The Monroe journal., 1922-02-17
THEY HAD TAXEN.
THE OLD DAYS, TOO.
While They We're Not High the
Collectors Would Pull Your
Shirt OF Your Back
STORIES OF STAGE COACH
Mr.. Newsome Testifies as TO the
Value of Newspaper Advertising
Can't Do Without IL

During the few weeks | have been
actively associated with The Journal
have learned great many things
from that prince of newspaper men,
Mr.. r. f. Beasley. One of the things
is that a successful newspaper man
must learn that what suits one read
er doesn't suit all of them and that a
variety of reading matter must be
furnished. Following up this idea /
have recently made It a point TO in
terview the older citizens with whom
| come in contact. Old men and wo-
men always have a full store of
knowledge regarding conditions of life
in their childhood days and they de-
light in relating stories of the long
ago. The older readers of The Jour
nal get a great deal of enjoyment
from reading these stories and the
younger ones are often amused and
sometimes amazed.
Mr. Joshua Lowe came into The
Journal office few days ago, loaded
to the brim on conditions that OBJ
tanied when he was a boy and dur
ing his young manhood days. One of
the most unbelievable things to boys
and girls of today that Mr.. Lowe told
is that when he was boy the children
were never allowed to eat at the table
where the old folks were eating, but
were required to wait for the second
table and that they weren't permitted
to stay around where company was.
Not Acquainted with the Mule
"We did know what a mule was
during my boyhood days. said Mr..
Lowe, "and we plowed oxen. And
when | say we, | mean women as
well as men, for practically all
the women plowed in those days"
he continued That was about 1858
TO 1865 and there were no banks in |
this section. A mans word was his |
bond and when fellow borrowed /
money he never gave a note, ac-
cording to Mr.. loves statement.
There were no liens nor mortgages,
not much medicine, very few doctors
and mighty little sickness. Everybody |
took plenty of outdoor exercise and
walked miles to church. After preach
ing services were over the folks stood
around for an hour or two and got
acquainted, told the news from the
various communities and invited each
other home with them. The match
was an unknown quantity and fires
were started from flint rocks and cot
ton. People left their cribs, barns,
and smoke houses unlocked day and
night and there was never anything
stolen. Before the Civil War the ne
groes Travelled only when they had
passes from Their masters because if
they undertook it without pass the
'patterrollers" got them. (The young
er people may learn what "patter-
roller was by asking some old per-
son.)
Were Keen About Tax Collection
In 1871 Mr.. Lowe drove a stage
coach from Charlotte to Wadesboro.
The roads were rough and muddy and
he changed teams three times before
the trips was completed. The coach
left Charlotte at eight o'clock A. NJ.
and was due in Wadesboro at 9 p. NJ.
and the price for the round trip was
$1,000. There was only one house |
at the place where Marshville now is :
and all the land round about was in
woods. Mr. Lowe states that there
we're only two penalties for crime at !
that time-the gallows and the whip
ping post. One pair of shoes had to
asst person twelve months, and they ,
lad wooden bottoms.
Takes were not as high then as
hey are now," declared Mr.. Lowe, :
but you had it to pay, or they would !
axe the clothing off your back and !
he hat from your head" 1
Are Good on Bad English !,
"Why is it that Americans know so {
title about their own language r
sked citizen few days ago. He n
elieves that the average school boy +
r girl will learn arithmetic, geogra- +,
NNA0mn-Ilcw