The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-04-05


To he sure, certain years have been
marked by mere activity in building,
as have the past two or three, bat fol-
Loving such activity there has come no
stand-still or going backward.
THAT they go @9TwaTd, F" in the Ian
guage of Moses, has been the motto Of
the town from the day the first whistle
on the Wilmington q Weldon Railroad
startled the birds in the woods where
the town now stands, to the present
day-Wilson was fortunate in its early
history to have its leading spirits in
duetrious, prudent men who preferred
TO build on solid foundations rather
than to become a mushroom city in a
day.
TO the wisdom Of these men who
laid the foundations deep, broad and
substantial is due much of the credit
for the present size and business Of
the town. 1t also owes another debt
to its wise Democratic founders. They
were a thrifty, Woodworking, unpre-
tentious set Of men. They lived i'm COM
fort, but practiced economy, preached
Democracy, in it's original meaning,
and lived it in their every day lives.
They looked upon man as man, and
cared little for artificial distinctions.
They built up no distinctions other
than the distinction that the honestest
and braineSt we're entitled to the first
place. Industrious men who came
from a distance, and made this their
home, were received with cordially,
and made to feel at home.
The feeling of eXclusiveness which
''first settlers" usually exhibit to re-
cent Corners, was unknown to them.
This broad and catholic spirit has ever
characterized the town, and made it
a delightful home to all who appreciate
this high and correct standard The
young men inherited the freedom from
nrctense and vain show, from the older
heads, and the freedom from il is one
of the pleasant Municipalities Of the
place.
1t had fifty souls when it was incor-
porated. Now it has upwards of $500,
say 1000. Of that number, at least
1900 have come from other counties
and States, and helped to make the
town. They were induced to come
because of the good openings in bust
ness and because of the warm well
come they received. But the greatest
debt that the Wilson of to-day owes to
the Wilson Of the past is this: That
these early settlers believed that the
chief glory and corner stone of a town
was in its intellect and freedom from
ignorance. Even before the war the
town was noted as an educational
center. It's boarding school popula-
tion was almost as large as It's adult
population. People came from the sur
rounding counties and made this their
home because of the superior educa-
tional advantages offered.
Somewhere in the fifties, beautiful
school building-now the Wilson Col
lcgiate Institute-was erected, and
Prof. David T. Richardson, a scholarly
gentleman from the North, was made
President. He built up a school famed
far and near for a hundred miles His
record as disciplinarian and thorough
teacher yet fingers among the oldest
people. The influence of his lasting
work is still felt. In 1859 another large
and commodious building was erected
AZ Wilson. 1t was called the Wilson
Female Seminary. Rev. Chas f.
Deems, D. D., Ii. d., left the RESPONSE
bic position of Professor of Literature
ut the University, when it was i'm its
palmiest days, to accept the presidency
of this Seminary.
He also became President of the
Wilson Female Academy. With such
Institutions of learning in it's early
days Wilson was easily the center of
educational influences in n large terri
tory
DIR. Deems did not remain MANY
years in Wilson, but he left his schol-
astic impress upon the minds of the
men and women who have made the
town what it is. These traits-industrv
freedom from show, and devotion to
education-have been the foundations
upon which this spendid structure Of
a town has been built They have be-
come, in a large measure, ingrained
into the character and lives of the
Wilson people, and made them the
true, sturdy, prudent, progressive men
and women they are everywhere known
to be-
Devoted alike TO education and bust
ness, Wilson is built upon foundations
of rock nc will 90 forward TO still