The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1890-05-25
SOME STRANGE PECULIARITIES
Ofa Very Peculiar Family--They Make
Their Own COffins--And Show Them
to Their VisitOrs..Her ssLittle But
terfy Sheil.''


to Their Visitors--Her "Little But
terfy She!l.''
In a very interesting conversation
with Mr.. j. J. Coleman, of Gordonton,
Person county, yesterday morning, he
gave an outline of some Of the peculiari-
ties of very peculiar family in his
neighborhood.
About sixty years ago Richard Harges
settled near where Mr.. Coleman now re-
sides. In clearing up field in which
there was an immense quantity
of sassafras Sprouts, he turned
out one about the size of his finger, and
mused that if he could only live until that
little sprout should grow large enough
to make the plank to make his coffin,
that he could then feel resigned to being
gathered unto his fathers" He watched
carefully the little sprout as it grew to
be bush and then tree. through forty
long, weary years. Then seeing signs OF
decay, he cut it down and hauled it to a
out Of which, true to his resolve, made
more than forty years before, he had his
coffin made, and kept it under his bed
for number of years, using it as con-
venient place for storing winter apples,
and the JUICE of the APPLE, which he
ALWAYS KEPT IN his ''little brown Jug"
At length the rats, having scented the
nice yellow apples during the long
nights Of winter, cut hole in the coffin,
whereupon the old man placed it on a
wagon and took it to Roxboro, ten miles
distant, to get it repaired and to
crafty the crowd that soon gath
cred, attracted by the singularity
of the scene, placed himself in it TO show
the neatness of the it,
The old gentleman at last died and
was by gentle hands placed in the coffin
and buried where he now sleeps.
He left two daughters who have
now grown DID, and in addi-
ton to many of the peculiarities
common to old maids, seem to have in
herited some of the eccentricities of their
father. The Older one, Miss Beckie,
about two years since drove a one horse
wagon up to Mr.. Coleman's s saw mill load.
ed with walnut log, and said
that she had enough Of the SAssAFIG
plank left from the OLD MANS COFFIN tc
make the ends and one side Of hers, and
she wanted the log sawed into plank te
finish it. Mr.. Coleman, at HER REQUEST
took her measure and cut the log the
proper length and sawed the plank, she
insisting that he take the exact length
as she did not want to pay for saving
longer plank than was necessary.
Miss Beckie hadher coffin made, using al
the SAssAFIG that remained, and finishing
with walnut; had it painted with blacl
and deep green stripes, with borde
running around the top and bottom, O
green spots about the size of a silve
quarter, and her name painted on tn,
top Of the lid in deep green letters. Th,
: inside was lined with bottle green calico
and the winding sheet was made of tn,
same material trimmed with black satin
and feather pillow trimmed in the sam,
way. To complete this strange buria
outfit, she made a long skirt O
I the same goods and trimmed
in the same manner, which She says, i
J, to keep the dust off.
She laid away quite mum
S Der of years ago, and has care
fully kept for the special occasion,
fashionable -nr,ng lady's bonnet and
black veil O than fifty years ago
She keeps IT, ge paraphernalia VI
o stairs in their and takes grea
y pleasure in show1. to callers, an
. calls it by the p name of he
q "little butterfly she'll"
= These sisters, living in the sam
i house, occupy separate rooms, never 81
. by the same fire, and NEVER HAVE BEE
= KNOWN to sit down to the same table tC
;, gether. Mr. Coleman is gentleman {
. the highest veracity and vouches for th
accuracy Of his statement. Now, wi
E some one please come to the front wit
n a more oUEERLY curious family tia
4 this.