The Robesonian., 1917-04-26
LUMBERToN, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY APRIL 2e 1917
LUMBERTON WAS
TAKEN BY STORM

Prophets. of Sepa Grotto of Whining
ton Blew Right In and Took the
Town and the Town Was Glad TO
be Taken-t Was a Halliday of
Fast and Furious Fm-Propbets
and "kandy-dates Did Stunts All
Over the Place
1t was to laugh.
From the meridian hour of 1870
yesterday, when prophets of Sepa
grotto No. 70 Of Wilmington invad-
ed Lumberton, arriving on a special
train, till the shades Of evening fell
barring season shortly after their
arrival devoted to storing in refresh
ments at the Lorraine hotel against
the stunts Of the afternoon-it was
just one scream after another for
the public; and for the "kandy-dates"
1t was one uncomfortable quarter Of
an hour after another of actually be-
ing the goat and Of misgivings as to
What should happen to them when
the visiting prophets should retire at
night to the local cave and, with the
public shut out, do to them as they
might list, with none to hinder or
make afraid.
Honestly, did you ever expect to
see Chief of Police A1f. H. Mcleod,
dlgnified and perfectly respectable
citizen and guardian of the law as
he is, and County Attorney E. j..
Brltt-and him serious and sedate
/ single man, too seriously devoting
themselves to the business Of rolling
small negroes up and down the prin-
! cipal streets Of Lumberton in baby
carriages? Or his honor Charlie
/ Skipper, clerk of the Superior court,
! and Earl Thompson, a well-behaved
j young man, lying flat on their backs
on the sidewalk with nip
! pies in their mouths sucking
milk out'n bottles, a red-pantalooned
: and red-turbaned caveman the while
; prcdding them with devil-forks in
their honorable tummies and telling
them to "suck up? Or a grown man
:. name not learned-carefully and
gravely propelling peanut down the
principal street OIL the town with a
crowbar, as though that were the
: most important and serious business
; in life sucking a red-streaked stick
I of candy the while? Or men fishing
5 with pole, line and hook in buckets
of water and dipping water from
r buckets with thimbles?
All that, and more, happened. i.
When the prophets really got down
e to their knitting the stunts the
: ''kandy -datesr perfornsedv. at the
command of the prophets were sc
Il many and so varied that it came te
y pass that the public soon ceased te
be Surprised at azyiIsssg that hap,
e ned. It was time of mirth an6
|. laughter. The fun was fast and fu
,. rious. And when the prophets
e wearying Of making life burden tt
: "kandy dates, raided the sidewalks
and stores and kidnapped ladies, mar
: ried and single-all but old maids
e they said-right before the eyes O.
l. employers and husbands and sweet
hearts, it seemed quite the right an,
proper thing to do.
For, for the nonce the town wa
theirs-the prophets the,
e might do whatsoever they listed Will
1 Lumberton, severally and collectively
held it's sides with laughter.
II Orderly to begin at the beginnin!
le and tell all that happened would fl
l. a book.
\: When prophets were engaged i
of snatching ladies from sidewalks an
anywhere else and whisking then
&c away in autos, a small dusky damse
- Idu 1lhe HAL up l. Jul I'll oCICCC iIOl
Sc Elm when some prophets made a div
t. a. some ladies in her direction. N
tn indeedy, she did not propose to ris
is standing still when the men we1
ay kidnapping ladies. She blushed an
d. fled.
ne "Kandy-dates" were "fresh meat
it. and SO labeled. Those who had Q
We their regular clothes were made
". wear their coats wrong side ou
al some were dressed from head
en- foot in striped suits of special d.
sign; some wore their shirts ovt
be. their coats. No "kandy- dates" mot
ne er would have recognized him.
en- l. was high old time and Lun
Of berton enjoyed having the prophe
hit very much in possession of the tow
,se, Nobody thought of business whi
'es the fun was on. Business be han
be, ed! 1t was no time for grave ma
he ters.
Ia Eighty-eight prophets, and
ey sprinkling of ladies, wives and swee
as hearts of the prophets, came in
ro- the special train. That is said
tai have been what the count reveale
But arithmetic is an awful liar
in this instance; for from the way tn
lit cut up there must have been thou
er- ands of the wonderfully array
prophets who escaped from the Sc
cave and descended upon this go
led town.
Thirty4eight "kandy-dates' sor
of them from Wilmington, some fro
the Rowland and Boardman, and nu
wi ber of local men, were put throu
,m- their PAGES before the public.
ero Late in the afternoon the proph'
the and the "kandy-dates" marched a
to drilled through the principal sire!
en- of the town. The drilling was II
and caused much favorable CONNIE
The prophets were led by Mona1
S. L. Boyd and headed by the "
rit- mington druf and bugle corps, VIII
-eetl latter made music all over town.