Southern Pines
Welcomes
The New Season
To The Sandhills
Southern Pines
Welcomes
The New Season
To The Sandhills
SPECIAL ISSUE
Southern Pines. N. C.
November 1949
SPECIAL ISSUE
The Potter Reij^ns Supreme Amon^ the Native Craftsmep of Upper Moore County
Jugtown Pottery Of Jacques Busbee
. Still Beautifies Nation’s Homes
An Cla Moore County Home Radiates Old-Time Hospitality At Jugtown
By JANE HALL
The cheerful sound cf a clock
ticking and the steady hum of
late summer insects were the only
sounds that broke the peaceful si
lence in the log house of Juliana
Busbee and the late Jacques Bus-
bee at “Jugtown” in iSloore Coun
ty-
Sunlight filtering through
bright orange curtains in the liv
ing room laid a soft glow over
the dark,brown of calfskin-bound
volumes and antique walnut fur
niture.
Some yards away in the shop,
Potterer Ben Owen turned the
potter’s wheel and, with skilled,
deft fingers transformed shape
less masses of wet clay into vases,
cups and saucers, and plates, plac
'ing the finished sun-colored prod
ucts on long boards to dry before
firing them in the kiln just below
the shop.
The Busbees and Jugtown are
synonymous, ’and the bright
orange color and the country
peacefulness are their trademarks.
■ In itself “Jugtown” is a phe
nomena—it is a dream that be
came a reality. It has been more
than 30 years now since Jacques
Busbee—Raleigh artist, hobbyist,
and man of many interests—set
out to track down the origin of a
bright orange deep pie plate that
excited his interest.
Staffordshire Origin
His search led him to what was
then known as the "dark corner”
of Moore County. There, he found
a community of potters, some of
belief into the reality of the pres
ent “Jugtown.” The name “Jug
town Ware” was registered, local
potters were obtained, and the
industry was launched.
Everything about this area of
Moore county (the northern end)
aroused the Busbees’ interest. By
mule and wagon in the early days
they traveled over almost impas
sable roads collecting old pottery,
old furniture made in the area,
and local history, legends, and
epeechforms.
“When we built here, we deci
ded to go back beyond the ‘age
elegance,’ back to a simpler day,
to a time when men made things
with their hands not only to fill
their needs but for the pleasure
of creating something,” she con
tinued.
House That Jacques Built
“With local labor, we built a
log house, which is both warmer
in winter and cooler in summer
than any type of wood house. Ejor
the most part, we furnished it
with items made in this area 100
and 200 years ago.”
The house rises out of the
Moore County earth, blending
into the trunks of the trees that
surround it. The bright orange
motif runs through the house,
lending a cheerful sparkle to the
interior. The orange curtains ac
tually are lining for quilts and
came in that color. ,
Woven cloth in faded designs
made in the neighborhood 200
years ago, decorated the living
room walls. Blue Chinese ginger
Old Scotch and
English Dialects
Yield to Progress
—
' ■* *t
HHi
m
}k
■
whom were descendants of thosq|jars, bearing a plum-branch de- A view of the kitchen from the hall door of the Jacques Busbee cab in in upper Moore County. The vast fireplace was originally used
for cooking, and all the furniture in the room, except the chairs, was made within calling distance of the cabin, before 1800. On the
mantel stand a pair of candlesticks of Jugtown pottery. (Photo by R. W. Stephens, courtesy Raleigh News and Observer)
who had come over from Staf
fordshire, England, about 1740.
But the pottery industry in the
area, which was then vaguely
called Jugtown, was in a mori
bund state—the coming of State
prohibition in 1908 had knocked
out one of the potterers’ principal
items of business, »>the making of
jugs for whiskey distillers. Hence,
m.any of them had abandoned
their ancient trade.
Jacques Busbee believed that
an injection of art into the coun
try potter would bring a new and
interesting industry to North Car
olina. He thought, too, that he
could help the potters with his
art knowledge and contacts with
the ’outer world and act as sort
of a liaison agent for them. In
1917, he settled in the Jugtown
area and began transforming his
sign in white, ornament the big
brick fireplace. The walnut table,
desk and chest all were made in
this section. The rows of book
shelves are lined with books, calf
skin volumes mingled with those
of recent publication.
The dull sheen of walnut high
lights the kitchen. All the furni
ture in the kitcl^en, except the
chairs, were made within calling
distance of the cabin before 1800.
Dominating the kitchen is an
enormous ■ fireplace, originally
used for cooking. Corner cup
boards flank the fireplace, the I
one on the right containing luster
ware and other antique items.
Basket Of China—$5
“Pome years ago,” Mrs. Busbee
related, “an old man in the neigh
borhood, a friend of ours, came to
us and said: ‘I’ve got an old bas-
Nstive Crafts And Native Comforts Create An Aura of Early Days
m
■
iii
The Wheel Turns, The Pot Grows ...
fm
it
I
s
m,
m
m
«s4fi
i
■
The walnut table was made before 1800. Standing in the hall of the Busbee cabin, it is an invitation to “set a while and rest yourself ”
by the biazmg lightwood fire. The vase in the picture is a Jugtown product, typical of those which, together with the specimens shown
in toe aajoimng pictures, were exhibited by their owner, Mrs. Jacques Busbee, at'the antique show of the Raleigh Junior Woman’s Club
in October.
