The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-04-18

~ developed in the character of tnis
remarkable man, and he embraced the
Christian faith with soulful zeal and
sincerity, living and dying in full fell
lowship and membership of Bethea
Presbyterian church near Tar Heel. He
always took his seat on Sunday we'll
up to the front in the church, though
IL was not Il him the "mourncr's
bench" for religion was in his heart
"a thing of beauty and a joy forever
Uncle Moro" died a little ovar
forty years ago, near the close OF tho
Civil war; and, rom the best infor-
nation | can gather, he Is buried at
Owen HILL" though DR.. Foard thinks
that his grace Is on the farm Of Cen
eral Owen The young people or the
~neighDorhood regarded Uncle Moro
as A very old man, but he could rot
have been very far advanced in life at
the time of his !eath-certainly unier
10 years of age-for he was in the flush
of early manhood when brought over
to this country.
Visitors TO General and Governor
Owel were always anxious to see and
con verse with Prince Omnirob, and he
would be invited into the parlor for
an Interview. There he always con
ducred himself with becoming gravity,
and dignity, for this swarthy son OF
the tropics was Crc of natures gentle
men: out he was never at his best I'm
der the artificial restraint of civi.iza-
ton. Like the good tempered giant,
Joe Gasgesy, in Dickens Great Elk
pectations,' he was lat his worst in
his Sunday Clothes" Those who mad
the good fortune 20 trudge with Uncle
Moro" through the deep, dark woods
skirting the river, in a night hunt OF
the 'possum or The coon, or to sit Ly
his side as he padded a batteaI ocrrss
the swift current of the Cape Fear,
were wont to speak of the ease AMI
unsIinted grace of his movements, his
form fit for a sculptor's model, his
we'll poised head his fine face, flashing
eyes and deep Tica copper color.
Sorhe twenty-five years ago with 4
party of friends: | made a trip down
the rlver by steamer, and we picnickad
On the beautiful grounds Of Owen
HILL" by moonlight. We sat under
canoples of dropping evergreen and
wide-spreading water-oak, through the
boughs and leaves Of which the white
ligh. of the moo filtered down, laying
the sanded walks il carpets of fairy,
fantastic lacework, and throwing ilmy
wells of silver over foliage and shrub.
The night wind famed us gently, it's
breath sweet with the perfume Of the
wild flowers of the swamp, the fra
grancc of the wild grapes of the river
banks.
Suddenly, as if a curtain Lac lifted,
there stood forth from the gloom Of
the dense woods fringing the Cape
Fears course a Stalwart figure, and
stool, not fifty steps away from Us,
full n the moonlight, with brow barred
to the breeze. 4 girl sitting by my
side, with her elbows on her knee, and
her pretty chin il her palm, whisper
ed, Uncle MO:O!"-and the figure
turned and passed out of sight behind
the crest of the hill: a negro fisher
man On his way to his cabin. But l
started for the moment as her lips
formed the words, as if in very truth
Prince Omnirob-exile in a strange
land, slave on a farm of the new world
had burst the cerements Of his Chris
tian tomb at "the call of the wild"
What may this mean, that thou
1SSNlolCSSI llIuO Inc S1iulpSS0 VI VIC
mOOn?"
The Owen family was very distia-
guisned and influential throughout the
whole Cape Fear section-and with
good reason; nowhere in the land was
there sturdier manhood, more gracious
womsnhood, than under their -oof-
tree.
General Ovens place was Milton"
and "Owen Hill" the home of Governor
Owen, was on the opposite side OF the
river. The latter vas president of the
national convention which nominated
Harrison and Tyler in 1910. Miss I'll
ler P. Owen, his only child, married
Colonel Haywood w. Guion, a prcmi-
nent lawyer and author of the Comet
and other works. He was the uncle
of owen Haywood Guion, speaker of
the House in the Legislature. Colo
mel and Mrs. Guion had no children.
but they adopted a girl, Anne Guion
Stith, who inherited "Owen HILL" and
there resides. Mrs. Guion died at the
family homestead about eight years
ago, and is buried in Carver's Creek
township, Bladen county. J. H. NJ.
Fayetteville, April II.