USA > North Carolina > History of North Carolina: North Carolina biography, Volume V > Part 96
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Second (present Young Men's Christian Associa- tion site). His clerks besides myself at that time were L. S. Williams and John Dixon. The busi- ness was not large, but about equal to any other house in the place, the sales amounting to about $15,000.00 per annum.
'Twas about this time that the intimacy between your mother and myself began, and through all the ups and downs of subsequent events-although our course was anything but smooth-I never for a moment ceased to love her wholly and solely from the day of our engagement until the day of our marriage-and from the day of our wedding until now, and (I believe) until death. This is a confession I don't remember to have made before, even to her; but I am trying to tell the truth in these pages, and it is not expected that the madam will read these pages of history, they being for the benefit of our boys. As I will have occasion to come back to this subject again, I must hasten on with my narrative, fearing if I spin it out too long you will not feel enough interest in it to read it through. My stay with Mr. Williams was some- thing over a year, when Uncle William 's health began to fail rapidly, and on the 23d of November, 1846, he died at his home in Charlotte. Thus passed away the only relative I had in this sec- tion of the country.
Uncle had amassed by industry and economy a large fortune for the time in which he lived, and after bequeathing about twenty-five thousand dol- lars to relatives, friends, Davidson College, and the First Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, he bequeathed the balance to me, making Joseph H. Wilson and William Johnston, both now living in Charlotte, his executors. This large estate was to be managed by them for my benefit until I be- came twenty-five years of age.
The disposition of his property was no surprise to me, as he had frequently told me that he had made me his heir. Many were surprised he did not leave brother Robert something, but I did not expect it, knowing him as I did; for he thought Brother had left him without just cause, and his confidence in him from that date was lost. My uncle's death, together with a large sum inherited at my age (16) was well calculated to upset me, and produce evil results. It was certainly a dan- gerous position to occupy and I cannot ascribe it to any peculiar merit of my own that I did not become, as many predicted, a drunkard and vaga- bond, but to the interposition of an unseen Hand, which has conducted me through many perils and dangers which have beset my pathway. To God alone, is all the praise due for my deliverance. My uncle had few sincere friends. He was plain and outspoken in his views and never practiced the art of deception or played the demagogue to win favor; if he liked you, you would soon know it; if he did not like you, he would make little effort to conceal it. As an illustration of his views and feelings, I will quote here some lines which he wrote in his Bible, which are copied from Burns, one of his favorite authors:
"To catch Dame Fortune's cheering smile, Assiduous, wait upon her, And gather gear by every wile That's justified by honor, Not for to hide it in a hedge,
Not for a train attendant : But for the glorious privilege Of being Independent."
Such is a short and imperfect sketch of the man to whom I am indebted for what I possess in this world's goods, and however he may have been looked upon by the world around him, I would be an ingrate indeed not to cherish his memory, and hold in respectful remembrance his many virtues. Although taking a lively interest in the politics of the day, being an ardent Henry Clay Whig, he never sought any office, and, to my knowledge, never held one-believing the post of honor, the private station. He was plain William Carson through life, never having a prefix of "Colonel, Captain, or even Squire" to his name, but pos- sessing more good, sound sense than a score of such titled pigmies of the present day. He never connected himself with any church, but was a Presbyterian in belief, and contributed to that denomination, and at his death bequeathed five thousand dollars, together with his library, to Davidson College, and one thousand dollars to the First Presbyterian church here.
A short time after my uncle's death, believing that the legacy which he had bequeathed me would be more than ample for my support, and thinking it would require a better education than I then had to manage it, I determined to give up my position in the store and to commence school again, preparatory to going to college.
This was, I believe, in the summer of 1847. I began school again at the old male academy. I found that I was making slow progress in my studies, and I resolved to leave the school and seek an education somewhere else.
