The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-08-23
(From Our Regular CorrespOndent.)

RALEIGH, n C., August 30, 1900.
The chief event Of the present week III
Raleigh. one in which every true North
Carolinian feels personal and patriotic
interest, is the unwilling OF the splendid
and life-like bronze statue of the immOr
tai '.Zeb'' Vance the great cOmmOner,
and the most beloved man OF the people
of his State ever raised up among us.
The unwilling ceremonies will take place
Wednesday, in Capitol Park, at the East
entrance to which and facing the rising
sun, about 80 yards from the East front
of the statehouse building, the statue
stands-on a native granite pedestal.
which rises through grass-turfed mound
some thirty feet high in all.
The bronze statue, which Is a little
larger than life size. represents the great
CarOinian in an erect attitude. such as he
assumed when addressing the Nice-Presl-
dent and his colleagues III the United
States Senate-with one hand resting
carlesslv on a corner of his desk, the other
half outstretched and holding between
his fingers the eye glasses he was accus-
toned to remove while speaking. BRING
ing them into use occasionally as he read
from some authority or quoting an eX-
tract from the coinage OF another : BRAIN.
The attitude is Enthusiastically that OF
Eance-as the writer has many tunes
seen him in the Senate-and the features
and facial likeness. Zion name hair and
all, are very life-like. In short, the
bronze counterfeit is a splendid one, and
not only in its resemblance to the Origl-
nal. but the work is tirst-class and
splendidly executed in every particular.
The statue has been in position for
several weeks, but has been kept yelled
up to this time. OF course.
The veil will be removed by Miss
Espey Vance, granddaughter OF the
"GOvernor" (as North CarOlinians were
wont to call him years after he entered
the Senate) and daughter OF the late
David Vance. his second son. The latter
married in Louisiana and the young lady
is now Il resident OF that State, where
she has her home with maternal relatives.
She gets her first name. "Espey. from
her grandmother. the Governors first
wife. who was n Miss Espey.
A MAGNIFICENT TRBrTE
The address OF the occasion will he
delivered by Hon. Richard II. Battle. OF
Raleigh, the private secretary OF the
great war governor during the Civil
War. and who was. through nearly all
the political career of Vance. his most
intimate and trusted friend. No living
man knows SO much OF the hero OF this
occasion personally. Il fact which pecul-
! iarly qualities him for the task assigned
him Add to this the fact that Mr. Bat
tie is one OF the most entertaining speak
ers in the State and an orator OF uncOm-
mon ability. and the wisdom OF the selec-
ton of him to prepare and deliver this
address is apparent to all.
| have had the privilege oil examining
the manuscript OF the speech, and | can
say that, as expected, it is one OF the
most mastery productions of its kind
ever called into existence in this country
Those who hear it will never forget it
and the privilege is one worth coming
hundreds of miles to enjoy.
VANCE STATUE AT WASHINGTON.
When the Legislature meets it ought to
prOvidefOr II statue of Vance to be placed
in the national capitol building at Wash
ington, where space is provided for the
statues OF two of tie sons OF each of the
States. North Carolina has already too
long been without representation in either
niche OF this ''temple of fame" and OF
course a counterfeit of Vance should be
one OF the offerings from this State
Ipresume that the molds have not yet
been destroyed, and it is probable that a
| duplicate of the statue now being I'M
yelled here could be secured for but a
small portion of the cost of the original
| Let the lawmakers take up this matter
| when they arrive here next January and
put it through.
! COTTON MILL OPERATIVES AND MILL
OWNERS.
\ hot fight Is in progress in Durham,
| though an orderly and peaceful one be-
| tween the authorities of the Erwin Cot
| ton Mills and Others and the mill opera
| tiveS.
| The disagreement grows entirely out
OF the desire OF the operatives to ''organ-
ize their forces, by joining labor unions.
| and several hundred of them have already
| done so.
The mill owners are very pronounced
and determined in their opposition to the
reorganization of labOremplOyed in their
! mills, and General Manager Erwin mott
fed the employees of his large mill that all
who joined local labor union would be
discharged; that no members of such
organization will be employed by his
company i'll the future and that ali who
desire to remain at the Erwin mill must
| hold alOOf from all such unions" anv
who had already joined being required to
| withdraw at once or cease work at the
mill, at the end OF two weeks notice
agreement existing between the company
and its employees
| This threat, however. has not had the
deterrent effect expected and more than
a hundred OF the Erwin mill operatives
and about half as many of the Pearl mill
forces had Joined the union up to last
week, and it is stated that many more
are being taken i'll nearly every night.
Most OF these accepted the situation as
presented by the mill officials and have
already secured employment at Other
| mills With the nynectatin,l IL lnn,-inn