The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-01
CHARLOTTE'S GROWTH---POLI-
TICS AND PROGRESS.

|
or eight years, and it has been exact
| ly twelve years since | was here long
enough to go all over the city. In
/ that stretch of years it has taken
| giant strides in every direction. and
is now as beautiful and prosperous
] and progressive as its two great
| newspapers have been asserting day in
and day out for the past dozen years.
Writing to John Randolph, when he
was the subject of vicious assaults by
the New York and Philadelphia pa
| pers. Nathaniel Macon counselled his
| irascibe friend not to be troubled by
| the criticisms of the press, for" said
| he in his sententious way, "a govern
! ment of editors would be a govern
| ment of the hungry" If the last of
| the Romans as jefferson called Ma
con, was alive today and should visit
| the modern Offices of Charlotte's two
| daily newspapers, and meet the sleek
and well fed editors, he would have
to change his opinion of a government
! by editors.
! Charlotte's growth has been chiefly
|
one morning paper, the Observer. ed
tied by Mr.. JOS. =. Caldwell, and one
| afternoon paper edited by Mr.. w.
| Cary Dowd, eX-State Senator from
| Mecklenburg, and their enlargement
| and prosperity shows that while they
have lead in all ways for the growth
and glory of the city, they have them
| selves shared in its evident prosperity.
| The Observer is the largest daily
| newspaper published in the State 1t
has a staff of able and experienced
| newspaper men, embracing Messrs.
| Joseph p. Caldwell Howard a. Banks,
| /. F. Avery, Wade ii. Harris and 9TH
ers. and has a plant unequalled be-
tween Washington and Atlanta. T. is
a power in this whole section. The
| News is owned by Mr.. W. c. Dowd,
| who has made it easily the first after
noon paper in the State, enjoying
a.circulation that shows that the peo-
| pie of this city appreciate its excel
| lence. Associated with Mr.. Dowd on
the editorial staff are Mr.. John w.
| Jenkins. who graduated in journalism
| on the News and Observer staff Miss
| Addie Williams, officially proclaimed
| by the State Press Association the
| best local editor in the State" and
| others The News is a Democratic
paper-(and has great influence in all
| this section) without affiN or suffiX,
| in storm and in peace. and the people
of this good county delight TO honor
its editor. Yesterday Mr.. Dowd AN
! nounced that he could not yield to
| the desire of his friends 10 accept a
| nomination for the House. He would
| have been a leader in that body. and
proved that Macon was wrong when
he declared that "a government by
editors would be a government OF the
hungry"
| was prepared TO see great develop
ment and expansion here. but moth
ing like what my friend Chas. w. Til
lett. Esq. pointed out in drive from
! Dilworth to the other end of the city
and in the suburbs Saturday after
noon. The improvement in the cen
ire Of the city is notable. but Char
lotte has spread out with beautiful
suburbs until you have to travel miles
and miles to get into the country,
and you may ride seventy eight miles
on fine macadam roads without ever
coming TO an old fashioned DIRT road
where your horse gets stuck IN The
| mud The beginning of ChaI lottes
! new life can be traced to It's work of
road construction, begun by those
two wise and progressive farmers,
| Capt. S. u. Alexander and Cap w. y.
| Audrey. who in material things have
done as much for Mecklenburg as the
! immortal signers did for inaugur-
ating the struggle for liberty.
| These two leaders and the
| others who put the Mecklenburg road
law into operation may never have a
monument erected to their memory
in the public square, but for all time
the men who swore because of bad
| roads will have an easier time travel
ling on 1.-The straight and narrow
| road because of the good roads lead
| ing into Charlotte from every drec-
ton. A gentleman tells me that the
office of county commissioner is more
sought after here than any other posi-
ton because many public-spirited men
| In the county desire to be connected
with the extension of the splendid
road system that has not only made
| travelling a delight. but has steadily
| increased the area from which coun-
| try trade is drawn. Farmers, mer-
| chants and all see that road building
has paid and is paying. and the man
! VINO would suggest That the work
should be discontinued-wel there
isn't such a man in the county. The
taxes are paid cheerfully and the only
| trouble about it at all is that the peo-
pie of every section of the county wish
it extended TO their neighborhood,
| :: !: = 3
Next to the newspapers and the
good roads, Charlotte owes most to
the multitude of what are generally
| termed 'small industries"
that begun on small scale and have
steadily grown as distinguished from
great cotton mills that start with
large capital. Charlotte has eleven
fiourishing cotton mills, giving en-
ployment TO Il small army of intell-
gent and thrifty men and women who
in every way that makes for Char
lotte's glory are second to no class of
its population. But, while a great
factor in the prosperity of the city.
there are Others" There are facto-
ries for making pants, for making
| towels, woodworking establish
ments. and almost everything else
that bring money to city. These