The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-09-16
Historical Halifax.

The tearing down of the old court
house whose history reaches back
almost to the days Of the colonies
and building Of a magnificent judi
cial building of stone and iron that
cost above fifty thousand dollars,
marks the beginning Of a new era,
perhaps, in this famous North Caro-
lima town that has slept seemingly
unconscious of it's glory here in the
shadow of the giant oaks on the
banks of the Roanoke. The old
court house, now gone, to make
place for the new one, is suggestive
of the stirring times and strong men
of other days. Here was the scene
of many great forensic battles be-
tween such men as Conigland, the
great Irish lawyer, r. O. Burton,
Jr., the bright son of the famous
old Methodist preacher, W. II. Day,
Thos. N. Hill, Spier Whitaker and
the Younger galaxy OF Jno. A. Moore,
w. C. Thorne, P. T. Hyman, David
Bell and w. A. Dunn, now all gone.
The new court house will be fin
ished by January 1st, 1910, and IN
every detail so far as the funds set
apart for the purpose will afford,
will be a model of its kind. The
courts in the meantime are beng
held in an old store house down on
Main street. 1t was curious sight
this week to look on the court being
held there. Perched upon an i'm
provised platform behind an old
table sat his honor, the Judge, near
the old doorway boar with age, be-
hind sundry desks and tables, always
nervous, alert and smiling, was Ster
ling Gary, the clerk. Sheriff House
first in one way and then out an
other was constantly impressing his
aged deputy "Sheriff Green tt
keep the crowd out Of the window.
and off the shelves and keep ordel
in court" The lawyers as usua
had provided themselves with all the
cheers to be had and appeared to b'
we'll content with themselves and al
else, except when an OCCASIONAL pas
with Judge PEBBLES would Disturb
the serenity and peace Of it all. y
We say the new court house posi-
bly, marks the beginning Of nev
era-an epoch, if you please-an'
we hope it will take in hand tn
preservation of some Of the histori
memories Of Halifax town. To say
from utter decay and ruin the oil
chapel by the street leading to tn
river and some attention to tn
graves of former distinguished cit
zens of the county ard State who Ii
buried near by would be a Christia
and patriotic service. The old tom
stones and monuments bearing O
them legends Of the birth an
achievements Of men who have bee
dead for more than a century, hav
spraWled around on broken masonr
and in some cases actually far re
moved from the place where tn
dead sleep whose virtues and abil
ties they commemorate. Here me
the provincial congress, the gener;
assembly Of the State, and time will
out number in the hour Of publ
peril the great and good men of tt
: Old North State have come to tn
town-a classic in the heroic ar
civic memories take counsel, d.
5 wise action and create thunderbol
I Of State and National history. v
do not want to be a town alone
| the past, but from this time onwa1
, to take on more life and accompli:
O more; at the same time we ougl
y, not to permit the evidences here
the towns and States achievement
to perish from the earth. -Rocl
. Mount Echo.
n BriDkleyViIle Briefs.