The Mail Box - November, 1987

Issue: November, 1987

Dear Sirs,
I wondered if you would like to have a poem my mother said she learned in school around 1910. She is Mrs. Ora Singleton Rose, age 84. She lives in Morganton, N.C. now but she loves to talk about the mountains where she grew up. She has a good memory of her life when she was growing up. Mother grew up on Doe Hill and went to school at Brushy Creek in Avery County, NC. I don't know the name of the poem.

My aunt subscribed for me and when I got the first copy, I knew it was what she would enjoy so I sent in a subscription for her. She really enjoys it and tells everyone about it.

I give my copies to different people each month that I think would be interested in The Mountain Laurel. I enjoy it so much, I want everyone else to. Several of them say they have sent in subscriptions.

Thank you,
K. Barrier
Newland, North Carolina

The Fourth of July is a fine day for boys
It's fun, it s frolic, it's racket and noise.

Thanksgiving is grand for it's then we live high
When the folks all come home to eat Turkey and pie.

And Christmas is jolly, with winter and snow
With skating and sleigh rides and presents, you know.

But I think after all, if you ask me to say
Which I thought was the best and happiest day.

That I would have to confess, though I like all the rest
That Thanksgiving somehow is really the best.

Dear Ms. Thigpen,
As I renew my subscription , I would like to comment on your recent articles on the Bell Witch of Tennessee. I grew up near the Bell farm where the witch resided ( I'll refer to the witch positively since accounts by Bell family members and in a book "The Bell Witch" are real enough to change the minds of most doubters.) Each summer my family, along with several other families in the community, spent a week camped on the Red River near the Bell farm. There were many incidents to scare us as children, but my most vivid memories are of going into the "Bell Witch Cave" on the bank of the river. Of course we dared each other to see who would go the deepest into the cave. Each of us has our own story about what we saw or felt in that dark spooky hole. There also seemed to be a lot of unexplained bumps in the night in the old cabin we stayed in.

Those camping days were around fifty years ago, and I was very surprised to see the articles in your paper. I enjoy your paper very much. Keep up the good work.

N. E. Galbreath
Ridgeway, Virginia

Dear Mountain Laurel,
I just wanted to say thank you to all the fine folks of Floyd and Meadows of Dan, Virginia. We vacationed in Virginia in July and stayed at the Round Meadows Campground in a tent. We are especially grateful to Palmer McPeak and Juanita Hall who became friends during that time. They allowed us to swim in their cold water stream beyond the cow pasture and feed the baby bull. Being "city folk" this was a real treasure to us.

I also want to thank the elderly couple down the road from the restaurant in Meadows of Dan. Woods was their name I believe. We stopped at their yard sale and she took me inside her home to show me all her braided rugs and then to her chicken coop to see her chickens and finally to her bountiful garden. We left with a few things from her yard sale, a dozen country fresh eggs and fresh vegetables, but more than that - we left with warmth and the friendship of an elderly couple to whom we were strangers. They even asked us to camp overnight in their yard.

One more thank you to Willie - the 92 year old gentleman who flat foot danced with my 11 year old daughter, Kristen, at Mabry Mill.

Oh, how we hated to leave you all, but The Mountain Laurel lets me feel close to all of you in Floyd and Meadows of Dan. You are all so lucky to live in the country and have fine, caring friends like the ones we met.

Thanks for the memories,

J. & D. Tiesler
St. Petersburg, Florida

Dear Editor,
In 1985 we were fortunate to pick up a copy of The Mountain Laurel at a shop on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We think you have a tremendous magazine.

In September of this year we spent some time in Floyd County, Virginia using your paper as a guide. We enjoyed our visit very much.

We especially enjoy Grace Cash's articles since I was "raised" at Flowery Branch, Georgia. This is located very near the childhood home of Ms. Cash.

Keep up the good work,

D. & V. Lott
Lindale, Georgia

Dear Editor,
I have been collecting "The Mountain Laurel" over a year now. The stories and writers are fabulous. My husband can read, but I sat and read to him some stories out of last Februarys issue last night. I love to share the stories with him. Sometimes I can't find your paper at Ingles on 176 in Hendersonville, N.C. So I would like to subscribe so I won't miss any.

I am deeply into Genealogy and belong to our Society here. I would like to read and have more written in "The Mountain Laurel" like the Nestor story. Thanks to Emily P. Cary for taking time to write it.

Always,
Mrs. F. H. Stepp
Hendersonville, North Carolina