The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1910-03-14
SNYDER'S "REMINISCENCES.
The Cloudless, Sunshiny Days of
the Past-Old Potliqhor and
His Ghost. -a

His Ghost. ---.@s
To the Editor of The Robesonian:
Since it has pleased some of
my friends to comment favorably
upon these rambling reminiscent
ees of what occurred between
the colonel and the writer in those
days in which the sun always
seemed cloudless and the birds
sang their sweetest; when the
mornings brought no hard untin-
ished tasks, and the evenings no
regrets; when not only our simple
lives, but the whole Southern
atmosphere was filled with peace
and quiet contentment; when
strife and liens and hate and
mortgages were unknown. [ feel
that if the reading of these eff
fusions could give one old neigh
Dor and friend of other days a
throb of pleasure and amuse-
ment, then in spite of some bpro-
badly adverse criticism, | have
concluded to continue them at
intervals until shut out by the
EDITORS blue pencil. l can say
that all such incidents that | have
related actually occurred in my
life. ."+ ..t.'l ...s..
If there was an''UncleRemus"
in almost every Southern boys
life, l had one in the person of
cid "Uncle Jake" who has told
me all the remarkable tales that
Uncle Remus" told "Miss Sal
he's little boy" and some others
besides. \. M ..-'-.I ~
Another thing these ramblingre-
miniscences brings back to the
write-and it worth the trouble
is the feelings and inactions Of
those days. Again the old place
presents the same appearance it
did then, before the old cabins
were removed. and other altera-
tons made to conform to the
changed relations brought on by
the sad termination Of the war.
Sometimes it looked almost like
sacrilege to remove all those an
cient landmarks that dotted the
plantation surroundings, but in
exorable necessity compelled
them to go, and when Miss Sal
lies little boy" sometimes re-
tarns for a short visit it has al
most lost its former resemblance.
/ was amused once, after the
stock law was passed, to hear
one of the old negroes criticising
adversely the no-fence law"
Say. how dat old lane did use
to set off dis old place. !" But te
my ''muttons," if l am going te
have any mutton" at all.
The Colonel had horse once
by the unusual name of "Pot
liquor. ," How he got the name
never knew, but once when Pot
liquor was turned into the pea
field he did like a good numbel
of. his fellow bipeds are doing to
'day-he ate too many peas, ant
got his APPENDIX out Of fix. Ate
!" being dosed with every irnagin
. able connection that the ingenui
ty of a so.called horse docto
could devise, Door Potliouor wa
:. turned out Of, the lot in the hop
that he could walk It, off. = Pot
!, Liquor was never more seen alive
:, 1tseems that he walked.of 'abou
nj a mile and quietly laid himsel
= down in. the edge Of a, swan
and died., Uncle Jake! used I
~ tell about, seeing that horse
.gc ghost racing about that swan
g, on dark nights, and it became
place in my thoughts to be avoi,
ed. Coming home from >scho
50. one evening late, and ~forgettir
%.y about the ghost, ] got opposi
- when / heard some noise in Pc
- liquors direction, and right j
I, front OF me. It's curious, whe
lis looking for noises, no
III they do multiply, At, last ! il
q - agined that l could. see, the :hor
1' himself, but how to- get. by t
t@A haunted place was a serio
question. To turn off the. TO
was to run foul Of other spook
that had been seen around, a
'' in the expressive language
another, there I was" Abe
the time that l had given up
hopes of relief, who comes dr.
ing up in the ox-cart but old ia
himself! The situation was
once changed from despair
one of relief, but / never OF
spoke of my fear to old Jake,
49,. fear of being laughed at. thi
this is the first time I have e