The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-01-19
WILMINGTON MAY Be CHOSEN
Odd Nick Williams Looking Out for
Good DiStIlery Location
of Land on Castle Haynes Road and
Opposite Distillery Of T. j. Gore-He
VIII Have TO Move His Plant From
its Present Location-Bil Passed by
Last Legislature Did away With
Town Of Williams.

II is probable that Wilmington will
have the enormous distillerv formerly
operated ut Williams in Yadkin coun-
" by the Nick Williams Company IF
which y. Glenn Williams is the prin-
cipal wner \ federal office holder
connected with the revenue depart
ment stated yesterday that Williams
had purchased land in Wilmington
and hat il was a settled matter about
him coming here. Later ii was learn
ed that the deal for the land had not
been closed but from what can be
learned il is very likely that it will
be. The site i'll question is on the
Castle Haynes road just this side OF
Smiths Greek and on the opposite
side OF the road from Cores dis
tillery. \ tract OF land ample for all
purposes can be secured. The owner
of the property admitted Williams
was considering the purchase of the
land.
The Nick Williams company has
been incorporated but a very few
yeare bnt it is one OF the largest dis
t~illeries of its kind in the United
States. 1t was established in 176S by
Nick Williams who was Familiarity
known as "Old Nick He eventual
ly used this name as the brand of his
whiskey and everywhere that corn
whiskey is sold ''Old Nick" stands at
the top as a fine whiskey. The pres
ent company owns an enormous plant
but under an act of the last legiSla-
ture were put GU of business after
January 1st, 1906, at the present 10
cation. The plant is valued by \.
Glenn Williams at between $135,OOO
and $4,000. Nearly 100000 is paid
the United States government an
nually in taxes and 5000 to the
state and county. The company
spends many thousands of dollars an
nauaIly III advertising the business.
The legislature Of 1903 passed the
Watts law which prevented distil-
lerieS from being operated any where
except in incorporated towns. At
the time Williams distillery was not
in an incorporated town and TO come
within the province of the law the
town of Williams was incorporated.
LII was M III OohS III III LII
stance but several other large distil-
lers got towns incorporated so as TO
allow. them to continue in business.
All went we'll with these distillers
until the legislature of 1905. The
Ward bill was introduced and among
its provisions was one to revoke the
charters of the towns incorporated
for the purpose of allowing the distil-
leries to remain in business. One of
the hardest fight eve made before
a legislature in this state took place
but vas Of nc avail. N. Glenn Will
liams appealed to the members Oh the
grounds of fairness; hat the previous
legislature had incorporated the town
of Williams and believing he would
be allowed to remain in business he
had spent large sums Of money en-
larglng his plant. In spite of all
these arguments the bill passed and
as a result mick Williams whiskey
can no longer be distilled where the
forefather Of y. Glenn Williams
erected his cabin and started a dis
tillery one hundred and thirty eight
years ago.
The whiskey question is an uncer-
TAIN dudHlty Ill LHaIy OF the NOrIn
Carolina towns at the present time.
Several of the most important towns
are either dry 0 have d~ispensaries.
From what could be learned yes
terday, n. Glenn Williams will de-
eide positively in the near future, if
he has not already done so, what he
will do. AS was stated in the begin
ming of this article, the revenue officer
who spoke of the matter-and they
are generally we'll posted regarding
such matteIS-stated that there was
no doubt whatever about the distil-
lery being located here and that il
would be of enormous capacity.