The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-28
Bill Hrp Reads Epitaph8.
Visits an Old Cemetery Where IIIuStrious Men Were
Buried--The Trials of Lecturer.

where. They have four blowing arte-
sian wells for public use, and many more
private ones. These public ones, includ-
ing pipes and everything, cost less than
$1,000, and | know of many a town
that would give $4,000 for similar privi-
leges. Lumberton does not realize what
a treasure that water is, for it is cold
and pure.
The next stop was at Weldon, in Hal
flax county. l don't know what those
people have done to Mckinley, but he
has already appointed eight negro post
masters in the county and six of them
have accepted and are in office. The
people are hot, l tell you, for the
negroes out-number the whites and
brag that their time has come at last,
thank the Lord"
Il used to be that when a man wasn't
irreverent enough to tell man to ''go
to hell'' he would tell him to go to Hal
i fax" / understand now that he meant.
1t has been nearly fifty years since
stopped at Weldon and the town hasn't
changed much. The people are high
toned and have good manners, for they
live close to the Virginia line and come
from aristocratic stocks. From Wei-
don / journeyed to Washington, on Pam
leo sound a lively city of 5000 people.
/ was escorted to the Kicks House,
where all the drummers congregate, for
Mrs. Kicks is mother of them all and
they love her. / found her house full OF
them. They come and they go on every
train. / like the drummers and sympa-
thize with them, for they are far from
home and many of them have families
and have to leave them, as | do, to make
a living. | am a drummer myself, but |
don't like the name. 1t is slang and does
not lit such a respectable class Of gentle
men. 1t originated from the old militia
musters when drum and fife were used
to call up the boys and get them in line.
The sergeant would cry out: "Oh, yes:
oh. yes ali who belong to Captain
Jones's company parade here" Then
the drum would rattle and the fife would
whistle and the boys would gather and
fall into line. Drumming now means
come right here and buy my goods and
the drummer rattles his tongue with
earnest alacrity. | feel sorry for them
now, for fve-cent cotton has nearly ruin
ed their business. But they keep going
They are everywhere. They get on and
off at every station by night and by day.
=
help out the railroads. They are smart
and good looking and well behaved and
know more about everything than any
other class. They are continually rub
bing against the world and absorbing
knowledge.
Well, this is the historic region where
Sir Walter Raleigh's lost colony was
planted and where Virginia Dare was
born. l saw Virginia. Her name was
ON beautiful steamer that was loading
at the wharf. A sweet little girl laugh
ed at me for not knowing all about Vir-
ginia Dare long time ago. Her father
says that Mr.. Mcmillan, of Red Springs,
has written a book about the lost colony
and that the CrOataRs now have free
schools that are separate from both
white and black races. The lost colony
amalgamated and miscegenated with
these Croatans and no doubt but that
Virginia Dare's blood flows in some Of
their veins.
From here I am homeward bound
and am happy on the way.
BILL ARP.