The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-03-30
A Nut for Historical Societies.

A few days since was handed to US, by
two worthy and reliable citizens, Mr.. Gray
and Mr.. McCray of Clay Hill in this county,
a singular curiosity: A negro had cut down
large red-oak for the purpose of splitting
it into rails. 1t was large tree, some three
feet in diameter, making ESQ says our infor-
mants) lao rails to the cut lie had split
all except the heart piece, when upon wrench
ing it open, he discovered in the centre of
the heart, something black, which he took
to be n worm. He called the attention of
MIR. Gray to il, who, upon examination,
found it to be lock (or rather two locks)
Of hair. Before it was disturbed, it's posi-
tion is thus said to have been. The lock of
jet black hair, and evidently, from its fine
ness, the hair of q European female, was
wound round in beautiful little curl of the
size Of half-dolar, and in it's centre the
sandy lock was placed. The females hair
was smooth at one end as if clipped with
5 issors. The other appeared to be pulled
from the head by the hand, as the roots
were apparent
Now for your surmises, ye Historians, ye
Picketts, Jacksons, De Bows, &c. From
the texture, fncness, &c, it expels every
are Enthusiastically male and female. The
red-oak, considering its size, and the fineness
OF it's grain, for an oak with coarse grain
would never have produced so many rails }
must have been three or four hundred wears
old. Was there any white people here
then, tho" Mr. Pickett says, in his "Histo-
ry of Alabama" that De Soto entered the
present bounds Of this State in 1910, which
was three hundred and thirteen years ago.
But it appears that Dc Soto entered up the
Coosa river, came down on the west side of
II, crossed over to Tallasse on the Tullupoo
"a, down 1t, down the Alabama to Mobile.
and from thence into Mississippi, and never
came into the State again. So he never was
this low down. But Mr. Pickett also SAYS
that Dc Soto left Maldinado in charge of
his ships Mt Pensacola Bay, and that he be-
came tired of waiting for DE Soto's return,
and "sniled alons-thc coast, hoping to meet
the expedition" blazing the trees, &c. Now
let MS conjecture Might not Maldnado have
dispatched couriers in different directions,
by land, to meet the expedition, and might
not one of them, taking the intermediate d.
rection between De Soto's course when he
left and tho one he was expected to return
in, have struggled off and, pursued by the
Indians, reached thus far! But what oft
female hair d! All! we can explain that The
poor fellow was from the land of chivalry.
Don Quixots stamping-ground. Before
leaving his lovely Hisronioa, he secured
lcck of his Dulcinia's hair, which never left
his loving bosom. Pursued by savages,
starving for the want of food, and from
fatigue, he laid him down beneath shady
little grove to die. His slumbers are disturb
ed. His Dulcinia appears to him in his
dreams, bcsceching him never, never to part
from her gift. He awakes, searches for his
treasure, finds it, and bedews it with his
kisses, then snatching handful from his
own head. he curls hers around his
own, and splitting little oak bush, placed
IL bet~ cen the fork, closes it, and lays him
down ; and thus pining, sickening, whitening
he sank to rise no more. Th" oak bush
wonId heal If it was in the summer Is this
romantic Then give US some more rcli:l-
bic information. But until you do this, we
must be allowed to indulge our bachelor
thoughts.
Troy (ALa.) Palladium.