218 Chronicles of the Cape Fear River

pieces picked up in the woods, and burning it in a pit, just as
charcoal is made, then running it off into a hole prepared for it
in the ground. At the present price of the article, this is said
to be the best business now doing in the State. I am told good,
fresh, well-timbered pine lands can be bought for $1.25 to $1.50
per acre,

“One barrel of turpentine distilled makes six gallons of
spirits. The residuum, or resin, is not of much value, say

twenty-five cents a barrel. Tar and turpentine are now high,
and the business is good.”

The late Col. Thomas C. McIlhenny, always a welcome guest
of Governor Dudley, often entertained me by the recital of im-
portant local events of his earlier years, and upon one occasion
described the visit of the great Commoner while he was also a
guest at the Governor’s majision. The colonel said he was
much impressed by the great size of Mr. Webster’s head and the
powerful penetration of his searching eyes, and by his fancy for
the Governor’s madeira, of which he kept a pipe of superior
quality. After drinking all of the dining room supply, Mrs.
Dudley having withdrawn, Mr. Webster laid an affectionate
hand upon the colonel’s shoulder and said: “Young man, show
me where the Governor keeps that wine,” and being led to the
cellar, he greatly reduced the contents of the cask with much

enjoyment, but apparently not altogether with satisfaction, be-
cause he seldom knew when he had enough.

With reference to Mr. Webster’s visit to Wilmington, the
following from the local newspaper, the Commercial, Thursday
morning, May 6, 1847, is quoted:

Hon. Dantex WEBSTER.

The Hon. Daniel Webster and family arrived at this place
yesterday in the cars at a little before 2 o’clock.

Col. John MacRae, magistrate of police, appointed the fol-
lowing gentlemen as a committee to meet our distinguished
guest, and to make the necessary arrangements to entertain him
while here:

Governor Dudley, John D. Jones, L. H. Marsteller, Alexan-
der MacRae, Dr. W. A. Berry, James T. Miller, Dr. F. J. Hill,
R. W. Brown, Samuel Potter, Dr. J. H. Dickson, Gilbert Pot-
ter, John Walker, C. D. Ellis, Thomas Loring, A. A. Brown,
D. Fulton, R. B. Wood, J. Ballard, H. W. Beatty, J. Hatha-

Notable Incidents 919

way, H. R. Savage, W. C. Bettencourt, Dr. T. H. Wright,
Thomas D. Meares, John A. Taylor, James S. Green, W. N.
Peden, Owen Fennell, Miles Costin, Alfred Bryant, Dr. J. D.
Bellamy, Samuel Black, Henry Nutt, P. K. Dickinson.

A number of the committee started in an extra train at about
eleven o’clock and met the regular train at Rocky Point, where
they entered the mail train, and through Governor Dudley prof-
fered the hospitalities of our town to Mr. Webster and his
family. On arriving at the depot they proceeded to the resi-
dence of Governor Dudley on the southwest corner of Front
and Nun Streets.

Mr. Webster will leave in the boat today for Charleston.

At the request of the committee appointed by the magistrate
of police, Mr. Webster will meet the citizens of Wilmington at
the Masonic Hall this morning at eleven o’clock.

The same paper, of May 8, 1847, contained the following:

Mr. WEpssTER.

This gentleman left our place in the boat for Charleston on
Thursday evening. The arrangements indicated in our last
were carried out by the committee. At the Masonic Hall Mr.
Webster made a short address to the many citizens who had
assembled to pay their respects to him. We believe men of all
parties were very much gratified on the occasion.

Mention has been made to me of Mr. Webster’s appreciation
of the excellent cooking in the South, and of his preference for
a dish of tripe, which leads me to copy a letter on this subject,
written in December, 1850, and addressed to his hostess at
Richmond, Mrs. Paige.

Dear Mrs. PateE:—I sit down to write a letter, partly diplomatic
and partly historical. The subject is Tripe—T-R-I-P-E. Your husband
remembers Mrs. Hayman, who was Mrs. Blake’s cook. Excelling
others in all else, she excelled herself in a dish of tripe. I do not know
that her general genius exceeded that of Monica McCarty; but in this
Production she was more exact, more artistical; she gave to the
article, not only a certain gout, which gratified the most fastidious,
but an expression, also, an air of haut ton, as it lay presented on the
table, that assured one that he saw before him something from the
hand of a master.

Tradition, it is said, occasionally hands down the practical arts with
more precision and fidelity than they can be transmitted by books,