The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-03-10
Especial to the WOrld.)

! l
his buggy twenty-eight miles the
other day to visit the World cores
pondent, who had requested an in
terview with him. He is Hugh Nc
Lean, of Dickinson, Harnett county.
| He and his brother Hector, were
born February Is, 1910. In three
days they will be SO years of age.
The World correspondent had intend
ed to 90 to these venerable men, but
Hugh said:
II felt SO well and so sprightly
thought l would come and see YOU.
/ didn't mind the twenty-eight miles
drive. am not egotistic, but | am
glad something will be published
about us so our kindsmen here and
| in Scotland, too, will see it,
Hugh and Hector are the fourt h
and fifth sons of Ducan Mclean and
Mary McAlister. The parents of
their mother came over from Scot
land in 1886, and one of them, Col
Alexander McAlister, was a notable
in North Carolina history. The pa
ternal grandfather of the twins, John
Mclean, came over after 1.-The '45. "
The twins were born on Upper Little
River, in what was then Cumberland,
but is now Harnett county. The
honse in which they were born is yet
standing.
Hugh Mclean was asked if they
had any of the family heirlooms. He
replied: 'None, except Col. Nc
Alister's sword, which is a claymore. :"
This ancestor was born in 1898, and
200 years are thus spanned by three
generations.
Hector and Hugh have spent most
of their lives together. They were
when quite young apprenticed to a
tailor at Fayetteville and served five
years. After their time was out
they went to school at home, and
when they were twenty-six studied
English grammar four months under
Gen. Mclean. Hugh, in speaking of
this added: Then we studied by
| ourselves for years. In fact, l still
study and SO does brother Hector y
| To hear Hugh speak one would think
him boyish and that his brother and
he were lads together. He said:
'.We went to Fayetteville when we
were sixteen, and were tailors there
| ten wears. Then we went to Ala
bama and worked seven years. We
made money there. We lost negroes
and money by the war. We had
much money lent in Alabama, and
after the war the people who bor-
rowed could not pay. We always
| applied ourselves to our trade. We
studied it. We worked harder than
most people who are in trade, and
we got more money than most people
in our line
Hugh was asked if he or his brother
had ever married. He said:
1--WE were always social with the
ladies. Hector proposed marriage
twice, but | didn't succeed. | never
got to the point where l thought
could suit myself. l was a great
hand to 90 to parties and enjoy my
self finely. Brother and l were
always strictly temperate. I useC
to take a glass of eggnog at Christ
mas time. Liquor was often Offered
us, but we never touched it. Brother
used tobacco several years, but
never chewed or smoked.'
The venerable man showed 8
daguerreotype of himself and hi:
brother, the inseparables, taken il
Fayetteville when they were forty
and handsome pair Of men the,
were, not looking a day over twenty
five. He said:
Il travelled a good deal. | like it
Brother is now feeble and doesn'
travel much. We will be eighty-eigh
years old on February 16. We wer'
never in the military. We were to-
old to serve in the last war. We tool
the Fayetteville paper from 1887 t(
1865, and since then we have taken
Louisville paper. We buy book
which interest us and have a librar7
of which we are very proud.
"Brother and l own everything il
common, our house and land. w
have had large tracts of timber land
but sold most of it. When we LIVED
in Alabama we were so much alik
that two years after left people di,
not know l was gone. They saw
brother Hector and thought he wa
If | may use the phrase-bOth o
us"
Both Hector and Hugh are great
interested in looking up their famil
history. Hector has given niue
care and money to the placing G
tombstones over the graves OF hi
kinsmen. They both want informa
IL -, 4,
The McLeans We're from Jure. Hug
sa;S. 1t was pathetic to hear hin
say:
Not person is now living i
Fayetteville save one who was ther
when we went to the place in 1926
Then the town had 1000 people.
has not grown much since. tn
greater growth is in the graveyard
All. how that has grown"
These aged twins. whose love fC
=, each other is untouched by tim,
went to Fayetteville and had the
photographs taken side by side ju
as they were in the daguerreotype
1850. They always dress we'll an
& live well. Hugh's language is tn;
| VI Il HAL VINO StuultS I1t httpS U
with the times. He lives sixtee
miles from the railroads neare
point and this, he says. is why
made the journey of twenty-eigl
miles here in his buggy. He sal
that they are the oldest twins in ii
United States. and so far as the
know the oldest in the world.