The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-08-15
THE STATE OF WILKES.
RAMBLBS OF A REPORTER AMONG
IT'S BEAUTIFUL. HILLS.
A Country Where Men and Mountains Are
Both Grand and Where Nature Has
Been Lavish With Favors.
{ Edto1at Correspondence ] .

Wu.KEsBoRo, August 18th 'S9-I
have olten heard Wilkes county call
| ed The State Of Wilkes, the land of
/ Tyre York. corn Ticker and freedom y
Being unacquainted with either Tyre
York, his historic mule or corn lick
err I cannot speak with knowledge as
to the first two but | am prepared to
write an essay on freedom, having once
hreathed Wilkes county air.
The people here seem to drink IN
ire edom with the air they breathe.
There must be something in it or in
the mountain scenery that makes
grand people, for they are and always
have been race OF sturdy, independ
ent men The country was named af-
ter lover Of freedom-John Wilkes
the noted distiller, politician, editor,
sheriff and Mayor of London who
kicked up such row in English poll
teal circles from 1877 till his death
in 1897. Wilkes was several times
elected to Parliament. was twice ex-
PEELED, had riot in his behalf and
came as near bullying the Parliament
as anyone ever did except old man
Cromwell, who 90. it under hack COM
pletely. TIN ioughout his daring, reck-
lessIy independent history he always
posed as an advocate Of the peoples
rights and they always supported him.
After such a man the liberty loving
great grand daddies of Wilkes county
named it and the choice of the name
shows Of what stuff they were made.
Ifyou blot the history of Wilkes
county from that of North Carolina
you blot from her records many of the
greatest heroes and statesmen and
many of the most glorious deeds in
our history. She, was the home Of
General We,lborn, Governor Stokes,
Colonel Stokes and that noble hero
martyr, General James B. Gordon,
who now sleeps among his native hills.
| These are only few of the names, Sc
lected at random from the illustrious
| galaxy of noble men whom she has
bred. | can not mention more nor
| can | write their deeds for if | did
should write very large portion of
North Carolina history which is al
ready fanli lar to my readers. But |
memory of General Gordon. He sleeps
there in the Episcopal cemetery, with
in few yards of the residence of his
sister, Mrs. Hackett a marble mon
ument is above him dedicated to "The
Hero Martyr" and on it is sword,
chiseled out Of the pure white stone Ii
is idle now, but once it cleaned on
high in our cause. It carried its owner
from office to Office, until the 7ery day
he died, at the battle Of Yellow Tav-
ern, a few miles from Richmond, he
was to have been promoted to tie
place OF Stuart, who was killed in the
early morning of that battle. The
commission was already made out and
had he lived, he would have succeeded
the man who is to me, through peru
| sal Of John Esten Cookies works, the
| most attractive character of the dead
| Confederacy. He was a grand man
| and Wilkes county would be rich
alone with simply the memory of Jas
| b. Gordon
While in the town of Wilkesboro ]
was the guest of my friend and class
mate, Z. \. Hackett, Esq, aud it is tt
his high born courtesy that ! am i'll
debted tor i view Of the most beauti
full country | ever saw. From 3 tt
10 miles'to the south are the Brushy
Mountains, on which fruit grows il
the greatest abundance and in which
there Is some very fine scenery. IL
the north, just outside, sweeps the
majestic Yadkin, and just beyond i
and along its banks extend miles and
miles of inessriver farms, upon which
the corn is now waving. | have never
seen such corn save in the stretch
country between Elizabeth City anC
Portsmouth, Va. Still on further, a
distance Of about 20 miles, looms
the Blue Ridge with its peaks in th'
clouds. Through all this country fin,
| streams abound aud such cattle as
exhibition at f2irs.
The town of Wiikesboro itse!
sleeperh, but every now aud then
shows signs Of waking up and by th
time the Winston Wilkesboro r. r
reaches it ! expect Tom Finley am
Gordon Hackett CHE lord Mayo,
will have priced bot its eyelids wild
open There are now about tel
mercantile establishments and tw
hotels Messrs. Gordon Hackett, Al
thur Finley and my townsman, Deal
are putting up sash. door and bin
factory to cost about $4,000, and ther
: is considerable talk of a tobacco factd
} ry and $4,000 hotel. The town
full Of young men. They are pr,
gressive, strong fellows, and for th
reason have great faith in Wilke,
bore For summer home or for a
all the year-round home it offers man
advantages for man Of moderat
means. With rich and beautifi
back country, fine water power an
, its helm in the hand Of young mel
WiIkesboro is hound to come and Oh
is going 10 he a big help instead ot
hindrance to Winston when she dos
: prosper.
! / was glad to see my friend d.
Smoak, former Winstonian, who hs
cast his lot here and who is row
portly city alderman. Mr. Smoa
: has made an excellent investmeI
here, even ifthe railroad never ge
here But as the railroad is certain