The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-03-05

the spuu cotton il furnished h MO-
men with which ~ make vary t4f
home weaving. and stump sound DE
cause il was there the people Nsu'
t. get salt-
Lowell il in the northeastern par-
ton II Johnston county on the west
bank Of Little River. 4 stream that
rises near Youngsville on the land at
r. b. Freddy. Esq. its source being "a
very bold spring filled with SPARKLING
through Franklin. Wake. Johnst fn
ana Wayne counties. and enptieS into
the %euSe river near where old
WayneSboro was once tuate There
is one thing 70 be said about Little
River that is noteworthy. and that III.
from its pcbbly source. - where III
enters Wayne county. rocks can he
be found either i'm or near the stream
and. at nearly ever, place where |
have crossed. its banks ara clothed
with evergreens.
Lowell at the present is but a mem
DRY Of what il once was. The cotton
factory which proved 10 be such a
blessing to Eastern North Carolina
during and after the war. passed into
the hands OF John r. Smith. ESQ. OF
Goldsboro. and soon after II was de-
stroyed by fire. Therefore. the vii
lage of cottages that once was. aliva
with operatives. has entirely disap-
reared. and the three or four dwell
ings on the hill. as we'll as the barns.
stables. shelters and fencings are very
greatly out Of repair.
a grist mill is all that a most excel
lent water power is now running since
the FACTORY was DESTROYED, a water
power that might be made TO run a
lot of machinery saw mill and
shin"l" factory if no more.
| believe the water power has pass
ed out of the hands Of the Edgertoa
family. as we'll as a portion Of th-
Lowell estate, though Messrs. Charley
large farms on opposite sides Of I'll.
road. south Of the Old village.
Of course. Lowell has had its day.
and can nevc- be what il once NaN.
The 'short cut Of the Atlantic Cotst
Line railroad runs bout a mile nort.:
of il. Bagley. a station on the west
bank. and keniy. four miles east Of
the river. are more desirable places
to live, and the probability is that. in
a few years. if the old people who
once knew the place 50 we'll, were 10
return thithcr they would lind but III
tie of what used to be a place of en-
terprise and prosperity. During the
last four years ! passed old Lowell
every second Sunday, n never OOI-
ed at the old houses and the few treeS
Which are left standing here and
there, without a feeling of sadness, rs.
in my imagination. ] co~ntrasted he
present With those other busy. happy
days of the long ago, when those who
are nov dead, were so full Of hope
and bright prospects.
If the railroad had gone By Low
ell. it might have retained its old
time importance and grown into 4
city. but as it is, other places nearby
are building up. People viii flock to
the railroad towns if they can GET
there, and railroad towns. therefore.
are most sure to thrive and to become
centers of influence. old fogyism j.
doing a foolish thing when it sets it.
self against that tide Of enterprise
which a railroad puts IN motion.
When the Raleigh and CASTOR rail
was being surveyed, a wealthy
gentleman, who raised a vast quantity
Ct corn and fodder. opposed the build
ing of the road near him, because
it would stop the running of the
stages and there would be no sale for
his corn and fodder as there would be
no stage horses to feed. tn. cOnSe-
quence was. the road was built to run
several miles away from him. but ne
lost the sale Of his corn and fodder
just the same: and his home. which
had been on the great highway. be-
came an Ou~t-of-the-Way place. with
almost impossible reads leading there
while along the railroad important
towns speedily sprang up.
If that gentleman had welcomed the
r. i!road he might have lost the sal"
of his corn and fodder. It's true. but.
then. his home might have become u
town. and the sale of lots would have
put him in a condition TO have lived
easier than by c%ult;vating a farm.
Railroads Kill more people thar ii
IS pleasant to hin about. and they
do a great many things they ought not
to 10 fand wouldn't do if they had
any consciences)-still it must be adj
nitted that there's nothing like rail-
roads 10 improve a country and bring
the ends Of the earth together.
And, when government ownership
Of railroads comes TO pass. and their
vast earnings are used to improve the
roads and make transportation safer
and cheaper, there's no telling how
great things may be accomplished by
them. But. as | might be a candi-
date for Governor. ] prefer not being
quoted as taking sides. Yet awhile. on
the government ownership question.
be frank about the matter, | don't
know exactly how / stand. I'm wait
jump. That's the prudent thing for a
politician to do. Many a legislator has
turned a somersault. on questions, and
then boasted Of his conscientious con-
~victions."
During the Legislature of 1868 q
emf was approached by a carpet
Dagger who was trying TO get 4 meas
ure through the House. and asked how
he intended 70 vote.
With the air of one OF lofty pur-
pose. the member informed the car
T~etbagger that he should vote H..
convictions" when the bill came up.
\ few words passed between them in
al undertone. and each went 70 MS
Sest- smiling. In the course Of an nour
o. two the bill was taken from the cal
endar and the first speech made i'm its
faVor was made by tina member, in
the midst Of which he had much 10
say 20 conscientious scruples' ana
his CONVICTIONS
y fellow mcmbcr who had had as
suranceS. before hand. from him, that
he would oppose that particular meas
urc. was astonished at his speech. ana
more than astonishcd at hearing 50
much about conscientious s~crunIce"
ana convictions When the man Of
convictions" sat down that fcIIow
member arose and said:
I'M. Speaker: There's no doubt
ABOUT the Sentlcman's .'conyjrtion-
ana conversion: but its ;, mystery ia
me how he got under such doer con,