Friday, June 04, 2004 :::
Did You Know Department (Again, shamelessly stolen from a newsletter at work)
On June 4, 1835, a state convention in Raleigh modified the 1776 constitution to balance eastern and western representation; more than half of citizens lived in the west. Roman Catholics won the right to hold office, but free blacks lost the right to vote.
On June 10, 1880, outfielder Charley Jones of the Boston Braves, the first North Carolina native to play in the major leagues, became the first player to hit two home runs in one inning.
On June 13, 1972, in one of the most memorable phrases of the Watergate hearings, Senator Sam Ervin of North Carolina referred to himself as "just an old country lawyer."
On June 15, 1959, in one of the state's most violent labor disputes, three Textile Worker's Union officials and five union members were indicted for conspiracy to dynamite a Carolina Power & Light substation in Henderson, and later were found guilty largely due to a paid SBI informant's testimony. Sentences for some were later reduced; others were pardoned.
Reading:
Sticks & Stones: Three Centuries of North Carolina Gravemarkers, by M. Ruth Little, UNC Press, 2004.
This book has been pretty fascinating so far, and nowhere near as dull as the title suggests. The photography in the book is beautiful, and it really makes me want to go to some boneyards next time I'm rambling around North Carolina.
::: posted by tom at 10:48 AM
