Perspectives
Still the best way to cool off!
Jaccocks becomes powerful Perquimans County resident
Bom in Bertie County and long res
ident in Perquimans, Jonathan Hill
Jacocks was one of the wealthiest
and most powerful citizens of ante
bellum Perquimans, he also had in
fluence through eastern North Caro
lina.
In 1835 Jacocks was elected by the
voters of Perquimans to represent
them in both the state legislature and
in the state constitutional convention
called to consider needed amend
ments to the state's basic instrument
of government.
Jacocks became an active Whig
party spokesman for eastern inter
ests in the convention, although he
had voted against organizing the con
vention and he would vote against the
new constitution prepared therein.
He did, however eventually accept
office under that constitution, return
HISTORICAL
NOTES
BY
ray
WINSLOW
ing to the state Senate for the First
District in 1842. That same year he
served in the simple office of public
school committeeman.
Although a resident of Perqui
mans, Jacocks attended Christ
Church in Elizabeth City, of which he
was elected a vestryman in 1844.
In 1840 the census for the third time
found Jacocks' household to be the
largest in Perquimans, having one
hundred thirteen persons, of whom
fifty-four were engaged in agricul
ture. Three years later the county tax
list showed he held 1,269 acres.
General Joathan H. Jacocks died in
January 1847 and was buried near
Stevensons Point. The settlement of
his estate revealed ownership of a re
markable amount of property.
Jacocks had eighty-nine slaves, in
cluding such craftsmen as Hercules
(blacksmith), Daniel (carpenter),
Maria (weaver), Madison (appren
tice carpenter), Tom (shoemaker),
and Big John (carpenter).
In addition to farmland, Jacocks
owned houses and lots in Nags Head.
His properties had yielded 3,800 bush
els of corn sold in Providence, R.I.,
and 910 bushels for Charleston, S.C.,
and 600 bushels of wheat sold in New
York.
The general also owned a church
pew, a protrait of Henry Clay, a
sword and belts, gold watches, jew
elry, a piano, a violin, a German
flute, and a protrait of himself.
He had a large library which in
cluded works of Shakespeare, Smol
let, Goldsmith, and Wesley; periodi
cals on agriculture and politics; law
books; and more than two hundred
titles.
The Jacocks had an enormous
quantity of food and drink, including
bacon, hams, sugar, yaupon, corn,
pork, flour, lard, tea, coffee, mo
lasses, herring, shad, salt, sweet po
tatoes, cheese, french brandy, Hol
land gin, Madeira wine, whiskey,
spices, and poultry.
Perquimans would have few men
to approach the wealth and influence
of General Jonathan Hill Jacocks.
Brant Murray leaves
for governor's school
BRANT MURRAY LEAVES GOV
ERNOR'S SCHOOL: Brant Murray,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Murray
of Hertford, left Monday to attend
Governor's School on the Salem cam
pus in Winston-Salem. Four hundred
of North Carolina's most intelligent
and talented students are chosen ev
ery year to attend the school. Brant
will study English.
FREIGHT CARS JACK-KNIFE
AT OKISCO: Eighteen cars of an 82
freight train were derailed near
Okisco Friday. Cause of the wreck is
thought to be due to the high temper
ature which makes the rail expand.
None of the four crewman were in
jured. The train was enroute to Nor
folk, Va. from Chocowinity loaded
with military trucks, jeeps, utility
poles, lumber, grain and other gen
eral cargo. Fire Departments from
Perquimans County and Elizabeth
City were called to the scene. Traffic
was re-routed through rural Perqui
mans and Pasquotank counties while
State Road 1440 leading to U.S. 17
was blocked.
MISS HARRIS TAKES POSITION
IN ATLANTA: Miss Beth Harris has
Letter to
the editor
June 25, 1988 marks the anniver
sary date of the Brian Center Nurs
ing Care. On that date, one year ago,
our first resident-patient was ad
mitted. Since that time interagency
and interpersonal relationships have
developed creating a smooth continu
ity of care for our residents. We have
had our growing pains but thanks to
our families, staff and residents tran
sitions were made easy and team ef
fort has created a nursing home you,
the people of Perquimans and Gates
County. Mn be nroud of.
