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“Two years ago I picked a peck of my best peaches from the orchard, and carried them to him, as most things except fruit disagree with his digestion. One day he passed me in his automobile and stopped and said: 'Collis, those peaches were the finest I ever ate—I just wanted to thank you—that's all.' And he drove on. That's the kind of man he was.”
“When the checks come from Rutherfordton for the teachers' pay ... Raleigh used always to put in some extra money in each envelope.”
Speaking of the high school that Mr. Haynes had established at Cliffside cotton mill village, Mr. Padgett said: “When the checks come from Rutherfordton for the teachers' pay, when one of my daughters was a teacher, Raleigh used always to put in some extra money in each envelope. Then he would get a whole train and take all the children free to the county commencement at Rutherfordton.”
Mr. Haynes prospered with his store and other activities at Ferry, but moved to Shelby for a while. At Shelby, he became satisfied that his better interests were at Ferry whither he returned. From that time until his death, the radius of his work did not exceed a half dozen miles from Ferry. He kept reaching out, accumulating by degrees more land—more lumber—then his eye lifted toward the Main Broad River, a few miles away. There was waterpower and lumber and land there, and there were born the Henrietta Cotton Mills, one of the greatest properties of the State.
In 1887, then 36-years of age, Mr. Haynes established Henrietta Mill No. 1. In this enterprise he associated with himself well-to-do men of Charlotte such as J.S. Spencer, Jno. M. Scott, S.B. Tanner and others. Starting with 10,000 spindles, the equipment was increased to 28,000. Henrietta No. 1 was followed during the next few years by the establishment of Henrietta No. 2, the present Caroleen Mill, with 48,000 spindles. Both prospered under the careful hand of the founder, who was, however, only one of the owners of the properties. He had not in the beginning had sufficient capital to go alone, but confidence in his own judgment was never lacking at any time. Yet his interests were multiplying conservatively and with profit. His self-reliance was outstanding now as when he learned at eight years old of age to lay out the cornrows and felt within him [self] the courage to take a man's part as a breadwinner for those whom his father had left to him as his only legacy.
The boy was father to the man; for it was about this time that the active principles of his nature went far afield toward new endeavor. Not that he had outgrown the limits of the two mill creations which he principally had made possible; for they were making their strong successful way in the world. But the man had the “builder” genius urging him on. He had to go forward. He could not resist any more than Edison could resist the force that enabled him to wrap the human voice around a cylinder. The conception had taken some shape in the mind of Raleigh Haynes not only to build another mill, but also to gather about his restless energies a cohesive, orderly community of women and men. He alone could see the beginnings and far into the future of the possibilities of his dream.
Copyright © 2008 The Cliffside Historical Society
