The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1870-03-14
:. THE GOOD 0LDDyfS.7

ixrERl.Tlxd IErrEK yEo2.!slx oLp srn.
scRisEk-rHs Collins SETTLEMENT :.
THE .fIoo!csGis 'coitEsEs"' ,or slxrI
YEARS JACKSONVILLE aSp WALK.
'@sksviLLE1-nrs OLD SETTLES -raE "a
TIVE LAW YEKs or IL siS. Erc., Irc. (
,.,., CLasksnusoi March, 2, 1870. =
En,raRs DEMOCRAT lin . lats,issue
you announce itthe gddca.h of Robert
McCray, Of Sand Fork; Lewis county, at
the advanced ago Of los years. Thisre.
minds me ofthe days ofnmy childhood.
for + knew rim well at that time, and
frequently par,ook ofhis frugal hcspi,ali-
,y in going and returning By bis hou,e
70 and from school,, He-was. thenlcalled
Sold Robert McCruy," TO distinguish him
froul bis nephew, WHO was called young
Bel. liMcCry,", Ills ether y nephew,
James ,McCray, was one among the
stoutest men and hardest workers ever
knew. lie cleared more land than my
ether man III d Lewis county! You iart
mistaken 10 ,aying tina. he lived whore
he died. on Sand Fork. "from tho time
wien the memory Of man tuaneth not to
the conirnry." for id MY early schoolhoy
days he lived in the center bf What has
been called the Collins Settlement, on the
West FORK river, and at what was called
the Camden. Collins plic.. then owned by
old Robert Crawford, sumetincs called
robin Crawford" The house be ilcp
occupied was situated on the southwest
side Of the West Fork river. about mid !.
way between the then residence Of JnHlr.
Keith and Robert Crnwfurd' But that
old log cabin where Mr.. sMrCray aud his
kind family once Dispensed their hospital.
i,y, has long sine. disappeared, AMI there
is scarce at object left to point the place
of ito location. But shall never forget
its locality lid consequence Of II cirouin.
stance that occurred there, personal to
myself During the winter, David Bcu.
nett. the brother Of j N BENEFIT, Of
Weston. l,ts Auditor Of Virginia. taught
4 co untry school in n the wooas near the
nsuth Of Abrams Run, which WINS at.
tended by the Chi dten for several miles
nround. My sfer lived near The now
village Of jacksonville. / attended the
school, and had 10 pass morning md eve.
ming near the house Of MIR. Cray. Du-
ring the session Of The school. q boy Of
about my size and age and myself, had "a
misunderstanding about something2l
have forgotten the cause. but suppose il
amounted to nothing. and we resolved
that Il badto be settled in what Vi, We then
called at .houofsbls wny"-by 4 feat Of
manhood, or, rather, boyhood But,
having the fear Of lie sehoouastcrs
birch before our eyes. CIR II was used
with skill and ability 10 those days. il.
was deemed prudent to defer the adin,t.
t,itnt Of the difficulty until the school was
elo,ed "a W tho isrrniug Of The day It
closed We met with nur friends hear Mr..
MtCray's louse. lie tried to- reeobcil.
our difficulties but finding that to be tn.
pract!catle, Tho said. '.Wril. then, let /.
be quickly and rel .'eairF'l-and 40 It,
was. Then hc said '-Nrv. buys. max.
frienlsHs wirh ws did. and our friend.
ship vas alwsystrn and unhrbken after.
wnrds. Mr.. McGrny soss afterwards re.
moved 10 the place occupied by him at
tho time Of hi, death Ilt ,rsi,sd . large
family -mn,ilJ daughi,y'- who married
md icp,raied iito diAarth, nsfghthr.
h.'l' II. VA pain, nhrn!iyalci