I had living in Asheville a friend and former schoolmate, who had been writing to me, and giv- ing glowing descriptions of the school there. This boy 's name was Charles Alexander, a son of Col. M. W. Alexander, now living in Charlotte. He (the Colonel) had removed from here to Ashe- ville a year or two before to take charge of the "Eagle Hotel,"' which was still standing at last accounts. From Charley's solicitations and de- scriptions I was persuaded that Asheville was the place for me, and I arrived there in the fall of 1847 and entered the school of Lee and Norwood. I found this a much superior school to the one I had left, but I made a serious mistake in board- ing at the hotel, to be near my old friend. It has been a source of regret that I did not board with Colonel Lee, who boarded most of the boys who came from a distance, and who lived about a mile out of town. It will not do to throw too many temptations in a boy's way, and I am con- vinced that the place for a boy who goes from home to school is with one of the teachers, and never, under any circumstances, at a public house.
I hope my boys will benefit by my experience in this matter. Considering the many temptations to which I was exposed, and which took my mind from study, I nevertheless occupied a very cred- itable position in my class. The school was of a higher order than any I had previously attended, and its reputation for preparing boys for college well was well known, especially in South Caro- lina, the state from which most of the boys who were non-residents came. I may mention among the students at the school the names of Governor Vance, Senator Merrimon, and the Rev. Henry Dickson.
From some cause, not known to me, Lee and Norwood dissolved copartnership about six months after my arrival, Mr. Norwood continuing to teach in town, and Mr. Lee removing his school to his
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home, about one mile and a half in the country. The boys from Charlotte, John Springs, Joe and Sam Caldwell and I went to Lee, but my friend, Charley Alexander, continued with Norwood. I, along with the boys from Charlotte, continued to board in Asheville-now with a Mr. Reynolds. This was a great mistake, but we had pretty much our own way and did as we pleased. The consequence was that our studies were neglected and our ad- vancement slow.
Colonel Lee is still living at his old home among the mountains. Mr. Norwood is said to have met a tragic death away on the frontier of civilization, some few years after this time.
I remained with Mr. Lee until the summer of 1849, when Charley Alexander and I concluded we were ready for college; so we left Asheville in time to begin the fall session at Davidson College. The Davidson faculty then consisted of Rev. Samuel Williamson, D. D., president; Rev. S. B. O. Wilson, Rev. E. Rockwell and Mortimer D. Johnston. Dr. Williamson still lives at a ripe old age in Arkansas; Mr. Wilson (I believe) somewhere in Tennessee; Mr. Rockwell near States- ville, North Carolina. Mr. Johnston is dead, but his widow and family reside in Charlotte. The number of students then was about seventy. Charley and I entered the freshman class, which numbered some twelve to fifteen boys; we selected different societies-he the Philanthropic and I the Eumanean. Here I met some of my former ac- quaintances and schoolmates from around Char- lotte. Among the number were James M. Hutch- ison, Thomas Grier, Alden Alexander and N. C. Clayland. I soon felt at home among my friends, and my surroundings were very pleasant. During the first year of my course I made good progress in most of my studies, and stood at the head of my class, but Mr. Wilson-the Greek and Latin professor-and I took a mutual dislike to each other, or I fancied so, and I became indifferent about the lessons I recited to him, until I finally made up my mind to leave Davidson and go to Chapel Hill. This was in my sophomore year, about the close of 1850. As it turned out, how- ever, this was my last school, and the end of my college education. When I left Davidson I re- turned to Charlotte to have a little recreation and spend the Christmas holidays with my friends, preparatory to my departure for Chapel Hill. Soon after this the dreaded smallpox, which was then looked upon as an evil to be dreaded more than civil war, broke out in Charlotte. Those who were living here at that time will not be likely to forget it. All communication with the outer world was cut off, and fears of starvation were seriously apprehended, as we had no railroads to bring in supplies, and the country people were afraid to come to town, and town people were not allowed to go to the country, for fear ot spreading the disease. Thus matters stood dur- ing the winter of 1850 and 1851. If a citizen of Charlotte happened to make his appearance in any of the surrounding towns he would be "in- vestigated" by a committee of citizens, and re- quested to leave. I was one of a party that went to Charleston, South Carolina, that winter, to hear Jenny Lind, and we "took in" Chester on our way, to attend a ball, but we had not been there an hour before the committee found us out, and we had to leave in short order. The consequence was we had to travel over some terrible roads, and far into the night, before we found a place to sleep; by this time we were wise enough not
to hail from Charlotte or anywhere in its neigh- borhood. The C. C. & A. Railroad was then com- pleted to Winnsboro, South Carolina.
