The state chronicle., 1893-02-12
NORTH CAROLINA SIX ETCHES
AND "REMINISCENCES.
Judge Castor and tho SchOOl.bOy.
Written for the State Chronicle.1

olden time country school-houses in
North Carolina were rudely construc
ted Of unskinned pine poles. One
log was almost entirely sawed out to
| give light for the writin' class. Such
a thing as a glass window in school
house was unknown in those days, and
would have been unanimously voted
as a useless expense and an outrageous
extravaganza A wide, undressed pine
plank was placed at an angle of forty.
five degrees along side of the missing
log, and in front Of this was the writin
bench. The rude forefathers of those
primitive days seemcd to think (it
they ever taught at ally that no boy or
girl could ev,r have to write unless
they were so seated that their feet
could dangle in the air some six or
eight inches above the floor. That
the way learned to write, and it may
be that's why the printers sometime
put "magnifcent" when l write Gin
significant" But let that pass.
When the crops were "laid by" and
the larger children lib rated from the
farms, these rude little huts which by
courtesy were called, denominated and
known as school houses, were over
crowded, and the big boys, and some
times the big girls were sent out under
some shade tree to prepare their les
sons. 1t was the custom to "study out
loud" and the dravling, droning and
croning of the mingled voices could be
easily heard more than a hundred
yards away. The poet has beautifully
told us how:
'He knew by the smoke that so
gracefully curled above the elms that
,ttage was near" and no one who
passed one of those old time school
houses could mistake the measured
murmurings Of the boys and girls as
they "studied out loud" They knew
school house was near and many a
scholar no doubt often felt ''if want Of
knowledge can ever be found, a critic
might safely search for it here"
On sultry day in August Judge
CASTOR was travelling on horseback
along country road. Ga the right
and on the left the majestic pines
reared their lofty heads. 1t may be
that on one such journey as this he
caught the inspiration of the "Old
North State Forever" in which he so
beautifully and truly described the
women of North Carolina:
And her daughters, the Queen of the
forest resembling,
so graceful, so constant, yet to gentles,
breath trembling,
And true lightwood at heart, let the
match be applied them
How they kindle and flannel None know
but who've tried them"
He heard the unmistak able sound Of
the school, and reined his horse dowr
to walk. AS he came in sight of lht
rude log hut, he saw an uncou,h coun
try boy, clad in homespun pants and
shirt, minus nat aud shoes, half re
cliniDg at the root of pine tree, hi:
bare feet extending far ont into the
road. The old judge was fond OF chill
dren and fond Of a joke, so just as b,
got opposite the boy he leaned owe,
towards him and initiating the nasal
long metre tone of the scholars who
were getting their spelling lesson ou,
OF the old blue back, he drawled out
"B-a. ba, K.e r, Ker. Baker"
The boy looked up with evident as
tonishment depicted in his face at tht
unexpected rudeness and seeing nc
joke, without hesitation, bow, smile OF
frown, replied in the same tone:
sd I'm, dam, o-o-l fool-dam fool
The good old judge told the story
himself and laughed heartily at the
ready wit of the country boy, and
while he acknowledged that the bo,
had omitted a final letter in his pro.
tanity he had beaten him in that "spell
ing bee"
"I'Il Trade Wild YOu,o
Everybody in Raleigh knows Char
ley Goodwin. He's a good, honest
hard.wofking man, and when you know
him you are bound to like him. He i
by trade a marble-cutter and stone
mason. After he had worked at th,
business for some years and saved u,
some money he concluded to resolve
himself into a groceryman and rake il
the shekels from "Hungry Neck" t,
Smoky Hollow" and back again. 81
ne laid in stock Of groceries, hune
out his shingle, wiped off the mech an
ic's perspiration from his brow, folded
up his well-used apron, and appeared
behind rather unpretentious counter
as groceryman. He had meal and
meat, crakers and coffee, cabbage and
cocoanuts, and lots Of other things, but
there was a very small word in the
English language that Charley had
never learned. and do not believe be
could pronounce it today. 1t is com.
posed of only two letters, and it is cred
tied with having broken up many
love matches as we'll as 9th :,
business. Charley did not know
how to say "No," and so from groce,
he became book keeper" that is te
say his groceries gradually and rapid,
disappeared, and all he had to sho1
for them was sundry accounts on hi,
books. He could not keep the grocer
les, but believe he has kept the book;
to this day, probably because no one
has been reckless enough to offer hin
paper-makers' pr.c3s for old paper.
Among his customers was old "Aun
sally Johnson" venerable coloret
woman who always walked with s
long cane, and never permitted an op
portunity to pass without telling ever,
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