The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-07-06

SllOW IIlSlI 1lIulCIl II OIL NHN4
more strongly than they did a
century ago. Their English love {
for good roads is shown by the t
fact that they have been and yet
are great road builders and
have always had the best public
roads in the State. No special
census has been taken Of them,
| but the number is said to be not
less than 5000, of which more
than half are in Robson county:
There are about LOO Children OF
school age, of these the roll
having been made. The State
has provided sepal ate normal
schools and public schools for
these o ople; the Governor has
addressed them; they are being
aroused to fresh pride in their
ancestry and in learning and
their development is becom-n
rapid. The Legislature took
every step to safeguard these
people and amended the general
, law by declaring null and void
any and all marriages between
, Croatan Indians and persons OF
negro decent to the third genel-
alton inclusive.
| They are quick-witted people:
; One of them was eX-United
: States Senator Reyels, of Miss
f issippi, who was classed as a
2 mulatto while really a CrOatan
= who was born in Robson county
, The Croatans are almost univer-
n sally owners of land and in Rob
: eson county thus occupy a terri
: tory of more than $4,000 acres,
all owned by them. They are
+ now beginning themselves to look
: more closely into traditions and
S some of their leaders state that
o the traditions of every family
t which bears the name of one Of
n the lost colonists point to the
a Roanoke country as that of their
ancestors, it being a further ira
l. dition that long after they left the
S coast conntryand went into the in
= terror they held communication
with the people on the coast and
is it may have been some of these
$ very up country Croatans, visit
d ing their former home who were
st seen by Lawson in 1708 and who
IS spoke of their ancestors as per-
lie sons who could talk in a book"
Ie Early French, English, Irish and
n German immigrants who came
is among the Croatans in the Rob-
ct eson section seem to have fire.
Is quently married these Indians
If The name Chavis, now common,
IS is corruption of a French name,
as as is also Blaux, while Leary
N was O'Leary. In building they
l. show much skill. They have the
IS Indian love for bright colors anC
in when walking in bodies they
S. march in Indian file, one behinC
lg the other. They brought will
I'd them from the coast country thu
ar love of tobacco and the knowl
in edgeofhow to grow it and the yer.
ir earliest visitors to the Robesol
ne section found patches of tobacco
er near their houses. They neve
in forget an obligation or a deb
d. nor do they forget a kindness O
tn an insult. A century ago the
IT. had good inns for travel
he ers. Their women are extreme
IS ly handsome and the most note
Ii one among them is now Rhod
"a LoWrie, the widow of Henri
NJ Berry Lowrie, a famous outlaw
MS State Auditor Dixon recently Wis
.er tied the Croatans aud spoke to
as great assemblage of them {
1se Pates, the location of their mol
IRE NAL college. There he saw Rho
ne da, who used to be great beal
he ty. Her husbands father an
ors several other Croatans, not rec
lat ognized then as whites or II
Of dians, but as negroes, when ser
ere to work during the civil war Q
AN the forts, left and went hom'
al were pursued by the HON
Guard and-several were shot, b,
ing classed as deserters. Hem
rth Berry LoWrie was lnen only
lge youth, but he swore by the bloc
me of his ancestors that he won,
IS, kill every one of the Home Guar
us who had shot his father. +
Ca kept this terrible oath to the lie
ad, ter, except in the case of one {
ent the Home Guard, who fled tt
lad State to escape the swift ar
led sure death which had come
are his comrades. Lowrie associa
'et- ed with himself other darir
vas spirits and it required State mi
lch tia and even Federal troops
leir crush out what came to be know
in as the 'Lowrie outlaws. The
of leader accidentally killed himse
nth with his gun; his brother Stew
md for whom a reward of SIS, 900 w
ms offered by the State, was sh
ong from ambush, and the troub
was quelled, but not before MAJ
the a white man had been kille
but and a reign of terror existt
and which attracted national atte
: Is ton and brought about action
'Wn the President and the War D
Ugh partment.
cen INFLUENCE OF ENGLISH.
xon The dominating Influence
thy. the English upon this race h
DrO- been shown very clearly by t
use language and by the custom
ak which have retained nothing
end the savage. There are no Indi
lge; words in use, nor have the
the been observation-disclosures or MOI
ave and there are no Indian custom
en- The Indian is shown hnMnunr