- Title
- State
-
-
- Date
- January 03 1953
-
-
- Place
- ["North Carolina, United States"]
-
State
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Feudin' Cities
Raleigh and Durham still are rivals,
but not like they used to he.
By WILLIAM C. MAULTSBY
During the 1951 session of the
North Carolina Legislature, a bit of
proposed legislation involving a boun¬
dary dispute and known as the "Dur¬
ham Bill" was booted around for
several days and finally tossed into
the laps of the respective Commission¬
ers of Wake and Durham counties.
The dispute is important here only
as an illustration of a continuing feud,
sometimes amiable and sometimes vio¬
lent. that has paced the growth of two
cities — Raleigh and Durham — for
nigh onto a century now.
The Legislature of I SSI wrestled
through almost its entire session with
a so-called "Durham Bill," and this
also involved a boundary dispute —
that is, the question of whether or not
to run a boundary through Wake
County and thus create the new coun¬
ty of Durham.
Raleigh newspapers wrangled loud
and long in opposition to "cutting up
the County." while Durham journal¬
ists of the day fought equally as hard
in favor of the bill.
One of the classic examples of edi¬
torial material of the day was written,
presumably by Editor William M. Ut¬
ley. in the old Evening Visitor on Feb¬
ruary 7. I SSI. (The Visitor was the
predecessor of The Raleigh Times.)
Under the heading of. "School Ex¬
ercises." the story ran as follows (no
quotation marks were used):
Class in history come forward. How
many counties in North Carolina?
Ninety-four and a half.
What is the name of the half one?
Durrum.
When was Durham first settled and
by whom?
It was discovered by W. T. Black-
well & Co. (a mercantile establishment
favoring the bill — Ed.) and the Legis-
later is trying to settle it.
Why don’t the Legislature settle it?
'Cause Mr. Smceds and Mr. Eatin
Bledser won’t let 'em.
Correct. If Durham ever gels settled,
who is to Ik the first sheriff?
W. T. Blackwell & Co. and sum
mo fellers.
Who are the greatest men in the
world?
The men wat goes to the Lcgislater
and don't do nothin but vote.
Why does this make them great?
It don't. They don’t git great till
they git on the streets. Then they throw
ihcr heds back and tell little boys ter
"Git out of the way; I am a member
of the North Carolina Lcgislater." And
we little boys git skeert and git.
Does that make them great?
We little boys think so.
Where docs all the Colonels come
from?
From different places. Some of ’em
goes to the Lcgislater and git to be
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Installations
55
THE STATE. JANUARY 3. 1953
