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Dr. Ronald P. Rogers CHIROPRACTOR Support for your body's natural healing capabilities 270-384-5554 Click here for details 
  
Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig 
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A near-disastrous Adair County caving expedition Adair County notables Rollin Hurt and Melvin White and two buddies, when sixteen years of age, had a caving experience with some Tom Sawyerish parallels. maybe not so coincidental, if you are reading this today, in Halloween mode, and your mind is conjuring that Tom's creator's procreation was with this same Adair County. But that is speculative. This hair raising story JIM is unfolding is the Gospel truth. It was in the Adair County News as Bible true as any verse in Hezekiah.-CM By JIM "Their candles given out:" A near-disastrous Adair County caving expedition Some of the most gripping passages ever penned by Mark Twain, Adair County's world-famous "grandson of the Shire," appeared in his novel Tom Sawyer. These passages involve Tom and Miss Becky Thatcher (his petite amie du jour) and their harrowing experience in McDougal's Cave. A somewhat similar saga occurred in Adair County in (or about) 1876, the same year the world met Twain's Tom Sawyer and friends. Rollin (later Judge) Hurt, one of the principals therein, hardly needs introduction. The other, Mr. Melvin White, left Adair County in the early 1880s and hied himself off to south-central North Carolina. Although far removed from the sacred hills and hollows of home, he always held them dear, and his long, humor-laced letters sporadically graced the pages of the News for decades. But on with the story! This appeared in the September 20, 1921 edition of the News. On the farm formerly owned by Mr. Curt White, three miles south of Columbia, there is a cave in which long since there were many curiosities and frequently it was entered by neighbors, looking for Indian relics, etc. When Rollin Hurt, now Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals, and Melvin White, now a school teacher and newspaper correspondent, who lives in North Carolina, were sixteen years of age each, neighbor boys, boon companions, their homes being a short distance from the cave, concluded that they would explore it and see what they could find in the way of Indian relics. They procured several candles and entered the cavern one Sunday afternoon about 3 o'clock. They wandered around and were in high glee seeing the sights, and about 8 o'clock at night, they supposed, they found that their candles had given out and that they were in total darkness. ("The children fastened their eyes upon their bit of candle and watched it melt slowly and pitilessly away; saw the half inch of wick stand alone at last; saw the feeble flame rise and fall, climb the thin column of smoke, linger at its top a moment, and then -- the horror of utter darkness reigned!" -- Tom Sawyer, Chapter XXXI.) They had no edibles and they continued to walk around looking for a ray of light. They remained in the cave until Tuesday afternoon, and finally they struck a branch which they followed and which led them out, but through a different entrance from the one they started in. They were about exhausted. Before they got out, friends met to consult as to their whereabouts. Mr. Oscar Pile, a very positive farmer, lived in the neighborhood and was called into consultation. Several men and women were in the crowd, and it was suggested that in all probability the boys were lost in the cave. "Tuesday afternoon came, and waned to the twilight. The village of St. Petersburg still mourned. The lost children had not been found. Public prayers had been offered up for them, and many and many a private prayer that had the petitioner's whole heart in it; but still no good news came from the cave." (Tom Sawyer, Chapter XXXII.) Well," said Mr. Pile, "if they are in the cave they will get out, but if it was any of the rest of you, death would be your portion. No trouble about them boys; they will get out." ("Away in the middle of the night a wild peal burst from the village bells, and in a moment the streets were swarming with frantic half-clad people, who shouted, 'Turn out! turn out! they're found! they're found!' Tin pans and horns were added to the din, the population massed itself and moved toward the river, met the children coming in an open carriage drawn by shouting citizens, thronged around it, joined its homeward march, and swept magnificently up the main street roaring huzzah after huzzah!" -- Tom Sawyer, Chapter XXXII.) Compiled by JIM This story was posted on 2011-10-20 08:12:35
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Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. (AD) - Many Reunion organizing efforts are also advertised in our REUNIONS category in our CM Classifeds. These are posted at a very low cost. See RATES & TERMS More articles from topic Local History:
Coming to town with $1 to spend: It went a long way, then Memories: Kids got a dollar when they went to town 5th Annual Silent City Tour is Monday, October 24, 2011 A Saturday trip to town was a big event Columbia's Crackerjack City Council of 1902 Mrs. Jackson's account of Robbery of the Bank of Columbia Dr. Sandidge, Green Co. native, practiced at Wisdom, KY 100 years ago: odds and ends from the News History of the United Methodist Acton Retreat Center Robert Flowers: Tears from pride were in our eyes today View even more articles in topic Local History |
 
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