How things have changed since then! Neither smallpox nor anything else, in fact, would have such an effect on the country now. A country that has gone through four years of civil war cannot be easily frightened. Thus Charlotte was virtually cut off from the outside world until late in the spring of 1851. This prevented me from entering Chapel Hill at the beginning of the session, and I at last made up my mind to abandon the idea of going through college. This was per- haps a wise step for me, as Chapel Hill was at that time considered not the best place in the world for a young man like myself with plenty of money. I have often heard young men say that they knew more about their text books when they went there than when they came away. I do not say that such would have been my case, but I fear the chances would have been in favor of it.
At this time I became of age, and my own man, though the transition was imperceptible, as I had been acting pretty much as I wished since the period of my uncle's death.
Having abandoned the notion of going through college, and my health being quite feeble, I thought a sea voyage would be beneficial, so I left home about the first of July, by way of Charleston, for New York, where I took passage for Liverpool, July 5, on the steamer Arctic of the Collins Line. This ship was then considered very fine. The Collins Line was then the principal competitor of the Cunard Line, which has had such remarkable success and whose boats are justly considered the best built and best officered ships afloat. As the Collins Line was looked upon as Ameri- can and the Cunard as English, I naturally pre- ferred the former. We had a pleasant voyage, and made the trip in something over ten days, having met with no rough weather of any conse- quence, although it appeared anything else to me but smooth at times. I enjoyed it amazingly after being out two or three days and the scare having worn off.
The only acquaintances I had when we went aboard were A. F. Brevard and a young man from Tennessee by the name of Fogg, who fell in with us at Charleston, South Carolina. While on ship I made a number of acquaintances, who proved to be very agreeable, and long before the vessel had sighted the English coast I had begun to feel quite at home, and when we landed at Liverpool and each passenger took his own way, I felt as if I had parted from some dear friends.
This was the year of the great London Exposi- tion, and there had never been such a rush of Americans to Europe before. It was difficult to secure passage across and more difficult to secure return passage, and those, like myself, who were going for a short trip, for health or pleasure, would generally secure return passage immediately upon arrival at Liverpool. Our stay in Liver- pool was short. As soon as we could get our bag- gage out of the custom house we were off to Lon- don. After traveling through a country beautiful to look upon (scarcely ever out of sight of a town) for two hundred miles, we found ourselves in London, the greatest city on the globe; but even London was overflowing with people from all parts of the world, and it was with some difficulty that we found quarters in the heart of the city. If you will look in the encyclopedia for London you
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will see a picture of Trafalgar Square and St. Paul's Cathedral. Well, our lodgings were in Covent Garden, not much over a stone's throw from either place, and very convenient to omnibus lines to Hyde Park, the Exposition, bank, Thames" tunnel, Westminister Abbey and Houses of Par- liament-in fact, to every place you might desire to visit.
We had not been in the great city a week, if so long, when my traveling companion found he could get lodgings in a very obscure part of the city for a good deal less money than we were paying at Covent Garden. So he left me alone in my glory, went to his new quarters, and I saw but little of him afterwards; as I found I got along about as well without his company as with it.
As I said before, the Exposition was the place of attraction, and during my stay of about one month there were but few days that did not find me there. The building was so large, and there were so many things to be seen, and such a crowd that it was difficult to obtain a satisfactory view of anything, and it required much time to see everything; but as I had come a long way espe- cially to see it, I took my time, and got enough of it at last. The building was of iron and glass, 1,800 feet long and about 600 feet wide, often crowded in every aisle with all sorts of people.
