The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-03-26
DURHAM'S PROGRESS.
A CAUSTIC REVIEW OF MIR.
OLDHAM'S LETTER.
Durham's Railroads and Fac
tories Real Estate ADJ
yancing-Enterprise
and LiberalitY.

DURHAM, IN. W. March Zl.-N0ths
ing has caused q greater sensation in
Durham since the memorable fnan i
cial crash here seventeen months ago,
than the column letter purporting to
have heen written from Raleigh and
printed in last Sundays Constitution,
alleging that Durham was bursted
wide open, everybody leaving and the
town going to The dogs with a mad
rush. When the Constitution cons
tanning the infamous and libelous let.
ter reached Durham, Monday morn
ing, the letter soon became the town
talk. A lot Of citizens not only bes
came justly indignant, but they got
raving mad. Merchants and other
business men stopped work and could
be seen standing in groups in the
| streets discussing the matter. A teler
gram was sent to the Constitution
| asking for the authors name, and
when the reply came saying 1t was
Edward A. Oldham, it was we'll
enough that his body was secure in a
,ar-otf Virginia town.
MrOldham was for three months
Of last year the editor and publisher
OF the Durham Daily Globe. He i,
native OF North Carolina, but came
here from Charleston, >. u, where he
mad held position on the Charleston
| Worid. In his journalistic underr
taking in this city he was backed by
a wealthy and patriotic citizen, who,
it is now reported, is minus a couple
Of thousand glittering wheels as a
result of his experience. Mr.. Old.
ham has been connected with several
newspapers in this state and it is a
| noticeable fact that he has never been
q success. When he came to Dur
ham from Charleston TO begin the
publication of the DAILY Globe here,
his debut was heralded far and near,
and IN all sides the blowing Of trump.
cts and the changing OF bells could be
heard. He Was trained Journalist"
and expected TO ride clear over every
other paper in North Carolina the
first week. But he did no such thing.
Even in the zenith of his glory the
earth did not tremble and the noun,
tains remained perfectly still, Every.
body continued 81 move along in their
regular beaten paths, and after q
brief existence Of three months tue
".Iained journals" folded his tent
ana took his 4 paitute. And as be
left he sWDre vengeance against Dur
ham, not because the people hid de-
ceived him, but because lhey would
not lavish money upon him aud sup
port an extraYagantly managed paper
Iaats what prompe ed MIR. Oldham
to write the letter he did IN last aun-
days Constitution, and nothing else.
That the story about Durham being
deserted and her fine residenc 5 tillei
with negroes is false, Une has only to
come here aud zee. That the letter
from beginning to end was false AID
written With pen dippei Ia gall and
bitterness, one needs only to know
the circumstances.
OF course the big failures here one
and a half years ago gave Durham a
stunning blow. But with that pluck,
push and go.ahead spirit, which has
always characterized ner citizens, the
gritty little city, reeling under the
hand Of adversely, Strengthened hers
8 II and with commendable determine.
ton started again 70 climb the hill.
And she has certainly been making
rapid progress. Already the Bank
Of Durham has paid eighty cents on
the dollar - depositors and will at
an early day pay the remaining TWEEN.
| IL per cent. This bank was owned
by Col. w. I. Blackwell: and Messrs.
liz. Ballard and w. ). Halliburton,
the trustees .or Col. W. I. Blackwell,
| tell me he will be able 10 pay of his
entire Indebtedness and have q SUPP.
lus left besides. All the other parties
with only two exceptions -are now
progressing successfully in their re
spectiye branches Of business. The
| two that are not nov engaged iu bus.
| iness have sold out. Durham is all
right In every respect. The air Of
business activity prevailing here is
excelled by few southern towns.
There is only one vacant store room
| here and il is a small one on o back
street. You can't rent a residence in
Durham fol love or money, simply
because all are occupied. The street
Mr.. Oldham spoke about being popu.
lated with negroes cannot be found,
and nobody can give the names Of
til. citizens rushing out Of Durham
| IN droycs, o. alleged.
SIR. w. Duke, the founder of the
| gigantic cigarette factory here, this
afternoon showed me through Il and
said instead Of moving IL TO New
York extensive additions would be
made this year necesilatIng the en-
ploying Of many more hands, Last
wear thus factory tarncd out elght
| hundred and thirty>two millions Of
cigarettes, used three millions AM
| four hundred thousand pounds oil
II A a 80 A a.