The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-04-01
Nathaniel MaCOn'S Home.
A HISTORIC COUNTRY SEATIN WARREN
COUNTY.
The Mecca of Famous Men i'm DAYS
Past-Ouaint Old Home in Which
Tlany Distinguished Quests Have
Been Entertained-The Resort or
Statesmen and Patroits-A Noted
Deer Park, &c.


Statesmen aud Patroits-A Noted
Deer Park, sc.
CDR. l.. j. Picot in Littleton News Re.
porter.)
Many persons still make pilgrimage.
to see the historic cd country home o.
Nathaniel Macon. :hc patriot and
statesman Of Warren county, Y. c.,
and 10 hear the stories of his simple,
every day HE. The quaint old hou> e
IN which he often entertained diStin-
"ulshed guests like John Randolph. of
Roanoke. still stands almost rs he left
It The ample fire places. requiring
unchanged. The old moss covered
house stands in Il 80 acre grove of
lordly oaks. In Il shady glen there
flows bold, magnificent spring of cold .
pure water. This i, called the Buck
Spring" aud has been SO known for a
hundred years. 1t was famous deer
stand" in the old days, and many a
soodly buck has been killed in few
rods of it. When Mr.. Macon settled
this farm he gave it the name of Buck
Spring. which it still bears. He or
ganzed some high Old hunting parties
i'll this, then out of the way place. 1t
was his often expressed opinion that
neighbors should not live near enough
to each other to hear the dogs bark at
night. And he lived to this belief
when he built his home in the middle
of thousand acres. noted for many
miles around for great abundance of
large game, especially deer.
There are some few men in this
community who can remember Mr.
Macon's deer park and the large herd of
tame as well as wild deer it contained
The one hundred acre park was in
a beautiful. obong valley. well watered
shady and fertile, praducing the great
est abundance of tender grass 1t was
surrounded by 4 high, strong fence
running along few yards from the
foot Of the hill and so inclined inward
that it was an easy leap for deer to
jump inside the enclosure. But when
once within there was no escape, it
being impossible for one to Jump high
enough to overcome the acclivity of
the hill and the height of the fence.
1t was quite common sight to see
two large bucks engaged in furious COM
bat. the half tame fellow resenting the
intrusion of the wild visitors to his
harem, while the mild eyed does gazed
on in indifferent wonder, and the
speckled tawns frisked about like play
tul kittens. Generally the visitors
proved the stronger, and in conse-
quence more wild blood was infused
into the herd.
They had food thrown about the en-
closure in winter, and venison was
almost as common and staple an article
Of food upon Mr.. Macon's table as beef
of the fence and the capture Of a few
tawns. always easy enough when they
are Young, the trouble of rearing was
at an end, aud they gave him not as
much concern as Il flock of sheep. or
any other of the domc,ticated animals.
The gambois Of these graceful animals
gave much pleasure to this old man,
great in his simplicity, during his va
cation from Congress.
HIS son-n-Iaw, William Eaton. like
wise a resident of Warren county.
owner of thousands of Roanoke river
low lands and hundreds of slaves. wide
~ known because of his wealth AID
hI-h social standing, had cons tructed a
deer park imilar TO that of Mr. Macon,
except that he only arranged that part
OF the park lying next to the woodland
for the wild deer to jump in. He, too,
was very successful IN his venture, and
raised a large herd of deer, many Of
them coming TO his call and eating
from his hand. Both Of these parks
were only five or six miles from this
place and often serve as theme OF
discussion for the old lovers of the
chase. A former neiyhbor owned a
large yard enclosed,,with a high picket
fence. | have seen eight or ten tame
deer grazing around the house. 1t was
his habit to tie IA small bell to their
necks when he allowed them to run at
larye in field. or woods so that persons
would know that they were tame aud
not shoot them.
If they were mole,ted by dogs they
would make bee line for home. One
old doe that had been raised in the
ward produced a pretty pair Of twins
every season.
There are large bodies of woodlands
in this immediate vicinity. and deer
are quite plentiful. | notice their track,
very often when | am shooting quail IL
the low lands along the creeks auc
branches. Farmers are very anxlou,
! to have them shot very often because
they are destructive To the pea field.
During the fall season vcnisou il cx-
posed for ,a!e in our markets at Tho
nominal price of ten cents per pound
| IT. i most as easy for Jim Reit
! and Sharper keruey To- Kill a deer ii. i
/ is for me to shoot a rabbit. They know
Of all their lair. and runaways. then
walks and ramhles. If John Relc
could write poetry he could tell NOR
of deer hunt than you can find in th'
LADY Of the Lake" john delights i.
"driving buck right slap over you a
he describes il. aud has often offered t,
serve me that way. But | have uevc
vet been mad with deer. In good lrutl
feel very mush Ike my friend po!
Miller. who says he had iu-t as so0i
shoot calf through the fence.
However. there are lots Of good fellow
who DO not agree with Us. and If per
chance. any Of them would like to XII
a deer | am sure John Reid viii Civ
them a. fair chance as can he had
We are only 3 hours from Norfolk q
the Seaboard Air Line and John Rel
lives four miles from the town IN th
deer section.
DR.. Pierc-'s Pleasant Pellets cure col
stipation. Cure il positively, certainl,
Cure il so il stays cured Cure il 80 yo
can stop taking medicine. And that
something that no other remedy can do.