The North Carolina Flux

06/08/2020

There have been many incredible North Carolinians throughout our journey, yet none seem to have struck such a public chord quite like that of David “Carbine” Williams.

Carbine Williams was raised outside of Fayetteville in the humble community of Godwin. From an early age, Williams was fascinated with fi****ms. His first gun was made from wood, reed & twine and he would playfully discharge his pea-shooter while ditching middle school classes.

His youthful escapades soon turned serious. By age twenty, he was distilling corn liquor to pay the bills and it wasn’t long before the local sheriff came calling. Shots were fired and when the smoke cleared a deputy lay dead. Williams plead guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years hard time in Caledonia State Prison(Still in operation today).

David Williams did his time quietly and found solitude in the prison’s machine shop. Soon his mechanical talents were noticed and prison guards began bringing their pistols to Williams for repair & refinement. Williams was also in charge of maintaining the very shackles he would wear as part of the prison’s chain gangs. At night, he would sketch new ideas and began to file for patents on the Self-Loading firearm and Short Stroke Piston. His genius was so overwhelming that even the widow of his victim joined a campaign for his early release in 1931.

Nearly a decade later, the United States was on the brink of war with Imperial Japan & N**i Germany. The country was still financially broke from the Great Depression. Another Carbine Williams patent would allow the nation to prepare for war at ten cents on the dollar. His Floating Chamber allowed troops to fire a small round inside a large caliber rifle while training. The practice saved the United States tens of millions of dollars annually. Williams also develop the M1 rifle used by American troops which came in at nearly three pounds lighter than its predecessor, with minimal loss of accuracy.

War Department officials recommended David Williams for employment at Wi******er Arms. However, the interview did not go well and the company privately saw Williams as peculiar and a hick from the sticks. Williams made no secret of his disdain for group work and demanded that he be left to his simple shop in Godwin. This is where the legend of Carbine Williams began to grow.

You see, in post-industrial revolution America there were more fi****ms per capita than any time in our history. Men, women & children knew how to use them and responsibly so. There were no mass shootings, school shootings and certainly not enough killings to have an established “murder rate”. Food was still put on the table the old fashioned way. So, when word began to spread about Carbine Williams, just about every American household could relate in some fashion. Throw in his rural rags-to-redemption experience, Carbine Williams became an American Icon.

The story of Carbine Williams would not be possible without two very important people. First, his mother who never lost faith in her son and acted as a conduit to industry insiders during his prison stint. Secondly, was H.T. Peoples the prison warden at Caledonia. Peoples developed a trust with Williams in which he later stated that had Carbine used a guard’s weapon to escape that he would have served out Williams’ sentence himself. Williams was later portrayed by Jimmy Stewart in the epic 1952 film “Carbine Williams”. Today he rests gracefully at Old Bluff Cemetery in Godwin, just steps from where that curious, young boy once fired his pea-shooter.

23/12/2019

Megalodon went extinct roughly three million years ago, yet fascination with these Miocene apex-predators is still reaching a fever pitch.

North Carolina’s coastal floor is in some places, littered with Megalodon teeth. In turn, a small gold rush of sorts has brought divers and collectors from all over the world to places like the Cape Fear, Crystal Coast and OBX. Prized fossils are even being pulled from shallow creeks that bleed into our sounds. Researchers believe much of our eastern third was submerged during the period.

The estimated forty-ton beast measured sixty-feet in length. A plentiful diet of whales, sea lions, dolphins & turtles were available. What is mind-blowing is the amount of teeth being found, suggests an infinite Sea World buffet in terms of scale.

In terms of cash money. Some teeth can fetch a few thousand dollars. Aficionados will pay for size, condition, color and just overall magnificence. An entire set of jaws can bring one-million dollars, though only ten have been found worldwide. Yet.

Five inches in tooth length is rare, six is the record. However, ocean exploration is still very young in the big scheme of things. The dern Titanic was only found in 1985. No one truly knows what is about to be uncovered.

To those willing to go deeper with a higher threshold of danger, a payday awaits. Some dives reportedly involve digging and searching in zero-visibility.

22/11/2019

In 2015, Luke Combs walked into a Nashville music executive’s office with four aces in his back pocket. They were all future No. 1 hits he had written while dropping out of Appalachian State as a rising senior. After a brief submission, the response was “I’ve got two things to tell you. First, you need to write better songs and you’re never gonna be an artist. No one is going to pay money to see you.”

A few weeks later, another industry king of smart asked Combs, “Exactly which performer would you like us to pitch these songs to?”

Undeterred, Luke Combs began his own trek around North Carolina in his tiny Dodge Neon. The car would start smoking at intersections, but Combs carried on to places like Sanford, Elizabethtown & Hickory. Pretty soon folks were asking, “have you ever heard of this guy” and the rest as they say is history.

Much of the success for Luke Combs can be traced back to a night in Boone where a friend dragged a hesitant Combs to see Granite Falls native Eric Church in concert. Within days, Combs returned to his parent’s house in Asheville and rescued a dusty guitar that had sat idle since his eleventh birthday. It would become a pivotal link to his inner purpose and a vehicle for a once-in-a-generation musical talent.

His story is often characterized as unlikely by Country Music media wonks. Unfortunately, they’ve been drinking the same poison as the executives, where which hair gel to use is often deemed more important than the art itself.

The simple fact is that North Carolina has always valued substance over style and in many cases the substance is in fact, the style. Let the record show that when Nashville turned its back on Luke Combs it was North Carolinians who helped propel him to superstar status by our standard, not theirs. By that same token, when Combs takes any stage he is representing all of us far better than any professional athlete or politician could possibly dream of.

