The Robesonian., 1918-04-18


ed With Sickly People it Has
Grown To Be One of the Best
Towns on the Map.
To the Editor of The Robesonian:
do not know the exact date of the
month, but it was April, 1868, that
my father and mother, with four chill
dren, | being the oldest, moved from
our home IN the country to Lumber
ton. Father was superintendent of
the large turpentine distillery operat-
ed by the late Mr.. Berry Goodwin,
which was located on the site now
occupied by the brick buildings be-
tween the old cemetery and the union
station. We moved into the Bunting
house" which was on the lot now va
cant, being the lot purchased a few
years ago by the Government for
public building.
Male and Female Academies.
Elm street reached from what is
now End street to 10th street. In the
middle Of Elm street, at the south end,
stood the old male academy, a two
story wooden structure, the second
floor being used as the Masonic hall.
| think the building was the property
| of the Masons, though of this | am
not sure. The first floor was used
as school house. In the middle of
the street at the north end was the,
seventy-five or one hundred yards
above 10th street, very nearly about
opposite the present residence Of DR..
McPhaul Standing in the middle of
the street at the court house there
was not much difference in the dis
tance to either building.
When we moved to town Mr.. J. A.
McAllister was teaching his first
school in Lumberton in the "male
academy" and I was soon among the
pupils. Just about that time the
town authorities or the Masons,
don't know which, had the academy
moved out of the street into the cor
ner of the cemetery, same spot where
the new town building now stands
The old academy was burned down
nearly 40 years ago. Of the boys and
girls who went to school there fifty
years ago, three girls and four boys
reside in Lumberton.
Population and Churches.
The population of Lumberton fifty
years ago I do not suppose reached
800. The town then had three white
churches and one colored church, the
white being Methodist, Baptist and
presbyterian. Rev. w. S. Chafin was
pastor of the Methodist church in the
sides; Rev. A R. Pitman was the pas
tor of the Baptist church in the pine
grove near the "female academy
just back Of DIR. McPhaul's residence
l do not recall the name of the Pres
byterian minister The late Mr.. ". G
Redmond was mayor, while the late
Mr.. A. G.. BridgerS was constable. -
The Tallow Candle Period.
All the stores except the saloons
closed before dark. The saloons re
| mained open as long as the proprie
tors cared to keep open. The lights
were not as brilliant and inviting al
. drug stores are using these days
That was the tallow candle period
At that time any store or home hav
ing lamp light was considered ava,
up in G.
Negro Postmaster and Magistrate.
John Holloway was the colore
postmaster, and he had two or three
and at times probably half dozer
deputies. Among the number Alb
Cotton and Josh Wigate. Josh wa
also a magistrate for some time. II
sat in judgment on more than on
case where white men were defend
ants. God never let a more contemp
tible devil exist in Lumberton terri
tory.
Il Survivors of That Early Day.
II Of the white men who resided l
| Lumberton so years ago only fe7
| are there now-Messrs. o. C. Nor
| ment, J. A. McAllister, Robert Chaff
| and George E. Rancke, Sr. Their
| may be others, but can't recall then
Il Mesdames Eliza Fuller and JUL
Deese are the only two ladies [ ca
recall who were there then that ar
there now. The men residing in Lun
| berton now who were boys there 5
! years ago are very few-Messrs: T
D. Caldwell, George M. Whitfield
. George B. Mcleod, j. A. Branch,
A. Branch and Durham Deese. Th
young ladies and girls Of the tow
then that are living there now al
Mesdames Belle Mcmillan, Rob
Chaffin, >Sallie Redmond and Mar
Barnes, Misses Mamie Mcqueen, Far
ME Higley, Lizzie Caldwell and p
len Deese.
| The colored people Of that day al
| nearer gone than the WnlLe peOpl
| Wesley McNeill, Harry McQuee
| Tony Falk, Web Bell, Geo. Low
| Richard, Andrew and John Gavin al
all the colored men that recall, viii
aunt Mary Pope and aunt Adelir
Hooper are the only two colore
women l can remember. Of cours
do not vouch for this being abs
ultely correct list of survivors of Lun
berton so years ago, but it is vel
nearly, if not quite, correct, and
taken from memory without any note
The New Town is Better Place
Fifty years ago Lunberton We
a dirty, sickly little village, with hos
. and cows roaming at will all over t.
place. There was scarcely fan1i
/ in town in which one or more meIL
bers were not sick with chills and I
yer. But now Lumberton is a ne
town with new people and bett