The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-24
INCIDENTS
=zHOBsERvATIoNs.
BY r.. Il. GRAY.


pensive billboard in America. Not
that there are not numerous other
walls as high and as gaudily deco
rated as that of the five-story An
dreWs building, which are also the
pride of the ad. painter, but it is
doubtful whether there is another
building in any city four stories of
which exist for that industry alone.
The building, which is not more
than twenty-five feet in width. is
monument to the peculiar pride of
the man who built it. Originally, as
the story goes, it was merely a long,
narrow store with one long store
room overhead Then the fuckers,
w. H. and r. s.. commenced to build
next door and one morning the owner
of the Andrews building discovered
that they contemplated three stories
to their structure. This was a dis
tinct shock to the Andrews building
owner; the Tucker store was just
next door and, Individually, it was
the purpose of those who were erect
ing it to overtop the Andrews store.
Not a moment did the outraged real
estate owner hesitate. He sent for
contractors, for carpenters, for ma
sons. Quickly the building grew with
one added story. with another. Its
owner drew his checks for the work
for long, for the fuckers, working
more slowly finished the third and
began upon the fourth story of their
building.
The Andrews building owner was
amazed, but he was game to the bone.
Again he had recourse to his CHI EEK
book and his workmen. Before the
fuckers had gotten fairly started on
their fourth, the Andrews building
Wit ctn
sure, it had cost money, lots of it, and
there was no use for the emtpy rooms
that filled the added floors-but, and
that was the point, it was the high
est building in town.
If the spirit of rivalry had animated
the Tucker Brothers at all; they gave
up the fight after their fourth floor.
And when they had capitulated, in
sense, by putting on the roof, an
eagle-emblem of victory-was placed
on the fifth story of the Andrews
building, with outstretched wings and
claws set in it's prey that all might
see.
1t is there yet, it's wide spread wings
still a landmark that breaks the sky
line of the city telling the tale of
the idea of q man long since passed
who spent a fortune to attain it. For
years the building has stood like a
rearing it's tall and narrow form high
above the surrounding buildings and
rivaled in it's heighth, curiously
enough. only by the twentieth CEN
fury office building erected by the
heirs of one of the men whose work
it was designed to overtop. Except,
for the sobergoing crockefy store
that occupies the ground floor ana
an occasional brass band that beats the
of n -
rious recesses above, it is unoccupied;
but on the big, blank southern wall.
there have swung the seats OF
peripatetic artists innumerable, who
have given to the delighted view Of
Raleigh ten foot letters of green, yell
low and vermillon that have sung
the praises of everything from the
That's All'' whiskey, through a pro-
cession of breakfast and near-foods,
to the best powder for Baby's first
tooth.
There is one ever-present cbasm
about a journey up Fayetteville street
the ever-impending change of the
legend on the Andrews wall.
The Andrews building Inevitably
suggests Dempsey Webb, the half
witted, gentle tramp who blew into
Raleigh and landed at churchly ice
cream lawn party and ate seventeen
saucers on an empty stomach.
After the doctors had pulled Demp-
sey through, during which operation
he remained afmonth in the hospital,
the church membership felt response
BILE and Dempsey was elected pumper
of the organ at a salary of a dollar
week on which, after four weeks, he
felt amply justified in proposing to
the hand of the pastors daughter who
was likewise the choirs brag con-
tralto. AS Dempsey figured 1t out
the alliance was peculiarly lifting
one: did he not furnish the wind
which filled the pipes to which his
beloved sang her sacred music! Were
they not both officially devotional?
Could any one sing like her-or pulnr
ike Dempsey? When he thought OF
these things, Dempsey became insist
ent with the courage that comes to
man who feels that he is working
hand in hand with destiny-and nc
could not understand when the church
gave his job to a plain Tar Heel dar-
key and his SALARY ceased.
Whether it was the design of I'M
requited affection or the merest &C
cident will never be definitely known
but when the Jewish merchant VINO
then occupied the ground moor OF
the Andrews building went into ms
store one Monday morning, ne as
covered the unconscious form OF
Dempsey Webb reposng before his
desk on the remains of what had
been an elaborate office chair. Glass
was scattered about in all directions
and the carpet was covered with
blood. What the intruder was DONG
in the store was a mystery unlll
the merchant glanced overhead: the
inch thick sky light looked as though
it had been shattered by cannon
shot, and, placing himself underneath
the hole the astounded merchant look
ed up and up, through section after
section of broken glass until his eys
encountered patch of blue SKY lar
far above. The mystery was solved.
Dempsy had come through the sky
light at the top of the bulldlhS,
through the four thick glasses tha'
separated the four top floors ana,
falling like a plummeJ, had ruined lle
office chair of the Hebrew merchant
"Vell!" said he when the doctoIs
had revived the fallen man ana an
-nounced that a little tumble OF IlVs
stories had only temporarily Jarleu
his aplomb. "Vell! and we're 90 se'
i ton