The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-09-04
(By One Of The Old Boys.)

ton, y. c., one dated August 18th,
1855, and one dated January 9Th, 1858,
l. was surprising TO note how like
cient history was the record therein,
and what a difference in the appear
ance Of our present three daily papers
as compared with this, as also the
growth Of the city in the magnitude
of its trade, both in bulk and extern
sion Of territory covered. Its edito-
rial in the August issue 1855 pays its
respects to the mountain district in
which Mr.. Clingman appears to have
been elected over his whig opponent,
although the district was conceded 10
be whig by some $500 votes. The
Herald being a whlg paper styles Nj.
Clingman a "pestilent politician. and
is evidently not pleased with the re-
suit OF the election. This western Or
mountain district being without rail-
road communication was an unknown
country Of our state, especially to the
people of the coast. Tuesday, January
9Th, 1855, T. Burr, Jr., editor and pro-
prietor Of the Daily Herald, died Of
typhoid fever, and the paper was sub
sequently suspended CT discontinued.
AS an opponent OF whig principals
Mr.. Burr eXerted q considerable in
huence in this section and there was
a general expression Of regret at his
untimely death, he being only So years
Of age.
The business section OF the
town was then confined to Mar
-. z.-oz% e,1-o Co1~~l - Jy-1+1, c+,1.@
and on South Front street to Dock
street, on South Water street from
Dock street to Market and on North
Water street to about Chestnut stree.
While the business houses were along
the streets as specified above they
were considerably scattered. The
stores were generally small, low pitch
and unattractive and the : stocks Of
goods carried generally small as COM
pared with present conditions. There
were only five or six business HOUSES
on Market street between Front and
Second, the most Of that section being
used as dwellings, law offices and doc
tor shops. The "Carolina HOTEL now
the Bonitz House, corner Second and
Market streets, being the principal no.
tel Of the city and the chief cCngrega-
ting point for swapping yarns and
passing the time. The market house
stood in the middle of the street from
Front street extending toward Water,
and in the rear Of the market house
was the space allotted to the fish
carts. In a small tower on the mar
ket house was the town bell which
rang the hours for breakfast, dinner
and tea and nine o'clock at night
when the negroes We're to go to their
quarters. This bell also gave the
alarm for fires by several quick
strokes at intervals Of time. The
names of the merchants who advertise
their wares are familiar ones in our
town Through their pOsterity,) but
there are only a few living WHO We're
active in business in 1855 or 1858.
The names that | now recall being
B. G. Worth Of T. c. and B. G. Worth,
4. D. CaZauX, R. J. Jones, ThOmas
Evans. The following are continual
ton of firms her in business. The
Worth Co, A. D. CaZaux, Gee. R.
French, Richard J. Jones, now treas-
urer Of Consolidated Railways, Light
and Power Company. All others seem
to have passed out of existence.
On South Front street between Mar
ket and Dock the late Capt. Gilbert
Potter had built three stores known
as the Granite block by reason Of
granite pillars being used in their
construction. They were occupied by
a man named Smith as a grocer, Alex.
MacRae, Jr.. as a crOckery store and
Cornelius Myers as a hat store. Smith
being unsuccessful, desired to give up
hic ctOrn md COW Dn<inU rNnt &c
the rent was secured Capt. Potter was
not inclined to accept the keys, SO
Smith resorted to q bluff as follows:
He got a friend Of his to approach
Capt. Potter to solicit his acceptance.
OF Smiths proposal and to suggest It
was to his '(POtter's) interest to take
the keys and release Smith and his
security, as Smith being a poor man
could not afford to pay rent and let
the store remain idle. and that if he
refused Smith contemplated turning
II into a warehouse, in which he would
| store mOlasses in the first floor and
| guanO above. 1t was not long for
Capt. Potter to discover that that
would ruin his house, SO ne accepted
the keys much to Smiths satisfaction
and he enjoyed how he outwitted his
landlord. Speaking OF m0lasses, j.
J. L. Hathaway & Company were i'm
porters Of molasses and the carsoes
were landed on the wharf opposite
their Office on North Water street,
near Market dock to bungs being
opened to examine its quality and to
stop the fermentation sto some extent,
still it would boil up and run over
and the negroes would go down with
buckets and collect the overflow and
make into molasses cakes and candy.
Many boys would congregate there
after school and supplying themselves
with a stick from a shlngie pile, would
mount the hOgsheads and do what was
called licking molasses,' nan Of
their faces being smeared with the
! syrup as they drew the stick cro
their mouths. This WAS a great feast
| ON the arrival of orory aaron