The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-06-15
OLD MARKET HOUSE MAY
BE RENTED TOAMERCHANT
Another Landmark in Danger-The- Weather Prophets Snow.
Which Came on Time-"Ex'ra Billy" Smith.

US AS NSSA0A 0pNA IAC
crowd around him. Then, as a Wild
beast strains at the meshes WHICH fet-
ter him, the doomed man plunged in
agonized effort 10 break from his cap
tors and dee-anywhere, anywhere
away from his fate. But what avalls
the power of the law against bands OF
men burning at an outrage against the
virtue Of ~womanhood? A shot, only
one,r rings out-and the man is dead.
:: !. !.
Col. Thomas Gill, an esteemed citi-
zen 0 fthis place. who resembles oo:h
the Emperor Louis Napoleon and Gen
eral B~eauregard, although octogera-
rian, is still the sweet singer q
Cumberland, bestriding his winged
Pegasus, unchallenged Of rivals,
through the upper Cape Fear country
But he is something more than Fay
~etteville's poet laureate, in whom it
takes much pride-he is the voluntee.
barring his venerable brow in his me
clerk of the weather. not only look
ing through natur up to natures
God for inspiration in his verse, but
where from peak to peak and rat
thing crag leaps the live thunder"
There is a weather bulletin in from
of the drug store of Messts. II. Il.
Horne & Sons, on Hay street; but poo
pie distant from that point, meeting
the gray haired local prophet, are con-
tent to take their weather from his
wisdom-hOt or cold, We or dry,
stormy or fair-and put on steam or
shorten sail accordingly.
But it is related that Col. Gill slip
ped up badly OF m~eteorology on one
OCCASION last winter. Replying to an
inquiry from 4 friend. a lettuce STOW
er, he stated that snow would fail, on
a certain day, not far off. Now, dawn
brOke clear on that particular day, the
sun shining and the air mild up 10
breakfast; and this gave Col. Gill no
little treptdation. Waking into the
office of the letture mali. he said: y
find, On reviewing my weather calcu-
latiOn, [ omitted a forecast of cer:ail
conditions which will prevent snow %
day'-though, even while he was talk.
ing, there was a raw chill come into
the atmosphere, and a wind, suddenly
aroused, tossed the window shutters
to and fro, and angrily shook the sab
In Two or three hours the heavens we're
overcast, people were hustling for ;hei,
~OvercOats, and there was a feathery
furry of snow, almost the only one u
the winter-but it showed.
Oh, what a golden chance Col. Gill
just missed of going down to posterity
as being in all his glory the only abso-
lutely reliable "Old Probabilities as
the public used to call General Myers,
of the weather service at Washington!
!. !. X
Virginia has just unveiled in Rich
mond an imposing statue to a very re-
markable man, if he might not be call
ed hero-ex-Governor William Smith
known, but tenderly and lovingly, By
his fellow-ictizens as Extra billy"
Smith. He was born near the close of
the 18th century, in 1897, and was 4S
years old when he entered on his first
term as governor Of Virginia, in 1S4o.
When the civil war broke out he had
passed by four years the three-sccr"
mile-pOSt, where, according to Dr.. Os-
Ter, he should have reclined himself,
weary and worn, leaned his grizzl4d
head against the goal OF his Journey
ings, and allowed himsel ITO be chlaro-
formed out of the world where he had
outlived his usefulness" and only
numbered the ground" But was it not
a hero's act to enlist in the armies Of
the Confederacy at GA years of age,
and a hero's work to display shining
and knightly valor on some of the
bloodiest battleie.ds of the great
struggle?
In 1864, then 81 years old, he be-
came for a second time the executive
head of the Old Dominion, succeedin.
Leatcher, whose predecessor was he
brilliant but erratic Wise. l was a
student in Virginia for three or four
! years before the civil war, and in the
gubernatorial campaign of 1859 Extra
Pil1y's' name was on the tongues Of
men from the Blue Ridge to Tide
water, for he had thousands of advo'
| Gates of his nomination to the gov
ernorship. He was no p~recOclouS
genius, shooting up, meteor-lihe, 10
fame and greatness, and it was rather
the second half OF his life which was
enriched with service and achieve
mrnts that won for him the other Gly
thai splendid tribute from his go
| pie.
His personality was attractive. his
nature genial, his heart re and no
! bic, his SOUL W thout cuile, his home
ever warm with Hospitality, his pub
| 'ic and private life wi bout a b'emi b.
Lofty shaft and sculp ured stone nav
rarely been better cared than H.:
Extra Billy" Srni h. ]. H. VI
Fayettev.lel June 4. J. Fl II.
Ca.croI lsiTeS. E,n1o1af1 Hoaf