The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-31
FATHER Of PUBLIC
SCHOOL SYSTEM
The Debt North Carolina
Owes Archibald De bow
Murphy.
AHEAD OF HIS TIME
And He Did Not Live to See the Great
Things That Existed In His Faith
and In His Patriotic
Love of His
State.
Archibald De Bow Murphey.

ATCHlDdlu ~. Mufpney Is justly re-
| garded as the foremost educational
statesman North Carolina has pro-
duced. About n year ago his kins-
man, deeply interested in North Caro-
| lima history, offered a gold medal to
| the graduate of the A. and M. Col
| lege in Raleigh who would write the
best historical paper. That medal was
won by Mr.. Eugene G. Bagwell, of
| Raleigh, who wrote on the life of
Judge Murphey. His paper is as fol-
| lows:
| The subject of this sketch was born
in 1777, in Caswell county about seven
miles from Milton. He had two broth
! ers and four sisters. His father took
a prominent part in the Revolutionary
War
When a boy, Murphey attended the
school of Rev. DIR. Caldwell, of Gull
| ford county, this being one of the only
three known schools Of any conse-
quence in the State at that time. At
| ter leaving this school, he remained
at home for two years. He says that
! the only books that he could obtain
to read during this period were a few
on theological subjects and, by chance,
| Voltaire's History of Charles Kill, of
| Sweden, a copy of Roderick Random,
ard ali abridge.i eat Of Don Quixote.
He entered tie University of North
Carolina in 1896, graduating, cum
laude, in 1893. His record there was
such that in his Alma Mater he was
appointed Professor of Ancient Ian
guages, which position he held three
years. During this period, he devoted
part of his time to the study of law
and, in 1902, was admitted to the Bar.
He continued his studies under Will
liam Duffy, of Hilsboro, who was at
that time one of the most distinguish
ed lawyers in the State, and to whom,
afterwards, Murphey became greatly
attached.
With his indomitable energy, his
highly cultured literary taste, and
overlooking with the attributes oil
statesman and philosopher, his rapid
rise as a lawyer is not to be wondered
at. He was elected State Senator from
Orange county in 1912, and served i'm
that capacity continuously until 1918.
1t was during these six years of state
service that he shone out so brilliant
ly, and it is for his work during this
period of his life that he will be re-
membered as long as there is q history
of North Carolina.
His one, all-absorbing thought and
aim seemed to be the welfare of his
terment of North Carolina seemed to
rest along three great lines, i. e., in
ternal improvements, research, and
the establishment of public schools.
What better ideas than these could
there have been for the advancement
of the State, scientifically or Industrial
iy? 1t is a well-known fact that the
greatness of any commonwealth de-
pends upon these things
His plan of internal improvements
was vigorously opposed and attacked
by some as being a great swindling
scheme. Nevertheless, Mr.. Murphey
won and a large sum was invested in
surveying and constructing canals and
public roads. Aside from the COM
mercial advantages obtained, the
State has been repaid ten-fold for the
information both Typographical and
statistical which the engineers fur
nished the State from these surveys.
Mr.. Murphey was continuously on
the legislative committee of inland
navigation and was several times
chairman. His memoirs on the in
ternal improvements contemplated by
the General Assembly of North Caro-
lima, and on the resources and finances
of North Carolina will always reflect
credit on his memory.
AS to his arousing native pride and
advertising the state to the world, his
memorial to the General Assembly of
North Carolina in 1926 showed that
he had been engaged for several years
in collecting and arranging materials
for an extensive historical and scien-
tific work on North Carolina. The
excellent plan on which he decided to
write the history was divided into
seven parts as follows:
% An account of the Discovery of
America.
CD The aboriginal history of North
Carolina.
CD The Colonial History of North
Carolina.
(4) History of North Carolina from
the time of her becoming a sovereign
State in 1876.
CD Physical geography. soil, eli
mate and meteorology of North Caro-
lima.
CO. Geography and Mineralogy of
North Carolina.
60 Botany of North Carolina.
1t is well to say here that he was
self-taught in most of these scientific
subjects Judge Murphey's appeal
was fruitless one for it was never
acted upon favorably, although he
made another appeal to the General
Assembly in 1927. Soon after his
death, his collected materials We're
scattered.
Judge Murphey's greatest fame is