road
the river valley 1b
a community store
port office. It was the gath
1 place and mecca of the
la for mile* around.
to etore ranked high u a
place where moat everything
could be gottenp-awything for
thqee days. Here the people
hronght their oorn, wheat, rye,
P«M, dried- trait, dried black
berries, chestnuts, beeswax, hides,
ehickens, docks and geese, to
gether with tallow and feathers
to exchange for coffee, tobacco,
snuff, leather, pegs and salt,:
Jeans, calico, linsey, lamp oil
(kerosene), and mony other ar
ticles, including sugar, pepper'
and brogan shoes.
Elkrille was located in a de
lightful spot on an upland over
looking the fertile valley with
large oaks of the virgin type
standing around like well died-'
pllned sentries to proteot the
peace^nd dignity of the place.
Wefltends were great events at
Elkrille when people filed in
from the surrounding territory
reaching back for many miles,
and the conglomeration was not
always peaceful. There were cer
tain bullies, good natured fel
lows, who could just stand for so
much and then, things some
times got serious. An incident
like this oace occurred when a
visiting bully came upon the
ground boasting of what he could
do and would do and that he took
no foollahneaa.
Just before going home time
came this big boy sided up to an
other bully with boasting words,
whereupon he was treated for his
Intrusion without any formality
and was taken away with two se
vere lashes which left bare his
jugular reins. He barely escaped
with his life. (But God spared]
him and he made a gospel minis
tar, a wonderful tribute to the!
grace of God.)
I* those days whiskey was
plentiful and cheap and Blkville
was known as the fountain of
■upply. There were churches
there in those days, of course,
but with all the fervent appeals
of the man of God, he couldn't
restrain everybody.
Before Lenoir was 'born, Blk
rllle was a noted place and a
muster ground for the militia;. It
was a place for public speaking
during political campaigns and
great crowds came to hear the
vital questions discussed. The
writer shall nerer forget one of
those days in the early '80s, when
Governor Zebulon B. Vance! de
livered a great speech at Elkrllle.
He came down from Lenoir and
a crowd of young men on horses
went to meet the Governor and
escort him back.
When the idol of the State
came upon the ground, then was
a mighty acclaim of weloome. It
scared me when I saw the old
men waring their hats and yell
ing loudly. I didnt know what it
wae all about. But young as I
was, about ten, I still remember
some hings rery clearly that was
said by the Governor Vance.
Dressed In Prinee Albert ooet
and hair touching hie coat eol
lar, somewhat streaked with
gray, he rose to speak. William
H. Bower, dressed in the same
fashion, and a young lawyer of
outstanding ability, Introduced
the Governor in a rery eloquent
manner.
The Gorernor rose and said,
"Ladies, gentlemen, and fellow
comrades, I am rery happy to
meet you here today. The last
time I saw some of you we were
on the frightful field of battle in
Virginia. But the white snow that
nerer melts has fallen upon your
heads and mine."
Governor Vance did not rank
along with Caesar, Alexander or
Napoleon for bravery on the bat
tle field but always stood firm
for honor's sake. It is told of him
that in making a charge a rab
bit was scared up and started to
the rear when Governor Vance
said, "Go, Mollie Cotton Tail, If
I had no more honor to maintain
than you, I would go with you."|
Governor of the State and declar
ed that, "We would fight the
d . . . Yanks till H . . . froze over
and then fight them on the Ice."
Well, all Is peaceful now at
the old Blkvllle stand and those
who made It the once popular
meeting place have long passed
to their silent rest.
But to me it holds precious
memories. Its store was the first
I ever saw. To me it was a world
within itself, and above and be
low it lived my kinsfolk. Many
negroes, all ex-alaves, farmed the
fertile soil and sang their sad
and lonesome songs ae they tolled
in the fields.
They, too, have vanished from
the scene and are where the
wicked cease from troubling and
the weary are at rest. They hear
not the voice of the oppressor and
the servant is free from his mas
ter. ,
But the hiHs and vallies abide
and the same restless waters flow
on with their lnllabys as in the
long ago. The Bob White still
calls for his mate as the golden
ment the dear
has heard the voice of many
generations; the majestic moun
tains towering high above all
look down upon a valley rarely
equalled for Its beauty and where
once such a noble and happy
people moved in a phalanx of un
excelled hospitality.
A, happy memories, you /%jr]
pleasant to recall!
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to extend our deepest
gratitude for the many flowers
and hospitality shown us during
the sickness and death of our
father and grandfather, William
Harden Spicer.
MRS. VIRGINIA AB9HER
, AND FAMILY.
Fire is the worst enemy of
the woodlot. It not only destroys
the protective layer of leaf mold
but kills all the seedlings and
saplings above ground, and, if
severe enough, causes serious
damage to the butts of mature
trees.
Raleigh.—A surpluB now ac
cumulating in the State's high
way fund will be allocated to
rural road Improvement at the
end of the fiscal year, Governor
Cherry disclosed.
During the first seven months
of this fiscal year highway reve
nues have rnn an average of
$432,600 a month ahead of esti
mates, he said. If this rate con
tinues, the surplus by June SO
will be $5,200,000, all of which
will go to rural road work, the
Governor declared.
Governor Cherry made his
statement at a press conference
in response to questions about a
proposal Wednesday by State
Treasurer Charles M. Johneon,
a candidate for Governor, that
the State should Issue bonds to
construct more all-weather rur
al roads.
o
Return that Book to the litewy.
47 was the .
and much larger than I
The unusually large slaughter
reduced the number of cattle on
farms. Slaughter In 1948 prob
ably will be less than last year.
NOW
AVAILABLE
j-' t ■" ■' "»ll.
Only Two
Four-Praw«r
Steel
Cabinet FHes
One With Lock
Carter - Hubbard
Publishing Co.
Office Supply Department
' • '• < '• '• i ' '
Telephone 70
deceased, late of
N. C., thia is ■
having: claims
tate to exhibit
NDERSON'S
FLOWER SHOP
Telephone 545
Wilkeiboro. N. C.