The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-25
A DAY IN HALIFAX
First Town in the East to Solve
the Water Problem.
The Theatre Of Far Reaching Historical Events
Judge Winston Making Fine impression.
The Penitentiary Farms.
Editorial Correspondence

Halifax, NJ c., Aug. "a. This is pa
triotic ground upon which the court house
and the business houses and homes of
this pleasant village stand. 1t is con-
nected with many of the most historic
events in the early glorious history of
this good commonwealth. No town in the
State has been the theatre of events so
reaching for liberty and independence,
and as l stood for the first time at the
homes of Willie Jones and William r.
Davie, felt to say in Bible phrase that
ground.
Halifax was the first town in Eastern
North Carolina to solve the problem of
good water. In common with the old
fashioned habit, the people of the East
drank rain water or water from wells Of
from shallow wells has given Eastern
North Carolina its reputation for
malaria. Wherever the people get their
water from driven wells or artesian wells,
the sickness due to malaria has almost
disappeared. The artesan well here on
the court house square, made by the
county, is 29O feet deep and furnishes an
abundant supply of pure cold water. II
s the people of every town in the East
would provide such good water, it would
pay for itself ten times over in lessening
malaria. 1t beats water works water,
for it is not only pure and good. but is
cold and therefore better than ice water.
Halifax has not grown in recent years
in fact it's population and business are not
so great as % years ago, but it is still
the trading centre for a prosperous and
thrifty agricultural section. The lead
ing business houses are the Froelich
Trading Company, Of which Mr..
Fred Froelich, native OF Prus-
STA, is the manager and direc-
tor; Mcmahon & Son. B. H. Hale. c.
H. Hale and Mr.. John M. Brown. the
druggist. These concerns do large bust
ness. Among the most successful men
: of the place are the Wilcox Brothers, five
of them, who have made no little money.
One Of them. Mr.. w. A. Wilcox, conducts
the postoffice for the postmaster. They
think of building a new hotel to replace
Judge Walter Clark's hotel, which was
burned down few years ago. This is
needed, but the two boarding houses kept
by Mrs. Ida Safer and Mrs. Howerton,
give as excellent fare as any fine hotel
could do and better than many fine hotels
/ have seen. l was guest at Mrs.
Sater's hotel. She is a former resident
of Raleigh and her friends in the capt.
tai will be glad to know that she is pros
pering With her well-directed energy
and sunny temperament she deserves
the largest success. There is only one
has large practice and stands high as
skilled and successful physician and
also has large farming interests.
Halifax has always had strong bar. l
speak of both the county and the town.
The bar of this county today is one of the
resided such lawyers as VIM. r. Davie,
Judge Daniel, Bartholomew F. Moore, Ed
ward Conigland, Walter Clark, Judge
Mullen, Robert 0. Burton and others quite
as well known in their day. There are
only three resident lawyers here now, ex-
Judge Thos. N. Hill and son, Mr.. Nor
fleet Hill and State Senator Edward L.
Travis. Only few days ago, Mr.. j. M.
Grizzard, tn oldest member of the bar
here, died. He occupied the office erect
ed here by Judge Walter Clark. He was
splendid gentleman and died with the
respect of the whole county. 1t is little
singular that four men who practised to-
gether SO long here-Capt. Kitchen, ex-
Judge Whitaker, Robt. o. Burton and
Capt. J. M. Grizzard-should have all died
in the same year. They were every one
conspicuous men and made their impress
sion upon their county and State. All had
represented Halifax in the Legislature,
except Mr.. Burton, who was never can
didate for public office.
This is the home of State Senator Ira
Wis, who is the chairman of the
County Democratic Executive Commit
tee as we'll as chairman of the Ex-
ecutive Committee OF the State
Prison. The farms lie snear here
and he is often there in the dis
charge of his duties. l asked him about
the crop prospects, Mr.. Travis said:
Considering the seasons, the pepiten
tiary farms in this county-Caledonia and
Tillery farms-are very good. The crop
on the Tillery. farm is excellent. We will
make between 400 and 500 bales of cotton,
one-half of which goes to Mr. Tillery and
one half to the State. On the Caledonia
farm we expect to make 500 bales GER
tain and 500 bales if there is late fall.