The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-20
David Sidney Richardson
Became a True South
erner.
One Of the Best Loved Teachers of the
OIden Time in Wake, Franklin,
Nash and Wilson Countless
Built Up Large School
in Wilson.

/
| To the Editor: Perhaps no
teacher of the early days in
| North Carolina was more beloved
| than David Sidney Richardson. He
was a native Of Cornish New Hamp-
shire. He came here in the early 4Os
and together with his sister, Martha,
and his wife, Mary Cleora Stone, did
much good in the section of country
near Raleigh. They were sturdy New
Englanders, and came among us to be
Of us. and for us.
Mr. Richardson died in San Jose,
California. on the 7th of April, 1905,
his wife having preceded him to the
great beyond on July 3, 1904.
OF those early days l write with the
knowledge / have obtained from a
pleasant, personal correspondence
with Mr.. Richardson during the last
years Of his life, and from a Memo
rial" that he had published for their
| friends after the death Of Mrs. Rich
ardSOn.
Although eighty-three years old at
the time of his death, Mr.. Richardson
retained the full command of all his
faculties and to the end his letters
| were replete with snap, and his hand
writing as bold as in the days when
he "set copy for the boys and girls
in those early days. All his old pupils
will remember his handwriting.
In the early 40's Mr.. Richardson
taught near Wake Forest and near
Forestville. and his sister, Miss Martha
Richardson. taught at PoWelps, now
WAITS. on the S. A. l.. Railroad,
where Mr. w. b. Smith now lives
While teaching in this neighbor-
hood, Mr. Richardson lived at Major
John M. Crenshaw's, and at Mr.. John
w. Harriss, in Wake county. The
latter place he called his Second
home.'
Mr.. Richardson had three brothers,
all Baptist ministers. and one OF them
was Professor at Wake Forest Col
lege, was offered the presidency at one
time, but refused it
All the older people in the section of
Wake county. who were girls and boys
in the early 40's. will remember we'll
Mr.. and Mrs. Richardson. One of the
pupils of Miss Martha told me a little
joke on her. The first morning after
Miss Martha arrived she heard1 the
negroes calling the hogs. and every
one knows the peculiar, mournful
sound, and having heard that the
Southern owners whipped their slaves,
she thinking that it was the negro
crying, made up her mind to leave i'm
mediately for the North. Having found
out her mistake she laughed with the
others at herself. ~. g..
In 1916 Mr. Richardson taught at
Cedar Fork Academy. All the children
in that section We're his pupils and
the older people will remember him
with pleasure. The Marriotts and
one of his letters Mr. Richardson tells
of still possessing a purse that Miss
Alley Marriott gave him in those days,
upon which she had embroidered two
hearts pierced by a single arrow.
Mr.. Richardson says in the Memo
rial to his wife. that "at this time.
1916, the schools of the South were
few and inefficient. The field was an
inviting one for teachers from the New
England States, and in 1t many found
their life work AS yet the bitter sec
tional animosities which later tore the
States. apart, had not made their APP
pearance, and teachers from the
North were welcomed, and treated
with every respect and consideration
About 1916 Mrs. Richardson, who
was then Miss Stone, accepted a posi-
ton in Rays Academy at Louisburg,
NJ c. Afterwards she taught at DR..
Sill's, Bedford, Nash county, some
twelve miles from Louisburg. 1t was
while she was teaching here that she
met Mr.. Richardson, who was at
Cedar Rock about a mile away.
Though they were natives of the same
place-Cornish, N. H.--they had never
met. and the acquaintance soon ripen-
ed into love.
General S. M. Preston. who is now
living in Seattle, Washington. was an
assistant teacher for Mr.. Richardson
at Cedar Rock, and the two old friends
have seen each other in their Western
homes.
On New Years day, 1851. Mr.. Rich
ardson and Miss Stone were married
at the Harris plantation. having driv-
en- a distance of twenty-seven miles
from DR.. Sills. The roads were bad,
and a severe storm and sleet the night
before made them almost impossible.
and it was nearly ten O'Clock at night
before they arrived at Mr.. Harris's for
the wedding.
In 1858 the academy at Cedar Rock
was burned, and Mr.. Richardson's
personal loss was about $1,000. This
necesSitated the selection of new site
for a school. A tract Of land of one
hundred and fifty acres. near DR.. SilPs.
was purchased. and a new academy
was erected with boarding department.
and the name, "CaStalia," was given it.
The Richardson's taught at Castalia
TWO years. when strong inducements
were offered and they moved to
Franklnton Franklin county, where
they erected a handsome academy.
stablished boarding house in the
large residence they purchased. and
the school was promptly filled with
pupils. The Rev. John w. Jenkins.
the superintendent of the Methodist
Orphanage at Raleigh, was a pupil Of
this school.
1t was not long before a Destilence
Of malignant typhoid fever broke out.
reducing the one hundred and seventy
students to % and continued for six
months. During that time there was
IN average of six cases all the time.
Mrs. Richardson. her son. and her
sister We're all victims, and only Mrs.
Richardson recovered. Two of the
.hree attending physicians died also.
AS a Result of this disaster the
school at Franklinton was abandoned.
md the property sold. and Mr.. and
Mrs. Richardson went to their North
ern home for a while.
In 1858. Mr.. Richardson at the sug-
~estion of one of his pupils visited
''Toisnot Depot" and opened school.
The depot was later named Wilson. An