The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-07-25
Hon. John Nichols In a
Reminiscent Mood Talks
Most Interestingly
RALEIGH At THAT TINE

venerable Citizen, Who Has Spent
Nearly All His Life in Wake County,
90 Years in Raleigh, Tells About
the Personnel of the City Govern
ment Then, the Newspaper Editors,
Pastors of Churches, Industries and
Other Things That Will Entertain
the Reader.
Hon. John Nichols, at one time
CONGRESSMAN from the Raleigh dis
trict, a Past Grand Master of Ma
sons. at present United States Com
missioner, and now well along in the
"seventies'-a venerable citizen of
this city for sixty years, was in a
reminiscent mood yesterday and talk
ed of old times so Interestingly, that
the following is related:
Just sixty years 6 l became a
citizen of Raleigh, and with only tenn
Iorary absence have lived here yer
since. And with the exception of this
temporary absence [ have occupied the
same house for fifty-three years.
''When [ came to Raleigh the pop
ulation of the city was less than five
thousand. The corporation was bound
ed by North, East, South and West
streets, and was said to be just n
mile square, but I believe the city was
slightly longer from north to south
than it was wide from east to west.
David S. Reid had just been inau-
gurated Governor Of the State, and
William Dallas Haywood was the
Mayor of the city. There were no
policemen at that time. James Muir
ray, d typical Irishman. was town
constable, and did all the day work.
The citizens in squads Of six patrolled
the town at night.
"There were nc large stores. A few
small dry goods stores, mostly on Fay
etteville street, between the market
house and the Capitol. Nearly every
grocery store was on Hargett street,
between Fayetteville and Wilmington
streets, with q few On Market Square.
The 'grog Shops as saloons were
then called, were confined mostly to
Wilmington street, but nearly every
groceryman kept spirits to sell by the
measure.
The Market House was a small con-
Germ, with a small hall above, which
was the only place for public meetings
or amusement companies. The market
house did not have butcher and Vege-
table stalls as at present, but country
produce was sold from carts and wag-
ons on the Market Square. At this
time, / think there were only two
butchers in Raleigh, Eldridge Smith
and Jack Moss. Nearly every house
holder went to market. carrying his
basket, and taking home his purchases.
Whatever groceries he might buy he
took home with him-there being no
such thing as a delivery wager known
to the trade.
There We're two female schools and
one male school in the city. st. Ma
rvs, located at the same place as now,
an Episcopal school, presided over by
that great and good man. Rev. Albert
Smedes, and a Baptist female school
on Halifax street, presided Owe by
Rev. J. j. Finch, and LoveJOy,s Male
Academy on the square where now
stands the Governors Mansion. Later,
put | am not quite SURE of the late,
the Methodists established a school on
H1llSboro street.
There We're four prominent physi-
clans in Raleigh at this time, DR. Fab.
Haywood, DR.. w. H. Mckee, DR.. Chas.
E, Johnson, and DR.. William G. Hill.
They were all eminent in their profess
sion. DR.. F.. Burke Haywood, who
later attained a high position as a
physician and rgeOn commenced
the practice about this time.
The ministers were DR.. Mason. rec
tor of Christ church, Rev. Drury Lacy,
pastor of the Presbyterian church;
Kew. Thomas w. Tobey, pastor Of the
BAPTIST church, and Rev. Peter Doub,
pastor of the Methodist church. Since
then new church edifices have been
erected by each of the denominations.
Fhe newspapers were the Raleigh
heglster (Whig) edited by Seaton
GALES; the North Carolina Standard
'tDemocratic) edited by w. w. Hol-
zen: the Raleigh Star (Whig) by Rev.
Ihomas j. Lemay. While the Sta was
wing in politics, it was chiefly am a
tlcultural paper. The Spirit of the
Hge, a temperance paper, and the
organ OF the Sons of Temperance, was
eaited and published by A. NJ. Cor