The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-06-03

ward with eager anticipation 10 its
compl letion. and hardly an additional
touch IS made toward its completion
without being noted by Washington
newspapers. It is noteworthy to
North Carolinians that the first post
Office named in honor of the father Of
our country was established here.
The enNiable boast Of every Wash
ingtonian is that tho town in public
school facilities are not surpassed
within radius Of many hundred
miles, and that its school building has
no superior in ali North Carolina 1t
is constructed of brick. two stories
and a basement, lighted, heated and
ventilated by modern methods rhe
two noorS contain large class rooms ef
ample accommodations, and also 4
| large auditorium for school and pub
| lie exercises. The attendance g tho
school this session reached the 90
| mark. with % teachers in charge
| DotGng the town here ana there,
many Of them facing the water front.
| others standing near the thorough
/ fare Of the buSir eSs section, are old
i landmarks that date their existence
back to the founding of the village In
1905. OF late years some Of these
familiar and time -honored structures
have been raZed to the ground TO be
superseded by more commodious and
modern buildings. Linked With these
passing landmarks is much tradition
Of local and even Statewide interest
A notable Illustration of the passing
Of one of these sacred corncrStones OF
North Cardinals Oldest town is the
tearing away of the homo Of the
: Branch Bank Of Cape Fear to give
, way to the construction of a two
story building, the first story to be
occupied by dry goods firm and the
upper story to be converted into an
opera house. The new building is
now in the course Of construction, and
the walls of the old one is being used,
: owing to the fact that the contractor
claimed that the old walls were more
, substantial than any new ones that
could possibly be put together at the
: present day.
Woven into the tearing away Of this
5 ancient structure on Main street is
the story of breaking Of a link Of one
Of the oldest chain Of banking insti-
tutiOnS in the State. At the rise OF
this bank building, which was a
Z branch Of the Bank Of Cape Fear. To-
J Gated at Wilmington. somewhere in
the early part of 1900, or even prior
G thereto, there We're only four organ
: lied banks in North Carolina, and
even a limited number in the United
: States. Wilmington, Fayetteville
:, New Bern and Raleigh were the other
: four towns affording a bank at the
: date of the establishment Of the
Washington branch bank. This bank
n drew patronage from scattering States
q of the Union as well as various coun-
t ties and towns in the state not sup
Il porting a banking institution.
: Old papers and specimen checks
: delved from the receSSes Of the walls
e of the ancient building testify to the
G antiquity of this banking institution
| and the prominence of the bank In
IS the financial circles of the country
Some of the specimen checks found ir
Y, preservation bore the date OF the ycal
IS 1928, and a number were dated in the
# year 1913. In that year tradition naS
1. it, and it is youched for by citizens
}, of the town. that President John Ty-
e Ter had reserve fund deposited in
l. the vaults of the bank. A check, Ger.
If tifying to this historical claim. bear
!. ing the signature Of John Tyler. made
IS payable to j. Tyler, is in evidence.
-