Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1926-07-15
OLD PAPER HAS
ITEMS OF INTEREST
Copy of blue Ridge Blade" of Fifty
Years Ago Tells of Centennial,
Vance-Settle Campaign, Etc.
(Morganton News-Herald)

MISS Maggie mcdowell mas very
kindly loaned the News Herald q
copy of "The Blue Ridge Blade" of
August 8, 1S76-fifty years old-W
F. Avery, editor. The paper contains
an account of the death of Miss Mag
gie's father, DR.. J. C. Mcdowell, and
has been very carefully preserved.
DR.. Mcdowell died of blood poisoning
in his SIND year.
In the old paper we have found
many interesting items Governor
Vance and Thomas Settle were in the
race for governor and the paper
shows that politics was beginning to
warm up. An excursion was adver-
tised to run to Statesville to hear
the famous debaters. The round trip
from Morganton was ST.
In the report of the Asheville
debate between Vance and Settle the
following story was narrated.
They're Walking Ahead of You,
Thomas"
The most amusing incident of the
controversy between Vance and Set
tie, in Asheville, was Vance's walk
ing" anecdote. Gov. Vance told the
story of the old man who gave his son
fine horse. The young man went
off to some large gathering, and
commenced swapping. He swapped
five times, and came home with a
lame, one-eyed, poor, sway-backed
old horse. Vance initiated the old
man hobbling out on his crutches
and examining the horse. He exam
ined his teeth, then his eyes, etc, ETC.,
and after some reflection he looks up
over his spectacles and says, John,
my son, there's walking ahead of you
yet"
Vance then told how his competi-
tor, Judge Settle, had been swapping
positions. First" said he, my COM
petitor was judge on the Supreme
Court bench. He swapped that place
off to become minister to Pe-rough
| las Leach would call it,. He then got
tired of that place and swapped his
Peruvian ministry for his old place
on the Supreme Court bench"
Gentlemen" said Vance, "he has
actually been foolish enough to re-
sign his place on the Supreme Court
! bench a second time to beat me for
Governor - me" Great laughter.)
I,,1r
There's walking ahead of you Thorn
as" A gentleman present says the
inimitable way in which Vance said
this created such merriment that it
was ten minutes before he could pro-
ceed
In view of the recent war with
Germany the letter in that issue of
the 50-year-oid paper from the Kaiser
to The United States is interesting:
Germany to America
Mr. Cadwalader, acting secretary
of state of the United States, pre-
sented Mr.. Scholzer, the German mini
ister, to the President for the purpose
| of delivering an autograph letter of
congratulation from the emperor of
Germany. Mr.. Scholzer in present
ing the letter stated that he was in
structed by his majesty to deliver up
on the fourth day of July to the Pres
ident in person an autograph letter
of congratulations upon the occasion
of the centennial anniversary, and
wished to add his personal good wish
es for the United States.
The President briefly replied, as
suring him of his satisfaction in re-
ceiving this evidence of good feeling
on the part of his majesty; that his
kind expressions toward the United
States were fully appreciated, and
that the letter should be properly
acknowledged. The letter is as fol-
lows:
William, by the grace of God,
Emperor of Germany, King of
Prussia, ETC., to the President of
the United States:
Great and Good Friend:
1t has been vouchsafed to you to
celebrate the centennial festival Of
the day upon which the great re-
public over which you preside entered
the rank of Independent nations. The
purpose of its founders have, by a
wise application of the teachings of
the history of the foundations of ma
tions, and with insight into the dis
tant future, been realized by devel-
opment without a parallel. To con-
gratulate you and the American peo-
pie on the occasion affords me so
much the greater pleasure because
since the treaty of friendship which
my ancestor of glorious memory,
King Frederick II, who now rests
with God, concluded with the United
States, undisturbed friendship has
continually existed between the Ger
many and America, and has been de-
veloped and strengthened by the ever
increasing Importance of this mutual
relations, and by an intercourse be.
coming more and more fruitful in
every domain of commerce anc