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

/ it was incorporated by the General
/ Assembly ia 1869, though within the
radius of mile from the station might
| then be found the residences and fam
lies Of perhaps a dozen reputable and
respected citizens among whom the
writer recalls the names Of John r.
Green, II. i. Morris, Colonel d. c. Par
IRISH. James ". Cheek, T. x. Redmond,
II. j. Riggsbee, William Mangum. r
j. Mangum, M. A. Angler, Charles
Strayhorn, Jesse Geer. u. G. Geer,
Frank Proctor, Sterling Proctor, A. M.
Rigsbee. These, all respected names,
constituted the early patriarchs, so to
speak. Of the sleepy little hamlet Of
tDurham's" prior to the war.
But the time was approaching when
| Durham's" was to shake off its
ethargy, and the change is directly
traceable TO it's geographical location
with reference TO the Golden Belt
Tobacco Section" of North Carolina
and the State University
The older graduates of the Universe
t. Of North Carolina, who attended
that great institution Of learning be-
tween 1854 and 1865, now living, re-
member "Durham's" as the railroad
station at which most OF them took
the cars of the North Carolina Rail
road in going to and returning from
the University at Chapel Hill. Who
among them can ever forget the hack
rides, slow teams and rough roads be-
tween Durham and Chapel Hill Of those
good old halcyon days, when the ! MT
yersity under Governor Swain as pres
ident, and his distinguished associates
in the Faculty, could boast of five hum
dred students on the rolls. represent
ing every county in North Carolina,
and every Southern State from Virgin
Ia to Texas? II was John n. Green. Of
| ''DuTham's,' who first conceived the
idea Of manufacturing a fine article
of smoking tobacco out Of the superior
yellow golden leaf tobacco III the
Golden Belt" suited to the wants
and demands of the University stu
dents. and he undertook to carry out
that idea The man and the opportuni-
ty had met. He carefully selected his
material, and was painstal1iDg in its
manipulation, 50 that the fastidious
tastes Of the young students at Chapel
Hill readily sought his tobacco. They
smoked it at Chapel Hill during the
sessions Of the University, and in pass
ing Durham, where Green's factory
was located, they supplied themselves
for home consumption among their
friends during vacations.
When the war came on, University
| students were to be found wherever
the Confederate flag foated, and
Green's tobacco, through orders of old
students, followed them to the tented
field and around the camp fires of Lee
and johnson. Tt thus became known
among the Confederate soldiers of
North Carolina and the other Southern
States, thousands of whom never saw
North Carolina State University, nor
Durham either.
| And when the war closed, the last
scenes relating to that great historical
| tragedy were enacted in the immediate
! vicinity Of Durham, johnson sur
/ rendering his shattered remnant of
/ Confederate forces to SherInan's victo-
rious army at the Bennett House, be-
/ tween Durham and Hillsboro, just five
/ miles from Durham. General ,Iudson
! Fitzpatrick, with part Of his division
Of SherTnan's cavalry, at the time Of
IJohnson's surrender, was camped at
4 Durham, having his headquarters al
the house of Mr.. John A. McDfannen
while General Atkins Brigade Of Kill
! patrick's division was at Chapel Hill
And just at this time, too, Green's to-
bacco factory, in which was stored a
/ large quantity Of his smoking tobacco
was opened and pillaged by Federal
soldiers, and his tobacco carried off
without so much as even thanks to the
owner. But it was a grand advertise