The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-02
QUIZ RCD srRrSe- LETTER
An Interesting Budget or News Items
and Comments


Red Springs, July =.
Editor Messenger:
Crop prospects have improved re-
Gently. Low, wet lands in many places
have been flooded by recent rains and
crops on such lands are seriously In
jured, but upland corn and cotton are
growing finely. The season has been
favorable TO field peas and sweet pota-
toes. and abundant crops OF both viii
be made.
Superior court has been held for the
past three weeks and will continue an
other week. An important trial is in
progress wherein young Bracy, or
Rowland. is charged with the crime OF
murder. A protracted session OF U
during this hot weather is very trying
to the citizens who have to travel TWEEN
ty and even thirty miles to reach the
county seat Several bridges were re-
Gently carried away by freshets and the
only way TO a Lumberton was by
railway.
The sudden death of Mrs. John 4.
Mcpherson in Cumberland was a great
shock to the many relatives and friends
residing in Red Springs. She was the
oldest daughter Of the late Major John
MCNEIL. Of Scotland county, and was
noted for her many excellent traits OF
character.
In March 1868. a 16-year-old boy left
his home in Cumberland county and
for thirty-three years not a word came
to his family as to his fate. A few
days g a man called at the gate OF
the family residence in Cumberland
and inquired for the mother he left a
third OF a century ago. She a died
many years since and the sisters were
~astonished to meet the long lost broth
ar 1T is rPnOrfa6 that he has fra y-e1a6
over the world-has been recently in
Cuba and Australia and has come home
in bad health and perhaps to die.
Children's day at the Presbyterian
church in Red Springs was largely at
n and the exercises were very in
teresting. 1 doubt If any town in North
Carolina Of the size Of Red Springs al
gather as many children as can be
found here. Among the participants in
this children's day exercises I counted
fifteen lineal descendants of Rev. Alex
ander Craighead. If any reader Of The
Messenger should ask: Who was
Alexander Craighead?' I will refer
him to DR.. Foote'S sketches of North
Carolina.
1 a read Judge Clark's admirable
address at Wrightsville, and, like every
thing literary that comes from the
Judge. 1t is most entertaining. The ig-
norance Of North Carolina history
among our so called educated people is
just immense. The truth is we have
had no good history of our state. We
max history but do not record il. How
many people in our state know of or
care anything about the Declaration of
Independence, passed by the women OF
Mecklenburg in IT'S? a highly educat-
ed gentleman and citizen of Charlotte
told me that he had never heard of it.
To read the proceedings of recent
teachers conventions one would sup
pose that dense ignorance had prevailed
for the past 100 years in North Carroll
ma and that we had no educated men
in the past. l have long been satisfied
that the percentage of il~literacy in
North Carolina was wrongly stated.
Take Robson county, for instance.
For ten years we offered a reward of
$40 to any person who would produce a
native white citizen of this county who
could not read-not one was found. 1
do not believe a dozen native white
citizens can be found in the county of
Cumberland who are unable to read and
write. If n reader thinks that the
past history of education in our state
is a blank let him read the debates in
the convention of 1888 at Hillsboro.
which convention rejected the federal
constitution by 100 majority after a
discussion lasting 100 days. and he will
be surprised to learn that no similar
body of men has ever assembled in our
state that surpassed that convention in
intelligence, patriotism and statesman
ship.
With all the boosted educational light
of the present, we nave yet to hear of
a Clay, q Calhoun or a Webster being
reduced. The old curriculum produced
greater men than any that are now on
the stage. H. Mem.