Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / July 24, 1986, edition 1 / Page 4
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Perspective N YEARS AGO Lewi T. Edwards Rnigai A* Chamber Manager: Leon I. Ed wards, Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce Manager for the past 34 months, tendered his resignation at a special session of the Board Of Direc tors on July 2. Edwards will remain as Chamber Manager until August 2. LCCWNC By VI(*6?NtA WHITE "It has been a pleasure to serve the Chamber during this time. In leaving my position as Manager of the Per quimans County Chamber of Com merce, "I wish the county and its people the utmost prosperity in the times that are ahead", stated Ed wards He said be would Uke to re main in this are* a* Chamber Man ager, but his plans are indefinite at present. Coaaty Commissieaers Met Men day, July 1st: At a regular meeting of the Board of Perquimans County Commissioners held the first Monday in July the Commissioners met. Com miossioners present were R.L. Spi vey, chairman; W W. Bundy, Riley S. Monds, Jr., Thomas D. Nixon and Ellis Winslow. On motion duly made, the board seconded and passed the adopted county budget for fiscal year 1968-69 The tax rate of $1.55 per $100.00 assessed value on all real and personal property, together with a poll tax of $2.00 a dog, for female dogs, $1.00 for males. Mrs. Sattoa Reports First Cotton Bloom la Perquimaas: Mrs. Connie W. Sutton of Rt. 1, Hertford reported the first cotton blossom in the county on Friday, July 12. Mrs. Sutton has been the first person to give this re port to the Weekly for a number of years. 'The memory tree As I stopped at the top of his front porch steps, he rose from chair, hitched up his suspenders, and stuck out his wrinkled hand for a firm wel come. I found him to be a colorful character, always spouting words of wisdom with a warm voice grown rusty with age. Once he saw what I intended to do with the things he told me, we were friends from there on out. He quickly became one of my best folklore sources. I even created a fictional character for one of my short stories based upon him and his old place out in the country. EASTERN ElMtS OV GAIL R06ER50N We nearly always had our conver sations in the shade of the ancient oak tree that sat smack in the middle of his yard. He thought of it as "fam ily" and affectionately named it "Memory Tree." He told me of the days when he swung from its branches and of the many events that the old tree had witnessed through the years. The old man's wisdom of the years taught me of the past, and my knowledge of the present invited some modern into his world, though he made it plain to me just where he stood on every issue. As destiny would have it, I returned for the last time on the very day the huge old oak was being cut down. I tried not to watch him as the tre mendous tree fell, but I could not tear my eyes away from his face. The limbs of the tree were larger than most tree trunks I had seen. I watched him gently touch the ex posed rings that marked the years like the hundreds of wrinkles on his own hand. A storm had ripped the oak open, and after a long time of watching and waiting, the hardest decision of his life had been made when he finally let them cut the old tree down. It was beneath this tree that his cradle was placed in summer. It was beneath this tree that he obtained most of his schooling from anyone who happened to have a book and some time. This was where he spent his leisure as a child and an old man, with the years between as good as written on the bark, it was here that his family gathered for summer Sun day dinners and the hog killing tables set end to end just before the first snow. There were babies rocked here, hands held, tears shed, water melons cracked open, songs sung, peas shelled and even a reputed fam ily murder. Beneath its thick green canopy he had placed a ring upon his new bride's finger. Over sixty years later, he stood by as family and friends paid their last re spects to her, gathered around the base of the tree while crispy leaves from overhead swirled and bounced off a casket spray of fresh cut flow ers. Yes, I watched his face the day they cut down his "Memory Tree." My heart lay heavy for what I knew his felt, but it was not until he abruptly turned and walked behind the barn that the impact of the old man's tears also took its toll on me. I sat down on the water through and cried soltly for a new-found friend who had just last a lifetime one. A member of his family telephoned me several months later to inform me of the old man's death. "We thought you might like to know that the best of the timber cut from the old oak was used to make his casket," he stated. "That's the way he wanted it, and that's the way it was done. We thought it was appropriate, what with the way he felt about the old tree and all." Yes, I thought to myself after he hung up. Mighty appropriate. I re membered that he had spoken only a few words the day the tree was cut, and that most of them had to do with "setting the best to the side" to the man who was to oversee the sawing operation. I should have realized what he meant when he said that. Mighty appropriate. The old man and his "Memory Tree." Together for a lifetime, and now for all eter nity. So he made a farmer Prom time to time, I run across an item I believe is important enough to be shared. The following, an un signed letter to Paul Harvey, has a message for each of us. Though I've added some thoughts of my own to it, I believe the thought is still impor tant. OF M k And on the eighth day, God looked down on His planned paradise and said. "I need a caretaker." So He made a fanner. "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all in the fields, milk cows again, eat sup per, and then go to town and stay un til midnight at a school board meet ing." So He made a farmer. And God said, "I need somebody with arms strong enough to wrestle a calf yet gentle enough to deliver his own children... Twnrtiwtf to call hogs, tame so phisticated machinery, cone home hungry only to have to wait until Ms wife in done feeding visiting ladies? then to come back? and mean R." So He made a farmer. God said. "I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt and watch it die and then dry Ms eyes and say, "miybe next year"... Tuesday noon. Then, painin' from tractor back, put in another 72." So He made