The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-04-23
WITH AUNT BECKY
War Story Concluded for the Present
Much of Cotton Acreage Might be
Changed to Food Producing Fields
With Profit-School Closing-Oth-


Correspondence of The Robesonian.
Old Fork (Maxton, r. u, April 16i
we hear so much OF the great Eu-
fopean war these days that l shall
close my Civil War stories for a
while, in this letter, by relating, ae-I
eordlng to promise, what occurred
after we reached home. 4
Ut course there was mutual reioic-
Ing over our safe return, as we rush
ed IN and fell into the loving arms
OF our anxious parents. When this
excitement abated, the next thing
was supper, beautiful repast pre-
pared by our dear old "black nanny"
to appease the hunger of her famish--
ed prodigals, while she stood aroan.!
with tears Of joy in her eyes to see
US at home again, and eating with
rsvenous avidity. About a half nour
afte1ward, six horsemen rode 40 to
the front steps and helloed. Ny faith
er walked out on the piazza and
asked who was there. One of them
replied,"A small squad of Confederate
soldiers; but something in the ar
;lculatlon and mode Of speech excit-
ed fathers suspicious and as it was
now dark, and he could not observe
them closely, he went in and procur-
ed candle (there were no lamps in
war times) and proceeded to investi-
gate. My sisters and I were close
by his side and saw the six sta1wart
fellows sitting there, well mounted
fully armed and clad in Confederate
gray, but wearing belts on whose
large metallic buckles was inscribed
~. S." My father asked why this
discrepancy? "Oh," they replied,
"we- captured these from the Yam
KEGS. But they told great big
yarn. After inquiring the location of
Sherman's headquarters, which was
at Campbell's bridge On the "Lum-
bee", and father had also told them
of squad Of Wheeler's Confederate
cavalry in the near vicinity, they
/ wheeled in flash, put spurs to their
horses and fled like lightning in the
| direction of the Yankee army. These
| were the last We saw of the "Bum-
mers" who operated on the outskirts
of the main army and were ruthless
and wanton in their destruction OF
| property.
| We have had considerable rain in
the, Fork recently, which has retard-
ed planting. Owing to the wet state
of the soil, only two days during the
week past was fitted for ploughing
and some of our truckers are out ear
| ly this morning in the interest o.
melon and conteioupe planting, while
many are not yet through putting il
4 the great cotton area. Those Of oul
neighbors who planted early ar
growing anxious to see it come up
as there is a great scarcity of see.
in the country and re-seeding viii
be a problem; but there is seed corr
plenty, and from the present out
look, I think it would be Providen
tial thing if one-third, at least, of tn
cotton acreage was changed into foo
producing fields.
The epidemic of measles an
humps prevalent throughout this see
ton during the past two months
winding to a finale, on account 9
exhausted material. Out of probabl
fifty or sixty cases in this immed
ate vicinity, only one death occurred
that of a colored woman whose cas-
was followed by pneumonia.
Mr.. Dougald Stewart and wife al
at present on a visit to her parent
in Mecklenburg county. Mr.. Stewal
is rapidly recovering from his ser
Gus operation.
| After long period of "watchf'
waiting" we are at last enjoying SON
! fruits Of our garden, which is hal
py change in our winter menu. Som
Of our neighbors are being preatl
vexed by the devastation of rabbi
! which squeeze through the mesh'
of the garden wire and feed on ca
bage plants, beans, peas, &c. A II
tie neighbor lady told us yesterds
that her beans were devoured dow
to the ground, and they had begun {
her cabbage, and yet, said she,
saved the life of one of these thiev'
the other day when 1 saw the do,
in close pursuit and the little ere
ture looked so helpless and pitiful,
ran and got between it and the dt
| and it made it's escape" She ce
tainly practiced most forgiving al
tender spirit.
II Rev. DIR. Heller, late of Texa
! preached very able sermon at Smy
ma yesterday from Rev. 81: "The
| was silence in Heaven. The text w
out of the ordinary and so was Il
beautiful discourse.
III The present prospect of gre
! fruit crop is most encouraging, peac
pear and plum trees heavily lade
which will be a great help, as well
pleasure, to the country folk.
We regretted the recenty,record
: death of your townsman, Mr.: j.
4 Barker, whose widow is bound to
by kindred ties. To her and her tal
| ily we tender our sympathy in the
bereavement.
| Miss Stanley's school at Spri1
Hill in this vicinity is to close
Friday, the Goth inst, with a pl
given that night by local talent, b
ginning at o'clock "The Old Oak
Bucket, with IA characters enga
ed. Admission free.
| Miss Lettie- Mcmillan of the O
Grove school gave her pupils an Ea
er egg hunt on Monday p. M, VIII
was genuinely enjoyed by the lit
folks.
A rather suspicious character pa