The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-01-05
TWO LOOKS AND A HOOT.
Showing People the Way in
North Carolina.
A Simple System, but Trying to Blind
People and Mutes

-r#.-
live" said Frank W.. Woodland of
Southern Pines, to a New York Jun
reporter, ''the natives have a f,tlny
way Of giving directions when asked
how q person may reach such or such
a place, and it is apt to be a little puz-
cling to the stranger who hears it for
the first time. The first day I was
down in Southern Pines I wanted to
find the Post Office. It's a fine coun-
try down there, and while the villages
are not large they a good deal of
ground, l had walked around a good
deal without seeing anything that
looked like a Post Office. and then I
stopped a native on the street.
Where can 1 find the Post Omce?'
1 asked.
"The native swung his hand in the
air, and. indicating the direction, said:
Two looks yam way. on the left
hand side
Thanks said I. a little startled.
Two looks yam way said I to myself,
gazing in the direction the native had
waved me. That's definite After
gazing q while. l noticed that the last
thing in the range Of my vision was a
bridge.
":Ahr says I; that must be one
look" and I started for the bridge. 1
reached it after a walk of half a mile.
Then I gazed ahead again. The boun-
dairy Of sight was a building on the
left hand side of the road.
There's the other look L says, and
made for the building. Sure enough,
it was the Post Office. Then I under
stood that a look, in the Southern Pines
system of measuring distances. meant
as far as an ordinary mar could see.
1 never thought about the possible
necessity Of a division of the measure
ment into shorter distances, but one
day l found out that there was. 1
wanted to go to some parties who
were camping in the woods somewhere
In the vicinity, but I didn't know
where they were located. l found a
native who did know, and. asked him
how to get there.
eco three looks straight ahead,
over yam. then turn left an go two
looks IN a boot, an thar's the camp
Two looks and a boot That was a
stunner. Ididn't want to show, nv
ignorance, so I asked for no explana-
tion. l started for the camp. I got
over my three looks over yam and my
two to the left. But what was a
boot? If it had been in PENNSYLVANIA
I'd have known at once. and would
more than likely have had the utensils
with me to furnish the boot without
delay, especially If there had been a
spring handy. But. a boot in the
Pennsylvania sense 1 felt couldn't
bring that camp before my eyes. Then
l considered the subject a while, and
finally thought of hoot-owl.
That's the caperl'' I exclaimed.
and l gave a regular twolunged South
ern boot. The echo hadn't died away
yet. when back came an answer off in
the woods. I went in the direction
and found the camp. The North Car
DINA system of measuring distances is
very simple. but rather trying to blind
people and mutes.
81 suppose you know that a North
ern pig likes Irish potatoes as we'll as
q bear likes honey, and that's saying a
good deal. Put him In a potato field
and he'll revel In bliss. If you want
to keep on the right side of the North
Carolina pig, however-apig familiarly
known as the razor back-don't offer
him Irish potatoes. Neither the Peach
Blow nor the Early Rose nor q
other choice brand of potatoes will
tempt him. and he eyes with suspicion
any one who sets them before him.
But he will eat his way through a field
OF sweet potatoes. like an augeSr going
through a pine board. But a whole
crop of sweet potatves, transferred
from the soil to his stomach. wouldn't
put any more flesh on a genuine, ma
tive, to the manner born North Caro-
lima razor back than y bushel of ap-
pies would on q cider mill"
- -
Boss OF His Boots.
During one of Col. Tom Scott's visit
70 st Irpuis. he xaa ha;,ad ~ ~