The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-05-15
Old Papers and Old Times Con
nected with the Lower
Cape Fear.

i few days AGO while examining an
old trunk which had been concealed in
= garnet for some years, | came across
q package OF papers containing mem
oranda and deeds connected with the
olden time of this section Of the state,
and the thought occurred to me that a
lew abstracts from some Of them
might, perhaps, be interesting to some
of your readers. / am free to say that
/ am very partial to everything con-
nected with the past Of the Cape Fear
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Of those good
old days, as we are wont TO call them,
sketches Of individual character and
the traditions that have come down to
us,-ail have for me a peculiar charm,
and | could listen by the hour to their
that there is a large portion Of old
fogyism, rs il is called, in my cOmpo
sition. but whether imbibed in my
youth or one OF the natural accompany
ments of advancing years, | an not
prepared TO say; the latter perhaps is
the most likely, for the reason that as
age creeps upan us we live more IN
recollection than we do in hope. The
present age is far too progressive for
those whose memories go farther back
than the era of railroads or telegraphs;
they cannot keep up with it and con
scquentIy stand but little chance of
success IN the heated con. ests OF every
day life. but whether the era Of quiet
or that Of progress tends most to the
true development of the human race,
i is not my purpose to enquire into
just now; my present object being as
before stated, simply to Gull o few ex-
tracts from some old papers in my pos
session relative to the ola colonial
times.
among the papers alluded to are
three deeds or royal grants of lands
from George III, ''liy the grace Of God,
o. Great Britain, France and Ireland,
King. Defender Of the Faith" &c, to
different individuals in lis Province If
North Carolina. One is q grant to
Timothy BlooGwoIth, Of New Hanover
county, and bears date Of sixteenth
day Of September, 11t4, and is signed
By Arthur Dobbs, Governor, and Cap
tain General and Thomas Rutherford, |
Secretary, anG endorsed by
John London, Deputy Auditor as hav
ing been properly enrolled in tie Audit
tor Generals Office.
Another is signed ~ Jos. Martin,
Governor, and James Parrott, Deputy
Secretary. for land lying in Cumberland
county, and q third bears the sigma
turc Of the "great wolf of Carolina"
as he was called by the Indians, Nm.
for lands lying in the ~cuuntics
81 Cumberland and Arson, in the then
Province of NortI Carolina. Tie con
ideration in all Of these deeds for
ands donated, is . ein~lo pepper corn.
The paper upon WITCH these deeds
IRE printed is brown with age, AID is
stamped with the Royal arms Of Great
the signatures are clear and
distinct, and the writing in the hOoy
If the deeds remarkably legible. They
Dear the seal Of the Province, a crown
impressed upon wax and attached 70
he instrument by what was once a
oiece of red tape, but has now become
/ dingy white from age and probably
too. These documents have
ONE down to US from the old colonial
ines. those times which history and
tradition inform Us trie6 mems souls.
Without pretending to question tie
rueltics to which the men OF the first
evolution were subjected, cannot bat
hink if ever simple justice is done 10
heir descendants in their unsuccessful
tempt at a second revolution, it will
e clearly shown that they suffered
ar more acuttly, and in q greater !
ariety of ways, than those Of o cen /
lry ago. whose sufferings are so Z