The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-13


ways so we'll groomed that he fairly gilt
tered in the sun shine, and it was said
that Bennett Rowland's wife declared
time and again, that sight of that
horse was just as good medicine as she
wanted. The Doctor was fine rider and
his horse was a splendid traveller; and
SO, an hour was about as long as it took
tfem to make ten or twelve miles, when
the roads were good BY the time the
Lcctor threw his foot over and settled
himself in the saddle, his horse pitched
off into a gallop and that was his gait
Yearly all the time.
On a parade the Doctors black horse
always attracted as much attention and
admiration as his rider; for, he seemed TO
be conscious of his beauty and OF his
graceful movements, and the boys aeclar
ed that he was too proud to be horse.
II seemed so, for sometimes it looked as
II he wanted to walk like a man, rising
on his hind feet and standing almost
erect, he stepped as proudly and car
RED himself as gracefully as if he had
been a man; a majorgeneral at that
! think it was in a Fourth OF July parade
tina. Col. Duncan X. McRae rode the
Doctors horse, and an incident occurred
thai might have been serious. Old Black
was in his best feathers that day, show
ing in every movement that he felt the
Importance of the occasion, and was con-
sc:ods of the fact that hundreds of eyes
were watching him. He pranced. he
shcrted, he reared, and then he would
paw the ground and champ his Bit Col
orc. McRae didn't seem to be enjoying
the horses fun, and showed his impa-
tience by jerking the reins a time or two.
w r-ca pin
/ suppose, being mad, he reared too high,
ana over he came. How the Colonel
escaped a crushing, the by-standers
couldn't tell; but, so it was, neither rider
nor horse was hurt. In q moment the
Cc,onel was again on his back, and the
horse as we'll as the Colonel seemed to
be- quieted down, and less disposed to
make a show.
l never could understand why scuptors
delighted in putting great military char
acters on rearing horses. To see a bronze
horse poised on his hind feet, always
makes me feel sorry for the horse and
the rider. Just to think that they are
Obliged to remain in that strained I'M
comfortable position for all time to come.
i suppose it will go out of style before
long, as We are getting a good way off
from the old time gods whose steeds
were always rearing. l don't think l
have noticed a. single picture OF an eques-
trian statue of the Generals of the late
war, that stood the horse on his hind
feet. Lee, Grant, Sherman and all. in
fact, who have been honored in bronze,
are mounted on horses that seem to be
at ease. Those rearing steeds always
suggested to me the idea that, in the
sculptor's mind, the horse was of more
Importance than the man.
In former sketch l told the readers
that the STANDARD" office was partially
demolished by soldiers belonging to a
Georgia brigade, during the war. The
reason for this act was, 'the Standard
WAS looked upon as being dlsloyal to the
South, and, as such, weakened the cause
Tor which the soldiers were fighting; and
OF course the soldiers became very much
incensed. The damage to the Standard
office was small compared with the
wrecking of the State Journal office. That
was the work of men who were stimulated
by a two-fold motive first, to avenge the
act of the soldiers; and secondly, to give
expression to their hatred of those who
were carrying the war. In other
words, they were not fighting John Spell
Et1n, nor for Holden; but simply express
ing their hate for the Confederate States
OF America They were Union men and
they thoroughly hated the men in au-
thority who were periodically prescott
ing the war. The Working Mems Address
which hi1 been circulated throughout The
State, and the Arguments which mad been
made in us favor, had SO enibittered a
great many non-slave owners against the
slave owners, that during the war there
was a large element. here in Raleigh, and
all owe" the State, that chung to the idea
that it was 1.-The rich mans war and
the poor mans fight" This sentiment
gave rise to the trouble which Governor
Vance had to contend with in keeping
deserters out of the woods. Governor
Vance himself was a Union man When
the war began but, when the matter mar
roWed itself down to fight for the de-
fence of the South, he went with his
State and with the South, and no man
was truer to the cause of the South than
he.
AS badly as they broke Spelman's press
(and it was pretty well demolished) it
was, nevertheless, mended up and did
good service in the publication of the
Daily Confederate" a paper that was
started soon afterwards, of which Col
d. X. McRae was the editor.
There is a little story that ought to
Crme IN right here, which will explain
how l kept out of the war
When l sold my paper Tho Daily
Press to John Spelman, ESD Governor
Ellis promised to see that the whole
amount OF the purchase price should be
secured either in money or in notes. with
good security The purchase price WAS
$1,000. Soon after the transaction notes
amounting to S2,5OO with good securities
were turned over to me; but $1,000 was
IN open account, for which l had no note
And thus it stood when Governor Ellis
died. and later on when the Office was de-
nolished by the mob. Governor Bragg
and other gentlemen knew how the matter
stood; that / had a thousand dollars of
interest in that pile OF trash which the
mob had made OF the State Journal OF
flee. | was there when a sort OF inven-
tory was taken, and the matter of start
ing a new paper was discussed. A move
ment was suggested looking to joint
f-trE Ire