The farmer and mechanic., 1915-05-25
(BYRON FORD.)

age. few days ago, after an alb
sence Of nearly fifteen years, 1 drove
lnto it from Norlina; coming down
bed had resounded to the footsteps Of
Flutes volunteers in 10 and to War
cen's in 81. Down this same street
came Horace Greedy in 1886 to we'd
Miss Mary Young Cheney, q teacher
in local school, in quiet Old En-
manuel church; down it came Anne
Carter Lee in her flight from Rich
mond to ShOcco Springs, a few miles
to the southeast, and over its hills
came her noble father, the Great |
Chieftain, to shed upon her grave the |
last tears left in that great heart |
shattered at Appomattox.
They call this Main street, and it's |
noble old Observation-Disclosures |
ed by concrete and macadam-but !
hallowed through it's association with |
men and women who have played
stellar roles in the drama of Ameri-
can history. It's fine old oaks, elms
and sycamores looked down upon
William Tecumseh Sherman and his
motley troopers as they marched
northward from devastated Georgia;
they knew Nat Macon, Kemp Plum
mer, the Braggs. the Turner'S, the
Hawkins, Bell. Matt and Robert Ran
som. and Elias Carr intimately. and
had more than passing acquaintance
with Marshall, Randolph and others
who had a hand in shaping the ma
tons destinies.
Main street is beautiful now; the
age-old trees which skirt it's two-mile
stretch of hills and dales are forming
that cool bower whose roof is never
penetrated by the suns rays; its con-
crete walks are swept clean and it's
Well-oiled macadam releases no dust
to the gentle breeZes waited across
the spacious green lawns which line
it's either side. AS one enters from
the north few changes are to be noted
in the buildings known to passed
generations. The Wilcox Seminary,
famous aute-bellum institution, has
been converted into a beautiful resi-
dence; the fine old Polk residence,
long the home of the Presidents
brothers widow, now owned and oc-
Cupied by her son, Senator Tasker
Polk, carries it's age we'll; Warrenton
Academy founded in 1886, is now
John Grahams school for boys and
girls; the home of the Braggs shows
no signs Of decay, and the red brick
mansion which housed Texas Cover
nor Bell is still magnificent in it's sur
roundingS of boX-wOOds and flowers.
Emmanuel church. one Of the Oldest
and once the wealthiest in the South,
still rears its proud spire toward
heaven, but south Of here the visitor
finds that Warrenton has walked from
to catch step with other progressive
communities.
Awful Court Sentence.
A little further along is Courthouse
Square and until a little while age
this square with is surrounding
buildings was one of the most picture
sque spots in North Carolina In its
centre stood the courthouse, a stately
Greek structure within whose walls
a long line of the States most dis
tinguished jurists sat; and some very
famous cases were settled there. L
was in that old building that prob
ably the most awful sentence evel
pronounced in North Carolina wa
given a murderer along about 1880
In passing sentence of death upon tn
prisoner, the Judge instructed tha
before being hanged he should b.
tied to his coffin, carried under guar
to Emmanuel church, and be mad
to listen to his own funeral sermon
The mans name has not been pre-
served, but the rector who preache
the sermon was the Rev. Mr.. Greer
afterwards Bishop Of Alabama, an
the guard who had him in charg
was Captain Dixon Marshall, brothe
to Chief Justice John Marshall.
Surrounding the square were tn
great wooden stores, taverns an
barns for the stage horses Most c
these have disappeared to give plac
to handsome stone and brick build
ings which give to the old town tha
spirit of newness and progress no
evident in all parts of the State, an
still further south are to be foun
additional proofs of Warrenton
awakening. Great roomy stores an
warehouses and many fine home
have sprung up in the last decao
to make room for new business an
new people; though away over G
top of the hill the summer home
Elias Carr still stands out in
simple beauty TO link the present wit