The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-18

death, / did not go into the house not
wishing to disturb the colored family
occupying it, but seeing the door of the
wine cellar standing ajar, [ ventured to
peep into the dark abyss below. l was
POLITELY invited to enter but the place
reminded me so much of Virgirs "Facil-
is descenSus Averni'' that / heSitated to
make the venture. My guide Howard,
taking in the situation, assured me
there was no danger and to convince nae
Of that fact, he entered first and bade
me follow. / did so with many mis-
givings, sliding to the bottom of the in
cline as best l could, for there We're no
steps. The first step landed me in mud
nearly over my shoes, at the second /
touched solid earth and there stood pos
itively refusing to proceed further in
the dark though urged to do SO by my
guide. In a few minutes the pupils of
my eyes adjusted themselves to the
limited amount of light in the room and
l could see that the walls were of ex-
cellent masonry, the same white flint
rock being used in their construction
that | found at the grave, at the spring
and everywhere else on the premises.
The dwelling once stood in a magnifi-
cent grove of white oaks, containing
five or six acres, but the woodman's
AK had been laid at the root of many
Of the trees and the grove, now much
diminished in area, presents very
ragged appearance. / was told that
the little dairy, about fourteen feet square
which stands near the kitchen was
sometimes used as bed room for the
accommodation of visitors and on two
occasions at least it was used as the
bridal chamber. About seventy five
yards from the house at the foot of a
gentle incline is Buck Spring. How did
the spring get that name? l asked, and
this was the answer: I'm early times
before there was any settlement here,
deer frequently reSorted to this spring
to drink. This fact was noticed by hunt
ers who would conceal themselves
near by and thus often get
shot at buck Hence the name
walled with white flint rock of large
Buck Spring. The spring was nicely
walled with white flint rock OF large
size and there was wall of the same
kind of rock just above and a few feet
from it to catch the washings from the
hill. For sentimental reasons l de-
sired to take a drink of water from
Nat Macon's spring ,and this l essayed
TO do but one swallow was enough
The water was no. pleasant to the taste
nor did it have that clear sparkling ap-
pearanCe characteristic of good spring
water. This may1not always have Leeus
the case. ! hope it was not, Dut if SO,
then Mr.. Macon and his family must
have lived in bliss.ul ignorance of the
blessings OF good water. Until a few
weeks ego there stood within fifteen feet
of the spring, a gigantic poplar tree
which must have been at least two hun
dred and fifty years old. This tree had
stood for ages as towering sentinel to
watch over the waters of Buck Spring
and protect them from the scorching
rays of the sun. Under it's refreshing
shade the two daughters of Mr.. Macon
and their visitors no doubt often play
ed dolls or padded in the branch near
by. At its base in the cool shade of the
evening, Mr.. Macon and his friend John
Randolph often sat and discussed the
various acts of the last Congress or
chatted about the current events of the
day. There they sat upon the roots OF
this giant Of the forest, some of which
were eighteen inches above ground and
quaffed the waters of Buck Spring
made more palatabe it may be, by
drawing upon the contents of the wine
cellar. There was never day in his
life when Mr.. Macon would have taken
a thousand dollars in gold for that tree.
But alas! alas! The vandal's ak had been
lead at it's root and it's mighty trunk
lay PROSTATE right across the spring,
tearing down in it's fall a part of the
rock wall around it. The trunk of this
tree must have been forty feet long to
the first limb, and to the eye it appear
ed to be of the same size all the way.
The stump, three feet high was five
feet in diameter at the top. ON one of
its roots | walked distance of sixty
feet without touching the ground Al.
that point the root dipped into the
earth but re-appeared about twenty
feet further off. Why did you cut this
tree DOWN. | asked billiard Howard VINO
stood by apparently much interested in
all that Vas said and done. The answer
was: There were bees in one of the
limbs and l cut in down for the honey;
and besides l wanted the wood any
way" This answer showed that he
was as completely destitute of all aes-
thetic sentiment as the mule that he
plowed on his farm. felt very strong
ly inclined to give him a sound abus-
ing for his want of respect and venera-
ton for this old tree, but what was the
use? Can the Ethiopian change his
skin?''
Having visited every object of inter-
est about the place / turned my face
homeward-glad that | had at last been
! able to crafty long felt desire to visit
the grave of Nat Macon-grieved, yes,
sorely grieved that the once proud and
patriotic people of Warren county hao
permitted the grave of this great and
good man to become the property of
negro. O! shame, where is thy blush.
M. S. DAVIS.
! LouiSburg n. G..