The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-03-01
A DISPERSED CLAN.
A Swing Around the Circle
Rounding up the Remnants
Old Southern Customs and
Manners.
Correspondence of The Robesonian.

Correspondence of The Robesonian.
The Colonel, whom | have fire.
quently mentioned in these aber-
ratlons, was representative of
the peculiar manners and habits
of the old South. He was a rep
resentative of the great majority
of Southern slave owners who
owned from a dozen to one hun
dred slaves. They were the
great middle class, who differed
as much from what was called
the poor whites" as they did
from the comparatively few large
slave owners who cultivated rich
river bottoms and whose manners
and style of living, who travelled
North and visited Saratoga
Springs with their servants, gave
tone to the prevailing opionion
held by the North in regard to
the South. They no more rep
resented the Southern middle
class than the millionaires North
represent the great middle class
Of that section today.
The Colonel took almost as
much care of his negroes as he
did of his children. They were
looked after and provided for
with great care and attention
and lived as we'll as himself. He
was fortunate in the settlement
of his family, who married off
and lived in convenient distances
of the old homestead. Every
Christmas they all gathered at
the old roof tree, and for a week
renewed their youth among the
familiar haunts of former days.
He had good neighbors on the
same level of competency as him.
self, and peace, happiness and
sweet content" filled the social
atmosphere. After the war,
these family reunions began to
fall off, its members one by one
became scattered and absorbed
in pursuits other than farming,
until today even the old home
stead is left untenanted by any
of his descendants. They are
scattered from Robson to Mis-
souri, and most of the old neigh
bors have died or moved off.
Not long ago one of the dispers.
ed of that clan concluded to round
up the scattered remnants of the
family, and these notes are tht
J results of his tour. 1t is needless
I to state that wherever found they
= were all flourshing and progress
i've in their several callings. HI
found some in Charleston, anC
2 spent several pleasant days il
: that representative Southern
e city. 1t does one good to fint
: that Northern manners and Gus
e toms find little Judgement among
d these descendants Of the Hugue
C nots with a considerable sprink
i ling of the Scotch element. Tn
social atmosphere is fine ant
i smacks of the old South. TIL,
city is progressing on conserva
d tive lines, and is we'll up in mod
h ern conveniences and improve
ments. Socially it maintains it
e old Southern ideas of honor an
: proberty, and no amount of none
S can open it's doors to the newl
h rich from up North
s Jacksonville, progressive, ir
e tensive, pushing Jacksonville
r comes next within the compas
1t of his circuit, and here he foun
another batch of the scattere
At family, and it goes without sayin
le that they are, too, of the "gree
n bay" variety; wherever fount
" they are making their mari
Jacksonville is said to be tn
most progressive city on til
South Atlantic coast. Burnt
the ground a few years ago,
see it now one would almost in
agine that Aladdin's lamp hs
in been used in it's reconstruction
le Time and tide waits for T
t, man, neither does a train, unle
oe big Bill Taft wants to dam
ne another set, so after many plea
an ant days spent here-son
OF of them the most pleasa
rs of his life-he boards h
nv train and wakes up in Sou
ne Georgia, where he finds one
at the dearest and cutest of lit
h granddaughters to welcome hi
in with a smile. 1t was hard
he leave these surroundings, but
,es Savannah was calling him,
ST. had no option but to go. Sava
lal nah, with it's broad bithulitf
he streets and beautiful parks is
es, ways a pleasant place to Wis
tn especially when greeted by t
to broad-shouldered and big-heart
nd representatives of the clan. 5
1es vanah is full of Tar Heels W
in have been more or less forum;
in their several businesses. I
. grand automobile race course
mt. one of the attractions, and to r
lrV, Gs-x., 80 nnorr