The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-25

encouraged to join those societies, because
while it was and is almost impossible to
reform a drunkard or even a moderate
drinker, it was, and is, an easy matter,
comparatively, to prevent the young by
throwing around them the restraints OF a
pledge and the associations OF lodge,
from becoming drunkards. In other words,
it is easier to form than to reform.
The temperance society work of the
last half century has brought to pass a
state of things that is simply marvellous.
and the temperance worker, OF twenty
five years ago is forced to admit that
the seeds then sown have brought forth
harvest Of awkward conscience and an
advanced public sentiment, on the subject
OF prohibition. sooner than he expected
But l must not forget that I am writing
"reminiscences and not an eulogy on those
who, while they did a good work, did no
more than they ought to have done.
I started out, in this letter away back
in the fifties, and to be consistent, / will
go back to that period and close with
some incidents which occurred in those
days two of which created quite a furore
of excitement here in Raleigh. The Incl
dents referred to were two marriages
about which there was a halo of romance.
Hon. Romulus M Sanders, the father of
our esteemed friend, Co. William l..
Saunders. lived on Hillsboro street, where
Capt. S. A. Ashe now resides, and he had
beautiful daughter, whose heart and
hand were sought by young navy sur
geon by the name of L'Engle; young
gentleman of culture and good standing,
and Wthal. good looking. He won the
heart of the young lady, but the mother
objected to the marriage because the
young doctor belonged to the navy, ana
she could not bear the idea of seeing her
daughter go off SO far away from her.
The doctor mplored but the mother was
unyielding, and so it seemed a hopeless
case. AS nothing else could be done the
young lovers determined to marry any
how. So the license was procured and one
Sunday evening the young doctor took a
walk out Hillsboro street with a magis-
trate; ,ne young lady met them at the
gate and in the presence of Il witness they
were married. The doctor and the mag
istrate came back down town, the young
lady went home and no one, save the one
witness and the parties concerned, knew
anything of the matter A day or two
later the young doctor returned to his
command, where he remained month,
when he came back to Raleigh again, and
again besought the mother for the hand
OF her daughter. She refused as before,
but the young lady who was within hear
ing. said: Mother, you had just as well
say yes, for the doctor and | are already
married. And so DR.. Mason, the rector
of Christ Church. was called in, and what
had been legally done was enthusiastically
done over
Mr.. William Bryan, long since dead, and
daughter OF Judge Badger were secretly
married by u magistrate, and my recol-
lection is that when it came to be known
by the family, DR.. Mason also married
them again. / very well recolect that
son of Mr. Badger and the magistrate
had a little shooting affair over the mat
ter. but neither was hurt, and peace soon
reigned. and all parties became reconcied
The shooting was done in p. f. Pescud's
drug store. on the west side of Fayette