The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-01
HISTORY OF RALEIGH
CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE
Some Side Lights on Early Met l1odism in Wilmngto
DR.. Helm, DR.. Pel DR.. Gloss, DR..
Hudson, DR.. James.

of that cut off territory was that of 1850
when Wilmington ana the whole Cape
Fear country were given to the North
Carolina Conference. Most Of the people
in the territory favored the transfer, but
others were bitterly opposed to it, many
OF which class lived in Wilmington, ana
so bitter was their bitterness That they
said and did a great many unbecomng
| things The men thought the North
| Carolina preachers were not SO well edu-
! Gated and could not preach SO we'll as
! preachers who had been reared in Col
umbia or Charleston, while the women
| just knew that the North Carolina
preachers were not and could not be hale
so nice and good looking as the South
/. Carolina preachers, and OF these two
classes arose the opposition which slapped
DR.. Hefhn in the tace with a wet rag,
when he set foot on Wilmington soil,
as the preacher in charge of Front Street
church. Dr.. Gloss had heard what the
women said of the good looks of the
/ South Carolina preachers, as compared
with the North Carolina preachers, and
remarked: The reason the good women
| think the South Carolina preachers are
better looking than we Is because they
| have not seen US''-emphasizing the
| us The humor OF which tcsnal * was
in the fact, that while the Doctor was Il
/ great and good man. he never was cor
sidered Il beauty; and was always Loo
| so when he tried to look so. II the wa
men could have seen him when ne salu
| they have not seen U.S. their opposition
| to the transfer might have been intensi-
| fed But they did not, as good luck would
| have 1t. and SO the transfer was made
But they did see him after awhile and
| liked him, too, and became satisfied that
| the transfer was the right thing.
| What a history Methodism has made in
| Wilmington. ] have often thought that
instead of charging the people with dis
| loyalty. because they acted a little rude
| ly when their long-tred pastors were
about to be taken from them, their con-
| duct only showed how deep seated were
their love and reverence for those who
mad been their spiritual guides. and how
sacred to them were the memories of the
early struggles of Methcdism in that
town. through which those preachers hal
led them. and after all, their conduct
was commendable, and not cersurable,
| as 1T might have seemed in that day.
| | do not now remember who began the
publication Of the Biblical Recorder but
VIXEN ! first knew anything of it Re-.
| Thomas Meredith was publishing it in the
country. four or five miles west of Raj
eigh. IN fact, / remember but little of
its history until Rev. j. j. James became
It's editor, and l became the publisher Of
it IN 1858, about which time | was also
the publisher OF The Churchman," edited
by DR.. Mott as well as l have already
stated, publisher of the Advocate" Mr.
James was an old bachelor and | knew
| HIM only in a business way, seeing him
perhaps once day, and talking only Of
business when he came. He never sat
down, but moved around carefully as if
he feared he might soil his clothes hand
in the copy. take or return proof sheets
and depart slowly as he came. The
only time he ever showed any animation
was Saturday morning when he came to
| settle tor the weeks work. Although he
| was considered stingy man and great
| lover OF money, he seemed to be really
glad 10 be able to pay his printers, AM
often as he came bringing roll of bills
IN his hand. he walked briskly and wore
smile on his face that even the printers
devil interpreted to mean: Here comes
your money! | do not remember when
he died or who succeeded him as editor
as the war, with its many changes and
surprises, effaced much that might have
| OluSl NlSE. LdlcE Ou L VIII
refer to the Recorder again and write
| some pages TO the memory OF Rev. 9. r.
Bailey, between whom and myself a very
warm friendship existed, and who I will
take the time here 20 say, was a most
Fexcellent editor and very amiable Chris
tian gentleman.
As l have referred to the fact that 1
was publisher OF other papers. it is
material to proper understanding of the
! situation to say that | was the proprietor
and the editor of the Democratic Press
| from 1858 until in 1860 / sold it to John
Spelman, Esq, who changed its name to
! the State Journal, and published IT as the
official organ of Governor Ellis, and Of
the secession wing of the Democratic
party, after Governor Ellis death, until
| in 1862, the office was demolished by a
mob. And thereby hangs a tale which
| may be new to some OF your younger read
ers. 1t must be remembered that the
/ Raleigh Standard, CT which the late Gov
| ernor Holden was the editor, was looked
! upon by many during the war as being
IAN Union" paper-that is opposed to the
| fight which the South was making for its
/ independence, and it was therefore looked
upon wherever read as being opposed to
| the interests of the South. So intense
was the telling against the paper that A
Georgia brigade when passing through
| Raleigh on its way to the front went to
| the Standard Office and overturned tho
cases and pied all the type. By way of
retaliation some of Mr. Holdens friends
a few nights after, went to the State
Journal office and not only threw all tho
type into ''pi' but, with sledge ham
mers. broke the presses to pieces, COM
pletely demolishing the office, so that 40
| effort was made to publish the paper
again. but joint stock company was or
| gained, of which Governor Bragg was
| the president, and new paper, the
Daily Confederate" was established. OF
that paper Col. Duncan K. McRae was
| editor in chief; A. NJ German business
manager, and this writer was proof
reader and mailing clerk. at a salary OF
six thousand two hundred and forty dol
lars a year, Confederate money. equal a
! that time. to about sixty-two dollars and
forty cents IN gold; but it would buy lots
of bread and meat and that was the main
/ thing.