The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-07-11
Editorial Correspondence

+. It is the FAMOUS season OF the
.l1iug by of the crops Immediately
PRECEDING the season of water-melons
and picnics and REVEALS. There has
never been in North Carolina any spe-
ci,l season Of Harvest Celebration as
in many countries, The reason proba-
INV IS because the farmers are pressed
Gu 10 gather their crops in the fall
that they have no time for a Harvest
Home time until near Christmas and
bog-kiliing time, and they pour into
those two periods the Thanksgiving
for good crops, In many sections of
the south the farmers are 50 busy
pioking the last Of their cotton that
they do not stop for Thanksgiving
Da>. The only two seasons of rest
and the only time farmers give
themselves for recreation and real
relaxation from business and work
are the Laying by Crop time in the
summer and Christmas and Hog-klll-
ing time in winter. The Laying by
Crop annual festivities in Johnston
county commenced here today with
the biggest summer n~on-political bar
becue in the history Of the county. 1t
was estimated that there We're not less
than 1000 or $500 people here from
other parts of the county. The farm
ers came with their families frcin al
Parts Of the county and made 4 iner-
~ day Of it. and they brought all their
children and the babies. as Well as
those who could transport themselves.
And there were plenty Of ba bies, too!
There is no race suicide in Johnston
county. | took a peep in the office of
Judge Stevens Everybody in Johnston
calls the Clerk Of the Court Judge
and he knows as much law as some
Superior Court Judges) just as they
began to serve the barbecue and chick
en- and The '.fixings,' and you could
not have walked to the window vita
out stepping on the babies. One was
in a small baby carriage s,
another was sleeping sNeetly on a
ballet her mother had made on the
floor. and the rest were PLACED about
with as much care as the Judge ar
ranges his papers. If the pigeon holes
OF the office We're bigger, L expect
there would have been a baby in ev-
cry pigeon hole, and then the exhibit
would have been the best looking
ever seen in a Johnston county court
house. The spectacle Of the office of the
court clerk being given up to mothers
and their babies was the best proof
that IN North Carolina we still live
the truly simple life and that the
fahy IS Still the center of our clNlll-
cation. Imagine a mothe who had
ridden a dozen miles to attend a pic
b'c, barbecue and celebration using
The court house in a big city as the
nursery tor her children for the Gay,
and imagine how the dignity of the
rouh1y officials would be offended 30
walk in their offices and see mothers
making little pallets and putting their
babies TO sleep with their %luIlabies in
The sacred precincts Of the court
house, But here it occasiOned no COM
menJ or interest. 1t was a matter OF
course. The Young mothers, away
from heir homes for the day, didn
mink they were doing anything out
OF me common to convert the lerh S
oIflce into a nursery. 1t was the corl-
est llace TO be found and they could
Stand in the window and hear TIE
sn"akins as the babies floated into
the land of the Sandman. If they
gave the matter any thought at al,
'hey thought they were cOnferrinS al
hGhor on the court house by using il
as Il place where they could sing theiI
luliabieS and put the babies to sleep
and they were right in SO CONSIDERING
II The most beautiful thing aboui
North Carolina life is just such every
"aH incidents as his. Our people are
not abashed III the presence of meI
OF high station and they think that {
EabN is entitled to the hest that IL