The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1960-03-11
PARADISE
Continued from Page One)

and in the pursuit of pleasure. They
refused to heed him. And he warneS
them, that they who hardened theil
neck, should suddenly be cut of
and that without remedy.
A great plague soon STRUCK
through the region, and they dice
like rats. Soon the people began tx
pack their household goods in theil
boats, and went AWAY as fast as
they could. None of them looked
back. Some of these people weni
to Currituck County and among
them man named Brumsey, who
may have founded the Brumsey
family of Culrituck. Others pushed
on further in the wilderness and
continued west.
Highest Land In The Area.
Of course in those days the
plague known as cholera was
sweeping America. 1t may have
been brought to Beech Land by
some of the sailors who went ia
the West Indies. For the people
of Beech Land made many shingles
and sent their vessels away to
trade. Tradition has it they would
swap their shingles and farm-pro-
duets for rum, molasses and Other
commodities, and return home
stopping at the seashore to obtain
quantities of salt fish.
Beech Land then had 35 families
The people had immense farms
and many slaves. They dug huge
canal two miles long that led into
the highland, then they could float
their shingles down this canal to
Milltail Greek where they were
loaded on the vessels that came up
Alligator River. Its persimmons,
apple trees and honeypod trees are
living today as we'll as rose bushes
and other flowers and shrubs.
Trails were built through that
section. Farms were fenced with
rails split from virgin timber OF
the wilderness. All manner of grain,
flax, cotton and other products
were raised to supply them the
year round. With distaff and loom
they made their own clothes. They
needed no money. They knew moth
ing of schools, for education served
to little advantage where nature
provided everything their own
labor sought to produce.
Great herds of hogs and cattle
provided them with meat. The s.
900 acres of higher ground was
surrounded and still is surrounded
with $4,000 aces of fine reeds, max
ing splendid pasture and this exists
today. Bear and deer roamed in
great numbers nearby as well as
all other manner of game. The adj
jacent waters furnished abundant
supply of fish. Trapping of fur
bearing animals paid great riches,
and today many people are doing
we'll with traps in that section.
NJ. D. Sawyer, we'll known East
Lake man who married the grand
daughter of Trimigan Sanderlin, a
leading man of the county, large
owner of Beech Land, knows much
about the region, having accom-
panied timber surveyors thru there
on many occasions.
Mr.. Sawyer says he remembers
when his wife's father who lived
at Buffalo owned over 500 head OF
free range cattle at Beech Land. In
fact when the cattle quarantine was
enforced in Dare County some ten
years ago, he says many wild bulls
were shot down because they
couldn't be captured.
A Plague of Bears.
Tom Sanderlin, son of Trimagin
Sanderlin and father of Mrs. Saw
yer, used to SHAY many cattle for
beef, and the bears were so thick
that he used to keep four men on
the property to watch the cattle
and poison the bears. Mr.. Sawyer
has seen deer as thick as herds OF
cattle on the property during recent
years.
1t is said of the old people that
they had a foot bridge of logs
seven miles long to Long Shoal
River, vestiges of which remain to-
day. Over this, old settlers used
to walk to Long Shoal to catch
oysters, and return home at night
Strange, is it not, that this great
tract of high land better by fan
than that now inhabited by the
people of East Lake should moi
have been discovered years ago anc
made the site of a Wilderness
Hunt Club? Had it been known Of
earlier, it might have been made
the site of some great resettle.
ment project, where farmers who
need the benefit of the Govern
ment's great rehabilitation prog
ram might have been given fresh
start in life. For here is where
people might live free and easy
and here is where life can be livet
as it should be lived. A great sec
tion where honey can be raised, anC