The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-12-23
CANOEING down
LuM0EE RIVER
One OF ,nv Most Unique and
Picturesque Experiences
HISTORIC INTEREST KEEN
HISTORIC INTEREST KEEN
Early Settlers Along River Were
Scotch - Home Plantation
of N. NeilI's Family Fronts
On the Noted Stream
Sherman in His March
NorthWard Crossed II.
(By HERBERT L. JILLSON.)

(By HERBERT l.. JILLSON.)
Pinehurst, Dec. 20.--How many Of
those who love the little river know
that the starting point of one. of the
most unique and picturesque canoeing |
trips in this country is to be found six
miles from Pinehurst on the Lumber
river?
Rising in the high ~sandhills of
North Carolina, for fOrty-fOur miles
the Lumbee Gumber in biographies
and the Croatan name for
Water") speeds southwark into the
Little Pee Dee, which in turn flows
into the Great Pee Dee t~wenty-nine
miles above Georgetown, South Caro-
lima, where the Great Pee Dee greetS
its ocean mother. The actual distance
between these. two points is three hun
dred and sixty-four miles Five years
ago the first canoe mad the trip.
History tells US that Sherman in his
march %northward from Charleston
crossed the Lumbee at Gilchrist
Bridge, just above. Wagram, p.
Blues Bridge, where -four counties
corner, is also a historical structure.
The descendants Of the family it is
named from still live in the sand
hills and are justly proud Of a lineage
which dates back to the time Of Will
lam the C%onQueror. All the early set
tiers along the river were Scotch.
They entered the country in 1898 by
way of the Cape Fear River. Some
of them came from the Island Of
Skye, on the coast of Scotland, and
still keep in touch with their kin
ihere. Wagram. a Scotch settlement
at the end Of the first wilderness, for
ty miles below Blues Bridge, is an in
teresting place to visit. 1t is the birth
Gn -o 80 49,
Carolinas. He died here in early man
hood five years ago. The Mcneil
plantation at IlivertOn. a suburb OF
Wagram, fronts on the river and here
the brother and sister of the poe
continue to keep open house after th<
delightful Southern States.
CrOatan Section.
Half way between Maxton and Lum
berton lies the Croatan Indian sec
ton. Here are three thousand f1v'
hundred Indians with an interesting
history. In the latter part OF the six
teenth century. that era Of adventur
and discovery, q company from Eng
land, the second colonizing expedition
sent across the Western ocean by ST
Walter Raleigh, landed on RoaaOk
Island on the North Carolina shor
and made a settlement which is know
IA the Lost Colony" In 1880 onl
lITcS years AktCT the SSSAOlAS11IlcIlC Y
the colony, a relief expedition sent I
the island found, sc the legend goes
no trace of the. original band. bu
burned in tha timbers of a RUNE
fort was the word 'Croatan." Th
Croatan Indians Of the present da
ave blue yes and coal black hal
Their odd speech along with Othe
characteristics have led to the cOncl,
sion that they are the descendants {
-- $1,000 Ia -
Croatars. The famous Henry Ber1
Swamp is located on the river nearb
Here the Lowrie outlaws lived for tie
wears in defiance Of all authority.
Going towards Lumberton the tn
on the river averages three miles I
water to one by land, though the
are some. reaches" Sometimes IL
river makes a bend Of two miles al
you could hand a kiss to the 9th,
fellows girl across the narrow nee
or ribbon of and that divides Il
stream. Occasionally n comes
huge cypress trees standing in mi
stream. These trees are called "dra
trees" for it is said when a raft
man came to one OF these he was e
titled to a drink Of whiskey. AS o.
approaches Lumberton he leaves b
hind the holly and the mistletoe a.
finds swaying gracefully the I'll
sprays Ol SICy SPOhAc
moss marks the approach to h la
Of flowers and ease, as c~ontrasted,
us say, with the land OF ice and
dustry, Of our northern tier of Stat
The Only Considerable Town.
Lumberton is the only cOnsideral
town directly on the river. From Il
DIN to the seas the government h
freed the course Of snags and 1t
safe for the use Of motor boat a
Launches. Here the river is abe
one feet wide. There is