The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-04-13
The starting-pOint was
An Old Plantation

ono mile from the present to"L VI
Faison. The public road, eA1eaiu..7
frn,, Wilmington to Raleigh, pou1'i-
"a - on the east. 1t lay in the hap
az . northumberland q stream funnilS
through it from west to east, alNiue"
it into two equal paris. AiohS ~
stream lay a wide and lertile Naiiet
which extended to the foot-hlfis u
tho. ,1n-lands on each side. About halt
of this valley was under cultlsa|toii
and produced abundant crops OF race
when I first knew it. The other haiI
was pasture in Which.lH stock grace
and a large flock OF geese lspoi1eo
themselves. The venus shaded pN
q fringe of forest trees, extended from
the public road for q quarter OF q
mile or so to the top Of the hill on
which the residence StOOd. InlS mouse
was bull after the style OF the time,
one story and a half, six rooms on the
first floor and two above A piazza
extended across the front and there
was a porcha or each side in the rear.
The garden, the care and pride OF
every h~ousekeeper in those days, fur
nished q good supply OF flowers with
medicinal herbs, and OF vegetables
for the table. There We're also choice
fruit trees, the apple and he plum.
A part Of the garden. was devoted TO
bee-cultufe, and one OF the principal
functions of plantation life was the
taking of the honey, OF which there
was AWAY du dOuI1Odut supply. 1liS
kitchen stood at some distance from
the dwelling 50 that there might not
be any of the heaJ or the Odors to
disturb the family or the visitors. at
the foot Of the hill not far away was
a bold spring which furnished q plen-
tiful supply OF water for the Whole
family. There was no we'll on the
premises. The dwellings Of the ne
groes were built on streets which eN-
tended along three sides Of the gar
den and back Of the dwelling. Some
Of these houses were Of two rooms,
but most of them only one. They were
neatly kept and most Of the snail
yards had flowers OF shrubbery.
old plantation,
A Little World in Itself.
was a very busy but a very quiet and
orderly place. AlmOst every needed
article was made at home and the
few things which had to be bought
in the markets, Wilmington or Fay
etteville, were taken in exchange for
the products of the Soil. The cotton
which grew in the field was prepared
in the heavy, old-fashioncd gin for
the market or for home-use.-1n every
negro house there was a spinning
wheel f1anked by a pair Of cards for
turning the raw cotton into thread:
and a separate house was sacred to
the hand-loom by which the thread
was woven into cloth. A small CROP
- MP q GU CIV Si NSdI IiIt
this was used for dyeing III cloth
which was then converted into wear
ing apparel for the slaves. This for
the su1nme clothing. OF winter, the
sheep furnished the wooa for the
warmer clothes. The leather for al
purposes was prepared in the home
nner An old man made the shoes
except the heavier articles required
by the men. He also repaired or made
me hoIlo"-Ware, such a S tubs, pals,
elc. mere were no Overseers. The
OVerSeer was the pet abominatiOn OF
the negro. He could bear to be re-
proved or even whipped by the mas
ter. He conceded the masters claim
TO be a different and superior sort OF
person; but the overseer-no words
could express his dislike of him. One
negro man had charge of the plough
men ana another of the hoe-hanas.
one was responsible for. the horses
and mules and another for the hogs,
mere We're two shops in which the
blacksmith, who was also q sL;llfn1
worker an wood, made things from
horseshoe nails to ploughs. carts ana
wagons ~
IN this busy little world.
h Central Figure
was the owner and master of II all
Col. James Dunn, who wa my crand-
IatiieT. | mad been named for him
aho as soon as / could be separated
from my mother I was sent for long
visits to my grandmother. p4,rinc- ona
OF THESE visits when I was abont fon7.
Years Ola al event occurred rhic7,
llaoe many changes in my life. fne
ohiy son OF the house, a fine voune
1elloW IN the first flush of a man
lfooo dhat was full of promise rode
over to the neighborhoed store ono
for the transaction of some
business. When he returned about
noon there, was a look OF suffering on
mas Iac and he complained OF pain in
q aiI aieao: ne his bed and after
q oiiel Illness went away from as 10
coHne pack 70 more. When we ,a-
turned from the cemerery which Was
9. a .hlli. Blu a little way from the
n"eiiIhs, l. was rnade~to feel some