(By CHAS. H. UTLEY)
The Voice articles incline me to reminiiscence.
In fact, I was inspired With a love of history by
Dr. E. W. Sikes while a student at Wake Forest
College, and I have found especial pleasure
studying the story of North Carolina. My ac
quaintance with Pender county and its people
(began in the summer of 1904, when I served as
supply for Pastor R. H. Hewlett at three notable
old Baptist churches, Moore’s Creek, Canetuck,
and Bethlehem. Mr. Hewlett was afflicted with
tuberculosis, from which malady he later died.
I succeeded him as pastor. Thus I came to spend
five years iin Pender, two as pastor and three as
county superintendent of schools.
The fact that those churches paid both his
salary while he was ill and that of his supply
attests both the popularity'of the young minister
and the unusual generosity of those churches.
First, let me pay passing tribute to Bob Hewlett.
He was every inch a gentleman, a popular pas
tor, a favorite friend, a fine business man, and
certainly one of the most devoted men to his
family I ever knew.
He was a college mate ot mine, a son oi
staunch old New Hanover citizen former Sheriff
Hewlett of Masonboro Sound. His brother Ad
dison has for many years heen chairman of the
board of commissioners of New Hanover county.
Bob, before going to college, had fallen desper
ately in love with a neighbor girl. Two weeks
before Christmas he told me he was going home
a week early, that he just had to see his girl.
The next day, he told me he was going at once.
He went, married the girl, and thus cut short
his college career. But, a little later, taking his
bride with him, he went to a northern seminary
and studied two years. Returning, he served as
pastor of country churches, mostly in Pender
county, till his ill-health forced him to retire.
.My first trip into Pender was to visit Bethle
hem church, near the Bladen line. Young John
Andrews met me at Currie, the site of the battle
of Moore’s Creek Bridge. John, later a student
of mine at a little school m Cartetuck township,
is now a prosperous merchant in Wilmington
and a prominent church worker. His father, Bil
lie Andersonjlhough reared Wittmrtr the benefit
.of a home and education in his youth, owned a
good farm earned by hard work, and was a fine
citizen and faithful church member. He was one
of my best friends, and gave me his heartiest
co-operation while I was county superintendent
of schools. Hi9 life meant much for the better
ment of his community.
The Corbetts of Canetuck
My first night in Pender was spent in the home
of George Corbett, Sr., one of God’s noblemen.
Two of those fine sons and that cultured daugh
ter r Miss Mary Jilkn,. are-now dead. The daugh
ter was a student at Meredith when I first knew
the family. George, Junior, had been one of the
very first students at what is now known as State
College. The story of his being lost for several
days in Colly Swamp when a tot of four or five
is one of the probably undying traditions of Cane
tuck township. W hile a frantic search was being
made for him lie slept in the swamp at night and
gleaned berries during the day, and when hope
was all but lost by his parents he discovered a
cow path and toddled back home alone.
Jasper died only four years ago. He had never
married. He was one of the wittiest men and one
of the most entertaining story-tellers that section
ever produced. If he had chosen a public career
as an .entertainer, h,e could have ranked with
Will Rogers. He was everybody’s friend, welcome
everywhere. He served his county as commis
sioner term after term, elected by his host of
friends with little-or- no regard to party align
ment. He was a member of the county school
board and it was through him that I was chosen
county, superintendent. Pender county was poor
er when Jasper Corbett died. His father before
him served his day and generation as few men
of his time. For five-years, his home was almost
mine, When he passed,, he left to all who knew
him a rich legaey in example and influence. s
. By. the.way, there is scarcely, in all the Black
River .section^ of Pender, Bladen, and Sampson,
a more prominent family group than that of the
Corbetts, Jasper Corbett, Sr., was for a genera
tion one of Bladen’s most prominent and pros
perous citizens. The Ivanhoe group of the name
numbers among it some of Sampson’s worthiest
citizens. ,” ... .
■ In Gahetuck, too, lived Billy Keith, a brother
Off the widely^knmvn Franklin Keith, for several
years collector of the Port of Wilmington. I
may here say that later Franklin Keith returned
to his native Canetuck, built a handsome home,
and turned planter and stockman on a large and
progressive scale. It is presumed that he was
the one Republican of ther Keith family, though
really a progressive in his views.
