Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-10-18
.RALEIGH'S BIG DAY.
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF CARO-
llNA'S CAPITAL CITY.
u,.,orv of II. Growth from birthday TO
100 years-Pubiic buildings ana
Charitable Ipstitutions.
,sooc,,, telegram to tho Dlspa,cn.l


points. In 1888 convention ordered that
the capital should be located at point
within ten miles OF the plantation on
which Isaac Hunter now resides IN the
county OF Wake. This decision was not
made without contest. for there was
tie on the question of whether the capital
should he here or at the town OF Haywood
IN Chatham county. which the Speaker
broke by voting for Raleigh. In l791
the Legislature ratified the ordinance
of the convention. There were purchased
April 8. 1892, 400 acres of land. ana
the plan of the city was laid out, en-
bracing five public squares and 2I6 lots;
BY the sale OF the lots the sum or SoO.0OO
was raised, and with this the Capitol was
erected. II was first occupied III lisi. L.
was a large and uncOuth structure, ana
thirty years later was greatly improved.
In 1924 the famous statue of Washington
by Canova was placed IN its rotunda,
which Lafayette viewed with delight
during his visit here the following year.
In 1893 the Supreme Court was establish
ed. In 1902 the first house for the Gov
ernor was built, and be was required TO
live here. In 1922 there were but four
brick buildings in the corporation, the Gov
ernor's palace" built in 1914, being out
side the boundary. The place had only
$40 Inhabitants in 1910. The social fea-
lures of life here early became prominent,
and OF course have always been closely
connected with official life. One OF the
eary occurrences of great note was the at
tempt to burn the Capitol by persons con-
cerned in vast frauds in the sales OF pubic
lands in Tennessee tat the time when that
State was part of North Carollnal. In lI9S
messenger from Tennessee brought news
of this plan to the Governor, ana Tor
months o heavy guard was kept around
no hail RfYt
negro servant of one OF the conspirators
was caught after he had entered the Capt.
toll at night and stolen many OF these land
records He was hanged, and the next
year James Glasgow. Secretary OF State,
was tried for these frauds and convicted.
CORNERSTONE LAID.
In 1881 the old Capitol was burned, and
in 1888 the cornerstone of the present one
was laid. When completed 1t was the
handsomest building of public character
in the United States. IL was not until
many years later that other public build
ings were added. Now, in great SEMI
circle, there are the insane asylum, penl-
Tertiary, agricultural and mechanical col |
lege, State fairgrounds. experiment farm,
two institutions for deaf mutes and blind,
and the Confederate Soldiers Home. while
near the Capitol building are the Supreme
Court and State library. the agricultural
building and the executive mansion,
some of these being notable structures,
particularly the asylum and the penlten-
tiary. The city's industrial growth dates
from about 1866, and the population has
quadrupled since 1860. There are now
three cotton-mills. phosphate-m1lls. cot |
ton-oll mills, car-shops, extensive railway
shops, as well as many other industries.
The population now amounts to l7.OOU.
The development OF the city as place OF
residence has kept pace with other improve
ments, and there are many persons from
all parts of the State who make 1t home. |
EDUCATIONAL FEATURES.
The educational features are important. |
There are two white female colleges, noted |
all over the South; a male academy,
colored university with $50 students, q |
colored normal college with $50. hye pub
lie schools, all large. There are in these |
various institutions $500 students In a |
material way the city has made great pro- |
gress in other directions, having one OF the |
best water-supply systems. delivering fill |
tered water from fno stream, and having |
fire department noted all over the coun- |
try. All the business streets are paved with |
Belgian block. The township works convicts
on the public roads and these for several |
miles out are being carefully macadamized, |
the expenses being met by taxation. Ra- |
leigh is the principal point on the Seaboard |
Air Line from Atlanta to Portsmouth, and |
this line and the Richmond and Danyille |
have recently completed and put in use |
one of the handsomest passenger stations |
in the country. Work on a 500 900 hotel |
is now in progress. The city has good |
banking facilities. II has o complete sys- |
tenn OF sewerage and also lines of electric |
street railway, which reach all parts of 1t |
and stretch out to two parks. one Of which. |
containing 100 acres. is the gift of a citizen |
of the town. The debt is small and the |
city's bonds are at a high premium. There |
tobacco. and though Raleigh is not in the |
front rank of the big markets, yet the |
trade is important. The cotton receipts |
from the surrounding country average |
10000 bales year. and besides, much is |
compressed here coming by rail. The city |
is admirably laid out, with its principal |
streets SO feet wide, and others &C feet, and |
the streets are shaded throughout by noble |
oaks and elms. BY reason of all these |
things the city Is very much admired.
THE CENTENNIAL.
The plan of having centennial celebra- |
ton really took shape last sDrlng. The |
Board of Aldermen made the desired appro- |
priation and public interest rapidly grew |
in intensity. 1he leading businessmen and |
persons prominent in social life took hold |
of the matter. not with view to attract |
crowds and make money, but for the real |
honor of their city. and this ID one of the |
special charms of the affair. The centen- |
NAL begins tomorrow. At IL o'clock a |
great procession will move: 1t will be |
more than a mile IN length, and |
under the direction Of Colonel John |
NJ Heck as chief-marsha. There |
are thirteen divisions, and in charge of |
these are " field marshals," each with |
many assistants. In all there will be near |
ly $50 men on horseback. Under an escort |
of police and military the State officers |
and the Justices of the Supreme Court will |
be in the first division. In the second will |
be the city officers, county officers, citizens |
over 60 years of age, lawyers, and physl- |
clans, as well as invited guests. No less |
than 200 handsomely-e SOurenir in |
vItatlons have been sent out to prominent |
people oil over the country.
NOTABLE FLOATS.
In the fourth division are two floats, one |
representing Sir Walter Raleigh before |
Queen Elizabeth, and tie reception of La |
Fayette by Governor Burton. of North |
Carolina, and also La Fayette and Miss |
Elizabeth Haywood standing before Ca
nova's statue of Washington. In this diyi- |
SION Is The Tornado, the first engine IN use
on the Raleigh and CASTOR railway, with.
as its engineer, Albert johnson. the oldest
locomotive engineer III the United States.
A freight car of the kind first used (hold- |
ing four hogsheads OF tobacco is also
shown. All the employees OF the Seaboard
Air Line here. headed by Major w. w
Vass, the oldest railway treasurer. are
in the parade. The Odd-Fellows also
have float and parade as an escort to it.
In division fourth is an interesting dis
play of old and new fire departments. the
hrst part being "ye olden tyne" with
hand engine made IN 1852, and the latter
part the modern department. Raleigh
Typographical Union has float and escorts
it. paradng 100 men. The fifth diyis-
ion is made up of four floats, illustrating
the war of 1912, followed by descendants
of Governor William Hawkins; the war
with Mexico, followed by veterns of that
war. and of the civil war, escorted by forty
veterans from the Confederate Soldiers
Home, as well as other veterans of both
armies. After this follows an emblematic
float, Peace hath her victories no less
than war;"
PUPILS AND STUDENTS.
In divisions s. 4, and 8, are pupils of the
academy, Knights of Pythias with float).
pupils of the city's public schools and OF
the Agricultural and Mechanical College.
and the Raleigh Bicycle Club. The pupils
of the Murphy School (named in honor of
Archibald Murphy. the fOundar of npht;n |