I CONCERNING
OLD FORT
°
G. M. {
i
During the past summer it was the
writer's pleasure to have as her
guest the granddaughter of Sanborn
Worthen, who served as the business
manager for a group of individuals
which he called "the colony"; and
who as their advance agent, in 1871,
bought the Davidson Plantation on
which the town of Old Fort is loca
ted; and divided it into lots which he
sold to members of the colony and to
others. That was the beginning of
the town of Old Fort.
Upon having that information the
publisher and editor of The Progress
requested that the writer make this
contribution, he believing that it
would be of interest to many who
either remember the early inhabi
tants of the town of Old Fort or who
are interested in the history of the
town as such.
The writer has before her photo
stat copies of letters which were
written by Sanboi'n Worthen to rel
atives who were then living in Can- j
ada and the Northern states. They J
are not only of interest because they
tell of the early days of the village, j
of the happenings of the times, and
of the business transactions; but!
they contain much information that
is otherwise interesting.
Now sixty years distant from those j
turbulent and bitter days, those of
us who are one and two generations !
removed find that they engage our
attention because of the insight they
give into the mind of a "Yankee"
whose family had suffered by reason
Gi the loss of a son who had died in j
the Confederate prison at Anderson
ville, Ga.; and who had so soon af
ter that loss — after the War Be
tween the States—come to live am
ong the "Rebels)". It is with the per-1
mission of his granddaughter, Mrs.
Wilber Blakeslee, of Baltimore,
Md., who owns the original letters,
that the writer has been permitted
to use them.
From Old Fort and vicinity many
gallant soldiers had gone to the war
and had fought for the cause of the
Confederacy. At least one, Capt.
Thos. Y. Lvtle, had enlisted with the
Buncombe Riflemen, the first com
pany to enter active service from
Western North Carolina. That com
pany participated in the first battle
of the war. Bethel Church. Be it said
of them all, that they served the
cause faithfully! Many poured out
the rich wine of life in full measure.
Others returned, crippled in mind
and body. \t the close of the war
Stoneman's. raiders had passed
through McDowell county and ha:l
left ruin and destruction in their
wake. Some of the homes to which
they paid unwelcome but memorable
visits were those of Col. Logan Car
son's near Marion, Thos. J. Green
lee's at Greenlee, and Thomas Hemp
hill's near Old Fort, which is now the
Thomas Porter place.
Consequently in the vicinity of
Old Fort in the early eighteen sev
enties there were few sympathizers
with the Union and as few, we imag
ine, who bade the Yankee colony an
agreeable welcome.
"This is certainly the prettiest
country so far that I have seen," Mr.
Worthen wrote. In one letter he
drew a diagrammatic picture of the
village and environs, "at the foot of
the Blue Ridge mountains with bot
tom lands in front and mountains at
the north."
Those who remember him say that
he was calm, serene of soul, kind,
affable, gifted with the ability to get
along with folks, and so made many
binding and lasting friendships.
Though he remained in Old Fort on
ly a few years he made North Caro
lina his permanent home, going from
Old Fort to Shelby where he was en
gaged for a number of years in the
manufacture of the "Carolina" sew
ing machine. In February, 1905, at
the age of 80 years, he died at the
home of a son, Dr. B. S. Worthen, at
Spencer, N. C.
Mr. Worthen, who was originally
from Canada, along with others from
the North, went first to Warm
Springs (Hot Springs), N. C., where
they expected to purchase land and
settle. For some reason t^ey were
not satisfied there and so sent him
out to find a more desirable location.
The following is from a letter writ
ten from Old Fort, N. C., under date
of July 31, 1871:
"I believe I was keeping the hotel
temporarily (Warm Springs) for
them when I wrote before. . . 1
got through two weeks .ago and I
have been traveling for the colony
since, looking at some farms, and
getting prices and particulars to
settle another colony on. I have just
made-ti bargain for this plantation
(Davidson's) of 2200 acres, 700 of
■which 'is in corn, about 50 in oats,
100 in wheat and rye, and the rest
in timber, for which I pay 30 thou
sand dollars. I 'suppose' you will
draw a low whistle and say how did
you get your money. Well I had to
put my hands in other people's pock
et for it, of course. I am to pay six
thousand tomorrow in check on New
York and cash.
