Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 116, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1910 — GETTING AN ANSWER. [ARTICLE]

GETTING AN ANSWER.

It is not w'dM* to base final conclu sions upon outward appearance. Ste phen Powers made this mistake onc< while traveling in the South. He telh of the result in “Afoot and Alone.” In the "piny woods” Carolina it is hard to get a direct answer, yes or no, from the natives. Mr. Powers made up his mind that he would force a decisive reply, and one day, meeting an old clay-eater astride a donkey, hauling a load of wood, he thought his opportunity had arrived. The man’s legs were so long that he could have doubled them round the animal he rode. On. one of hls callout heels he wore a mighty spur. “Is there any tavern on the road tc Fayetteville?” I asked. "Reckon you mout find one if you look in the right place,” whs the re spouse. "This is the direct road to Fayetteville, I suppose?” “You’d be pretty apt to get there 11 you keep a-going straight ahead.” “Do you sell much wood in Fayette ville?” ‘T reckon this ’ere jack thinks he has to haul a right smart chance." "Does wood bring a good price now?” “It’s jest according. Some fetches more, and some agin not so much.” “Oak fetches more than pine, I suppose?” "It mout, and then agin it moutn’t.” “I believe you Southerners burn green wood mostly?” “ ’Taln’t particular. Every fellow to his liking.” "Well, now, my friend,” I said, de termined to get something out of the jnan before I gave up, "I’m writing a book on the subject of wood, and I want to get all the Information I can. If you were called upon 1 in court of law to give your personal and unbiased opinion, you would declare on oath, would you not, that one hundred pounds of green oak would weigh more than one hundred pounds of dry pine?" The man gave me one quick glance, then looked steadfastly at his donkey’s ears. “Well, now, stranger,” he drawled, "you can jest set down in your book when you get to that place that all the people of North Carolina were such fools you had to weigh it yourself."