On behalf of Brian Center Nursing
Can, I with to thank the residents
aad families for their support. A spe
cial thanks is extended to Anne White
at Open Door who has provided cloth
ing for the resident* as well as do
nated over fifty (SO) <ap robes which
she and her staff have sewn. Also, to
Mr. k Mrs. George Moore of Edenton
and all the others who have donated
time, money and needed items, a spe
cial thank you.
Through continued efforts it is our
dMlra to provide the best ponnhif
accepted a position in Atlanta, Ga.
Miss Harris is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Jesse Lee Harris. She is a
recent graduate of the University of
North Carolina, where she was
awarded a B.S. degree in Business
Administration.
ANNOUNCE BIRTH: Mr. and
Mrs. Robert H. Reed announce the
birth of their second child, second
son, Nelson Elliott, born Monday,
June 4, 1970. Mrs. Reed is the former
Lynn Tucker of Rocky Mount, NC.
ANNUAL WINSLOW REUNION IS
HELD: The annual Jesse T. Winslow
family reunion was held Sunday at
the Whites ton Community Building.
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Scaring up a scarecrow
With faded memory, I still remem
ber him. He was sometimes sad and
sometimes funny, but always stand
ing sentinel in swaying fields of corn
or waltsing down a row of peas. He
was, the sacred scarecrow... the
fanner's loyal helpmate. This straw
Ailed, Uttered sentry keeping vigil
over field And flower was once a com
mon sight. By June he graced every
garden in the neighborhood, parad
Log around the carrots in colorful,
worn-out clothing and yesterday's
Easter bonnet.
Recently, I saw a scarecrow in a
field as I drove down a newly discov
ered back road I'd never traveled be
fore. Suddenly, all the childhood
memories of the straw man came
back to me, as well as bits of history
about the make-believe figure who
once protected the bounty of the
earth. It was the first scarecrow I'd
seen in a long time. It warranted in
vestigation. I drove into the owner's
yard and introduced myself. Two
hours later, I left with a bag full of
beans, fresh onions, a tightly wound
head of cabbage, and a new-found
friend. She even gave me an old scarf
for the beginnings of my own per
sonal scarecrow.
It's a shame the scarecrow is
nearly forgotten. It was around a
long time. When the first colonists
came to our country , they found them
already watching over Indian corn.
In early Greece and Rome, they also
protected the crops. By the Middle
Ages, scarecrows of one kind or an
other were the rural rule of thumb
everywhere. The scarecrow soon be
came the universal symbol of man's
striving to derive his living from the
soil. That living was precious, and
hard work. No man easily gave his
bounty up to a bunch of worrisome
crows.
The old custom of using a
scarecrow was originally not to scare
away crows, but rather as a cross
symbol to protect a cornfield. Super
stitious fanners made scarecrows
with two poles fastened together in
the form of a cross, since the cross
was considered a powerful charm
against evil spirits. Clothes were
then hung on the poles as a disguise.
EASTERN
ECHCS
W GAIL RC8ERS0N
Today, scientists claim that it is
not the scarecrow, but the scent of
people dinging to the clothes that \
keeps the birds away at first. But, -
soon the rain and the wind carry ,
away the scents, thus also carrying
away the "scare" out of the
.scarecrow. In fact, the very day I
saw this scarecrow in a stranger's
garden, there was also a large bird
perched peacefully on its tattered
blue coat.
Our fields were once steeped in this
rural tradition. Today, the scarecrow '
has become folk art. An annual
Scarecrow Festival takes place in
Pennsylvania with a cash prize for
the makers of the scarecrows voted
the favorites by the public. So, I
guess not all is lost.
Perhaps the most famous
scarecrow was the brainless, but en
dearing one that walked the yellow
brick road with Dorothy and Toto on
the way to Oz. However, today, scar
ing up a scarecrow is still nearly im
possible. One agricultural experi
ment station declares that the best
modern-day bird repeller is a promi
nently displayed life-sized plastic
owl. Whirligigs, those wind-propelled
noisemakers guaranteed to terrify
any bird, are also popular. The birds
really do seem to hate them.
But, I still love the old-fashioned,
straw-stuffed "man" on a post that
wore mama's blouse, daddy's trou
sers, brother's gloves, Aunt Cenie's 4
shawl, and a gourd head crowned
with grandma's straw hat. Who cares
about battling the birds as soft green
shoots poke above the earth, so long
as one of our most beloved and much
missed farm folk finally makes it
back to the soil.
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