The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-11-12

County Some Queer Opera
tons Upon Names Difficult
ties Encountered in Taking
the Census Map Made 112
Years Ago-Families of Macks
More Than a Hundred Years
Ago.
To the Editor Il The Rohesonisn
From time to time during the
past month I have been look
ing over the Robson county part
of the North Carolina census for
1870, lately published by the
federal government Although
there is little in the
body Of the publication beyond
the bare mention Of names, it
has been. TO NE. interesting and
suggestive. Presuming that otk-
ers may be alike interested. I
ask the privilege Of noticing it
in Your columns. This was the
first census ever taken in this
country and Ike most first ef-
forts. il has its in1perfections,
and these must be viewed. as
far as i can be done. from the
conditions and surroundings Of
that day and TINE.
II is very hard for q man Of
this day and generation TO even
conceive Of an approximately
correct picture Of the average
man and woman Of rs years
ago. We have some fancy
sketches Of the lords and dukes.
and silk stocking gentry Of the
Colonial era. but none Of the
average man upon whose shoul-
ders rested the fame Of Wash
ington and who, % years later.
stood behind the guns and
fought the battles that made
Lee immortal.
, Guilford Dudley. Of Fayette-
vile. took this census in Rob
eson. Il was in an era when
good spelling was not fashion
able and when few people. ex-
cept the Scotch. knew much
about the traditions or history
or the names Of Scotland. We
are not SURPRISED. therefore, tc
find that Mr.. Dudley n1isspelleC
more than half the Scotch names.
spelled all the Scotch favor Out
Of the name McEachern, anc
some others on the same order.
and became wholly demoralizeC
when he encountered McGeachy.
The ways in which he tried L
distinguish heads Of different
families having the same name
shows that he was not on 70 the
Scotch method of ditferentiating
by such suggestive marks q;
Pepper Jack. "PersimmoT
John, - Red Duncan, Beaver
Daniel, Wild Archie. and 81
on. Sometimes he would II!
different ways Of spelling The
same name. as in the cases O:
John Blue and John Blew; agai1
he would distinguish one a.
/ farmer, another as singing mas
ter, another as captain, ant
another as Esq, and so on: bu
/ the most inexplicable operation
performed upon any name Wa
where he took the names DAME
Mcintyre and Daniel NcGirt
and telescoped them into 'Danie
McIntigart, -
But these were doubtless in
sinifcant in comparison Wit
other difficulties Mr.. Dudle
must have encountered. We ar
told in general way in the in
PRODUCTION that there was OF
position to his work. religion
and political. The particular
are not given. but we lear
elsewhere that the story Of I'll
book of Numbers was the bas
Of the religious opposition. Ha
not Moses taken a census OF tt
heads of families of the childre
of Israel. as he left Sinai fl
that long journey through Il
wilderness. and had not all tt
heads of families, except Joshr
and Caleb, died before reachir
Canaan? Then North CarOliI
had entered the Union less tn;
} a year previously, and had be-
virtually pulled in by her lea
ers. The constitution of I
new government provided +
direct taxation. and was not /
taking of the census the fl
= step in a scheme for more ts
alton? Mr.. Dudley, thereto:
had to suffer the odium viii
6 the Jew had towards the pl
~ lican. and which Robesonians
a later day had towards car
baggers and scalawags.
al make matters worse, the cJl
try at that time was little m
&c than a vast wilderness. ]
c., only travelled public road
down on the map which acct
panies the publication was
one leading from Fayetteville
Lumberton, and from Luml
ton to South Carolina over W
was later the Lumberton
ed Harlleesville road, and it is
certain that it was there at
time, as the map is dated
years later. There was ne
postoffice in the county until
years later.
1t is almost certain tn;
majority of the people Ii
virtually, in the woods, with
facilities for travel or con
Seven Years of Proof.
81 have had seven wears Of proc