During my short stay I visited many of the most noted places; in fact, I was busy all the time going from place to place, but it required a much longer time than I had at my command to see it all. During my stay I had improved very much in health. The sea voyage, together with the change in diet and scenery, contributed much toward this improvement.
After spending about a month in London, and with only a fortnight of my time left, I con- cluded to make a short trip to Scotland and Ire- land before my time was out; so I bade a final adieu to the great city and took the train for Edinburgh, the famous city of Scotland. After spending about a week here, at Glasgow, the lakes, etc., I took passage on a steamer from Glas- gow for Belfast, Ireland. My stay was too lim- ited to see much of the country where my ances- tors were born. It was in the neighborhood of Belfast that they first saw the light, and from my hasty observations I was agreeably surprised to find it a much better country than I had been led to expect. This is one of the favored sections of Ireland, composed as it is mostly of the Prot- estant element, and on that account greatly in advance of the Catholic districts, which are kept in ignorance by the teachings of this religion.
From Belfast I went through the country, partly by stage coach and partly by railroad, to Dublin; and after staying here two or three days I re- crossed the Channel to Liverpool, where I arrived two days before the sailing of the steamer At- lantic, on which vessel I had engaged return passage to the United States. I was in England only six weeks, but in that short time I had seen a good deal and learned much, and shall always look back with pleasure to the agreeable time so profitably spent.
I escaped sea-sickness until crossing the Chan- nel between Dublin and Liverpool. The sea was not rough, but we had short, choppy waves, the kind which gives a very disagreeable motion to the boat, and is more liable to produce nausea
and sea-sickness than the highest waves of the broad Atlantic.
On our return we had head winds most of the way, and very rough weather for several days- so much so that passengers were not allowed on deck. I did not ask the officers of the ship if there was danger, because if there was I did not care to know it, but there was much anxiety among the passengers, and for two or three days there were no amusements aboard, and but few appeared at meals. Through it all I managed to keep from sea-sickness, and did not miss a meal. Many who had crossed the Atlantic a dozen times did not fare so well. On the thirteenth day out we came in sight of land once more-a welcome sight to many on board. That day the Captain furnished the wine at dinner, and many compli- mentary speeches were made and toasts offered in honor of his skill in piloting us safely through the dangers of the deep. On the next morning- September 3d, I think it was, we landed safely in New York, where several of my friends were awaiting my arrival. It was several days before I could get clear of the feeling of being still on board, and it was some time before I could walk straight, but by degrees this feeling wore off, and I felt all right again.
I would remark here, in regard to sea voyages, that when the weather is clear and the sea calm there can be nothing more enjoyable, but when it is wet and stormy, I much prefer being on land. In fact, I think there are many who pretend to be in love with "Old Ocean" who would rather love him at a distance. I confess to being one of that class, although, if I thought my health re- quired a sea voyage, I should not hesitate to cross the ocean again. In doing so, however, I should trust myself to the care of the Cunard Line, be- lieving it to be the best officered and safest of any other.
After spending a short time in New York, I, with two other of my friends, concluded to take a short pleasure trip before returning home. We visited Saratoga, Niagara Falls, Montreal, Boston, etc., and returned to New York in about two weeks. Soon thereafter we returned to Charlotte, about October 1, 1851, having in the space of four months traveled over ten thousand miles.
I was not at home long before I found a life of idleness exceedingly irksome, and calculated to. lead to bad habits; so I concluded to engage in something, not so much to make money as to have something to do; and to this end I formed a co- partnership with John L. Watson in the summer of 1853, our firm being changed to M. H. Peoples & Company.
In the death of Jack Watson, as he was gener- ally called, I sustained a heavy loss, for I think he was the best friend, outside my own family, that I ever had. His many noble and disinter- ested acts of kindness to me shall not be forgot- ten while memory lasts. In the spring preceding his death the Rev. David Baker (this should have been Daniel-my error), a noted Presbyterian preacher and revivalist from Texas, visited this section, and among the many converts who were through his instrumentality added to the church was Jack Watson, and although I was absent dur- ing his sickness and death, I have no doubt but that his conversion was sincere and his death a. triumphant vindication of its reality, as he sent me word that "all was well," and urged me with his dying breath to come to Jesus.
