The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-06-29
THE CROATAN INDIANS

Abhor Race Suicide-Need of
Drainage-Preparing for High
er Civilization Making Good
Citizens ns-Queer Old Rene
dies.
Col F. A Olds in Charlotte Observer
Continued from THURSDAYS pa
per-
The Croatans are no believers
in race suicide, and l learned
that Joseph Locklear had twen-
ty-five children, one wife being
the mother of all. Another wo-
man, Missouri Locklear, was
heard of, who is only % years
old and yet has had eleven chill
dren, there being two sets of
twins. Large families are the |
rule and it was a sight to see the |
farm wagons and other vehicles
coming to the commencement,
packed with children, these look
ing like animated bequets, as far
as the girls were concerned, so
gay were the colors of dresses,
| hats and sashes. It was learned
that there are some two thouS-
and school children of these peo-
pie and that there are seven hun
dred voters. They voted always
until 1888, and then, as has al
ready been stated, were depriv-
ed Of the ballot until 1868, that
being nearly twenty years before
the time when they were set
apart by the State as a seperate
people. No one knows exactly
the number of them, but there
are pretty close to $500, their
leading men said. Some of them
raise as many as rs bales of
cotton. One of their church.
men said that more of them
were Baptists than of any 9TH
er denomination, most of the re-
, mainder belonging to the North
ern Methodist Church. There is
number of preachers among
them.
1t was very interesting at this
. notable gathering of Croatans,
it being the event of the year
-. for them, to watch their faces
! and to listen to their language.
= The word mon, an old En-
glish form of man., was heard
:. over and over again and one of
l the chiefs said that favorite
gesture and phrase of some of
: the Croatans, when excited, was
n to strike the palm Of one hand
q % with the fist and say: Dom my
E hand to the bone" 1t is said
= that this was quite an oath in
i some parts of England a long
e e time ago and yet obtains there.
- - All day the names Lowery, Lock.
II lear, Oxendine, Dial, Bullar,
IT. Sampson, Brooks, Lucas anf
e Chavis were heard, those Of
- - Locklear and Lowery predominant
. ing. In the school itself it was
- found that the Raleigh cOlonists
i. IL names of Lowery, Sampson, Har
y riss, Jones, Brooks and Chever
; were matched by the Students
u u while in the community tht
~ ~ names of a score of the Whit
10 10 colonists are perpetuated. Pro
81 ,. fessor Edens said that a subjec
IL was furnished by this commun
a. a. ity for a poem which if properl.
te te wrought out would surpass il
" pathos David's story of the dis
~ persion of the Jews or Longfel
81 lows 'Evangeline". To tell tn
-, truth, it seemed to me that dow
60 under the surface there was jus
le a tinge of sadness in these pee
pie. The gay laugh, the insouis
q. ant smile and gesture, might das
he this away for a time, but ye
C. that impression rather set itsel
he upon me. Not all the white pee
tn pie are friends to these Croatans
IT, as has been limited. The NOR
nd pronounced type of Croatan, tn
"a more solemn and dignifed the
are, and when we posed Presto
lie Locklear and Rosetta Brooks a
[r. perfect types of the Indian, the
"a looked as stoical as any red ma
ever did.
u.s. COUNTRY NEEDS DRAINAGE.
oi The great need of the countr
E! en of the Croatans is good drainag
III A lot of it is in swamp. AS
Ire IRE matter of fact a county draina2
ne ne system for Robson county, gi'
o on ing an opportunity for cross drail
al age, would be a grand inves
vi Vi ment. The land is good to wol
rs rs and the crops show it. The no
ne ne NAL school house stands in Il
Ilu very centre of what used to
al at "Scuffletown." Mention h
7Ih been made of the isolation
these people. There was, yea
ago marriage of a Croatan w
man to negro, this having c
Cured before the recognition
gh- the race in 1887. This was Fl
US. lowed by an arrest and conv
ton.
o,, The Lumber river, one of t
= III most striking streams in the low
'' section of the State, runs throu
the heart of the Croatan count
the and it abounds in fish. 1t is {
tremely swift and very deep a
narrow. From it are taken #
70 known as the blue Dream,
~ perch of a beautiful color, weig
ing some three-quarters of
pound; a yellow perch of
to same weight; and what they {
ter. a trout or club, but really 1