Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-04-16
eleven o'clock from the Presby
byterian church.

Dyterlau church.
A HOR SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Able Governor. Successful Manufacture
and Patriotic Citizen.
Thomas Michael Holt was tn,
second son of Edwin M. and Emil,
Holt, and was born on the 18th o
July, 1881. He was prepared TO,
college at Caldwell Institute, th,
training school of many mastel
minds that have served Nortl
Carolina in every department o:
life. If you will read the biogra
ply of the great men Of the Stat'
who were leaders in the 5Os-6Os
70s-S0s, you will be struck with
the frequent statement che was
prepared for college at Caldwell
Institute 1t was a favoritt
home for the preparation Of strong
men.
Among the successful men who
obtained their early training here,
Governor Holt stood among the
first. After leaving Caldwell In.
stitute he matriculated at the Uni
versity, but did not remain fol
| graduation. He had inherited his
fathers love and talent for manu-
featuring and in 1851, when,
half advanced in the junior year,
he left college and returned to his
fathers factory in old Alamance,
first going to Philadelphia for {
while. His father saw the bent
of his sons mind and gave him
the work and instruction in manu-
featuring that was the foundation
of his success. He did anything
and everything to be done, learn
ing the business from the bottom
up. Every employee he had knew
that the owner of the mills under
stood every part of the business
from buying cotton and dyeing il
up to the most difficult technical
knowledge. This fact tended to
give them double respect for their
employer; and likewise knowing
the labor required for excellent
work, made him more apprecia-
tive of their skill and industry.
A man who has never put his
hand to hard work can rarely
know what it is, and therefore
the best and most just employers
are those who have mastered their
business in all its branches. You
hardly ever hear of any disagree
ment between the employer. and
employee when each recognizes the
others worth and capacity. There
is mutual respect and a feeling of
mutual interest. In all the years
that have passed since Col. Holt
and his father made Haw River a
manufacturing centre, there had
never been a strike, a lockout, or
any serious disagreement between
employers and emlpoye. Things
always run along smoothly, and
even in hard times and the y come
in all businesses) Colonel Holt
strained every point to keep his
mills running in order to furnish
work for those whose daily bread
was dependent upon the labor of
their hands. He had done this at
times at floss.
Up to 1860, Col. Holt was in
business with his father. In that
year, in a brick building 36x6O,
with only 52S spindles, he began
on his own account. This small
building is now a wing of the i'm
mense factory known throughout
the country as the Granite Mills.
The story of how, step by step,
through business sagacity and I'M
remitting industry. Col. Holt adj
ded brick on brick, spindle to
spindle, acre to acre, stock to
stock, until, at the time of his
death he stood among the richest
men in the State. His great es-
tablishment grew steadily aud
gradually, as the needs of the
trade and the expansion of bust
mass iuStiHad If was a solid
growth. Col. Holt was a man
who never put his foot down until
he saw where it would fall. He
inherited from his German ances-
try much prudence and care in
making investments, and was
among the safest men in the
State. In business, in politics, in
religion, he vas by temperament
conservative in the true meaning
of that word. He did not believe
in trying to find a quick road to
fame or to fortune. He followed
the beaten paths which the sue
cessful men of all ages have had
to tread, blazing out new roads
only when he had made his sur
veys and was satisfied that ii
would be a wise departure.
While devoting his energies
and his talents to building up his
manufacturing plant, Col. Holt