The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-28
Sand Hills, Tar River. N. c.


an Emergency.
Sand Hills, Tar River, N. C.
DR.. Stiles.
Geologic Survey
Washington.
Sur: / have red with interest about your
CRATE discovry of what's the matter with
the sand hill folks. Indede, I'm one of
them folks myself. and its plesing to
know what's all me and my MAJORS. I
have red in an ole book, it was the
splene, which they said thar warnt any
yearthly use for, and so it must be the
splene what was the matter with m.
And 1 was inclined to agree in that pin
ion myself that it was the splene that
Crackers.
Howsomever by close observation and
long study / have discovurd myself a
funkscion of the splene, which t'wouldn't
be perlite to print, but as you are
Doctor, can tell it to you in confidence:
and we too crate discovers can pat each
other on the backs and be jolly.
DR.. Stiles: Sur: as my discovry about
the splene knocks up the idea that it is
without use in funkscion of the humane
boldly so it no longer follers that the
splene is what's the matter with us
crackers.
There is a use for it, and so it amt
the splene that ails u.s. And therefore
and wherefore I'm the more redier to fall
into your mode of rashionsinashun that
it's them wurms. And 1 am rale glad to
know.
Mr.. Stiles: Sur: We Crackers are a
peculiar people. Same as the Gipsys who
went a roming by here lately They
warn't like white folks, nun tall.
1 have red in a ole book that they
have no country, but separate people
like unto the Jews. They only come
about from city to city from generation
to generation. That Is the way they
make their living. They have been so
doing from the very furst But it has
bothered me some to know how they did
before there was any cites. How die
they earn their Twin then?
Howsomever, we Crackers are likewise
a peculiar people. 1 hev red it in the
News Preserver, which 10 Daniels has
printed, that you say we are peculiar
people. And 1 don't deny it. And you
say it's wurms that ails us, and we are
born with wurms, fun genration to genra-
ton.
Mr.. Stiles: Sur. If your geologic funk
sions should call you to the Empire State,
the State of Georgy, the home of Bill
Arp and Bob Tombs and Alex Stevens,
before he died, you would see thar the
Georgy Crackers in all their paryphanalia.
And [ have red in a ole book that before
there was any Georgy, thar was Crackers
in plenty in South Carolina the game
cock state same as Nash County is the
game cock of North Carolina. And that
they was nominated crackers, because
they aboded out onto the sand hills, where
thar want any grist mills, and was too
eternally lazy to tote there corn to mill,
and so cracked it with pestle and mortar
like they clean their rice even unto this
day. And so the mill folks who was
cheated out of thir tolls by this nefar
ious procedin nominated them Corn
Crackers, or for short, just plain Crack
crs.
Now I never did quite believe that was
the true original of the denomination.
incline to believe in another original OF
of it which / have red in a ole book
about Old Virginny, the mother of statss
men, where Thomas Jefferson was born,
where the back woods was likewise af-
ficted with Crackers, but as l at this
writing disremembers about it l will not
stop and take time to state it.
Mr.. Stiles: Sur. l am more inclined
to your crate discovry about wurms, be-
cause some people do have snaiks. In
dede / have myself seed person who
was said to have snaiks. He was a col
ored person. Now if colored persons
have snaiks, Crackers can have wurms.
For Crackers are Angle SaXons and the
colored persons are only benighted den
isons OF Black Africa. who are not such
superior race, and they can't have
more than white men,
Sur: / congratulate you on your crate
discovry. / congratulate myself and all
my postterity. 1 congratulate nv nabors
and all the people.
Whensoever you succeed in catching one
of them wurms, Mr.. Stiles, Sur. please
let me know. My people are an afflicted
people. You have found it out That we
are born with wurms from genration to
genration. 1 have red in a ole book
about the Crackers in Florida the land
OF flowers and oranges. A English man of
science, who visited that country said
he was a discover of what allied the
Crackers there. He allowed it was billed
sweet potatoes; that food being roots
was not fitten like the white wheaton
-four or the black rye bred. And I have
red in a cyclopeda written by turned
men who said they knew everything that
had ever happened on this yearth, that in
Norway the people mix sawdust with
their oats to get more oaten mele for
their bred Howsomever that may be
and I don't deny it. / have also red
that some CRATE discover has likewise
discovered that it is the white wheaton
-four that gives the people the appendi-
citis-and IL the white wheaton flour
makes the people a peculiar people with
the appendicitis. it stands to reason that
common billed potatoes which are nothing
but roots do make the people peculiar
and afflicted people.
Now sense l was inclined to believe that
there is not SO much sustentation in billed
sweet potatoes as to make good, strong