State

for a little while, then revived wilh new strength. A checker board was placed on a table in the front window of Hubert Roberts' drug store. It was near the sidewalk so pedestrians could stop by, look in and enjoy the game. They’d watch through the window. "When Jeter P. Ramsey was sheriff of Madison County, he’d often invite his friends into the jail on lower Bridge Street and they'd play for hours until he received a call or had to go out to arrest somebody. “Talmadge McLean's barber shop became the next center for checker players. Incidentally, McLean soon be¬ came one of the top players around Marshall. Spectators often had to watch a bit while waiting for a haircut. "Time passed and most of the old timers passed on. This left only about four or five top players — McLean, Andrew Bridges, Edwards and Ramsey (and Story). One day while Jeter P. and I were playing in the drug store, we noticed some men gathered at the win¬ dow watching and betting on the game. We decided to teach them a lesson so we started making stupid moves. "Wc soon had them fighting among themselves. We lost several friends that way. Some of the finest times wc ever had playing checkers were at the home of the late В. H. Bobo on the Hender¬ sonville highway just south of Ashe¬ ville. Mr. Bobo went all out entertain¬ ing checker players and hosting tournaments, especially on the 4th of July and Labor Day. He and Mrs. Bobo would hire extra cooks and maids to serve fine buffet meals on their beautiful lawn. Often twenty or more players would arrive about mid-mor¬ ning. Thcrc’d be a drawing of op¬ ponents — major and minor, and play would begin. It never ceased, except at mealtime. After dinner we’d start again. Sometimes the tournaments wouldn't be over until 9 or 10 P.M. But that's all over now. “Occasionally Ramsey, McLean and Story meet at the News-Record of¬ fice for a friendly game or so, but daytime playing is about a thing of the past. Folks are just too busy to play checkers. Membership in the present checkers club in Asheville now in¬ cludes Edwards, Story, Carrol Rad¬ ford. Frank Kaylor, J. F. Ray. Cecil Crcasman. R. M. Hancock. E. W. McElreath, Phil Brown. Elmer Poor, Dr. I. H. Archer and D. W. Parham, former state champion and ‘dean’ of the W.N.C. players." But in spite of what editor Story 14 says about checkers being a thing of the past, you can still find a lot of players in Madison County. There are still plenty of boards around pot-bellied stoves and plenty of bottle cap checkers. Judson "Сарру" Edwards still plays a wicked board, still makes the classy moves on it. Once in a while Rush Wray of the Nu-Wray Hotel in Burns¬ ville, sends out to Beech Glen for him Remember the Battle of Benton- ville? Don't feel badly; a lot of other history teachers failed to give it much attention, although it had stature enough to be regarded as a major battle. As a matter of fact, it was the only full-scale Confederate attempt to stop General Sherman after Atlanta, and it was the largest land battle ever fought in North Carolina. to come over and teach his guests a mountain trick or so. "I never studied checkers in books," said Edwards. "I just picked it up, so none of those tourists ever figured out my 'system.' (I don’t have one). They couldn't tell what I was going to do. They really weren't too much competi¬ tion. I just accommodated them.” Moral: Never play checkers with a Madison man. He’ll accommodate you! Thousands of drivers on Interstate 95 pass within a few minutes of the partially preserved battlefield every day. They can hardly ignore it. since it is adequately signed, but the number which turns off onto U.S. 701 to reach it remains relatively small. Bcntonvillc Battlefield, about a quarter-hour’s drive from 1-95, has a modern Visitor Center, which also houses a small museum, but its best No» о Sfolc Historic Site, 51 ocres of fhe bottlcficld oreo were purcHotcd by stotc-opproprioted funds, supplemented by the Benfonville Bottlefield Associotion. At the modern Visitor Center, shown here, ore mops, descriptions, ond disploys to oid visitors in reconstructing the course of the bottle. Neorby ore the Confedcrote Cemetery and port of the earthen breostworhs used in the battle. THE STATE. APRIL 1, 1972 PLACES TO VISIT: The Battlefield Al Bentonville Tlio Moodiest bottle ever fought on North Carolina .soil was here. By JOHN BOW EN