1 j?u*ry 18.
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PUBLISHED' EACH THURSDAY >2? '
THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOI1 i
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* B>
"Building Communicative bridges ?
PEMBROKE. N.C A Trl raaal " ROBESON COt
..I < II ...
IS THE BRANT HARRIS?
by Bruce Barton
Charies Bryant, Chief of
Security at Pembroke State
University, recently brought
me a picture of this gentle
man and, according to mem
ben of the Harris Clan, it is
the one and only J. Brantley
Harris, "The meanest man
in Robeson County," accor
ding to some reports. He
was reportedly killed by
Henry Berry Lowiy on or
about Buie's Store (now
Pembroke area) in the early
part of 1865.
W. McKee Evans, who
wrote the well-documented
To Die Game (considered by
historians as the most
definitive work about Henry
Berry Lowry) said that Jam
es Brantley Harris was "a
white merchant and liquor
dealer who had settled
among the Scuffletonians
(the provincial name of what
is now Pembroke) some
years before."
Enmity had sprung up
between Harris and the
Lowrys because of Harris'
position as conscription offi
cer during the Civil War
years. But Harris was not
liked by the whites either.
He was variously identified
as "a rough man" and as
one "not sustaining a fair
character...being feared by
all who knew him." In his
official capacity as
conscription officer he was
described by Mary Norment,
a local historian of the times,
as '' the roughest of his class,
overbearing and abusive" to
the Indians. According to an
account in the Wilmington
Daily Journal (April 4, 1872)
Harris was "charged with
many too familiar with the
wives and daughters of his
customers and from this first
sprang enmities between
himself and the Lowreys."
(Note the various spellings
of either "Lowrie," "Low
ry," or "Lowery." The
various spellings continue
even today, and is de
pendant upon the inclina
tions of the various Lowry
families as to how the name
is spelled.)
According to all reliable
sources, Harris was not a
particularly nice guy,
weighing in at 230 pounds.
No matter, on January 15,
1865, while riding in his
buggy with an Indian wo
man, he was shot down and
was cast into eternal
damnation, if accounts of his
character can be believed.
Some sources swear that he
was killed by Henry Berry
Lowry himself. Whether true
or not, Lowry and his
associates received the ere
dit (or discredit), according
to one's particular point of
view.
Jack Harris, the heavy in
'Strike at the Wind' is
tailored after James Brant
ley Harris, and has been
played by Willie Harris, Jr.
lor the last two years. Willie
Harris, too, is a descendant
of James Brantley Harris.
As a matter of fact, as well
as I am able to ascertain it,
all Harrises in Robeson
County are descended from
James Brantley Harris and
an Indian woman, Elizabeth
Locklear.
Is Harris as mean as
history has cast him? Is the
heavy in every story told of
Henry Berry Lowry? Who
knows? An interesting aside
is that I am in possession of a
deed in which he left a tract
of land in the Prospect
community to Elizabeth
Locklear and Mary Cathe
rine Locklear, Ellen Locklear
and John Locklear. The deed
?is, dated the 10th <L?> of
June, 1863. some two years
before he was summarily
killed. Was Elizabeth Lock
lear the Indian woman who
was with him when he was
killed? History does not
record who she was. But
Mary Catherine, Ellen and
John locklear seem to have
been children sired by Jam
es Brantley Harris. He must
have cared enough about
them to leave them a piece of
land, a precious commodity
in those troubled times.
But the question at hand
is: Is this James Brantley
Harris? The photograph was
found by a member of the
Harris family, and surfaced
at a recent gathering of the
Harris Family. Charles Bry
ant is descended from th<
Harrises. We appreciates
him sharing this photograph
with us. Do any of you have
any information as to the
authenticity of this photo
graph? The uniform seems
to be of a later time period,
and he does not seem to be
"elephatine" as one writer
described him.