a farmer. God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double-speed to get the corn in ahead of the wind and rain, yet have time to stop when he sees smoke from a neighbor's place. So He made a farmer. God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bales, yet gentle enough to deliver a lamb, wean a pig, and tend the pink combed pullets. Somebody who'll stop his tractor for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadow lark." So He made a farmer. He had to have somebody who'd have the courage to leave a field, wilting under a scorching sun in a sky that had seen no clouds for weeks and still face his family and tell them ev erything would be ok. Somebody who could face the harvest, knowing he would probably not get enough back to cover the cost of planting, but hop* "next year will be better." , So He made a fanner. It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight and not cut cor ners... somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed and rake and diac and plaw and plant and tie the Oeeee and strain the milk and repUnish the aelf-feede r.. .and finish the waek by putting on a be that feels more like a doom around his neck and <fe-hre five miles to church. Somebody who'd bale a family to gether with the soft, strong bands of "'who' would laugh, though he wanted to cry, when his son says he wants to spend Mi lite douf what dad does. So, He Made a farmer. _ , 'Keepin cool with summer styles' t with guest cartoonist Kris Cain ! Wife goes on strike! Br- Gin* Japaon This weekend I decided that I was going on strike. I have always threatened striking before but I've never followed through with my threats. Well, I took the plunge and stood fast this week end. ?*: ? ' - ? ? L i ? I went on strike because I'm tired of going home to do the dishes in the sink and unmade beds when my hus band has been off all day playing golf, or watching television. I don't think that expecting him to help me is too much to ask; afterall, I Public poll Since it has been so hot these past weeks we went on the street in down town Hertford and asked people, What are you doing to beat the Sum mer Heat? 'Just working and trying to keep cool.' Lillian Spellman, Hertford. 'I go swimming.', Reggie Trueb lood, Hertford The best thing I do is stay outside and do what I have to then go inside where its cool and take it may. Really I am Just sufferii* it out.', Carl W Morris, Hertford have a job, but somehow my Job doesn't count. My husband is still a firm believer of a woman's place in the home and that when I'm home I should do all the housework. Well, my reply is 'rubbish'. I think its high time that he get busy and do some thing to help me. So this weekend I did nothing. I didn't make beds and I didn't cook. I did what I wanted for a change. The most aggravating thing at all was that my husband didn't even seem to notice. 'Using the air and going out in the boat swimming. ' Bert Paul, Hertford 'Sitting by the tan or air condi tioner to keep cool.' Mary E. Mai lory, Hartford 'I'm trying to stay bjrth* air condl tkner or >tay tn the chada, and (kink plenty of (hub aad don't oat taa mack.', Wiltto J. Byrum, Tyaar Well I'll show him. When his clothes stand up in the corner and holler wash me and he has not eaten a decent meal (or a week, maybe he'll get the message. Maybe he'll learn to appreciate me. He may even learn, through I won't get my hopes up, to do a few things for himself. I'm going to hold out until we rene gotiate our contract, and may the best man or woman win! Nicholson marries When Ann Atwood Nicholson mar ried Richard Dorman, some adjust ments were made in the handling of the estate of her first husband Christopher Nicholson. Perquimans Precinct Court oversaw the matter in July, MM: "Joseph Nicholson peti tioning the Court for himself, and his brothers, John and Nathaniel Nichol son, for liberty to choose their guard ians, which is allowed them." HISTORICAL NOTES BY RAy WINSLOw Joseph and Nathaniel chose their brother Samuel Nicholson, while John choae hi* brother-in-law John Gosby. The Court ordered that the moveable estate of their father be di vided by Francis Toms and Joseph mi i ion At the same time Richard Dorman was ordered to give security for that part of the Nicholson estate which be longed to his wife's children Sarah, Elisabeth, Christopher, and Ann A division of the Nicholson land was also ordered, to be done by Jo ssph Sutton, Robert Wilson, Wiham Bundy, and Anthony Dawson so that Ann could chooae what part of the property she would occupy as her dower right. There was also a divi sion of hogs. Ann apparently had three children by Donnan and after his death she married a third time. She and Rich ard Cheston, a cooper, took each other in marriage on January 2, 1712 at a Quaker meeting house in Perqui mans. She was still living on Novem ber M, dl714, when she witnessed the marriage of her daughter Hannah Donnan to John Henby at the Lower Meeting House. Ann was stepmother to seven of Christopher Nicholson's children and mother to six more. The thirteen Nicholson children are named below. Deliverance Nicholson (died 1700), married Joaeph Sutton and Andrew Reed. Samuel Nicholson (1665-1728) married Elizabeth Charles Hannah Nicholson (born 1067), married John Goaby and Francis Foster and per haps one other. Joseph Nicholson (1670-1687) married Hannah Albert son. John Nicholson (1671-drca 1712) married Priscilla Tomes. Nathaniel Nicholson (1675- circa 1737) married Sarah Harris Benjamin Nicholson ( 167S-after 1712) apparently never married. Elizabeth Nicholson (1689-1682) died in Infancy. Sarah Nicholson (1682-1718) married James Newby. Christopher Nicholson, whose story will be told subsequently Thomas Nicholson (1688-1688) did not live a month. Ann Nicholson (born 1688), born after her father's death. (Part 6 next week.) the PERQUIMANS WEEKLY Established In 1932 PubMwd Each Thursday By Tha Doily Advanc*. Elizabeth City. N.C. Second CIom Pottag* Paid at Hartford. N.C. 27*44 USPS 428-080 '? '' ? * J .. Giltt I. JtpMS | mm Carai JL VM MM T. StaMngs MmUiini Minipr Circslttan Manafer ONE YEAR MAIL SUBSCRIPTION RATES In-County Out-Of-County *9.00 *10.00 1 19 West Grubb Street P.O. Box 277 Hertford, N.C. 27944
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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July 24, 1986, edition 1
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