Wilmington journal., 1872-01-05

Iyy 50 eIldI Ulle 1uJttIC ue IlltI Ut 6lIbulcu
to make the same statement twice, else he
may injure his -veracity. | am not sIir-
priSed at these officers desiring your illfor
mant to state only what he saw, knowing
that he wasinOt present on the occasion.
Yet l do acknoW ledge am much puzzled
in seeing that Mr.. Uuhn could have been i'll
ducedtosubscribet to such aletter as appeared
with his name affixed. Mr.. Hlllln does moi
state that the firing Of the gun was aeci-
dental, as is stated by -Massis. Hewlett and
Wagner; put that he "cOnSidcred it all IL
play" / apprehend that if one r-.rty
shoots another, the statement of either Of
the parties that it was "all III pley" does
not exempt the perpetrator of the offence
fl ON a violation of the criminal law, or an
arrest; neither does it justify the peace
officers present in failing to make the an
rest when they are aware, as is the case
with one of the two Office s present, that
the gun was fired Intentionally, he having
seen the negro in the act of diScharein@ his
gun and endeavored to prevent it. s.-
l make this statement in view that tie
public may be correctly informed, know
ing that from parties Interested we must
not look for Il correct statement of the case.
Respectfully, re
INFoRMAN'S.
WATCH PRESENTATION.-The prcSen-
tatiOn of agOld watch and chain to Col. S.
l.. Fremont, by the officers and employees
of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad,
took place yesterday afternoon, at Front
Street Depot, at II o'clock The occasion
was very interesting one, and at the ap-
pointed hour quite a number, employees Of
the road and others, had gathered there.
Mr.. Charles Flanner had been selected to
make the presentation, and this he did
most handsomely, in the following neat
little address, . " .-5 .-
Col. $. l.. Fremont - ~--.
L have the pleasure, as well a5 the honor,
of presenting to you, on behalf Of the Olli-
GERS and employees of the Wilmington and
Weldon Railroad Company, this token OF
their appreciation and high regard for you,
personally and officially. We have selected
the occasion Of your quitting us, as the
most appropriate time for the bestOWal of
this testimonial, terminating, as it does, an
association, with some of It's, extending
through a series of seventeen years, and
embracing the most CventfIl period of the
history of our country.
We are not ignorant of your s5rviceS,
and the great responsibility which rested
upon YOU when the dark clouds OF war
overSpread our land, nor afterwards of your
indetatigable labors in the interests Of peace
and restoration. We have watched your
course, and have witnessed, with pride and
pleasure, your devotion to the material and
industrial interests of Our'State, and as cit
izenS and individuals our hearts are full of
gratitude. The Wilmington and Weldon
Railroad, of which you have been the En-
gineer and Superintendent for the past sew
enteen years, found itself at the close Of
the late war, exhausted and almost bank
rIIpt, with scarce ability to do the. small
carrying trade which at that time offered,
and with a treasury, on many a pay day,
with scarce funds to pay its operatives.
Your enlightened and systematic man
agement has sustained tlle road under the
most trying circumstances and through sea-
sons OF the deepest gloom and despOnden-
! CIV. 1t has kept pace with the most aG-
vanccd ideas Of railway matters, has inau-
/ gurated many valuable reforms, suppressed
many abuses, opened up new sources OF
/ revenue, and has finally left the road with a
working system in every department, and u
perfect accountability and discipline along
its entire line, which may challenge com
! pariSOn with any road in the country.
I In severingyou connection with this com
pany, this reflection must be 40 less graft
flying to yourself than TO your numerous
friends who see in all that has been accom-
plished, the very stamp Of your genious and
the power Of sour thought.
This simple tribute which l am here to
offer and to beg That you viii accept, is the
Wilmington to Weldon of those who have
known and honored you through nearly a
score of years. Simple though it be, it is
the dumb expression Of our attachment to
you and of our appreciation of your high
moral character and the rectitude Of your
official conduct. .....
Again L ask, Colonel, that you will ac-
Cept our offering. 1t comes not alone from
those who occupy official position, but from
the machine department, the road side and
every branch Of the service OF the company
all unite in this testimonial to your worth,
your ser ices and the high esteem III which
you are held. -..
As he closed, Mr.. Flanuer was heartily
cheered by those who were piesent, when
Col. Fremont stepped forward and very
gracefully accepted the watch, i'll the fol
lowing language:
Gentlemen To say that words fail tc
express the grateful emotions of my heart
on this occasion would but family portray
the feelings that swell within my breast
Could | ever again feel thrill of joy this
would be one of the jhappiest moments oi
my life!
To meet you, my late associates and
friends, to receive at your hands this beau
tiful and valuable testimonial of your es
teem and goodwill, at this hour Of oul
official separation, and to listen to the com
plimentaly language of the eloquent gentle
man you have chosen to present il, is as
gratifying as it was unexpected! haC
hoped that some of you would remember
me kindly in the future when you recalled
the hard times-the days and nights o
hard work we had passed together-stru
Cling to keep the old road in line of battle
as the grand army Of progress and improve
ment pressed steadily onward; for knew
that common tolls and common suffering
knit heart to heart and hand TO hand, bu
I was not prepared for such an offering a
this Il did not dream that so many o
YOU were to unite III such token of you
friendship. - ..-a
If there ia one thing more than anOthe
that is grateful 10 my heart in this matter
it is that the MEN of the Company-th
sturdy and stalwart artisans, engineers ant
mechanics cs-have, L am told, joined mos
heartily in doing me this honor.
While l feel equally grateful to all wiz
have for me a kind word 1T parting, yet th
good feeling shown by the working mel
has especially touched my heart!
; If they, as well as the officers who hav
so long served with me, have learned t.
know me and the true impulses of III.
heart, and that my greatest desire has eve
been TO do equal and even Justice to ALI
L am more than gratifed!
1t has been said of the retiring Presiden
of the United States. that at tire close Q
: his official term (When he has no favors t
bestow) he sees, for the first time, his rea
friends in the few that gather around him
| to press his powerleSs hand at parting
5 Like him, gentlemen, l have nothing i
/ return to give you but my good will. Tn
like him l see not few, but host of trII
friends.