"The cars have just run into this
place for the first time and I sup
pose this will be the end of the road
for some time although they are
tunneling through the Blue Ridge.
They have got in about one mile. The
road runs through Swannanoa Gap
into Catawba Valley from Asheville
to Salisbury. My heart is sad when
I think of Salisbury. Many a poor
soldier lies there in his last sleep.
"This plantation was worked by
about 60 slaves before the war
Some of them still remain and are
going to work for the colony. One is
running the mill. Others are cultivat
ing some lands. Some gone and
their kind master Mr. Davidson had
to sell the plantation to pay Confed
erate debts. Desolation seems to have
overtaken the people. This planta
tion would have brought 50 thou
sand before the war. This plantation
is the gate that leads into the upper
gap of the mountains. Stoneman
went through this section destroying
everything before him during the
war and the people hate the Yankees
secretly."
"Everyone uses tobacco. . . . All
the boys will walk up to you and
ask for a chew tobacco (that is the
poor white trash)." So soon the new
comer, we see, had adopted the term
of class distinction used by the
Southerners!
Vision this scene, "i am now
boarding' with a rebel soldier and
five or six are sitting out on the
fence, about as many more are lying
around the store door while 6 or 8
negroes are lying under the apple
tree playing cards. Lots of negro
children are lying around loose and
ragged but fat."
"There is a black walnut tree on
this place that measures 18 feet
around, and chestnut nearly as large
also large oaks, hickory, rosewood,
and all other kinds you can think of.
I think a man could pick two bushels
of blackberries a day two weeks ago
when I came. We will soon have
chestnuts in abundance."
"It is beautiful neath cool nights
and lots of people are up from the
fiats from 1 to 500 miles from here.
Come here among the mountains in
hot weather.
"One of the men I do business
with is Col. Tait." (Col. Samuel Mc
Dowell Tait it was.) ' He is presi
dent of the Western X. C. R. R.
which stops here. . . . He received
coven wounds from the Yankees
during the war. We talk some nights
until late.
"We are living comfortably here
but there are some of the disagreea
bles here, for instance if you go to
smell a flower you will have a sore
nose; if you pick your teeth with
some of the wood you will have a
sore mouth for a week. If you sit
down on a rotten log the chiggers
will get on you. . . . And then comes
the pilot, copper head, rattle snake
and Ku Kiux Klan!"
(To be continued)
PRUNE PEACH TREE
FOR OPEN CENTER
The open center or vase shaped!
tree is the desirable form for -hap-:
ing the peach tree under North Car- j
olina condtions and this shape should
be given to the tree as early as pos
sible after transplanting the young j
trees in the orchard.
In giving the desirable form for;
the peach tree,- E. B. Morrow, ex-j
tension horticulturist at State Col- (
lege, says the pruning at transplant
ing time should consist of heading,
back the tree to a height of 24 to 30
inches, and cutting back all side
branches to one bud each. This wiU
cause the young tree to put forth
some vigorous shoots during the first
season's growth and will permit a
selection of branches for building the {
framework of the tree . j
The main branches of the young,
tree may be selected by pinching the;
young shoots as they start, or, the |
framework may be decided upon at'
the regular time for winter pruning,
-At any rate, select three of four;
shoots from six to eight inches
apart^arranged around the main
trunk in such a way that a well ba!-|
anced tree is secured. j
After the second season's gr uvth,
Mr. Morrow advises selcting 2 or 3
strong lateral branches on each of
the main branches to continue devel
oping the framework of the tree.
Pruning after the third season of
growth will be to continue the build
ing of the framework of the tree by
selecting two or three side branches
on each of the secondary branches
left the year before. Thin out the re
maining limbs and head back those
that are left to outward growing
branches. Peaches should be pruned
moderately until the trees corne into
full bearing, Morrow advises.
Frantic Mother (at the beach) :
That's not our baby. You've taken
the wrong perambulator.
