The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-06

cease" and so public sentiment swarmed
to the log cabin like bees to a hive.
The great campaign eliminated, in
North Carolina IN one Of the most re-
markable and most enthusiastic gather
ings here, in Raleigh, ever seen, before
or since. Representatives and delegations
from every county in the State, came
here by scores and hundreds, and each
county delegation brought a log cabin
built upon wheels; and each cabin had a
stick and dirt chimney, on which was
stretched a coon skin, while near the
door of each cabin hung bread tray, a
wooden spoon and string of red pepper.
On the day of the grand rally, the pro-
cession of log cabins reached from the
Governors palace (now the Centennial
Graded SCHOOL,, to st. Mary's, and to
the mind of the boy, as then seen, there
could not have been less than five hun
| dred people to every log cabin. Two
counties sent miniature ships, rugged up
instead of log cabins, which to we boys,
were very great sights, as there were
sailors aloft speaking through trumpets
as they passed, telling of the good times
ahead when the party of extravaganza
had been turned out and the poor mans
late Governor Holden made himself very
conspicuous as he rode on one OF the
cabins Only short while thereafter he
changed his politics. and. purchasing the
Standard from Thomas Loring, began his
career as editor of a Democratic paper
Governor Graham jocularly remarked that
Hoiden's transition from the Wings TO
the Democrats was so sudden, after his
ride on the top OF log cabin, that his
breeches were still smeared with the log
cabin rosln, when he leaped into the
Democratic party. Two or three incidents
during the parade of the log cabins on
the streets furnished amusement: One
was the breaking down OF wagon on
which was the printing press of the Raj
eigh Register with "Old stephen" work
| ing off an edition. while printer stood
at his case setting type. wheel ran
oft and down came Stephen, press. typo,
! tyres and all in a heap. The Democrats
nocked to the scene of disaster and hur-
rahed for Van Buren,, regarding the
! breakdown as sure prophecy OF the de-
! feat of the Wing party. Washington Will
| lams, a young man who was raised eight
miles south of Raleigh, and glored III the
! fact that he was a Democrat, put HIM
self in the lead of a few young men who
rode up and down the line of the process
sion and made all the noise they could
! shouting for Van Buren,. 1t was all good
natured and nobody seemed to care.
During the campaign the Wings of
Raleigh built a log cabin on a vacant
lot about where fuckers store is. 1t
was called the Wigwam, and IN 1T many
rousing meeting was held and many
barrel of hard cider drank by the ardent
admirers of "Old Tippecanoe." In the
centre of this wigwam, suspended from
the joists was, what the Wings claimed
| to be a Democratic scalp. 1t was a
| handful of hair which DR.. William G..
Hill pulled from the head of a Demo
cratic candidate for the Legislature. in
little affair.
The Democrats tried to break the force
of the log cabin and hard cider enthus-
iasm by saying that Harrison was no
fighter; that, at the battle of Tippecanoe
he fled from the field in red petticoat.
and hid in a hollow log. great many
believed the story, and it was worked for
all it was worth; and so, 1T was no I'M
common thing to see a red petticoat hang
| ing over a log cabin, in the morning,
which mischievous boys placed there at
night As the Cumberland county log
cabin was being brought to Raleigh, the
| delegation which accompanied 1t was
| very much Infatuated on finding, at
Barclaysville, twentyfour miles south OF
this city, a red pettcoat Suspended over
| the road under which the cabin was to
pass. Reports said they hauled 1T down
and tore it into shreds, to the great
amusement of the Democratic ladies who
! felt they had contributed something, at
| least, to the campaign fun.
Of course everybody knows that the
log cabin and hard cider campaign won
that Harrison was inaugurated-that he
| lived only a month and was succeeded
by John Tyler who served as President
| three years and eleven months, during
which time the Wings hal plenty OF time
| to lament over the mistake they had
made in making Tyler Vice-President A
new cabinet had to be appointed, and
prominent Wings insisted that Mr.. Web
ster, who was member of Harrison S
cabinet should be a member OF Tyler S
cabinet. They said that he could afford
| to do it, as his fame was already made.
"Famc!" replied Mr.. Webster. why,
said he, 81 was up in New England re-
Gently, near my old home, and conversed
with one of my fathers old nelghbors.
He said he knew my father and mother
and the children, calling over their
names, but did not call mine. Thinking
he had overlooked me unintentionally, I
ventured to ask, Didn't Mr.. Webster
have boy they called Daniel L believe
there was boy they called Daniel he
said, but l don't know what's become
of him. He went down to Boston, be-
lieve, and I've never heard of him. |
don't guess he's ever come to much. But
the old mans other children all turned
cut WE'LL Fame indeed sneered Mr..
Webster ''when l am not known by the
people among whom l was raised"
A Fourth of July, sixty-lhreo years ago,
was a big event here in Raleigh, for it
brought to the city the farmers, their
wives and their children. In the Capitol
Square or in some grove a stand was
erected and seats were improvised to &C
commodate all who came. The Declare
tons of Independence were read and a
thrilling Grafton delivered, and, often
times, a big barbecue prepared to feed
the multitude. At night there would be
an illumination of Fayetteville street