North Carolina Minute: telegraphs, hooper county and robbers in the house

Published July 21, 2022

By J. C. Knowles

Telegraph through Raleigh

An act by the General Assembly in 1847 gave the Washington and New Orleans Telegraph Company the right to build and operate a line in North Carolina, provided, "a wire shall be extended through Raleigh and a telegraph station be kept in Raleigh."

 Hooper County

In 1850 an act was ratified by the General Assembly to "create a county with the name "Hooper," out of the parts of Robeson and Richmond Counties. For it to go into effect, it had to be approved by the people in Robeson and Richmond. It was voted down by the people.

 Robbers in the House

The story is told that one night a North Carolina member of the House of Representatives was awaken by his wife saying; "wake up, there's a robber in the house." The husband replied; "Go back to sleep, there are no robbers in the house, but I believe there are a few in the Senate."