The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-14
OUR H0NORED DEAD
DIR. DeROSSETT'S MEMORY EULO.
GIZED YESTERDAY
Interesting Proceedings of the roduc
Exchange-St.James vestry Takee Action.
The Chamber Of Commerce to Meet-The
funeral

Funeral
On account of the death Of the ven
cradle DR.. A. j. DeRosset, at 11:3(
O'Clock Thursday night, the rooms OF
the Produce Exchange We're draped in
mourning yesterday and a specialmeet-
ing Of that body was called at 4 p. m.
to take action with reference to the
passing away of this greatly esteemed
citizen and former member of the ex
change.
Mr.. Oscar Pearsall, president of the
exchange, being absent, Mr.. H.. G..
Smallbones, vice president, called the
exchange to order and announced the
object Of the meeting.
Colonel John l.. Cantwell, the secre-
tary, was in attendance and the fol-
lowing gentlemen were present:
Messrs. James H.. Chadbourn, H. K.
Nash, NJ. S. Willard, C. E. Borden,
George Rountree, c.. H. Robinson,
James Sprunt, E.. Lilly, J.. G.. Boney,
H. c.. Mcqueen, S. p. McNair, John
Frank, 3. F. Hall, VIM. Calder, Colonel
JOlu WllueT AlklIlSOu dlO captain w.
r.. Kenan.
When the object of the meeting had
been stated, Mr.. H. K. Nash moved
hat the president appoint a committee
on resolutions.
The motion was adopted, and the
chairman appointed the following COM
mittee: Messrs. James H. C%hadbourn,
chairman, H. K. Nash NJ. S. Will
lard. The committee then retired.
Mr.. C. H. Robinson moved that as
DIR. DeRosset was not a member of the
exchange at the time of his death,
n as he was so generally esteemed
in the community, that those not men,
bers of the exchange be invited to par
tioipate in the meeting. The motion
was adopted.
The chairman then announced that
in the absence Of the committee on
resolutions, the meeting was open for
remarks.
Mr.. James Sprunt said:
"Actuated by motives of profound
respect and generation for the per-
son and character of the distin-
guished citizen, whose death has be-
reaved our devoted city, and by the
feelings n Sympathies which this
sad occasion inspires, I would add my
humble tribute to the loving memory
of one. whose exalted virtues have
been for more than half "a century, as
household words in the community by
which he was always hOnOred and
revered.
'In the busy walks of life, in the
ever increasing struggle for the neces-
sites and the vanities which rob us of
the homage due to nobler things, we
often forget the debts of our birth and
inheritance, which we w to those
whose diligence and devotion, whose
patriotic prescience, achieved the
blessings which we now enjoy.
Il never read the story Of the build
ing in 1867 of our Wilmington rail-
road, now the trunk of a system, the
best managed and most successful in
our country, without feelings of CRATE
full admiration for the noble spirits who
conceived it, and for the generous
hearts who staked their all in it's &C
complishment. But, alas! who speaks
of it now? Who tells his children Of
the splendid talents the skilful in
duStry, the courageous perseverance,
of these intrepid Wilmingtonians, who,
in the earliest days of railways in a
village of a few hundred white popula-
tiOn, remote from the Genes and in
fuences of the country's progress, pro-
jected and completed, with almOst
their own means, n fortunes, (maS-
terfully subserved by the rare sagacity
and successful negotiations of one who,
had survived them all), the longest
railway in the world?
Would that the spirit that animated
the heart of a Dudley, of a Dickinson,
of an Ashe, of a Lazarus, of an Owen,
of a Hall, of a MacRae, of an an An |
derson, of a Parsley, of a Mutt, Of a
DeRosset, might quicken the rising
generation of W~ilmington's sons to
equal effort, for the welfare of our
community.
"Endued with remarkable i~ntelleotu- |
al gifts, DR.. DeRosset, as a lad, COM
pleted his preparations for college at
h early age of IA years. The story
of his extraordinary m~atriculation in
h Sophomore class at the state uni
versity, while he was in charge of a
faithful domestic, who attended him |
by direction of his parents, and of the |
characteristic name by which he was !
known to his fellow students, of Lit
tie Breeches,' is still a proud and pleas |
ing memory of Chapel Hill, where he
was graduated with honors, in 1924, at
the age of II years.
"Of his later life, as the beloved ply |
stefan, the successful and upright mer- |
chant, the trusted leader of internal
improvement, the wise counselor and
director, the honored representative of
h affairs of the church, the devoted
and humbl Christian, the aged and
revered citizen, 1 shall not presume to
speak at length.
What stirring memories of our an |
cient borough are connected with his |
hOnore name, since the brave message |
of his grandfather, who, as mayor of !
this town, refused to succor King !
Georges hostile ships in the Whining |
ton river, for, i'm each epoch of our Cape
Fear history, we find it's representa-
tives the same in public spirit, |
and in private excellence. He was
the last of a noble class of
Southerners that is fast dying out:
4 ho L;~I11f &vno 80 o,,r -, - ,;tx, &Lox l