The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-17

kind, please, as to see if you couldn't
move just the least bit-thanks-yes
tlatll do-oh thank you. | don't care
for pigs and things. | do wish there
was nothing but races and dances at
the Fair-they are so jolly you know
| was so sorry | was out when you
called the other day"-and she turns her
attention to her sweetheart and the track
And they call that progress. Nit!
y y =
Why all this coming anyway from the
utmost borders of the State to see a
punkin and a pig? The Biltmore punkin
will no doubt occupy its accustomed
space at this fair, and some dear little
girl will exclaim. "Oh. Mariner what a
big punkinn' Yes. my darling good Mr..
Vanderbilt sends that punkin from Blt-
more" And another little boy will stop
ut Col. julie Carrs stand and pulling
his mother back by the sleeve say, ''Oh.
Mamma see that big ear of corn" 1T
is not ear of corn, Eddy, but it is made
from grains of corn, Eddy, to look like
big ear of corn" and the Mamma will
see Mr.. Cottonwood in the crush from
Cabarrus or some other county and will
greet him so heartily saying: Il was
corn was. Mr.. Cottonwood with another
fond smile at Eddy. and Mr. Cotton
wood will take Eddy by the hand-'a
bright boy that, to make such remark
about the ear of corn! How wonderful
all this my dear Mrs Hilltop" and
there will be a season of genuine delight
between them over many things and the
States increase will pass inteligently
hct-e their view. Hundreds of such
groups will swarm through the great
buildings, while the buzz of voices and
tread Of feet and tinkle of crockery
from the lunch booths and crow OF cock
and low of Jersey from distant stall
will be among the sounds that drift to-
ward the softly gathering afternoon.
Surely the question of eating per sc
does not enter into the enjoyment of the
punkin or the pig or the big ear of corn.
There is something more behind it all.
just as there is an indefnable sentiment
attached to the peculiar merry red of the
holly berry, a Christmas "feer' as James
Whitcomb Riley would call it, so now
there is the "feep' that belongs to the
Christmas-time Of the crop year, ''feer
that wakes a kind Of music in the Tar
heel heart. One does not hunger for
Plymouth Rock eggs as he goes through
e poultry department, or chat about
spare-ribs before an admirable specimen
OF chester, but one rejoices all the same
from some feeling or other in looking
upon the offerings from stall and store
and slopes and meadows and spindles
and brush and needles and house wifery
with the snow Of this Christmas time in
hn hrl aoI~ ~
the State. And the sleighIbell of the
Tarheel heart somehow makes music.
For, as | remarked he loves agriculture
1t responds best of all things to the
home instrinct, and that, it seems to me,
is the dominant force at work among
the people of this State. We have seen
the group yellow afternoons standing
at the doorway with the window-pane
glimmering sun-red in the half-lght,
with violet air that seems to magnify
far off voices and understandable is n
home, with the barn out yonder and the
crops saved-that is peace and enough
to eat and wear-it is the unit of
great idoal-that ideal being the right
est living together of men. / look upon
all these fairs as the bloss0ming forth of
some such seed.
And yet we hear some folks growing
about immigra ton, manufactures and
so on. / suppose immigration comes UNI
der the head of sociology and for that
reason | steer clear, it is too deep: See
editorial columns. But it reminds me
of a conversation some years ago with q
large, wealthy and successful cotton
planter in Georgia. He said to me:
You hear much talk about the desire
of the South for immigration: | say |
want it, of course, but | don't The
cotton-planter in Georgia would rather
have niger to come up at the end
of the year. get enough bacon and greens
and clothes to last him for the rest Of
the year and take his mule and go back
to work. These Germans and Scandina-
vians and such keep their families so
clean, and have such nice houses, and
have so many appointments that require
ready money that you have got to settle
with them in cash regularly as the store
man does with his clerk. With the mig
ger it is different as | have Just told
YOU" Anybody toss this anyway at all
il goes for what it is worth. At any
rate. I viii add this much: we do not
ike to see the negro go aw"y. no me- ttnr
how much we talk. Just tNn other wear
in North Carolina. we all remnmhor how
we lamhaSted those advent tuners who
came down here trying to coax envoy tn"
negro. and how many of Tho deoeive1
ores came back wiser and ~ Ser They
"ro f"f'"" "v-"v II IS tho ,oIo-n1 ole
won't hov'no decreased IN tu-en+v VOC re
from 1870 from 81 to 81 PEI cont Tho