The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-27

heard such expressions as these: Gee,
Mr.. Hicks." "Haw, Joe Fuller!" "Quit
stepping on my heels, Bill Jones'" and
much more of the same tenor. AS | see
eth matter now the militia system was a
burlesque but as ! have shown, 1T had its
funny side, and that suited we boys.
AS long ago as l can remember, Raj
eigh had her organized and well drilled
companies of volunteers. The Raleigh
Blue" and the Raleigh Rifles, had their
day away back in the fortles, and, later
on came the Oak City Guards commanded
by Captain William H. HARRISON, and the
Independent Guards, commanded by Capt.
John Quincy De Carteret. These were
fine companies, and did valiant service on
many a holiday OCCASION when the only
enemies they had to encounter were we'll
filled tables, tubs of lemonade and so
forth l do not now remember that either
company was ever ordered out by the
Governor, until the war came on. | was
Il member of the Oak City Guards and
went with that company to Wilmington,
New Bern and other places, and as | re-
member, the duties on those occasions
immense and varied. At New Bern, on
the occasion of the completion OF the At
lantic and North Carolina Railroad, to
that town, companies from Raleigh, Fay
etteville and Wilmington were in the big
street parade and partook OF the hospltall-
ties of that most hospitable city. 1t was
a big occasion and the festivities which
the good people had arranged for, were
so numerous that a visitor could not help
finding place to suit his taste. The boys
were having a good time, for a uniform
was a passport and an open sesame
wherever seen, and the danger was that
one would be foundered or made drunk.
Indeed, 1 heard before l left the town,
that the order had been issued, from
headquarters, that no one was to leave
the town hungry or sober, and that If a
fellow wouldn't drink he must be founder
ed l guess there was some truth in the
report l heard, for, as l was going from
the depot, at night to the CASTOR House,
1 was rudely halted, at pump, near the
old Washington Hotel, by a man with a
gun in his hands, who said: Consider
yourself under arrest" by whose au-
thority?" l asked. by order OF King
Alcohol he replied. at the same time
pushing me toward an open door, through
which came the noise of a struggle inside,
and a voice saying: Funnel him! funnel
him. l took in the situation in mo-
ment. and, as the man who had arrested
me, was getting into position to assist in
the funncling process Git was Joe Arey, of
Fayetteville, they had stretched on the
bed) l broke and ran. and under cover of
the darkness made my escape. l saw my
friend Arey the next morning and he said
they split enough whiskey over and about
him to make an elephant drunk, but they
did not get any of it into his mouth.
Col John d. Whitford. the wholesouled,
big-hearted President of the Atlantic and
North Carolina Railroad was the moving
spirit in getting UP that great occasion.
The boys had their fun while there, and
had the chance to have become drunken,
over and over again, but our Captain. the
late Major r. S. Tucker often remarked
afterward when speaking of the occasion,
that amid all the festivities he did not