The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-14
VISITOR

navfsttx Our Country After Thirty
one year.-He Notes Many Changes
and Much Evidence Of Progress I'm
wfimiugton-He Will Make a Fresh
study Of Social, Race and Industrial
ProbIems-weiI known Author and (
Lecturer
There arrived in Wilmington yester-
day a distinguished visitor from Glas-
gov. Scotland, the Rev. David Macrae,
who is a guest of Mr.. James Sprunt,
at his palatial home on Front and Nun
streets. Mr.. Macrae visited America an
1867-68, just after the great American
civil war and spent much of his time
in the south making observations n
studying the condition and social PROP
lens of the country. On his tour then
he was a guest Of the late Mr.. Alex
ander Sprupt, father of his hosPitable
host now.
A Messenger representative called on
Mr.. Macrae last evening at Mr..
Sprunt's and had a brief, but most
agreeable conversation with him. He
is a gentleman of the most genial and
open hearted nature, a man of extern
sive learning and culture and"a CONVEX
sationalist Of rare gifts, with a vast
fund of information and huInor to add
TO MS Olner requirements.
Mr.. Macrae Is a Presbyterian minis
ter, and has a wide and favorable rep
utation in Great Britain as a preacher,
a successful author, the champion Of
temperance and liberty and a brilliant
and popular lecturer. He is also we'll
known in America and Is spoken of by
the press here and abroad as the ia
NOUS Scotch lecturer"
The distinguished visitor is also the
author Of several books, one of which
won a prize of $500 and passed through
several editions. After his former tour
through the United States n Cana
da thirty-one years ago, he returned
to Scotland and the results of his OBJ
ServationS were published in his
Americans at Home'-a book which
was published in numerous editions
and was most favorably received in the
old country and in this. 1t is spoken of
as very bright, sympathetic n
amusing"
Mr.. Macrae comes to the states on
this second tour to make a fresh OBJ
%servation of American manners and
institutions, study the social and race
problems, and see for himself what
these thirty years have wrought in the
way of development n change. He
is particularly interested in the social
and race problems of the SOUTH, includ-
ing the effect of these thirty odd years
of free labor.
Last evening Mr. Macrae spoke inter-
estingly of his former visit to the
south. Then, as the result of four years
of devastating internescine war, the
south was PROSTATE. He now finds it
under different conditions and he tells
us that he is surprised to see the great
development in the forms and variety
of industry, manufactures and pro-
ducts. He expressed establishment to
see cities spring up as if by magic in
quarters where thirty years ago proba-
bly, not a house stood. One such place
that he visited was Roanoke, Va, a
city of some %, 600 inhabitants with it's
prosperous industries and very thriv-
ing appearance. He also visited Rich
mond, the quondam capital of the con-
federacy, and having seen that city
under the conditions after the war, he
was struck with the evidence of it's
recuperation n growth. He says it
looks like a new city, and strikes him
as a substantial and prosperous COM
munity.
AS for Wilmington, compared to his
observation on his first visit, he tells
us that he notes a great change. He
says there is an air of progress about
the city that impresses him most
agreeably. From appearances, he
states, there are unmistakable signs
of prosperity. He views the city under
vastly different aspects than on his
forme tour, and, with some amuse-
ment, he remarked that the only thing
suggestive of the Wilmington he visit
ed ~thirty-one years ago is the old clock
in the tower of st. James church. In
those long years ago the clock had
ceased to go and the hands, as if
about to fall off, hung at $50 o'clock.
Strange enough, the hands now point
to the same hour solemn reminder
of the long agO-time turned k
in it's flight.
MI. Macrae loves to tell of the SYM
pathy and fraternal feeling the people
of Great Britain, and especially those
in Scotland, have for the United States.
and that there is a strong reciprocal
feeling in u country for our British
kin. He says he is sorry to see thar
our papers, like the papers in his
country. speak of Great Britain as
England. England is only a portion
of Great Britain, and certainly it is
a mistake to designate the British en-
pire as England.
Mr.. Macrae is visiting America this
time partly for the sake of his health,
and being deeply interested in temper
ance work in his country, hi intends,
so far as he has opportunity, to look
into some questions of public interest,
including the present condition of the
temperance movement in our country,
and the laws of the states touching
the sale of liquors. Before leaving
Glasgow, the Scottish Temperance
League and h Grand Lodge of Scot
land sent him letters commencing him
to the temperance people of America.
He also says his countrymen adopte
very hearty resolutions of brotherly
feeling for the people of the United
States
Mr.. Macrae came here from Char
Iotte, where he has been visiting Mrs.
Stonewall He is a great ad-
mirer OF the great military chieftain
whose name she bears, and he Is the
proud possessor, of the coat which Cen
era wore when he received
his death wound at charlottesville.
He will spend some time in our city
n we are sure there is the warmest
possible welcome for him in the hearts
of our people.
General Henry,s Cabinet