The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-10-07
IN TOWN OF TROY, N. C
But the General Was Not Ready to
Give a Neck Tie Party.
He WAS GOLD MINING IN MONTGOMERY
The President Of The Western Union telegraph
Company Relates Some of His Old
War Tine Experiences in
the South.
BY j. c. L. HARRIS.


Troy, Montgomery county, North Car
lina.-This is the gold region of North
| Carolina. The county of Montgomery,
together with the counties of Rowan and
Cabarrus, is full of gold, and num-
Der of mines are now being worked. Be
fore and up to the beginning of the war
in 1861, gold mining was one of the chief
industries of this section of the country.
There were a number of companies cap
italiZed and developed by men residing
in the Northern States. In almost every
instance these companies sent down men
to take charge of the working OF these
mines who were experienced gold miners.
There is not so much being done in gold
mining as there was in 1861. although the
earth is tust as full of gold but
the ore is so situated that as yet there
has been no profitable way devised of
getting it into n saleabe dust az much
less than the intrinsic value of the gold
The owners of these lands have been
hoping that Mr.. Edison or some other
wizard would invent some process where
by the counties mentioned would be
speedily developed into a California or
Australia. If this is ever done there ia
enough gold in these counties to supply
the civilized world.
Near this town is situated what is
known rs the "Tobe Sanders gold mine
When the war broke out in 1861, this
mine was being developed by a Northern
company. and Gen. Thomas r. Eckert.
now the president of The Western Union
Telegraph Company, was superintendent
and manager of the mining operations
The writer was in New York city few
weeks ago, and while there acquired the
following incidents concerning Gen Eek
ert while in this State before and at
the timc the war broke out:
The most picturesque character OF the
Western Union Telegraph Company is
that of Gen. Thomas T. Eckert, the pres
ident thereof. He is now eighty three
years old, and is as hale and hearty as
he was twenty years ago. He is at his
desk every day, and by his polite pol
ished and cheerful manners charms all
who come in contact with him, either on
business or otherwise. He is simply one
Of natures noblemen.
In working this mine Gen. Eclert had
quite a number of hands under him. and
he was so kind and fair to them in his
greatest regard for him. Mr.. Eckert, as
he was then known, introduced consider
able machinery into the mine and when
the war brought his operations to an end
he was making a large dividend for his
company.
He was from the North. and therefore
a "Yankee." AS soon as the secession
war fever got abroad in the land every
Yankee" so-called because of his former
residence N some Northern State, was
suspected of treason to the Confederacy
if he had not declared himself seces-
sionists and war man, and did not wear
| a secession cockade. Superintendent Eek
| ert had not had anything to do with the
war fever. He had not made himself
obnoxious to either side. He was simply
i attending to his mining operations.
| 1t appears that Mr.. Eckert was at this
+, time we'll known to the gentleman who
| was president Of the Louisville and
/ Nashville Railroad Company, which was
/ greatly in need OF a man to take charge
| of the large force then employed by that
/ company The president remembering
! Mr.. Eckert, wrote him a letter saying
| that if Eckert would accept it, the
| president would put him in command of
his forces" This letter fell into the
! hands of the Confederate authorities and
! they construed it to mean that Eckert
was to have command of an army to op-
crate against the Confederacy, whereas.
| the real meaning was simply to have gen
eral charge of the railroad company and
all its employees. This was considered as
| treason, to be in secret correspondence
with the public enemv Hearing of this
correspondence and before any official
! action was taken by the Confederate au-
| thoritiCs, four men came to the mine one
day all armed with rifles. and intimated
to Eckert that it as time for him
! to leave the State In order to inn
press the idea OF leaving they suggested
TO Eckert that if he would put up tar
get they would show him their skill as
! marksmen The target was put up at
distance of one hundred yards, which was
the usual distance for the squirrel rifles.
which the ordinary hunter used in North
! Carolina, and the four men fired several
| times, showing that they were experience
ed marEsmen. although they did not hit
the bulls eye. During this proceeding
Eckert had kept perfectly cool and coll
lected and had not indicated that he was
| afraid of any harm being done him. At
ten the four had shot all they desired.
Eckert remarked that he had just re-
ceived a now gun which he had not fired
(Contiued on page A.