State

г Page Six T H E S T A T E A typical scene of quiet and beauty along the shores of White Lake, Bladen County. White Lake THE crouds have ruined much of its placid and peaceful atmos¬ phere. but it is still a place off genuine delight to vacationists. В ./ SUSAN IDEN ALONG about the first of June /\ and warm summer days the * Ж White Lake urge heroines too strong to l>e resisted and crowds of people turn their faces toward Bladen County’s beautiful lake for the most delightful swim that can he enjoyed anywhere in the State. At any time of day or night there is nothing to equal the joy of a swim in White Lake. On summer nights when one floats la/.ilv on the water, face upturned to the star-lit heavens, or outs through the smooth sheet of water silvered by moonlight in early morning, when birds wake one with their chorus of music in the trees, the lake in the freshness of a new day turns hack the sleep from one's eye¬ lids — at mid day when crowds of vis¬ itors, braving sunburn on diving boards or slides, make the shore line gay with bright liucd bathing suits and caps — at sunset when the water turns to gold with a marvelous ming¬ ling of opalescent tints and there is the faint perfume of hay trees and the evening song of birds— there is noth¬ ing equal to a swim in White Lake. White Lake is one of a number of natural lakes in Bladen County. There is another a few miles distant named Black Lake Is-canse of its dark wa¬ ters, just as White Lake is so named because of its extreme clearness. The lake which is nbout two miles wide ami three miles long is said to 1ю fed by underground springs. There seems to Ik* no other inlet and only a small outlet on the south side of the lake. There is a startling and deceptive clearness to the water. Beaches slope into the water with a smooth, gradual incline, a 2 per cent grade to the cen¬ ter of the lake which is 18 feet deep. One can ho shoulder deep in the water and see the white sandy, smooth bot¬ tom ; so clear is the water. Years ago before the automobiles brought the crowds, White Lake used to be a great outing place for Bladen ami Columbus county people. A house party at the lake was the chief entertainment for summer visitors in Eastern North Carolina and many scenes of hospitality have centered around the lake. When the first vis¬ itors began to come, even from a dis¬ tant part of Bladen County, there were some who resented their presence, and when a few Raleigh fishermen found May 30, 1936 the lake they were termed foreigners, and got many black looks from those who felt that the whole lake country belonged to them. In those days a trip to White Lake was something of a thrilling adventure, many sections of the road frequently lieing under wa¬ ter to the depths of the buggy hubs. The Love place toward the western end of the lake, and the Melvine place at the opposite end, used to be the only homes on the lake shore. Mrs. Love, who was the mother of Mrs. II. II. Brimlcy of Raleigh, died only a few months ago. She had kept her hos¬ pitable old home at the lake for many years. Plenty of Beaches About half way lie tween the Love and the Melvine places are the chief amusement I teaches and recreation cen¬ ters, though all of the cottages have their private beaches. The lake is the scene of several camps, the Young Tar Heel Farmers Camp on the south side t.f the lake, where farm boys from all over the State gather for a week’s outing from the middle of June to late August, and the camp of the d-II Club hoys and girls on the north side. There are about ten cottages of the Young Tar Heel Farmers and about six of the -l-II Club boys and girls. There is a drive of eight or nine miles around the lake, that has recent¬ ly been develop'd from deep sand ruts of former years into a good road. Driveways from the road lead to the cottages and to the lake. In the drive around the lake the blue waters are almost constantly in view, creating fascinating glimpses through the trees. Everywhere the trees are heavy with Spanish moss, giving the place a de¬ cidedly tropical air. All round about are stretches of grass sedge Itogs where many lovely and interesting wild flow¬ ers may he found including the Venus Fly Trap, the most interesting plant in the world, which may lie easily found in June when it is in blossom, its white flowers standing up above the grass, so that- they may easily be seen. The old days of private house parties when the woods and waters were un¬ disturbed by crowds of “foreigners,” have gone forever. With improved roads and modern conveniences and improvements, and over increasing crowds, much of the primitive charm of the lake has vanished, but it will always remain one of the most beau¬ tiful and the safest swimming place in the State, an ever growing attraction to visitors.