Billie Keith, a considerably older man, was
a fine citizen and had a godd arid interesting fam
ily of ambitious children. One son is a physician,
two wholesale merchants, I believe, while the
one daughter, Miss Annie, married a physician
and lives at Atkinson. I have heard a former
principal of the Atkinson school' say that Annie
Keith was the brightest pupil he ever taught. The
father led the singing at Bethlehem church, was a
good listener, had a good memory, and, despite
his impulsive temperament, was notably altruisi
tic in sentiment. He was always ready to bear
his'part in any effort for the development of
rural life and education.
A Fisherman Par Excellence
Two other worthies ot Uid v.anetucK wicic
Alfred Pridgen, Sr., and Lafayette Pridgen. The
latter was a Confederate veteran and died while
attending a Confederate reunion at Charlotte a
few years ago. He was my friend and defendei'
when any one said aught against me or my work.
He was’ a great fisherman—EXPERT is too
weak a word. He was incomparable-*-in a class
to himself. Every day was his lucky day. And
Canetuck, bordering on Colly and Black River,
is no mean fishing ground. Often have I sat at
the table where those fine fishes were served,
warm and brown, just from the pan.
Were I1 given my choice between friends and
money I should choose the friends. Mr. Pridgen
was a friend indeed. The man to whom I refer
y was not a scholar; he did not live in a mansion;
' he owned only a small farm; but he had a kind
and true heart and was a true and faithful friend.
I am sure he must have been a brave soldier
when he wore the gray.
While teaching the winter ^errii in Canetuck,
I boarded at the home of Mr. Alfred Pridgen,
Sr. I was single in those days and Mr. and
Mrs. Pridgen wrere like parents to me. Our
vocabularies are altogether too limited when we
try to express in words,, what the finest friend
ships mean to Us. —
The last time I saw the worthy couple was m
a hospital room in Wilmington. Mrs. Pridgen was
an almost helpless paralytic confined to her bed
for life; Mr. Pridgen, well past eighty, bent with
the Weight of years and with eyes dimmed, when
told who I was, said: “Take my stick; I must
hug Brother Utley.” As too often happens, trag
edy came into the lives of these two old people
when, as we see things, the evening should have
been but a pleasant lingering among the memories
of the morning and noonday as they approached
a golden sunset.
Feeder the Home of Early Notables
Whitt working in Pender I collected much, data
for a history of the county, which, however, was
never written, while most of the material has
been lost. ’ ..>< >
Pender is rich in historical material,, for it
was in that county that the famous decisive bat
tle of Moore’s Creek was fought; it was -in that
county that Edward Moseley spent the last years
of his life, in a palatial residence on a.great fer
tile plantation surrounded by many slaves, a man
who had gone to prison for the religious freedom
of his fellow colonists, though he himself belong
ed to the Established Church; it was he whc
made the first donation for a public library in
North Carolina. Yet near where his fine home
stood the ashes of his body mingle with mother
earth and over his desecrated grave, when I
located it,, corn and peas were growing and
flourishing. It was in Pender county that general
Lillington lived, across the North East River
from Edward Moseley; and too, it was at Rocky
Point where lived Judge Maurice Moore, and
where his body lies by the side of the body of
General James Moore, distinguished citizen and
soldier; while not far away was the colonial re
sidence of the Ashes, one of the most distinguish- .
ed families that has graced the state’s history in
peace and war. And it was in that part of the
old New Hanover county, cut off to make Pen
der, that was located the Welsh Settlement, hot
bed of patriots and home of tfie^Bloodworths,
Ofoe of whom became one oPthe first United
States Senators and for another-of whom a prom
inent street in North Carolina’s Capital City, was
named. ” r
- • _ - ■ -■ ——. . ... u v
, Editorial Note.—Co-incidents so often occur
that I should cease,to be surprised. Here is Mr.