Father: Hush! It's a much better
one than ours. --
I
WEEKLY MEDITATION
| By Rev. Paul A. Boriack, B. D.,
Pastor St. Mathew's Lutheran
Church, Marion, N. C,
! When the blessed Virgin Mary
! six weeks after the birth of the
Christ-child together with the foster
father- of Jesus presented her Child
{to the Lord in the temple at Jerusa
, lem, Simeon a pious and devout man
j who had long been waiting for the
i consolation of Israel took the Child
; Jesus into his arms and said: "Lord,
now lettest Thou Thy servant depart
in peace, according to Thy Word,
ifor mine eyes have seen Thy salva
jtion, which Thou hast prepared be
fore the face of all people; a light
; to lighten the Gentiles, and the glo
| ry of Thy people Israel." At this
Mary is filled with wonder and am
azement, but, lo, now she hears a
direful prediction: Yea, a sword shall
pass through thine own soul also,
that the thoughts of many hearts
may be revealed. Luke 2:35. A sword
shall pass through her soul. She
would suffer intense sorrow and ag
ony. She would see that though some
would rise through this Jesus from
their sins and be saved, many others
would stumble at Him and fall. They
would speak against Him, cause Him
suffering, pain and death. By their
stand over against Jesus, it would
clearly be revealed whether they
are the children of God and heirs of
heaven, or the children of Satan and
heirs of hell.
During the past week we also have
heard wonderful tidings. We were
told: "Fear not, for unto you is born
in the«city of David, a Savior, which
is Christ the Lord." Our spirits de
jected by the thoughts of our short
comings and sins were revived and
refreshed. We rejoice in Him, who
is our light and our glory. All the
world ought to rejoice with*us in our
Savior and Redeemer. But, behold
only a few cling to Him in true faith
The great masses of mankind reject
and despise Him and His Word. That;
saddens our hearts. What can a man |
do to open the eyes of these spirit-;
ually blind? But let us not be off en-i
I ded because of the indifference andj
j coldness of the world. By the grace j
of God their foolishness should drive,
us to cling closer and closer to Him, j
who is our Jesus, our light, our glo-j
ry, our salvation. 1
— i
STUDY OF ILLITERACY
COMES TO COMPLETION
* ______________ '
Washington, Dec. 30.—In its vale-1
jdictory report, the national advisory j
! committee on illiteracy today esti-1
mated the number of persons in the!
United States who can neither read I
i nor write at 4,283,753.
: The committee, appointed byj
j President Hoover three years ago 1
with Secretary Wilbur as chairman,
will go out of existence at the end i
! of this year. Exhaustion of funds
j was given as the reason.
Pointing to the 1930 census, the
I report said it showed 648,152 reduc
1 tion in the number of illiterates for
the previous ten years while there .
iwas a 17,044,426 increase in popu
lation. This was said to be a one
third drop in illiteracy during the
decade.
A second crop of peaches has been
harvested this summer by a farmer
of Kinston, N. C.
Side Quit Hurting,
Got Stronger, Well;
CARDUI Helped Her !
Mrs. R. L. West, of Huntsville,
Ala., writes: "I was weak and
run-down. I had a pain in my side, j
and I kept losing weight. I grew
nervous over my condition—this was
unusual for me, for I am very cheer
ful when I am well and don't easily
get nervous. I knew I ought to take
something. My aunt told me I ought
to try Cardui, which I did. I began
to feel better. I kept it up until I
had taken three or four bottles. My
side quit hurting and I was soon
feeling strong and well."
Cardui Is sold at drug stores here.
I
HERE is an actual opportunity to make your
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Southern Agriculturist, 1 year
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"W'- 'i.
►
i
Yes mMR. EDITOR, Send Bargain No
-to
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Town
State .
_R. F. D—
Bring or mail this Coupon to oar office tocsy—NOW
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Act Promptly.
The Marion Progress
Longer Wheelbase • New "Aer-Stream"
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Fisher No-Draff Ventilation • Safety
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rolet the Great American Value for 1933*
AT A NEW SCALE OF LOW PRICES
SPORT ROADSTER $485 - COUPE $495
COACH $515 - PHAETON S515 - SEDAN $565
SPCRT COUPE $535 - CABRIOLET $565
All prices i. o. b. Flint, Michigan. Special equipment extra. Low
delivered prices and easy GMAC terms. Chevrolet Motor
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Ballew Motor Company
4-38 E. Court St. Phone 225 Marion, N. C.