The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-05-06
RAILWAY CELEBRATION.
How New Bern Celebrated the Com
pletiOu Of tue Atlantic and North
CarOlinn Railroad >c1rly Fifty
Years Ago.

\ meeting of the citizens was held
and a committee appointed to make ar
TCngements for a celebration. This
committee was divided into several COM
Uittees: Colonel o D. Whitford was
made chairman to arrange for a ball,
Mr.. Charles c. Clark was on the COM
mittee to invite a speaker, William H
Oliver was made chairman of the COM
mittee On entertainment.
The almost herculean task of provid-
ing for the entertainment of the vast
crowd Of people who were expected to
be here was assigned to me. I at nee
went to work. The first thing was to Or
der from New York a sufficient quanti-
ty of white granite plates and dishes,
glassware. knives and forks and spoons
sufficient to set off the immense tables
which were to be erected. Next, to
make arrangements for the provisions.
L soon secured about two thousand
pounds of fresh meats n about one
thousand bushels of oysters, which con-
Stituted the SubStantials. The celebra-
ton was to be on Thursday; the fresh
meats n oysters were to be delivered
on Tuesday. On the day they were de-
- liz I'LL II tAIIS
warm. and we were afraid the meats
and oysters would be spoiled. With
fear and anxiety We went to bed on
Tuesday night. as the weather still on
tinued very warm. Imagine the relief
the next morning to find a sudden
change in the weather, and quite q
heavy snow had fallen. and everything
was safe. Almost every household was
soon ready to commence the cooking
and all went at it willingly. Mr.. Sc
bastian Bangert a baked a vast num-
Der of loaves of bread, which with a
number of barrels of crackers was used.
A number were engaged in making
and baking a vast number of peach and
apples pies. Knowing that our western
friends could not raise as fine sweet po-
tatoes as the east, 1 bought a boat load
of fine yam potatoes and they were put
in Mr.. Bangert'S bak wen or Wednes-
day night and baked to perfection; they
were spread on the tables n greatly
enjoyed by many who had never before
eaten he yam potatoes.
Seven long tables had been erected,
they were covered with nice white cloth
and on them were placed the crockery
and glass ware. Probably there never
before or since in North Carolina were
more imposing tables set for a public
entertainment. On Thursday morning
all was hustle, everyone busy, and a
iloSI VI 1ASoi WIN AAAS III liz
provisions which had been cooked by
almost every household in New Bern.
The town was soon full of people, 1t be-
Ing estimated at eight thousand as Wis
itorS. Rev. DR.. Francis l.. Hawks n
Henry w. Miller, Esq, addressed the
assembly in the Academy green. y
procession was then formed marched
to the round house at the railroad depot
and everyone invited to partake of the
inner. Rev. DR.. Francis L. Hawks.
a native born citizen of then Newbern,
presided. From the number of express
sions which were so frequently heard
everyone was satisfied. Not only the
edibles. but a quantity of genuine cham
paign and scuppernong wine was fur
nished. There were six or seven mill
tary companies present. Trains of cars
from almost every section of the state
came in loaded to- their full capacity
with visitors. These trains remained
until after the close: they were stretch
ed in Hancock street extending from
Trent river to the railroad depot. l was
frequently asked what was to be done
with the great quantity of cutlery and
glass ware. I had already planned to
ave it disposed of at auction. Mr.
John c.. Coart. who was an auctioneer,
sold it at public sale. and it realized
sufficient amount to pay the cost of it
It was certainly an entertaining and en-
iovable OCCASION. I use the name New
bern as that was right up to 1897, at
which time by an act of the Legislature
It was changed to New Bern.
WILLIAM II. OLIVER.