Utley writiing of teaching at Canetuck school
and of the Keiths, Corbetts, etc. My, mother
taught, too, in Canetuck, boarding at th§ Keith
John Sprunt Hill
By CLAUDE H. MIGRE, Turkey K c
John Sprunt Hill was born on a large plam
tion near Faison, Duplin county, North fW
on March 17, 1869. He was the son of Win'11
E< Hill and FraoCes Diaria Faison Hill u
father was the son. of General William hah
Hill, of Brunswick county, Virginia, w)l0
ried Anne Dudley, a daughter of Colonel Cliri
topher Dudley, and a sister of Governor Edwar
Dudley. Colonel Christopher Dudley lived in 0
slow county, and was a prominent shipbuilder an
landowner. John Sprunt Hill’s mother \vas tli
daughter of Isham Faison and Sallie Thoniso
Faison, of Duplin county; Sallie Thomson was tl
daughter of William Thomson and Frances Fa
son -Thomson, and a granddaughter of DaY;
Thomson, who came to Duplin county in 173.
and settled in what is now Turkey townshi
(Sampson county) Isham Faison was descende
from, Henry Fayson Van Doverack, 0f Yor
county, Virginia, who was of Huguenot an
Dutch descent.
John bprunt Will was .graduated trom Faiso
high school in 1881. He remained at home for tw
years, and in 1885 he entered the University 0
North Carolina, and was graduated with an
jB. degree. Mr, Hill taught school in Dupli
county during the years 1889, 1890. In 1891, t
entered the law school of the University bf Xort
Carolina, and in 1892, he entered the law scho(
of Columbia University. He was graduated wit
a LL.B. degree in 1894, and began practice i
New York City. '
When the United States declared war again:
Spain', John Sprunt Hill enlisted in the army a
cavalryman and served throughout the war.
On November 29, 1899John Sprunt Hill wa
married to Annie Louise Watts, the daughter o
George W. Watts, of Durham, N. 0. They ha
three children—George Watts, Laura Yalind;
and Frances Faison. In 1903, Mr. Hill mow
to Durham, N. C.
John Sprunt Hill has always been an ardeii
Democrat and true Southerner of the highes
type," He is a member of the American Geogra
phical Society, the Geological Board of X. C
and the- National Forestry Associaion. F le is ah
a member of the Board of Trustees of tU Univa
siy- qf Norh Carolina and has made ma y hbef;
donations t6 .that institution—the most i cent on
the clear-cut gift of the Carolina Inn, the littw
but modern, hotel at Chapel Hill.
Mr. Hill is a banker, and he has done a gra
deal for the' small farmers of North Carolm
by establishing credit unions. In the elections o
1932 and 1934, he was elected and re-elected a
a Democrat to the North Carolina State sen®
and has served as an outsanding member ot tna
body.
F icy Jit Reaches Clunax ,
The Present’s fight to kill the utility holdfflf
companies by 1942,- at least the unnecessary
ones, has reached its climax. The power com
panics have waged the heaviest lobbying
propaganda battle of the century. The
has passed a bill satisfactory to the re^l, J
the house has amended so as to omit the
sentence.” Yet the difference seems, it "
mean what they are presumed to mean,
paratively slight. The power companies *•
not object to the deathknell for un“{*e.' L
holding companies, while it seems that tie
given authority to the commission to u
and even to eliminate such companies as
deem hurtful is not far from what t e '^3t
wants. In either case, some one must deu ' ary
companies should be eliminated as unu
or hurtful.
Soldier.' Wages 20 Cents A Mo"*,
We read that the Bolivian and i erj i ^
diets in the lorig-continued but rccen } J
Chaco war, received 20 cents a month as ^
American' ex-soldiers should read an f5. ^
late themselves on their $30 wage, e\ n
bonus is not so rapidly forthcoming
July is here and Dunn1 has had 'el}
coml or table days of* nights.
un
Xortfc
This section snapped girls "With ue 0|
Carolina recently. John Elackwelder ^
TIickory came down and got Miss 11
oi
Hickory came down anti gut , , • <*
Miilviny charming daughter of Th. - j
hinden, while Eugene Smith, Jr., ^af.
Elkin and brought back the fdrmei
garet Sterling Dillard. r- --—-—^
home when Franklin wa> so much a
ionic wiieu ur«umuu ***— - . ,
bfe waa not a pupil but only big eno.u^1(|ltf^
miti- her occasional^ and 5^ hi her lap .-fj
the schoQfhourly