The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1910-06-27
ArIrN 80 YEARS.
Superintendent of Lumberton
Colored Graded School Whites
ga VISIT to His Alma Mater.

1 tSAk ~ AAC <AAiiio A'AohSAs |
To the Editor of The Robesonan:
Having lived in Lumberton for
thirty eight weary, and during
that time witnessed every down.
ward or upward step taken by
-olu Robson, | feel when away
that something said by me may
be of interest to most Of our peO-
Die. by which | mean not our
race, but the whole of our pto-
pie of the good old county OF
Lobe son.
The children in the mothers
arms ana the small boys of the
st,te.s at the time | came too
IN Ii even to learn their "a. b.
are now the leading men and
business people Of Lumberton;
and have passed from the young
man in my twenties full OF cour-
age and hope, with great plans
for the future-which in some
instances have never come to me;
but in others have gone far be-
.yordsmy highest hopes.
Thus, the progress, the upward
strides of Robson, and especial
ly the town of Lumbertou, have
been in part shared by me-and
I have never been sorry that |
e me 20 Robson county. But |
did not take up my pen to review
the past; but to tell my many
friends of my trip North.
left home under some unfav-
orable and some very favorable
circumstances. AS many of Our
Lumbertonians doubtless know, |
came to Lumberton fresh from
a Massachusetts, State normal
school; and that may in part ac-
count for the fact that | never
had any trouble to secure a good
first grade certificate from our
county examiners and county
superintendent and had this
compliment passed on me before
| had lived two months in Robe
son by the first examiner: well
sir, have examined three hun
dred applicants, but this young
man beats them all in answering
questions"
That assertion should cause
me to love my alma mater; but
while that was true, | have be-
fore this spring received eleven
invitations to attend these trien.
NAL reunions Of the alumni asso.
citation, but never until this spring
have l been able to attend. Wher
this years invitation came my
wife and daughters got around
me, when l asked How can
go with so much work before me
for the vacation and no cash tt
to travel WITH" and said ''Yol
must go. You need the rest, an(
the change, and the new scene.
and to witness the many new
things done in these schools ant
in the North. We will do tn.
work both in field and garden
and you go, and for once in min,
years forget everything at hom'
and come back to us we'll restet
for the falls work." Could 70,
refuse?
| therefore left Lumberton OF
May 25th and was in Westhelc il
26a hours-a day ahead of time.
But nine years produces man,
change and 80 years produce
many more; for as | said, | neve1
had met this trienniai since
graduated in the class of II
The classmates, therefore, VIII
parted after the close of tina
year young and hopeful, me
there on the 18th ofMay-statel
matrons with grandchildren, ali
every one with grey heads. Be
ing the only male in my class
was looked upon as quite a proc
ICY after so many years. Of tn
"a who graduated 6 have dice
and only four met the triennial
not enough to give the ''clas
YELL" but this was we'll done b
the juniors, who were on hand fl
that purpose.
There were 60Ograduates pres
ent, and with three exception
every class from 1874 to 19O9w;
represented, the year 1874 b
ing the date when the school w;
moved to Westfeld.
The class of "A was represer
ed by two venerable ladies--grea
great grandmothers in Israe
But you must remember that W
66 years ago. The class of Is
had enough members to give t
class YELL" and all these G
people, middle-aged people, you
people, had come hack to rene
thier youth and forget their cal
and aches and pains, and pr,
young again; and they did.
NJ rnoru oIoccoc ooxx &c.,