Is this Brant Harris, "the
meanest man in Robeson
County?" What do you
think? If you have further
information, I would like to
hear from you. You can write
me at this address:
Bruce Barton, P.O. Box
1075, Pembroke. NC 28372
or you may call 521-2826.
submitted by Ronald H. Lourry of Virginia
Beach, VA. He and his brother, Marvin, have
their roots m Robeson County. Ronald Lowry
?I Mi _ m'W L ? ?
has often submitted articles for publication in
this newspaper. Most memorable is his series
"Growing Up h Robeson County.]
Photo by Grant Wilson
McMinn County's Extension Agent Marvin Lowery was judged
Communicator of the Year in a contest among extension agents
statewide. The Award is named the Sweet Award after retired
communications specialist Fletcher Sweet who sponsors the year
ly competition.
Vr- ' ?
THE ELEVENTH SEASON OF
Randolph Umberger's
STRIKE at
the WIND I
The Eleventh Season of
"Strike at the Wind" is
being presented each Thurs
day through Saturday night
at 8:30 p.m. at the Lakeside
Amphitheatre, three miles
west of Pembroke. The
drama will continue through
September 6, 1986.
Camell Locklear returns
for his eleventh season as
the popular Boss Strong.
Locklear also serves as Gen
eral Manager of the outdoor
drama.
But there are more people
involved with "Strike at
the Wind" than is obvious
on stage. In fact, the real
strength of our popular
outdoor drama is those hard
*
working folk behind stage.
We would like to introduce
you to some of them. You
won't see them from the
audience, but "Strike at the
Wind" could not function
without them.
Leslie Bullard
is Assistant Sta
ge Manager. He
is a resident of
Red Springs, NC
and this is his
first year in the
drama. He has
been to the show
every year since
he ims five years
old. It is a chance
he always want
ed. He is expec
ting to be in the
show for the next
ten years.
Syhta Ijowery is
Props Manager.
Sylvia is a native
of Pembroke and
ts a neiocomer to
?the production
staff and also to
the Strike at the
Wind cast. She is
employed by the
iV.C. Division of
Vocational Re
habilitation in
bumberton. She
is the proud mo
ther of one dau
ghter; her hob
bies are rid
ing, recreational
walking and
meeting people.
Mickey Oxen
dine is Sound
Director. This is
his first year with
Strike at the
Wind serving in
the position of
Sound Director.
Mickey is a na
tive of Robeson
County and is
married to Jo
hanna with one
daughter, Cora.
He enjoys play
ing music and is
one of the origi
nal musicians on
the sound trak of
Strike at the
Wind.
Annie Neal Lock
lear it Cos turner.
She it well kno
wn m the area for
her fine talents
at a seamstress.
She enjoys gar
denmg, canning
& cooking. For
many years she
has been octet*
in church work,
serving as direc
tor of mueic and
Sunday School
teacher.
Margaret Free?
man it Assistant
Cos turner/ Ward
robe. This is her
second gear as a
member of the
production staff
and her third
year uith the
show. Sse enjoy
reading, tmgmg,
and umtekhsft
T.V. She is the
mother of ftr
children.
Adolph Blue New Member Of The |
Robeson County Board Of Elections
bumberton-Adolph Blue, an
employee of Pembroke State
University, is the newest
member of the Robeson
County Board of Elections,
replacing Russell Powers,
Jr. who died in June.
Blue, a life-long Pembroke
resident, was sworn in Au
gust 12, giving the board two
Republicans and one Demo
crat. The board usually
reflects the affiliation of the
governor in office. As Gov
ernor Martin is a Republi
can, Blue, also a Republican,
joins Chairman Bo Biggs to
give the board a Republican
majority.
Blue said, prior to the
meeting, 'Tm just glad to
be here...rm going to do the
best I can to serve."
be given away to the wmner
of a drawing to be held
Friday, September 19. Tic
ket* on the print cost a
St. 00 donation to ' 'Strike at
the Wind." The event it
being tpontored by Firtt
Union National Bank of
Pembroke. The Print and
Frame are valued at StOO.
You do not have to be
pre tent to win. Hie print ie
959 of 100 prints of a Limited
Edition.
