The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-07-20
A Watermelon Feast That Was
Great Occasion-How Two
of the Picnickers Went Astray.


Boone, about four miles from
town, near Back Swamp church,
Thursday evening was a great
occasion. About a dozen bug
gies and Mr.. H. M. McAllister's
automobile were the vehicles
necessary for the transportation
of the crowd which attended
from town, and quite a number
from the immediate neighbor-
hood was present. The anus :
ments were varied and good.
The occasion was of the nature
Of a lawn party. Japanese Ian
terms were placed about through
the grove, fastened to the LIMBS
of the trees, and quite a number
of see-saW boards had been az
arranged about over the grounds
and were a source of much
amusement, though one of them
came near being the cause of
much trouble. While Messrs.
David Humphrey, Dennis Biggs
and two young ladies were max
ing the board serve it's purpose it
broke and great was the fall
thereof, especially for the occu-
pants of the end up, Miss Ruth
Whaley and Mr.. Dennis Biggs
being the unfortunate ones. No
damage was done, though Mr..
Biggs is of the opinion that their
end of the board was several feet
from the ground when the brake
happened.
A long table had been erected
on the lawn and underneath it
were watermelons and canta-
loupes by the wagon loads; and
shortly after the arrival of the
crowd the melons began, with
the aid of the skillfulhandling of a
knife by Mr.. Joe Boone, to open
wide their hearts in testimony to
the hospitality in this home.
But while all this stands as
record of many of the happen
ings on this eventful occasion,
the half has not yet been told.
Of the many buggies which left
town on or about the appointed
time one went astray, and the
place where to put the blame is
hard to guess. 1t can't be that
the horse which pulled this bug
gy preferred a drive of about
twenty miles to a little recrea-
ton trip of five or six miles, be-
cause he is old and settled in his
ways; it can't be that the occu-
pants of this particular buggy
preferred that drive in the dark
and desolate region through
which they passed to this water
melon feast, for such wouldn't
be a true Interpretation of the
situation. So, therefore, after a
careful consideration of the facts
in view, it appears that the
guide Of this buggy wa;
just simply minus a CORE c.
understanding as to the To-
cation of this particular picnic.
Anyway, the lost buggy arrived
on the scene in time for its occu-
pants to witness the departure
Of those whose pleasure it was to
arrive earlier. Mr.. Boone had
compassion on the late arrivals
and filled their buggy with mel
ons and sent them home. For
another version of how the bug
gy went astray see the parties
who rode in it.
1t was a lovely night for court
ing, too.
Fire at Sheriff McNeilPs Resi-.
dence.
The house occupied by Sheriff
E. C. Mcneil and family mar
rowly escaped being burned tt
the ground Friday Afternoon
: about 5 o'clock. The fire was
caused by the fact that the par
tition in the chimney between
the fire places in the dining
: room and the room adjoining i
does not extend all the way W
the chimney, and sparks iron
, the dining room fell over tn
, partition and caught the screel
over the fireplace in the adjoin
E ing room. Miss Berta Mcneil
) who was in the dining room a
t the time, heard the roaring O
' the fire but did not suspect tina
: it was in the next room. Mis-
2 Josie Mcneil, who was on tn
t second floor, alsoheard the roarin
, of the fire and came down stair
. and found the entire room in
v blaze. She gave the alarm an
v with the timely help of neigh
e bors who came in response
the alarm the fire was extinguisl
ed.
: The damage to the hous
II which belongs to Mr.. J. +
e Floyd, amounted to about $lO'
II A cot and some clothes tn;
> were on it were burned, thes
5, with other articles in the roo
lie that were damaged, amountir
u to about $50. If the fire h;
:, been discovered a moment or
"a later it would have been impo
n sible to save the house or its co
~ tents.
r Neither Sheriff nor Mrs. M
m Neil were at home at the tim
Us Mrs. Mcneil being in Rowlal
and the sheriff being at his ofic
h. Stockholders and Directo
30 Meetings.
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