The Newark journal. (Newark, Ark.) 1901-1959, 1908-06-19
A BRIEF VACATION
Pleasant Moments Recalled by Trip
to the Old Royhood Home

Union City, Tenn. June ia little
vacation is a wonderful tonic for the
man who has been tied down to Office
work ten to fourteen hours day for
four or five years, and while | am not
exactly boy again, | feel consider
ably invigorated already as a result
of the few day spent here, carefree,
midst the scenes of boyhood, and have
lived over again many of the little in
cidents of the years gone by, when a
rag saturated in turpentine adorned
the big toe of one or both feet.
About mile from town is the old
country school house, known as Pleas
ant Valley, where | attended my first
school,
Can anything be more pleasant for
just few moments in the busy hum
drum of after years, than to permit
your mind to wonder back to the days
of your school life2 The sweet MEM
cries and incidents that came up; the
smiling faces, pleasant countenances,
=
the old school house door that has so
often swung back to admit the molly
crowd of youngsters; the very old
walls and everything speak forth of
happy hours: while in your mind S eye
you behold the teacher who labored so
patiently and faithfully with the little
crowd of anarchists whom she must
transform into great q and useful
men and women. AS these pleasant
memories come back to one, the eye is
almost moistened as he realizes that
those days are gone forever, and SO
many who took part in those happy
hours have crossed over the great
river.
AS we contemplate that never again
will those days return; that the partici-
pants who so joyously romped the
/ playground together, are scattered far
and wide, and some departed to their
eternal home, one is painfully remind
ed of the swiftness of time and is made
to realize that we are fast journeying
toward the setting sun.
1t has been about twenty years since
left here, and in some respects twenty
years works many changes.
Today | am going down to the fam
| Gus Reel Foot lake, about twenty-five
miles from town. This lake is about
fifteen miles long and about seven
miles wide at the widest places, while
at some places it is not more than
thirty feet wide. 1t was made by the
earthquake of 1872 and in some places
is SO deep that no bottom has ever
been found. This is perhaps the most
noted fishing resort in the entire South
and thousands of pounds of fish are
taken from its waters every year. For
some three or four years it has been
under the control of a corporation
which has sought to monopolize the
rights of taking fish from its waters,
but the Night Riders have been taking
a hand in the matterland have about
succeeded in freeing the lake.
We who have known nothing of the
Night Riders except what we read in
the papers about the burning of the
great tobacco barns in Kentucky, look
upon them as lawless and blood
thirsty set but it seems that they have
accomplished much good in many
instances, one of which is the freeing
of this great fishing resort from the
grasp of a corporation that sought
only to bring dollars and cents into
its own Golfers.
/ heard prominent man remark
yesterday that SO long as the Night
Riders confined their operations to the
lines pursued in this community here
tofore, there was not Jail in Tonnes
see that would hold them nor jury
that would convict them.
But here comes the rig to take me to
the lake, so | must cut this short an
skidoo. o. f. G.