The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1883-09-22

l commend him to Winston. Let him
come a prospecting tour and see for
| himself r. A. ..
CAPE FEAR PICNICS.
| A Description of Interesting and
Hospitable Custom of Having Good
Time.
Special Correspondence Of the Chronicle.
CUMBERLAND : CU, September ic.-e
You say must write of whatever is pecu-
liarlv North Carolinian. You hit the nail
on the head then, sure; for that is pre-
cisely what we expect THE STATE CHRON-
ICLE to be-a journal peculiarly about pc
culiar North Carolina subjects
Well, is there in any other State pre-
habit-call it what you villas the conn-
try picnics Of the Cape Fear region? The
idea Of the picnic, of course, is old and uni
versal. But it is usually a Sunday-schoo
picnic, or young folks picnic, or some
thing Of that nature. There is generally
some sort of organization or association
which indulges in such fun. But in Cum
berland, Duplin, Sampson, Moore and
other counties hereabout, there picnics
every summer or fall which are conceived
and carried out without any such organi-
zation. There is no purpose but to have
good time. Old people go. Young peo-
pie go The boys make hay while the
sunshine OH CIlc CHtekS OIL Tue S1TIS iiSlS
| the matrons compare babies the negroes
compare dogs; the farmers compare re-
ports Of crops everybody is in good hu-
NOR, and nobody has anything in the
world to do but to talk and to be talked
to, to laugh and to be laughed at.
You find human nature at its best at a
/ Cape Fear picnic. If the people have any
skeletons or grievances at home they leave
them there; but, if they have anything
good to eat, they bring it. The picnic
/ bears the same relation to social life that
the revival bears to religious life Every
body loves his eighbOr a little better at
ttrwards.
OF late years most Of the picnics have
been called farmers picnics, and some
| body (who, rule knows nothing about
farming) is invited to make a speech about
agriculture. But in spite of so good pre-
tense, | have never yet seen farmer who
thought he had learned anything about
farming from picnic speech. This agr-
cultural dodge is convenient excuse.
do not believe there is another country
in the world where such quantity Of good
| things to eat is promiscuOusly gathered to-
| gether and prOmiscuous1y scattered abroad
as here. Every housewife prepares enough
dinner for all her friends; all the neigh
borhood is the friends Of every one; and
the consequence is. there is enough dinner
for half county fun Of hungry people
at some Of them. There is always 4 par
son to invoke blessing generally good
| Pre- resbyterian in this immediate section).
and his prayer for proper enjoyment OF
these temporal blessings is usually an
swereu-if the visible signs Of enjoyment
are to be trusted
The best characteristics OF every people
| have some channel Of transmission to sue
| cessive generations. l have frequently
thought that the rousing good old times
that our Scotch ancestors had in their clan
meetings are near Of kin to the good times
and hale fellowship we Scotchmen have at
our farmers = picnics OF course, it is
not Scotch folk only who go, but it has got
into my head that it is a peculiar Scotch
institution.
The buggies and carriages and wagons
drive up to the grove or spring, from ten
o'clock till IL. Every one has its share OF
hind many and there is no vehicle but has
a large trunk or box. plain table has
already been constructed in shady place,
from 80 to 100 feet long, and plain ben ches
for the ladies have been built near by.
The people gather in clusters about the
table and talk till about l O'Clock. The
master Of ceremonies then invites every
body to bring his basket or box or trunk.
At one recent picnic the master OF ceremO-
nies had been cOnrt-crier, and he yelled ::
''Oh yes Oh yes Oh yes! All you that
have baskets, boxes. or trunks OF -- OF
--SOnl LIlIl I eat, lcbcIl |. up OH yes.
The men and boys and negroes for there
is always a small number of negro men
and n-house-servants-i the com
pany) bring the som't thin t'eat table
cloths are spread dozen brave and gal
liant fellows, arranged along the table,
wrestle with chickens and turkeys trying
to take an 'sunder-hold'' with dull knife
and the crowd smacks its lips and draws
gradually nearer. The parson asks most
patient blessing. Then with appetite
which has become fierce during the long
prayer, the gentlemen wait on the ladies
and help themselves. All stand and eat
and talk, and drink lemonade.
After the dinner has been digested, the
speeches are made and heard and dancing
sometimes follows and sometimes there is
no dancing. But always everything is
merry.
Generosity. hospitality, good nature and
all manner Of kndliness have received an
impetus. There is nothing pleasanter in
the world. There are no better people in
the world. There is nothing like Cape
Fear picnic. Hereafter The CHRONICLE
mus: come and see. MAC.