The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-10-01
LETTER FROM ALABAMA.

Fifty Years Ago and Some
Who Attended-The Tennes-
see River Valley.
To the Editor of The Robesonian:
The elections are over and
peace reigns.
St. Pauls is looking up. The
elegant new school building,
the new Presbyterian church,
the sale of town lots, the hum of
the factory, the general outlook
everything betokens a wave
of prosperity. The old colored
philosopher wisely said: The
world do move" 1t was in the
40's that myself and brothers and
sisters were pupils in a very
plain school-house about one hun
dred yards west of the stage road, |
northwest Of the site of the old |
Davis & Willis store-long be-
fore the store was built, however
in which Archibald D. McNair, !
afterwards an eminent physi-
clan, taught. l remember we'll
that there was a number of
adult pupils, one Of whom, John
Carlyle, walked five miles daily
to obtain an educatian. He had
the pluck and energy of which
men are made.
Boys and girls, too, in those
days did not complain at walking
three miles to school. But it is
not so now. Schools must be
convenient and easy of access.
How many times have l seen dis
tricts cut up and ruined by un-
compromising selfshness! Infe-
rior teachers and short terms
were the result, when a central
school, or two, if need be, would
have been strong enough to have
had much better results.
Mr.. Carlyle finished his educa-
ton and became a professor in a
Florida College, so | was told.
John C. McNair was a pupil in
) that school, and so were Neill,
t Angus and Daniel McEachern
and their sisters Christian and
Mary. When l was in North
, Carolina in 1905, l visited Miss
7 Mary, who, with Marcus Smith
and one or two others, showed
me two curiosities; one was a
: forest of virgin pine in a perfect
Y state of protection, and in the
4 old family graveyard, tomb
i stones-so to speak-100 years
!, old, of rich, heart pine, two
e inches thick, perhaps, upor
a which the carving was plain
: beautifully executed and in {
o perfect state of preservation
r Those ightwood slabs would at
t. trat attention at a fair. Let then
l. remain another hundred years
they are unique, picturesque, ant
more attractive than Parial
marble. l am proud of the en-
ergy and push of the noble mel
of St Pauls. May the town de
velop until she fills the most op
timistic ideal of her most ambi
tious and ardent promoters.
Great things are in store for tn
Tennessee River Valley, in Ala
bama. How we do need som
wideawake Carolinians to pre-
pare for the day, not far distant
when the great plant of the Mus
sci Shoals shall make industr
in this valley hum and quiver an
sparkle, and throb from one enC
of our fertile plain to the other
Eighty men, with the best engi
neering implements, are now o.
the river preparing for this gi
gantic work, under the directio
of the government. The rock dar
across thsriverwhere it isshalloW
y. but about three miles wide, wi
deepen the channel about eigf
IS teen feet. The water, thus back
Q, ed, will remove the necessity fc
is three of the locks. A levee is
ct be made on the south side of tn
ne river, allowing the water, abov
8 the highest lock, an increase
ed depth of three feet. In ten yeal
p lands in this valley will not Sc
as for less than 100 dollars per acl
m so say some of our wisest me
in but | know of farms that no
lis may be purchased for fifteen an
OF twenty dollars, the first paymer
ep down, and the deferred paymen
as extended for some years. In CO
ot bert county--near the shoals
tie the lands have doubled in vall
he in the last five years.
IN Near Decatur, recently, sever
lat ty-seven acres, with fair improv
lrs ments but not a stick of fiji
wood, sold for S39 cash.
. Some one may think me inte
ny ested. 1t is true: but l am no
VS.: est and, l think, incapable of d
as ception. | will do my best-al
IDS l have a large acquaintance
no any of my friends who may wa
he to take advantage of the prese
ms opportunity. For a proper co
lr- ception of the Tennessee Riv
Valley, see Maury's Manual
~, Geography. Commodore Mau
'ull predicted that this valley woU
be one day become the London
at America. The great Southe
'od Railroad traverses it from east
eat west. 1t is well watered. T
is valley is bounded on the south
it, a range of hills, or mountain
to from which flow creeks form
the by the waters of many sparkli