Dean of Jugtown potters, Ben Owens, turns a vase on his kick-wheel.
The old wheel is of the same primitive type used “way back when,”
and the skill of the potter has passed down, in this family, from
father to son.
ket of chiny I bought for 15 cents ana Busbee. also a Raleigh native
at an auction sale when I waS a ^harp as a tack. She not only
maintains her interest in pottery,
Jugtown, and the arts, but she is
keenly aware of what’s going on
m the State. The truth is she al
most took this interview away
from her interviewer with ques
tions about what Governor Scott
was going to do next, and what
had happened to whom among
boy 13. Ain’t never looked in
but I’ll sell it to you for $5.’
“We were game and bought it.
After the purchase was ci, 'npleted,
we opened the basket ar: " found
ourselves the owners of some
priceless pink luster cup, and
.saucers.”
Friendly and hospitable. J ili-
her friends and acquaintances.
The 20th century, however, is
encroaching on this section of
Moore county, a fact of which she
is sadly aware. “I have no tele
phone,” she, said. “Until two years
ago we had no electricity, and
until a few years ago, we had no
roads of any consequence. Now,”
she chuckled, “it looks as if Gov
ernor Scott is going to hard-
surface our roads and extend tel
ephone lines into this area. I’ll
probably have to get a telephone
in self - defense.”
Getting in touch with Mrs. Bus
bee with something more than the
speed of the pony express still
poses something of a problem,
even though the effort is more
than worth it. It is impossible to
(Conxinued on Page 8)
By Bill Sharpe -
Popularity of the Smoky Moun
tains National park has hastened
extinction of one of the last,
strongholds of ancient EnglisJ;
and Scotch dialect. The natioi;
park service is carefully pres?
ing cabins, implements and
farm fields of Smoky pioneej
and folklorists are photogra
dance steps and recording
lits,” but the homely idiqi
mountaineers seems doof
Until a decade ago, t]|
ies were still isolated
more frequented Blu
mountains of North Caij
there are still coves
whiqh have rarely bee^
ted by visitors. 'New
trails jare opening uii
gions, and only those|
early will be greeted
to share a “sprig of fill
his host tell a “your
“fotch up a cheer.”
Most of the speech
pronunciations are not
tive pieces of language,
pose a living language ol
who spoke this long befcS
landed on these shores
Intelligent and sympathetl
tening is necessary to under^
this. If the visitor goes home’
translates the slurred wol
merely as “younguns,” ar
“we’uns,” and you’uns,” thiL
reader gets an impression of un-1
couthness which does not exist.'
The simplicity, dignity and pic
turesque features of Smoky
speech is realized when the vis
itor understands that the moun
taineer is really saying “these are
my young ones”; or “this has:
been we ones home for a hundred
years”; “do you ones live in the
valley?”
Joseph S. Hall, who made a
study of the Smoky speech, was
especially delighted in this sam
ple: “That rattlesnake was intenr
tioned to bite me. I never heerd
a snake'sing so vigorous!”
Elizabethan simplicity and
forthrightness are observed in
such expression^ as these “Hit
was thick of houses, thick of peo
ple, up thar then.” “Hit’s not
generated in me to steal.’l
A Smoky mountaineer says he
didn’t “make no crop,” an expres
sion common throughout the
mountains, and in fact, the South.
His similes, however, are often
vivid and unique. “Snow is shoe-
mouth deep in the cove when it’s
knee-deep in the mountains.” To
explain hunting methods, one
told Mr. Hall: “The day before the
hunt we usually go and find
where the bears are a-usiq.
There’s a heap more hard work
and slavish runnin’ and trampin’
in bear-huntin’ than in coon-
huntin’.”
Bridge Expert Is
Wolves Club \^sitor
Members of the Wolves club
enjoyed a number of sessions at
bridge with John F. Crawford,
Philadelphia, who for the past
two years has accomplished the
best competitive record in the
game. Mr. Crawford was guest of
William C. Fownes, Jr., at his^
Knollwood home, and the high
light of the visit was a tearti
match played Saturday night.
Mr. _ Crawford’s team—Mr.
Fownes, Louis De Lone and Col.
John W. Faulconer.
Donald Parson’s team—Edwin
S. Blodgett, J. C. Musser and Rob
inson Cook.
Three sections of eight boards
were played, Mr. Crawford’s side
winning in what the expert de
clared was a close match.
Frederick Ryans Buy
Home In Sandhills
The Newton Marshall home in
Pinehurst, located opposite the
Berkshire hotel on Azalea and
Magnolia roads, has been sold to
Frederick B. Ryan of New York
City.
Mr. and Mrs. Ryan have been
season visitors in Pinehurst for a
number of years. He is a mem
ber of the Tin Whistles club and
she is a member of the Silver
Foils.