The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-08-18
North Carolina in Hard Luck.
Raleigh Times .

Raleigh Times.
The felicitous editor OF the News
Leader spends IL column OF his valu-
able space in an attempt to ridicule
his neighbour North Carolina. Listen
at him while he dispenses his humor
and wit in manner that would
make u swift ashamed of himself:
The State Of North Carolina has had
a good deal Of hard luck. Her two claims
to distinction, we believe, are that her
soldiers were highest on the hillside in
Pickett s charge at Gettysburg, and that
she is the birthplace of Andrew Jackson
But, unfortunately. as we recall the cir
cumstances, all the North Carolina sol
diers who were said to have gone fur
thest i'll the charge at Gettysburg were
killed and the claim is not substantiated
by living witnesses. AS to Andrew Jack
son, South Carolina shifted the line or
engaged in some other kind of Tillman-
itish skulduggery or develish cantrip
slight by which the cabin in which Cen
eral Jackson is proved to have been born
is located on the Southern side of the line,
q few feet over Other Presidents have
claimed that State as their birthplace,
but removed from it in early infancy and
went on the electoral ticket hailing from
Tennessee. North Carolina has felt lit
tie badly when distinguished citizens pre-
ferred to confess to Tennessee rather than
North Carolina, but that is matter for
the two States to iostle out between
themselves. North Carolina on several
occasions has attempted to have the
Vice President, but each time has failed
rather dismally, and we gather from the
North Carolina newspapers that the
hoodoo continues even unto this day
We submit the above is rather IA
risky business for anybody to engage
in. The record of North Carolina
soldiers is made, and s beyond the
power of the editor of the News Leader
to detract from it. We are willing to
rest our case with the sublime dec
laration of Gen. r. E. Lee, as to the
sort of soldiers North Carolina sent
to the war. He saw them in scores
of battles as they went down to
death. defending Virginia's s honor
and Virginia's homes. It's true that
many of them who went furthest
sleep now in the dust of death, but
there are some who are still on this
side to tell the story, and see to it
that others do not labor under the
same misapprehension as seems to
possess the recollection OF our esteem
ed contemporary Somehow or other,
we believe ridicule from a Nirginian
to the soldiers of North Carolina
comes with rather poor grace. AS to
this State being the home OF Presi-
dents. we are not much concerned
about it, one way or another. Our
observation is, that it does not count
for much when real things are to be
done We believe a live dog is better
than a dead lion. And people who
have to draw their inspiration from
old obituaries and tombstones may
look for a precarious existence. Now,
we want to say to our esteemed con-
temporary to whose facile pen and
well-stored mind we are indebted for
pleasure and food for thought, to get
out of his 'bitters' and turn his face
to the South Of him, hear the hum OF
a hundred factories and see these
North Carolina colleges literally over
flowing with strong boys and beauti-
full girls. Take a look at our macadam-
lied roads, our fields groaning under
the best crop that ever grew upon
soil, come and witness the peace, con-
tentment and prosperity OF our peo-
pie. and it will be plain then why we
no longer envy our neighbor her dis
tinction of being the mother of Pres
identS