The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1917-08-09
HISTORIC PLACES IN OLD
TRINITY,
(By R. L. j.
A NOTED CHARACTER.

1NI~s
sasJlvll War, there appeared a rather
hstrange character, manly. E. II. Tap.
scott of Tallahassee, Fla. Whether
ills mans eccentricities were caused
Eby the great struggle then going on
I'VE are not able to say-but this
Eman finished his college course in
the year 1854, and was the only
graduate of that year, and we would
suppose he was granted a diploma
Etor good conduct in after years, as
he disappeared before the faculty
was ready to shake hands and bid
him godspeed. We do not know ia
whose house, or at what boarding
house MIR. Tapscott was housed and
fed during his college days. but he
seemed to be dissatisfied with him.
self or some Que else, and like the
Little Man In Black" that Irving
told about, got to acting very strange
"; and if he longed for nctoriety,
surely heshad it. He rirst seemed to
be ia declining health, could eat very
little breakfas', did not seem to wish
to talk, was gloomy and morose,
would take long strolls always alone
Wh+n questioned as to his health
Ier low spirits, would answer in mon
osyllables, if he answered at all. So
Mr. Tapscott gradually went down,
not ali at once, but just a steady de-
cline The doctor was finally called
IN, looked him over and prescribed,
and filed the prescript on himself,
which was some kind Of medicine
put up in one of these little myste-
rious looking packages which no one
but an NJ. D could put up The doc
tor who handed him this mysterious
looking package said to him. Nov
take all of it, every bit Of it," So
Mr.. Tapscoit being in an obedient
frame of mind and anxious to get
well, OBJ aimed pair of scissors, and
after clipping the corners of the
package he swallowed it
whole, and when he was questioned
as to taking the medicine, replied
that he Took it all " But the whole
dose of medicine did not seem to
relieve him of his melancholy. He
gradualy% grew worse, but did. not
siRk intoaa early EaXe::he fingered,
his solitary walks became longer and
more frequent; people looked at each
other as he was seen walking about,
and all he lacked Of being the ver-
liable Little Man in Black" was the
absence of the faithful little dog, for
he had all kinds of books enough to
have made the "Linkum Fidelius Ii
brary," and he had studied his books
to good account as time proved.
When people had almost gotten
tired of watching the proceedings of
Tapscott and were perfectly willing
for him to remain on his long walks
or remain in bed, be taciturn or jol-
ly, just as it suited his convenience
and feelings, the college town was
thrown into panic one day when it
was announced that Tapscott was
and from his hitherto mys-
terious conduct and certain little
things he had said, they concluded
that he had put an end to his sad
life So the creeks were all dragged,
creek, Shallow Toe, Deep. !
Uwharrie and CaraWay were all en-
treated to give up the dead. But no
and just as the excited
crowd of friends were giving up IN
despair, some one suggested going
down in the college we'll (for they |
fully believed he had put an end to
and so forthwith some one
was lowered into the subterraDeaD
depths of the deep old well. The
crowd held their breath, and all !
could see the good old Tapscott be-
ing hauled up, but when the man
no Topscott, but in his
hand he held an old sock, which was
identified as one of Tapscott's, No
other souvenir did he leave, except a
good many debts, which accounted
for his strange behavior, and so the
tide turned in his favor, and every
body said poor. unfortunate Tapscott,
# they had only known etc. Years
passed on-probably ten years pass
ed away, and then one day the pres
dent of the college, DR.. Craven, re-
,eived a letter from Mr.. TapscOtt.
H was in Florida. had made good,
u made ID good lawyer, sent money
o pay up all arrears, and SO was
einstated by both professors and
PRESIDENT.
Something like half century has
elapsed since MIR. Tapscott made
himself famous at Old Trinity. but
here are still people about here who
,an tell of the exploits of the mys-
erious Tapscott.
Rootr;no IL 7mnnfhe.nld daudhfer