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It may be proper to remark, for the informa- tion of the boys, that their mother was one of Dr. Baker's converts also, and many others who have proved themselves worthy, we trust, of this high calling. At the death of my dear friend, I lost much of my former interest in our business, and it was not a great while before I sold my part of it. In the fall of 1853 I connected myself with the Presbyterian church. Having been very deeply impressed by the sermons of Dr. Baker in the spring, but not wishing to be hasty in such an important matter, I did not make application for membership until my convictions seemed to me to justify such a course. And even now I often have my doubts and misgivings as to whether I am "His'' or not, and I look, as it were, through a glass darkly.
Some other matters of much importance occurred about this time. Perhaps the one of greatest im- portance was the agreement of marriage be- tween your mother and me. It occurred on the classic banks of the French Broad river, about two miles west of Asheville, some time about the first of September, 1853. As I have already made some confessions which many would consider as rather humiliating, it is not necessary that I should here add anything to what has already been said, further than to remark that the engagement was not broken, but held securely until we were married.
At this time my health was not good. I had been suffering with rheumatism, and had been trying baths at Warm Springs in Madison County during the summer, and not finding the relief I sought I went to Florida the following winter, and derived much benefit from my trip. I spent the great por- tion of my time at Orange Springs. I returned much improved some time in March (I think), 1854.
On the 25th May, following, your mother and I were married, in the house now occupied by the Rev. Dr. A. W. Miller, which then belonged to your mother's father, H. B. Williams. We were married by the Rev. Hall Morrison, who still lives at a ripe old age. We would have been married by our pastor-the Rev. Cyrus Johnston, but he was absent-being a delegate to the General As- sembly of the Presbyterian church that year.
We had a large wedding, with six "attendants" each, which number should be materially lessened, should the same ceremony have to be gone through with again, but I hope I shall never be called upon again to undergo the trial. I think my duty to my children would forbid a second marriage, if the memory of my first wife did not.
The last event (our marriage) brings this his- tory to a point where I might as well, perhaps, leave it, as my biography is as well known to your mother since our marriage as it is to myself, and if I conclude to continue it farther it will be more for the purpose of relating other events not closely connected with my own history, but giving some account of Charlotte and its citizens, an account which might be of some service as a source of reference hereafter.
I will therefore bring this hastily written bio- graphy of myself to a close, being fully aware of its many imperfections, but trusting that some- thing good may result to some of my boys in its perusal. My end will have been fully accom- plished if it should prove the instrument of keep- ing one of our boys out of one temptation, or from committing one sin.
Remember your pathway through life will be
beset with many things, which of themselves may be harmless enough, but nevertheless should be- avoided, if they are calculated to keep the mind from serious thoughts. It is well that the young should have their amusements-it is necessary they should have-but at the same time they should remember that there is a point in the most inno- cent, beyond which it is not prudent to go.
RICHARD CLAY CARSON, a man of affairs at Whiteville, North Carolina, and formerly very closely identified with mercantile and industrial in- terests in the state, is a native son of North Carolina and took up his business career fully thirty years ago.
He was born at Charlotte, December 10, 1866, son of James Harvey and Mary Ann ( Williams) Carson. His parents were in well-to-do circum- stances and he grew up in a home of culture and was given the best of school advantages. He had private instruction until 1875, from that year until 1882 attended the Carolina Military Institute at Charlotte, and was a student of Davidson College at Davidson from 1882 to 1886.
On leaving college he was in the manufacturing business from 1887 to 1890, and then became con- nected with the Standard Oil Company as a sales- man from 1890 to 1892, and as special agent from 1892 to 1894. In the latter year Mr. Carson estab- lished the Charlotte Hardware Company at Char- lotte, North Carolina, and remained in active charge of this large and prospering institution until fail- ing health compelled him to retire in 1900. Since then he has given his attention largely to various investments.
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