Reads the RECORD: [JUL-SEP 1906] Excerpts from the "Local Records"

[The Rabbit samples stories from past issues of Chatham County's longest-running newspaper. See Chatham Rabbit Reads the RECORD, version 2.0.]

A Remarkable Fish Story; Death of a Carpet-Bagger; First Cotton ...

[Note: The "Excerpts" series features selected items from the "Local Records" section of the Chatham RECORD, the following for the period of July to September of 1906. Henry A. London edited the Chatham RECORD during this time, and the reader should presume his voice as the first-person below.]

JUL 12:

Quite a remarkable fish story was told the THE RECORD by Mr. W.O. Farrell. He says that on the 4th a party of neighbors went on a fishing frolic near the mouth of Robeson creek, and a large eel was caught. When they started to prepare the eel for smoking two snakes were found in it and one of them was alive. We understand that the party did not 'see snakes' on that occassion.

JUL 19:

The wife of a colored man in New Hope township, named Dud Farrar, has turned almost white. Her face has become white except a few dark spots under her eyes, and she is quite a curiosity. While the leopard may not change its spots, yet it seems that an Ethiopian may sometimes change its color.

JUL 26:

The notorious John T. Deweese died a few days ago at Washington City. He will be remembered by our older citizens as the carpet-bag Congressman from this district, who resigned in 1870 in order to escape expulsion for having sold a cadetship at West Point. Probably some of our old Bear Creek friends will remember the discussion between him and this writer at the old 'locust tree' election ground in October 1868.

JUL 26

A colored man, named John Alston, was carried on last Monday to the hospital for the insane at Goldsboro. Until quite recently he was the mail rider on the star route from here to Siler City.

AUG 9

A large assemblage of the good people of western Chatham attended on last Saturday the unveiling of a monument to Mr. Abel Edwards and wife erected by their descendants. The exercises were impressive and were held at Providence church, in Bear Creek township. An appropriate memorial address was delivered by Rev. J.B. Craven, and short addresses were made by several others. We regret that we have not been favored with a full report of the interesting exercises.

AUG 16:

The first new cotton that we have seen this season is an open boll brought to the THE RECORD by one of our colored subscribers, Charles Thompson, who lives near here.

SEP 6:

We much regret to hear of the death of Rev. O.T. Edwards, which occurred at his home near Mr. Vernon Springs, on last Thursday. He was one of the ablest and most prominent preachers in the Sandy Creek Baptist Association, and for several years taught school.

SEP 27:

The editor of THE RECORD will speak today at a reunion of the Confederate veterans of Granville county at Oxford.