the influence Of their good Deeds
All ever the shores of these sounds ard
isles and inlets are the family repositories
of distinguished dead. We have, SO far.
no one to perform for our own people that
which Bishop Meade has done for Virginia,
Below the town is the homestead of the
late James O. Johnston. The grounds are
park-like, and with less heavy growth Of
wood would much resemble an English
home. 1t has lately passed away from the
family who have held it for near two cen
t~aios' Mid""J upon Tho unencloged
lawn as you approach the place is the large
family cemetery. Within its rails are Two
venerable cedars, shadowing the dust of
illustrious dead, and hero are the tombs Of
three, probably four, OF our State ard
Provincial Governors. A little farther
down the sound reposcs another, and in
sight are the shores Of Berthe, are tho
monuments Of two OF the most diatin-
gulshed rulers of North Carolina one Of
them, Gabriel Johnston, who fir t erected
his palace upon the Cape Fear, afterwards
as tradition has it, became enamored Of
the charms Of Mrs. Eden and aband ned
his unfinished and beautiful improve
ments, silk houses and botanic garden for
he was q physician Of eminent learning)
and journeyed to tho Albcmarle, and
bod L.
government.
This cemetery is full of the remains Of
worth, talent and gentle blood, and the
simplicity of the cpitaphs indicate an age
long passed away. The lato proprietor Of
this domain erected lis aarcophapus years
before his death.
It's ample and beautiful proportions arc
wrought out of an immense block of ltaI-
ian marble and exhibits u striking contrast
to the monument of his distinguished
sires, and, also of Mrs. Jane Rice, who
died In 1879, the widow of another Of
our Governors and whose virtues are
enumerated with clerical Skill and sum up
q model of female characters
The dwellings in Edenton ere generally
plain, but arc we'll preserved, and do not
seem to have suffered from ne .ect on the
calamities of war. There are some highly
improved places and one of its residences
is particularly charming and attractive.
Its grounds are laid out and ornamcnted
with skill and taste and have reached al
age of mature beauty. The old palace of
Governor Eden and the Court House, botl
are doing good service and have seen more
than one hundred and fifty years. The
former is substantial wooden house, with
it's observatory and ancient finish, and may
last another century. The substantial men
of the North are making some purchase
here, and follow them by occupation, and
bear witness to its advantages over the
Western field Of emigration.
This is about the line of successful cot
ton culture, and much larger variety Of
crops grow here than elsewhere i'll this
State. Red and white clover are unusually
luxuriant. Lime, mari, muck and refuse
fish are abundant, and with tia produc-
ton of manures and average skill there is
scarcely limit to production. The fish