The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-22

A Wagner Whose Conduct Led Men
to Wonder About Him
lChar.lotte Observer

the milling of -four and corn meal, al
ready eni0yfng exceptional advantages
MS a tobacco market, and carrying on
vast and profitable trade with the
back country of North Carolina, South
west Virginia and Tennessee. In the
absence of railroads, the vehicle of tins
traffic was the canvaS-topped wagon
drawn by two, four and. sometimes SIN
horses. where the journey was long ana
the roads heavy, the harness Jmghn&
with bells whose musical chime the
driver punctuated with the crack of his
long leathern whip.
Ordinarily these teams were owned
by the purchasers of the goods. but IN
many instances the hauling was done
by professional wagoners, as Aey
might be termed, who, at Stipulated.
prices. conveyed the produce To market,
and transported thence the wares need
ed for consumption at hom for tins
was largely a barter business. she up
country sending feathers, beesWaX, flax
seed. butter lard, wheat. whiSkey, etc.
and receiving therefor iron, sugar. cor
fee. moasses, cheap dry goods and cut
| lery.
Some time before this a wagner had
begun to make regular trips to the busy
| little mart on the Cape Fear, hauling
| by contract for country merchants ana
other buyers, the singularity of his APP
pearance and manners attracting no
| little attention, and evoking all kinds
Speculation and cOnjectures as to MS
| history al nationality. He offered
| startling contrast to the ordinary UNI
| couth. slouching, unfettered mountain
Ger. He spoke with Il marked foreign
accent wore his gray hair cut short,
was always clean-shaken, except for n
| heavy grizzled moustache and imperial,
! and, although his garb was the coarse
| leans of the backWoodsman, its neat
ness was remarkable, considering his
occupation. He must have been at least
| 81 years of age, hut he was tall straight
and muscular bearing himself with Il
military air which inspired respect.
| John Hedgson, as he was known, was
| a man OF very few words, tranSacting
| his business with strict integrity ana
| scrupulous care for the interest of his
employers: he was keen hand nj q
bargain. with excellent judgment in Sc
| Iecting goods.
On only one occasion was this remark
| able man known to break through the
reticence behind which he ever
| guardedIy entrenched himself. Late
| one summer afternoon, in one of the
| large wholesale stores on what is now
| known as upper Hay street, the ldb0rs
of the day were nearly over, the wagons
were loaded for their homeward trip next
morning. ana the news of the time came
up for discussion in the group of loung-
ers. The talk drifted from one topic
to another until ii touched upon the
great French Emperor and his Leipsic
campaign Of that year, when some
| thing WAS said derogat0ry Of French
arms or French courage. The effect
was marvellous. Hedgson, who had been
| lying back against a pile of bagging,
| Strengthened himself up, strobe into the
very centre OF the group, his face flushed
| and his eyes flashing fire, and for i've
minutes poured forth a torrent OF in
dignant eloquence, his defence OF Ma
| poleon eyincing an accurate knowledge
| of all his military movements and
| achievements as well MS Of all the facts
of French history. Then checking HIM
self with gesture Of impotence at his
| own excitement and imprudence, he
/ turned and marched out Of the store
hitched his team to the wagon all ready
| for travel, and drove out Of town.
Concerning IIedgson's coming
| North Carolina, it was known only that
a few years before ti,at time re had
made his appearance in the western
part of the State, hal bought small
tract of land, with rough but COM
| Portable two-roomed log cabin, and had
there settled down, hiring white man
of the neighborhood as laborer. He
| was no mean farmer. was very skill
| full gardener, and his hired help, Aber
| White. declared that with n cabbage
/ leaf and Il piece OF bacon rib he could
make a soup fit for u king. But John
| Hedgson had a Yankee eye fer the main
| chance: he clearly saw that there was
money on the road, and he speedily
equipped himself with good teams and
wagons with which he piled his profit
| able vocation.
| Time passed on, and the 18TH Of June.
1873 startled all Europe with Waterloo
and the fall of Napoleon. For years
| Hedgson and his man Abel White had
| lived together in the log-cabin: when,
| enc night after their frugal supper, as
| they sat in the light of the fire on the
| hearth. the former mending piece OF
| harness. and the latter nodding on his
bench, his great strong body already
overcome with the days work, the un-
wonted sound of carriage wheels was
heard outside on the hard clay road
They ratified up to the stile over the
fence, and then there was Il loud, clear
hail was repeated, when he rushed out Of
the cabin While aroused by his enc
ployeIs excitement. went to the door
where he saw on the road in front a
close two horse carriage, while he heard a
very animated conversation going on
in Il language which he could not I'M
derstand In short time Hedgson re-
turned to the cabin. hastily got togther
few things which he thrust into
small black travelling box, and seating
himself at a table he wrote Il few lines
on piece of paper. Then turning to
the astoniShed White, he said II am
going away. never to return; this pa
per thanding it to HIM is a deed of gift
of the cabin, stock and land; may you
prosper on it, Then giving his COM
panion hearty grasp of the hand, he
shouldered his box and was gone.
This was the last ever seen of the
strange old WAGNER, except that, some
days afterward, Fayetteville mer-
ah boi,,,y IN an bttsi-