The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1919-07-18
HE Is ELIZABETH CITY'S
OLDEST NEWSPAPER MAN
Might Have Been WELDING the Per
To-Day If He Hadn't Got Hold
OF a Sword in '61

The oldest newspaper man in Eliz-
abeth City is Mr.. M. B. Culpepper. You
didn't know that, did you? Mr.. Gull
pepper, born Oct. 23, 1S4S, now rs years
old was writing locals, sticking type
and carrying papers for The Old North
State, weekly journal of the Albe-
marie Region, published in Elizabeth
City before the Civil War.
Mr.. Culpepper remembers that The
Old North State was a Journalistic
power in it's day, but its total paid
subscription list in the, city amounted
to less than 100. More copies of THE
INDEPENDENT are now sold on the
streets of Elizabeth City every week
say nothing of the paid subscribers OF
this newspaper.
The Old North State was printed on
an old Washington hand press. The
type setting machine had not been in
vented and the paper was not big
enough to require machinery for fold
ing and mailing, as is required by THE
INDEPENDENT.
The editor of The Old North State
was General VIM. E. Mann, commander
of the State Militia in this section Of
the State bounded by the Albemarle
Sound and the Virginia state line, and
then known as the Albemarle Region
In fact this section of the State was
Estiu called the AIbemarle Region wher
THE INDEPENDENT was established
in 1905. THE INDEPENDENT IN
sisted that the name had lost its MS
torical Significance and began calling
this section northeastern North Caro-
lima" And now everybody, 1ncIualne
Solicitor Ehringhaus, calls this sectlor
North Eastern North Carolina. Whch
shows that a newspaper does create
n,,bIic opinion without the public even
suspecting that it is having it's opinions
and traditions upset. Once upon {
| time this newspaper decided to make
| a Colonel of Isaac M. Meek1ns. Inls
newspaper began calling him Col
| Meekins and now he is known as Col
| Meekins from one end of the land &c
| the other.
IF would be interesting to know more
| about The Old North State and it's pup
Usher. Mr.. Culpepper says the paper
susnended at the outbreak of the Clvl
|
cred an army of 600 men from ths
counties of Chowan, Perqulmans, Fas
o,otank. Camden and Currituck. Mr
Culnepper. then a devilish, roll1cklng
tough, stringy, hard drinking, hafo nit
ting STRIPPING of 1S, enlisted with TN
| army. The army was sent to Roanoh
island. leaving Elizabeth City ana sec
+ion to the women and children ana M
I ono to look out for the women am
children. Genl. Mann saw the mis-
take and rode all the way from hllZ
aheth City to Raleigh, in horse dra"'
sn1kv. to get permission from Governo
Vance to transfer part of his forces
Elizabeth City for season. rms Go'
ernor Vance consented to do.
This newspaper isn't quite certal
what became of Genl. Mann, but M,
cn1nepper, whose picture heads I'M
little human interest sketch, is llVlhs
hale and hearty, and to-day holds 90"
Tho reeistry and money order d1vlslo
of the Elizabeth City post ONCE. An
+bsre isn't a man of any age In tnl
GOOD old town who writes a more hr1
or beautiful hand than M. B. Cuipep
ner at the age of Is.
The accompanying picture Is iioi
a SNAPSHOT photo by W.. .. sauioels