The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-18
SORT OF ELECTRIC
WIRE AFFIDAVIT?
"A Certain Sensational
Paper Suppressed
A CHARM OF MYSTERY
This it Holds for the Public, But in the
Light of Judge PEBBLES Warn
ing it Doubtless Held More
for the Respond



down in the end of the neck of the
woods in Robson county, is a place
called Pembroke. 1t lies midway
between Maxton-once called Shoe
Hill and now named for the ever pres
ent Robson "Mac''-and is inhabited
at this time of the year by one hotel
and livery stable, two railroad tracks,
juniper swamps and bull-frogs. At
least that is the way it looks at night;
in the morning you may see some
dozen or so of hound and setter pups,
address half a dozen or so of citizens
by the name of Mr. Mac'-and en-
joy the climate.
l mention Pembroke by reason of
its trustful "hotel." | came across it
soon after leaving the Atlantic Coast
Lines Florida & West Indian Limited
in the grey hours of Monday morning.
That train is a prince of the road. 1t
carries ten Pullmans and runs at the
rate of sixty miles an hour. You
can hear it roaring through the
juniper swamps while it is yet ten
miles away. Were it not for the fact
that the Seaboard Air Line crosses it
at Pembroke it would go by with a
snort of disgust and you would have
to jump for that "hotef' or get off
at Florence, 5. G. AS it is. and
proved as it is, the f. e. w. /. limited
Initiates. / had almost said stops
before crossing the Seaboard track.
1t is at this strategic juncture that the
traveller must grab his grip and leap
forth without thought into the road
to watch the tail lights of his train
in ictn hpfnra he iS
reminded by the croaking frogs to
hunt for Pembroke and bed.
This is not as easy as it sounds.
My landing was in ten inches of a
black and juicy mud. On either side
the track rose the high black outlines
of virgin forest, from which the bull
frogs croaked dismally, an owl hOot-
ed and a mocking bird filled the air
with song.
Far up the track was one yellow
CLEAN of light, which proved to be
the railroad watchman's cabin. Him
I aroused and asked the way to lodg-
ings and as to how / was to gain ad-
mission. The watchman pointed out
a house--a store with high steps lead
ing to a porch above.
eco up those steps, said my help
full watchman find you a room and
go to sleep"
Simple as was the device it was
something gruesOme to ungloriouSly
traverse that darkened hall above. On
the right was a parlor with an open
door, two bird dogs asleep on the
sofa; on the left another door from
behind which came the sound or one
through both nose and
mouth that he was a just man who
slept: another door Il tried and open
ed and was now drawing match
across that anatomical section which
nature has provided for the purpose,
when there came from the darkness
q erorr and an exclamation The
voice was soprano, and with a
pardon Madam Mac" | fled.
The next room, however, was empty
and there on a good bed / slept; no
doubt with many an unconscious
trumpet of the fact-till the sun DIS
closed the beauties OF Pembrohe 10
my dropping eyes.
Tho ride TO Iumberton through the
woods. along the hard packed sandy
roads was a JOY and a delight. rather
than duty Even on hot day the
shady stretches of the roads through
the swampv forests are dellclouSly
cool. on bracing spring morning
such as Monday, the air has an al
most liquid tang to it, one wants TO
swallow it in gulps. The MACS
along the way are either big, pun
and smiling, or little red-Whiskered
and tight Tipped. They are one
thing in America-and that Is ocoIch
from the bristle of their mustaches to
the tidv thriftiness of field and house
and wife or child Also there is d
color in their checks that is more like
an apple that has grown on the south
side of hill. a sparkle of the eye,
and u reflective moistening of the lips
suggests that while your Scotchman
in Robcson county as we'll as in his
an honest prohibitioner, still has re-
course of morning to his own per-
sonal "ure nippy."
There are few negroes to be seen
in the county. Leaving out the Scotch
one finds mostly Croatans, neat yellow
l1an nd women st IN" red ~ cd
showing under a clear and thin skin.
They, too, seem happy and we'll dress
ed and prosperous. 1t IS only the
high cheek bones that suggest the In
dian. In their occasional blue eyes
there is a quality of myateiy-a look
as it were that seems on the point of
touching upon the tragedy of the
.lost colony and their adventurous
origin.
Judge PEBBLES got to Lumberton on
the morning train and walked 10 his
hotel with two newspaper m al When
if is remembered that for years t has
been the custom of the sfi priff to meet
the Judge and for >>11c lawyers to call
at once, almost in a body, there was
a quality of pathos in his loneliness.
JIIdpp PpphlpS is a ioVial man who