Evening journal., 1897-03-01
AMONG THE PINES.
ODD THINGS ABOUT THE NATIVES IN
! NORTH CAROLINA WOODS.

Method Employed For Computing Dis
tances Between Points.
The sojourner roaming in the piny
woods of North Carolina will be fre-
quently confronted by sign or an
nouncement printed in stenciled capital
letters on a board or 3 feet square and
nailed to pine tree. whereby the way
faring man is told of the manifold
things he may buy at bargain store
at Southern Pines, one item in the list
being 1.-TWO pair of sox for 10 cents. "
The other day visitor, curious to know
what manner of "sox" it might be that
could be purchased for cents pair,
went over TO patrOnize this bargain
counter. He found the store It was
frame building fully as large as freight
train caboosc. It stood ON the edge of
big lot, the remaining area being occu-
pied by a vineyard and strawberry beds
and blackberry patches. A strong fence
surrounded it. Facing the front of the
store was a gate heavily barred against
all corners. The door of the store was
evidently locked and there was no sign
of life about the establishment The
would be customer made up his mind
that here was case whore advertising
had not paid, VIXEN he saw a placard OH
the door which gave notice TO the public
thus: In the Back Yard. If You Want
Ne, Holler -
Acting ON this advice, the searchcr
after cent socks "hollered. Presently
a man appeared from somewhere back
of the store.
do you want to git in?'' he asked.
Being told that such was the visitors
wish, the man came forward, unbarred
the gate, unlocked the door and let his
customer in.
''I'm workin UP my garden. said he,
land don't want folks foolin round un-
less they want to git in for bargains
The socks were worth the money.
You may be travelling for the first
time somewhere through a North Caro-
lima backwoods district, and, not having
aclear idea as to distances, you natural
ly stop and asl he first native you come
to how far it may be to So-and-so's place.
Expecting to hear him reply that it is a
mile, two miles, or whatever the dis
tance is in miles, you will undoubtedly
be surprised and pazzled when he says,
after due deliberation:
"Well, sub, it's about two looks from
hyuh, sub, reckon. May be two looks
an peep, though, sub. It's a right
smart ways, anyhow, sub. -
You are Obliged, of course, to ask for
a solution of this puzzle and will then
learn that "look, as a measure of
distance, is the limit Of vision ahead of
you from the spot where you are, and
it may be turn in the road 100 yards
away or a point mile or more distant
You travel to the end Of that look, -
and from there take another look to the
farthest object in sight as your course
lies and travel ON TO that. If you have
been told that your destination is two
'looks" ahead, when you get to the end OF
the second lCok there you are. If it is
two looks" and "peep, you peep of
to one side CT the road or the other from
the second "look" and see the place you
are after.
One time New Yorker went dowr
to North Carolina to join some friends
who were hunting wild turkeys in the
piny woods. They had gone out for &
days sport when he arrived, and he
started to hunt them up. Not having
found any sign Of them after trampine
about for half day, he met a native il
an old road and asked him if he haC
seen anything of the party.
"Yes, sur, he replied. "They're uI
this road yonduh, three looks and 1
hoot, sub. F."
The New Yorker thought the native
was guying him and started on in I
huff. He went ON until he came to
bridge, where he met another piny
woods denizen at work, and he askeC
that one the same question. The MAJ
looked up the road. The farthest thinl
in sight was big pine tree, nearly
mile away.
Eyes, sub, see 'em 'smawnin, sub,
he said. "They was jes' bout one lool
an a hoot from hyuh then, sub.
The stranger glared at the man ant
went grumbling on his way. just befor
he came to the big pine tree anothe
native came ont Of the woods, and tn
New Yorker, with much misgiving
asked him the question he had put {
the others.
"Oh, yes, suhl'' was the reply. "The
only jes in hyuh hoot, sub. "
The native turned toward the woods
put hand On each side of his mout
and shouted a lusty:
'Hoo-o-o-o-oo-hootl"
In q few seconds n similar cry cam
back from the woods.
Thar they is, suh!' exclaimed th
native. "That's them, sub. -
And it was. They were two "loolls
and 'hoot" from the place where til
New Yorker had first inquired for then
New York Sun.
He Likes Solitude.
I-...-... NIL. L. - =