The semi-weekly messenger., 1904-08-19
OUR fiTHERs---WHERE ARE THEY
An Old WhoIesaling District
Time Spares Nothing.

For The Messenger.
Passing along upper Hay street yes
terday, and noting the business stn
and hustle about the new building o
the Armour Packing Company, .
which Mr.. A. 8. Holden. recently o.
Wilmington. Is the efficient manager
my mind went Jack 10 the past III.
Of that section OF the town. fifty and
more years ago.
II was theR--the wholesale district
| OF the place and its extensive business
operations began at the very foot oi
| Haymount, with George McNeill, who
carried on a large and lucrative trace
| with the back country in the great
three story brick building. his store
| and warehouse being on the first floor
| and his family living on the two floors
| above. Mr.. McNeiIl was a heavy &c,
| man of short stature a Scotch Pres
| byterian, and his business and perso-
nal chaAacter was absolutely without
a blemish. He early saw the trend
OF affairs in railway development and
| its inevitable effect on the wagon trade
of Fayetteville, and was one OF the
warmest advocates of the building CT
the old Western Coal Field railroad to
Egypt and beyond. Indeed. so literally
did he devote his means. time and en-
ergies to this Improvement, that one OF
the first locomotives put on the road
was named George McNeill," and
doubtless in some machine shop about
here its remains may lie, caked with
rust and clogged with dust, mute tes-
timony that, like it's once busy name
sake, it is now 'off the road, its use
fulness thing Of the past
Young men Of ambition in the me--
camille calling, were anxious to obtain
positions With Mr.. McNeill as his bus
ineSs methods were excellent and his
training careful and thorough. His
daughter married the late John NJ.
Rose, for many years the secretary OF
the Western Coal Fields railroad. af-
terwardS the Cape Fear and Yadkin
railway. His two sons, James and
George, were Presbyterian preachers,
the former giving his life for his
country in the Confederate cause. Rev.
George McNcill, when his health be-
came too delicate for ministerial work.
was editor of the North Carolina
principal of the Donaldson Academy on
Haymount.
His family home still remains, the
lofty brick edifice where resides the
widow OF Rev. James McNeill and her
daughter, Mrs. Kate Utley. Wontan's
love of the beautiful has developed the
artistic in a very pretty way on the
front of this building, a little, ever
blooming conservatory having been
made to take the place Of the broad
doorway, into which, fifty years ago,
stamped the stalwart country wagon
er in his shirt sleeves, with whip over
his shoulder, wanting to buy sugar
and coffee, and sell beeswtaX, feathers,
butter, etc. His grandchildren perpet-
uate the memory of George McNeiu,
besides scores Of great -grandchildre
in the church, law and buSiness-as
Rev. DIR. John NJ. Rose of the Presby-
terian church. Hon. Geo. NJ Rose, of
the Fayetteville bar, Mr.. G. P. McNeill.
Of Staunton, Va, and Captain j. ID.
McNeiH, of this city.
DiagonalLy from McNeills, on the
other side of Hay street, and a little
further east, was what was proudly
termed in the old days Brick Row."
for at that time wood was largely the
building material. 1t is Shorn Of its
glory now, and is disrespectfully called
Texas" every tenement occupied by
negroes and over every other door is
the enticing legend: ''Restaurant-
Meals at all hours" Alas. Vanity
OF NanltleS, all Is vanity!
About midway of Brick Row dealt
Beverly Rose, whose word was his
bond, and his name as white as a sheet
of paper on change. Mr.. Rose fas a re-
markable man-firm but kind in family
government, only some what strict in
church attendance and discipline. He
owned a comfortable home on Robinson
street, which still stands in good condi-
ton, and summer house" about three
~ ta ID L.
road. One of his peculiarities was that
the family exodus to that country
house must take place on certain day
and date in the summer, and the return
to town just as exactly in the fall, un-
less the day happened to be Sunday.
Mr.. Rose lived almost to be centen-
marian, dying many years after the civil
war at the extreme age Of sc years His
daughter, Miss Joanna, married Rev.
DR.. Milton S. Frost, now living at
Bethlehem, Pa His son. Mr.. F. r
Rose, is a prominent Fayetteville bus
mess man, secretary of the chamber
of commerce.
On the corner Of Brick Row and
Winslow street was the large firm OF
Hall & Johnson. The latter passed
away before my time, and lived on a
commanding crest of Haymount, over
looking the thrifty town. SO well built
was this house that il is today one OF
the show places OF the suburbs, own
ed now by Mr. W. NJ. Morgan, with ex-
Iensive grounds, terraces. etc. Mr..
Johnson raised large family, OF which
there survives but one here, Mrs. Mel
vim. His partner, John H. Hall, was for
many years one of the leading citizens
of Fayetteville, president OF the Beaver
Creek Cotton Mills Company, besides
being engaged extensively in merchan-
dising. He was a man OF very aggres-
sive character, a rigid disciplinarian
and devout Methodist. showing his
faith in his works and his pocketbook.
Hall & Johnson moved across the
street to a very large wooden building
where is now the Atlantic Hotel, and
II. L. Myrover took the Brick Row