The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1913-10-30
10 there about four years ago.

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Now, will come down from the
fork of the two branches Il miles to
Martins lake,a noted place for good
fishing. where my old friend, Josiah
Fleming. punished the gar fish for
troubling him. This is a hard fish to
catch with a common fish-hook, but
Mr. Fleming knew that he could be
caught with a very small hook, so he
made a number of short lines about
one foot in length with very small
hook baited, each line fastened to g.
small gourl, and placed them about
in the lake. Gar fish can be seen by
the hundred near the surface of the
water. 1t was not long before the
gourds could be seen blowing
through the water in every direc-
sion. The reader may have an idea
of the noise of a gourd moving fast:
under the water after it had been
jerked under by a strong fish. So
the gourds sailed under the water
until the fish would be tired. The
gourds would then pop up, soon 10
pop under again, until the fish would
be tired down, and when the gourd
became still Mr. Fleming would take
the fish out and chop its head off.
Martins lake is on the west side
of the swamp and IL miles from
Kingstree, and the Canoe lake is on
the east side and IA miles north of
Kingstree. The people from both
sides of the swamp often went
across from one side to the other in
canoes. l once went fishing with
Uncle" Jim Epps. the father of Mr.
Pete Epps of Cades. He pointed to
a place at the lower end of Martins
lake where a whole family Of colored
people were drowned while crossing
in a canoe, man, wife and children, in
the night time. My friend, Mitchell
Epps, was riding in the swamp not
far from the lake and came upon a
skeleton of man who appeared to
have been murdered some months
before. He never found out who
the person was, as no one from that
section was missing. Just out from
the lake on the east side. near where
Mr. ] S Evans lives an old African
slave murdered whole family. The
only reason he gave for the deed
was that. he was told by God to kill
the family. He was burned at the
stake. A short distance northeast
of the last-named place is the Bull
savannah road. About one-half
mile from the east side of the swamp
near the road stood a great pine
tree called the Cowpens pine. It's
roots grew across the road, and when
the water was running over those
roots the people in that section knew
it was unsafe to try to cross. MIR
Cousar was the Presbyterian minis
ter at Midway and Brewington
churches, 80 when he would get to
the old pine and the water was over
the roots he would turn back, as it
would be mile Of water, no bridges
and in some places water deep
enough for swimming.
The next place of note on the riv-
er is Jordan lake, famous for fish.
An old slave belonging to Uncle"
Jim Epps was found drowned in the
lake. The ,ost of the land lying on
the east side of the river from Bulb
savannah to Jordan lake was owned
by Mr. D E Evans, the father Of Mr.
] S Evans, ,one of the best OF men and
whose house was home for Con-
rad" whenever it suited him. He
used his canoe, took his gun to hunt,
used his fishing tackle without ask
ing. No one would say single word
but poor old Aunt Polly, who was
then more than 80 years old. Daniel
was her youngest child,a man grown
and with a family. Sometimes
"Pete" and l would want to borrow
the hatchet or a few buckshot for
sinkers for our lines on our way to
the lake, and if Uncle Dink," as We
called him, was not there, Aunt Polly
would see that we did not get any
more buckshot than we really need
ed and that we Thought them oack,
for she would say, Poor Daniel did
not have many" He was wels off
and could have bought shot enough.
to sink a battle-ship. but she idol,
lied him above all on earth. He
was Christian gentleman and now
dwells among the blest.
Some reader may say or think,
that l write about my friends 80
much that just do what l like. l
believe in doing what one likes, 80
long as it is honest. What else have
l to write about if not those who