The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-04-20
POLITICS AND PROGRESS.
HICKORY THE HOME OF THE
BEST OF BOTH.
Hickory is Going Forward in All Ways
That Make Progressive and Su ubstan-
tial TOWn..SOme of its Enterprises.

Hickory is Going Forward in All Ways
That Make n Progressive and Substan-
tlal TOWn--SOme of its Enterprises.
Editorial Correspondence
HICKORY, N. c., April 10, 1855 "Hick
ory Tavern" was for a long time the termi
nus of the Western N. G. Railroad, and as
such was we'll known throughout the state.
Here parties going to and from the noun
tains stopped at the Tavern" rested and
regaled themselves in the old fashioned,
rudely constructed building erected for
their accommodation A little, dull,
sleepy place, it had no attraction for visi-
tors and offered no inducement to capital
lists. 1t was typical ''Sleepy Hollow"
peopled by the conservative Dutch-the
same sturdy people that settled New Am
sterdam and early made New York a great
city
These good Dutch continue to come to
Catawba, and l know no immigration to
the State which ought to be more cordially
welcomed. They are industrious, frugal
and have few vices. They know how to
start new enterprises and they start them.
They believe in good schools and in edu
eating their children. Take out the Dutch
settlers in Catawba, Lincoln and other
counties in Piedmont North Carolina and
you would take away people who have no
superiors as good citizens in North Caro-
lima. Not only SO; but you would break
the back of the Democratic party.
Slow to give their confidence to a man or
a party, they never withdraw it unless
compelled to do so. They are the truest
in their allegiance to Democracy of any Of
our population. A representative man of
these conservative and patriotic people,
and a man of wisdom, is Major Sidney N.
Finger, Superintendent of Public Schools.
Born in Lincoln, he has always resided
there and in Catawba, where he is held in
the highest esteem and enjoys the fullest
confidence of all the people of these two
and the adjoining counties. | find that
they are proud of the position he holds in
the State-it is reflected honor upon old
Catawba, the banner county of Democracy.
The political air one breathes here is
eXhilarating. There is no grumbling, no
complaining, no political apostasy. Ca
tawba Democracy is of the best and purest
type. If some of the Alarmists who, with
water in their eyes, think the State is
going to elect Republican Governor in
November, would spend day or two in
Cataw ba, they would return home ashamed
of their sickly and unmanly fear. The
Catawba Democracy has no such word as
fail in its vocabulary and neither has the
North Carolina Democracy if the croaking
of tlmid men could be Stilled. Success is
in the alr-Catawba will roll up an even
increased ma Jority for Alexander. Fowle,
or Stedman, which ever one is nominated
q name the aspirants alphabetically for
Governor, in the November election. And
the other counties in that section will do
likewise.
But it is not of politics that l purpose
writing today. Bright as is the outlook
here in a political sense, it is still brighter
in a material way. | had not visited
Hickory in two years. The change is
marked for good. Improvements are Wis
ible on every hand. The paint brush is
busy and carpenters have no idle time
The streets are being paved. Residences
and stores are in process of construction
New enter pIiStS are DtluS started. 10eFe
is life here. There is activity here. There
is no stagnation There is not loafer in
the place. | have seen not a growler or a
dyspeptc Business is good and growing
There is no boom here, but a steady, sub
stantial growth. Men are not making for
tunes in a year, but are gradually putting
surplus money in houses and stores and
new enterprises. Extra hazardous risks
are not taken. Show in business does not
take precedence of substance. The busi-
ness men have no mushroom concerns.
No failures or breakings or skipping to
Canada are feared. Confidence in the
future of the place makes the business man
energetic, but not speculative.
| cannot tell the readers of the CHRON-
ICLE the half that l saw that caused me to
draw the above conclusions. Among them
let me mention the Piedmont Wagon
Works, of which my friend, J. G. Hall,
Esq, is President. This is the third
largest wagon concern in the South, and
President Hall was recently honored with
the position of Secretary Of the Southern
Wagon Makers Association. There are
one hundred men employed in the wagon
works, and an average of eight wagons are
made a day. This enterprise was started
on the Catawba river in a small way some
years ago, but it has grown to such pro-
portions as to make 1t stand out as the
biggest thing of its kind in the State, and
the third largest IN the South What has
been done with the Piedmont wagon is
only an earnest of what can and will be
done. President Hall is the most ener-
getic of men, and he is as wise as he is
energetic.
Hall & Bohannon's tobacco factory is
one of THE institutions of the place. They
sell their excellent tobacco in large guam
| titles, and their brands have a fine repu-
tation wherever sold. l look to see this
business grow and become a greater sue
cess.
Prominent among the factors that pro-
mote Hickory's growth is the Hickory
Manufacturing Company, of which Mr..
H. G.. Latta is Business Manager. 1t makes
SASH doors, blinds and does all kinds of
mill work, giving employment to forty
| men. | saw the pulpit and pews at the
German Reformed church (Which, by The
way, is gem of church, built mainly
| through the generosity of ex Senator Abel
A. Shuford) made by this company. More
beautiful work | have seen nowhere. A
speciality is made of work in hard woods,
and the finishing of the Bank of Hickory
and the residence OF Mr.. D. W. Shuler can
be surpassed by no company.
| "Hickory Tavern years ago gave place
to better hotel. Last year that was
burned, and in its place beautiful brick
|