The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-09-17

No, will not voueh for one word
Of it. I write it just as it has come
down to us, among the many. other
legends Of historic old Dutch Fork.
Away down in that Goods eoun-
try" the land of lovely women and
good Dutch oven bread, in the forks
Of Broad and Saluda rivers, lived a
family, by the name Of Fundelwlnder,
or old Fundle, as the head Of the
house was called by his neighbors. At
| the time of the coming Of the late
War Between the States it was a
home Of peace, thrift and content
ment.
The country of Dutch Fork is a
kind of place in the abstract, illusive,
evanescent, a mirage to those ap-
preaching from afar But it is veri-
tably a country, Notwithstanding, for
it was the home Of my ancestors.
Formerly coming South, from the old
North State, along the old Buncombe
road, the first Of the great arteries Of
trade that ran from the mountains to
the sea, the traders, the farmers and
!! drovers, taking their wares to our
Capital City, called all below Spar
tanburg. Dutch Fork. Union people
called those down in Newberry by
that name. while Newberrians who did
not relish the title called all below
her dividing line in Lexington. Dutch
Fork. Now, this Dutch Fork. like am
cient Gaul, was divided into three
parts. The upper section was known
as the "Stone Hills" the broad belt
Of pine barren that ran east and west
through it was called the "Piney
Woods" while that down near Co.
| lumbia was called "The Fork y
The family Of whom I speak lived
near one Of these dividing lines, and
consisted Of Fundelwinder pater, his
good wife. two grown sons and two
old maiden sisters-Tena, no doubt a
corruption of Christina, and Polly.
These two sisters took charge OF do
mestic affairs and directed the house
hold economy. more especially Tena.
She was the factor factotum, for ev-
erv thing she said or ordered went
without question. Mrs. Fundelwinder
was a good, easy soul, and gave way
without complaint to her sisters-ln-
law, feeling, perhaps, that their broth
er had honored her sufficiently by
bringing her into their family, and
that she should be content with her
station. and to allow Tena and Polly
to run the household. Polly, the
Younger, contented herself mostly IN
carrying out the wishes and policies
of ''Sis,'' as she termed her older
sister. and was always worried lest
that parsonage would overdo herself,
or some of her instructions might
miscarry for want Of stress on her
part. Sis did the baking. milking and
weaving and churning, while Polly
attended the lesser duties, such as
cooking and sewing, while the mother
was always a tired soul. giving her
self up to much lamentations about
things that never came to pass. Day
bv dav the spinning wheel hummed,
as Polly glided back and forth, the
long, endless yarn winding around the
spindle, Polly singing all. the time one
of her favorite hymns, while the loom
in the back shed kept up a contn' al
bang, bang. as Tena was weaving on
ward after yard Of twilled and SIN
gle sley. All these people made all
their wearing apparel.
The younger Of the sons, youth IN
his latter teens, at the time this story
begins. had long since gone off to the
war, in Capt. Drury Nunnamaker 5
company, and the father was on the
coast, in the artillery. The first born
was left at home with the women
not to take care Of, but to be cared
for, by Tena.
Now. his first born was named Sol
omnn. after the wise king Of the house
Of Judah. He never was nlcknamed
by his Young comrades, like other
bovs and called Sol: he was always
Solomon. In the family circle he was
invariably known as Bud. He was a