Shown to the left it Frank
Daughtrey, City Executive of
Firtt Union National Bank of
Pembroke. Right it Harvey
Godwin, manager of Hill't
Food Store tn Pembroke who
alto i ton at Henry Berry
Lowrie tn the outdoor drama
"Strike at the Wind."
nu
The Print in a Frame ikoum above is by famout artist Gene Loctdear. R uxil
? ?
Marvin Lowry transformed small niche into his life's work
GRANT WILSON
When Marvin Lowry discovered his niche in life, he
stock with it hot didn't let it cramp him. He stretched out
ontQ that niche became a notch and then farther widened
it's scope until it was roomy enough for his personality.
Today you might call that notch a full size excavation
and one not likely to be fully-filled when Lowry leaves his
ttfe-kng wort as McMinn County's Agricultural Exten
etan Agent to retire someday,
Lowry has been at that Job since he Joined the Exten
sion Service in IMS, fresh out of college where he was
. degreed through a Smith-Hughes education grant in
Vocational-Agricultural education. At first he worked as
a agriculture teacher In Monroe County, but after a cou
ple ef years mowed to McMinn County where had some
family. He was born in Richmond, Virginia, and reared
en a tobacco farm in eastern North Carolina.
"I had an ambibbn to becomo a teacher," Lowry said,
and with Marvin, this is obvious, not only because of Me
work hut also because he speaks like a teacher ? in facta
and Agree, reldhng data and llatwdng to your reap ones.
He projects the feeling he's doing-just exactly what he
wants to be doing and that he considers his job one just as
important as those of a governor or doctor.
He may be wearing cowboy boots with mud on them,
but he is extremely proud of the work he did to get them
dirty.
The state's county agricultural agent system became
the Tennessee Extension Service shortly after Lowry
took his job. As an agent, he became a University of Ten
nessee employee, effectively the same ranking as an on
carapus associate professor. Some Extension officers are
also professors having completed doctoral degrees in
their fields.
Lowry is also the Extension leader, a title that means
he is responsible for adult and commerical agri
education and for agricultural and community resource
development As such he has helped to develop of the
local farmer's market and livestock pavilion for the coun
ty and has initiated several long range programs for
educating the tanning community.
"I've worked with him for V years," says Extension
service secretary Sue Cobb. "He's a perfectionist He
? % P
doesn't want to be second in anything he sets oat to
accomplish."
It has been Lowry's influence to a large degree, that
has pushed high quality dairy cattle production in
McMinn County, Cobb said, adding that the improvement
in the local dairy herds can be traced in part to the area
junior dairy shows which Lowry started for 4-H members
some years ago. "Hie interest shown early by the kids in
breeding, showing and judging dairy cattle has developed
into interested, educated adult dairy farms," she says.
J. Huse Martin, Lowiy's ex-boss and retired Extension
leader for McMinn County, says he admired the work
Lowry has done and is still doing for the county. "He's a
hard worker. He wants to get things dene," Martin says.
One of the'odd facts related to his Job is that uatilttie
late lMQs state Extension Service employees could not
have farms of their own and so, as much as he knows the
farm buslnses, Lowry doaset hove one himself. ''By the
time they changed the rules I had too much to do with this
Job. It was too late to start something like building a farm
as a part-time Job." Part-time farming probably wouldn't
fill the bifl for Marvin - Mil AUOr-NotMi* - anyway.
2
"They thought an agent who farmed would be ta ana
petition with other farmers, a conflict of interest," LoWTy
explains. "Bade then the female agents, thai? Frten
keep their jobe. Idas Myrtle Webb worked ferthsaandnn
for 35 yeare and lmew afl there wee to know about h?
a home for a family bat coeidnt marry. thef'wo eh?gd
all that now."
Lowry is one of only a few agema ?a?MNPM Ml
entire careora at one office. In one mmtf. lbnroanKti
not that Marvin hna been samohow rMftfMllnMbJti
ae eome men mi^ felted
he cares moat about j
upwM acn^L^nThm
etegae ltng aa my haalft wft let li*
HkeiL" 1
Dent worry Marvin, jenfe