Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-09
CHARLOTTE.
Old Citizens Are Now Strangers
of the City.
One of Them Who Used to Know 10 on. of
Every IL. Now Scarcely Knows Two Out
of1a Tho New Population of tho City,
lFrom the observer.l


gas lights and well water in Charlotte
and that was less than fifteen years
ago-had talk recently with an old
citizen who knows more about Char
lotte and its people Of that time than
he does Ibout Charlotte and its people
of to-day. Although he has been in ac-
tive business, the growth of the town
and the influx of new people got be-
yond his ability to keep up with them.
Why" he said by way of ilustra-
ton. "a dozen years ago 1 could stand
ON street corner ana name ten out OF
every twelve people who passed. Now
L doubt II l can name more than two
out of twelve. This is accounted for in
measure by the young people who
nave grown up into young men and
Women-tell me their names and l
know their parents-but the majority
or new faces one sees are new residents
Oh acknowledgements, merchants. me-
chanics and business men oil all Kinds
VINO have located here in recent years
Take the four blocks around lndepen-
dence square, and one-haif the stores
Offices and business houses are in the
hands of people whose names were I'M
known in Charlotte dozen years ago
Not only Is this the case in the centre
of the city. but in the newly built up
suburbs the new resident is still more
strfkingly in evidence. There were ten
circus grounds around Charlotte ten
years ago
Each one has been filled up in turn
by a manufacturing plant until. now.
Wnen q circus comes along 1t has 70
pitch Its tent n mile outside the corpo-
rate limits. In this brief space Of time
Charlotte has developed from an easy
gong country town to one that Is up-
tO-01tG in fha MI fa ot,,
trial and electrical age"
The inability OF this old citizen to
recognize but few OF the people he secs
on the streets these days is n failing
that is not confined To himself but is
quite general, even with the best most
ed citizens. AS the appearance of the
city has been changed by the construc-
ton of new buildings. many of which
TOOK the place OF old landmarks, so has
the personnel of the city itself changed
ana one must have been very wide
awake, indeed, to have kept tab on the
new corners. To name the list with
anything like accuracy would be the
test of remarkable memory The
names that were Familiarity Identified
with old Charlotte are holding their
own. but 1t Is true that in any account
OF social function there will be one
new name to every old one. The Sex
tons, Chadwicks. Dodsworths. Wilson's,
Farnan Dressers. Gauters Reillys,
Villalongas. Robbins. Ciarks. McMa.
hans. Champions, Londons. Lelsels,
McCorkles. Martinez, Banners, Russels.
Thompsons, Millers. Jordans, Ferris
are among the names unknown In So
cial circles few years ago.
Ihese names are also prominent In
the new business life OF Charlotte and
almost like copying the city directory
to give the names of the new
business and social people. but
prominent in the list are the Rob
ertsons, Washburns. -Koiners, Chat
hams, Cothrans, Pearce, Eddys. Tapps.
Longs, Yorkes, Belks Leslie. Wheat
Spiers. Greens, Stiles. Howertons, Hay.
goods, Craiges, Fores, Ivey, Brannons
Abbott, Ed and p. w. Smith. Hiss,
lteadman. Duffey. Calendar Peagues
prs. Croweil. Banner. Russell. Ste
phenson and Brooks: Consta bles, Wal
ters. Lawrences Stenersons, David
sons. Vanechops. kim, Thomas. Rake
straws Nesbits. Simpsons, Glichrists,
Porters. Observation-Disclosures are but
some of the names on Charlotte's his
mess register.
1t was the realization of this change
In the personnel of the town that i'm
pressed this old resident with n sense
OF the growth of the city and with tho
fact that while he is living in an old
town, he is yet living in a new one,
The NEW ELEMENT.
Inc new element in the population Is
of diversified class and is distributed
under the various heads of capitalists
investors. manufacturers. supply men.
machinists. architects. contractors, day
iaporers men who spin and women
who weave. Old Charlotte was long
ago overlooked, and these new people
have built little towns on the hills
around Charlotte.
The corporate limits of Charlotte
have not been extended since prior to
the census of 1890. The town was then
pretty we'll built up within these limits.
and. except on side streets, there was
but little room for Improvement: but
Wherever there was room for a new
house, 1t has been utilized, except in
the case of some of the fine old family
homeSteads, which still occupy half u
block, and In some instances a block.
Some residences that occupied a lot
with yard space on either side, were
moved to one side and remodeled and
a new house built by it. making two
houses where there was but one. In
the business district, old stores have
been enlarged or torn away completely
to give way to new structures, and the
business section itself has been extend
ed north on Tryon street nearly two
blocks, on each side of the street. and
south on Tryon street q full block on
each side. On these two blocks are the
States two finest office buildings and
one of the most extensive manufacture
ing plants in the city while on a block
south is the new courthouse. On Col
lege street. where the old gas works
were located is now a block of tower
Ing storehouses. In between in what
were back lots" are now factories
and warehouses.
In this way, In spite of its confined
limits. old Charlotte has made a won
derful growth in the past ten years.