The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-04-27
LUMBERToN NORTH CAROLINA MONDAY April, 81 1908
WITH AUNT BECKY.
An Account of a TrIptO Marlboro
County, S. ca Fishing Trip
Large Flock of Sheep-Other

C correspondence OF The Robesonian.
When local news is so meagre,
and little of interest to communi
cate, l often wish for just little
of the lamented Bill Arp's won
derful ability of producing an in
teresting letter out of any and |
every kind of material. But |
this is a vain desire, there was
only one Bill Arp, and can never
be another, more's the pity. One
of his greatest attractions lay in
the perfect simplicity and natur-
alness of style, which flowed
forth without any effOrt-and
served to interest and entertain
thousands of readers.
Since I wrote you last, I have
taken a little trip across the bor
der line into Marlboro county,
South Carolina, on a visit to my
kinspeople, Mrs. Margaret Nc
Rae, nee McCallum, and family
of Red Bluff, distant e miles
from our home. It is beautiful
little hamlet, situated immedi-
ately upon the western bank of
Little Pee Dee, on commanding
eminence surrounded by mag
nifcent trees of oak and hickory.
Crossing the river on mill dam
which is very short at this point,
owing to the splendid fall, and
steep EN- bankments, we pass the
handsome brick cotton mill .lo-
Gated en- the river side, and
, a shingle mill, the machinery of
which was run by water, and
5 was in operation when we passed,
turning out quantities of nice cy-
press shingles. The cotton fac,
tory was, however, closed down
with no prospect Of resuming
, work before next fall, and most
v of the operatives had gone else
where in quest of employment
+ There is a large country store
near the mill-and on this (the
eastern) side of the river a corr
and wheat mill is in operation
Situated high up, on the beauti
full bluff from which the littl,
hamlet derives it's name is a larg'
cemetery, substantially and neat
ly enclosed, and kept in splendid
, order. This was originally the
old McLaurin cemetery, where
in lie buried the ancestors of ex
Senator John L. McLaurin, bu
of later years it has become ;
public battle-ground and is rap
idly filling up. 1 saw in passing
sevaral very handsome monu
ments, conspicuous among which
was one erected to the memor.
;. of the late Mr.. Alex McRae, an
his lovely daughter Miss Fannie
whose deaths occurred in clos
proximity, a few years sirce
Beyond the cemetery short dis
tance, is the family residence,
n typical, fine cid Southern hon
! standing in the midst of a iovel
hower-yard, and surrounded b.
variety of ornamental trees, in
cluding the rich magnolia.
wa' accompanied on my visit. b
Miss Julia Mcqueen, of Maxtol
and we spent a most pleasar
day, III the com pany of Mrs. Nc
Rae, and daughter, Mrs. Bucl
- ner; but the weather turned su,
denly cold, and we were ratht
uncomfortable on our homeWar
journey in the afternoon. Yo
may recall the drop in the ter
perature on Thursday.)
The farmers along our rout
were busy planting cotton. TT
price of the staple keeps so stu
~ bornly low, as to be rather di
couraging, and I hear of one ge
C. tleman in this vicinity. who
v checking off a portion of his c.
ton land for corn, which may
OH a good idea.
A wagon load of our you
e. people, including our teache
Misses Ferguson and McGoug
III went over yesterday afternoon
t le Hamer Spring. They a
CARED along an abundant 81
NJ ply of fishing implements, W
~ which they labored vigorous
for two or three hoars, but W
poor success. The only f
caught by the crowd of ele'
we're two perch which our lii
49, grand son, Angus Olmstead N
I aged to capture, but it was
outing" for them which they
. enjoyed.
Major Alston, of Clio, S.
He Got What He Needed.