The news & observer., 1905-12-01
OXFORD EIGHTY YEARS AGO.
Replying TO a Letter Col. Creecy
Writes of Ye Older Time.


tCol. r. B. Creecy in the Economist }
DR. Nelson Mcpherson Ferebee, 4
retired surgeon of the United States
navy. a native of Camden county and
! representative Of two of its oldest
and most distinguished families, nov a
resident Cf oxford, II. c.. has written
in a Kind letter asking information
about OxforI4 and its old families
when we were boy at school There
little more than eighty years ago.
E.Gnty years is a long period in
The course cf human life. and he who
,ecalis IT looks through GLASS darkiy.
but unfortunately there are no wit
nesses to contradict his statements,
and unless his conscience is sensitive
70 truth he is strongly tempted to give
/, loose rein to his imagination and
rive fancy for fact.
With q memory in the nineties we
ire admonished that such a rem'nls-
cence is a perilous undertaking, in
volving truth. character and strength
f mind. But DR.. Ferebee is a son of
iur old friends, both father and moth
!. and we are impelled by that con-
siderat on to wipe our eyes as we dive
Mo the forgotten past.
When we were an orphan boy of
bout ten years we We're sent to tEe
oxford Male Academy, the best school
IN North Carolina. 1t was taught by
James d. Johnson, an old Scotch Pres
bytelian, and in domestic life an old
bachelor, without k!th or kin. -
man severe he was and stern to rule, ;"
4 devort man and a believer in the
nc e1 Scriptures, especially in that
Scripture which relates to the rod"
nd the sparing thereof in traini12
'outh IN The way they should go:
Nov that instrument of learning Is
,ne Of the lost" But say what yol
eill about a dead doc, it made n,"r"
rood sehc lcrs th?n all the modern
ieViocs. and it is due to that primitive
~ency thai we can now decline" hic.
hacc. hoc--''settin' on a blocl. to
thi~ day.
- II families end places. we recall
Hicks Nh Pond" most vividly De
a'se t was impressed upon on. mem-
,ry by terrible thrashing awarded
% us and executed upon us and sew
raj other truant companions b. Uncle
- Litt'oiohn, with Il half dozen bir-
chen rods.
"Uncle Joc'' was our landlord and
e was a deputy eXecutioner with the
,oWer of tho rod. and he was never
happier than when executing his COM
mission
hero vas . female school in OK
ford "a that time, celebrated like the
iner and separated from II by Il
wooden wall. through which the boys
,g!ed tho girls and the girls wei
We Won't say, as we are cautious ana
imid man.
AS to families we recall ''Uncle Joe''
Littleiohn. His wife. "Aunt Marie.
was a daughter of the revoluticnary
patriot. Wi.Ec Joncs--a good woman,
kindly. benevolent and heavenly in al!
her thoughts. She was always cl the
side of the suffering and saved us
many a whipping from Uncle Jos.
They 1ived just outside the town im
it, in a large grove.
Thomas Littlejohn, the brother II
Uncle Joe. lived in the heart of the
town. also in a large grove. Tom
was an austere man, quiet and ulsa-
srusive and not of the positive ana
aggressive type of his brother Joe
Both were prolific vines and some OF
heir children became prominent chii-
dren.
The Ridleys We're prominent people
md lived near Uncle Joe just outside
the town limits. Both of them had
boarders of school boys. Uncle Joe
had seventy-fi five of us, and his poWe,
was as despotic as that Of Car
Nicholas.
! he Sneeds were a leading family
i'm another nart of the town. >nee!
later was large and portly man
with big round belly, with good capon
lined
Near him l.ved the Taylors. A prom
nent family that about that tire re-
noved to Tennessee and were The
rogenitors, We think, Of Bob Taylor,
he famous fddiing ex-gove nor o1
tennessee.
Rhodes Herndon was the wealthy
merchant of the town, who filled a
arge space in the public eye and was
4 catch much coveted by the pretty
sirIs of the town. But he never came
nto their parlor, said the spider to
he ny'-better had he!
Then the Virgins and the Owens
and others of lesser note.
| The atmosphere of Oxford at that
! time was a healthy and i nap4y cne.
They were contented and happN loved
| peace and escheWed strife.
The religious field was faithf11lly
| cultivated by the Methodists, the Pies
| byterians and the EpiscopalianS The
| Episcopalians were ministered unto
| by Rev. Mr. Green, afterwards the
| ,enerable and reverend bishop Gf Mis-
| s.sss sopi. Rev Lewis Skidmprc was
| The Methodist circuit rider. Ills
voice was soft as an aeoi:an harp and
| a OOWeGIul as a DuSlc noi't- ilS tii-
| WAYS stopped at Uncle Joe's. v no Was
\ Methodist He sang the "Old
| Ship of Zion,'' with paInos and Eusto
| that still fingers in oui. ear.
| If the Presbyterians had q minister
he has escaped our memory. but il
| they h$d none, we are sure :hat ou'
old Scotch teacher James y. John
son. would have supplied his "lace as
= temporary substitute, for he walk
] ed with God"
| Such are our imperfect memories
of the period of our memory when
.Ife was ever fresh and joys ever
new" when d rabbit or j 'possun
hunt WAS the highest goal Of our am
bition. and an Illicit swim in Hicks
Mill Pond was the maximum optimun1
of human happiness.
! xNaS Vance Truly Representative Ol