Luke Combs was recently asked how he was embracing his newfound status. He stated that he added a screened-in porch to his parents home, but that his father insisted on using economy fold-out chairs for the decor. Luke and his mother had to sneak new furniture into the room while his father was away. Mr. Combs has since been able to retire from his maintenance position, but Mrs. Combs will not budge from her job.

Ten days ago, Luke Combs was named the 2019 CMA Male Vocalist Of The Year. His meteoric journey will come full-circle May 2nd, 2020 with an Appalachian State stadium show. See you there.

20/09/2019

There are so many dragonflies in North Carolina that they’re showing up on weather radar

Remain calm.

Hordes of dragonflies are showing up on weather radar and making things interesting for weather forecasters in the Eastern United States. It's not their fault -- the flying insects are just heading south to escape the coming cold weather. The National Weather Service office in Wakefield, Virginia, t...

11/05/2019

On April 11th, 1865 Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet fled Danville, Virginia with only a few minutes to spare. Behind them were yankee raiders looking to burn a railroad crossing and trap what was left of his government. Greensboro was the destination for a conference with his remaining field generals Joseph E. Johnston and P.T. Beauregard the following day.

The officers were blunt. The “cause” was lost and further bloodshed would be a crime to humanity and his country. Davis would ramble on with notions that Confederate troops could rally, while those present laid silent in disbelief. Ultimately, he would extend terms of surrender with the condition that southern leaders be given immunity and return to their former positions. Davis knew this was futile, but he wasn’t seeking a peace. He was buying time to escape and reform his ranks in the deep south, perhaps Texas.

The entire Confederate Cabinet would reside in leaky boxcars for a few days. Davis himself could only muster a tiny room with a single bed as his new headquarters. On April 14th, Davis and his party would load wagons and saddlebags to continue their flight. Stops in Lexington(sleeping under a tree), Salisbury and Charlotte would soon follow. There he would learn of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. His personal safety was now in perilous jeopardy and Davis would request the es**rt of General Johnston’s cavalry. A furious Johnston refused.

Jefferson Davis and his entourage left North Carolina on April 26th. In South Carolina, he received a hero’s welcome as flowers were strewn in the path of his procession. An officer noted “he is traveling like a President once again, not a fugitive.” A few thousand South Carolina men and Tennessee cavalry joined him, but at the price of remaining confederate gold in his possession.

Weeks later they would reach Augusta where the proverbial wheels began to come off. Word arrived from North Carolina that General Johnston had surrendered his broken army near Durham. Over the next few hours, records were destroyed and supporters began to peel away like rotten layers of an onion. Davis would disappear into the Georgia night and be apprehended on May 10th wearing a woman’s shawl over his head to conceal his identity.

North Carolina was the last state to join the Confederacy and did so after exhausting debate. When it did, it became all or nothing. The state produced more troops and casualties than any other with 40,000 falling in the line of battle. Its participation rate among the eligible was an astonishing 97.6% including 10,000 that fought for the North. The vast majority of Tar Heels had never owned a slave and some had never seen one. When the dust settled, they served with honor and distinction facing their foe.

That’s a lot more than we can say about the gutless snake that was Jefferson Davis.

10/03/2019

Roseboro’s Earl Strickland was once threatened with a bullet to the head if he sank the 9-ball to end a high-dollar money game. He and his opponent were locked in a seedy pool hall in the 1970’s when the man brandished his weapon. Strickland stated that the man would have to kill him, then proceeded to clear the table. His opponent was so impressed with the brashness of "Little Earl" that he pocketed his pistol, pulled out a roll of cash and said "you're one of the best players I've ever seen".

Strickland credits this encounter and many others of his North Carolina youth in preparing him for a professional career unparalleled in Billiards history. In sixteen major championships, he won all sixteen and in 1996 a sponsor put up a million dollar bonus to anyone who could run 10 consecutive racks. He ran eleven. Peers collectively place his psyche somewhere between genius & OCD.

With Strickland’s rise to world champion, so too came the media attention. His temper was quick and as the stakes were raised Strickland often reached a boiling point. He was hated by the fans, opponents and just about everyone wanted to see him lose. He seemed to relish the role as villain and propelled Billiards to new level of popularity.

Just as Strickland was making his mark as a superstar, the sport simply ran out of gas in terms of appeal. Purses became a fraction of their former self, cable television opted out and a messy divorce sent Strickland into financial ruin. Today, Earl floats between New York and Philadelphia making ends meet with trick-shot exhibitions as very few want a piece of "Earl The Pearl" heads-up.

02/02/2019

The arrest, escape, trial & ex*****on of Frances “Frankie” Silver is a story that will not fade away. The fascination with the Mitchell County mystery has endured for nearly 200 years and for good reason.

Frances Stuart was born to Isaiah & Barbara Stuart in the small community of Kona, North Carolina. In her teens she would go on to marry Charles Silver, her neighbor across the mountain. The two would reside in a small cabin on the Silver property and welcome baby Nancy in 1830.

Nearly a year later, Charles goes missing. Frankie said that Charles hadn’t returned from a winter hunt and alarm bells began to ring. Kona was a frontier town then, but these were tough people who knew the land.

The Silver family would summon a soothsayer from Tennessee as panic began to set in. After performing his rituals, the former slave insisted that Charles Silver’s presence was still on the property. A family friend summarily entered the cabin days later to find human remains in the fireplace, dried blood under the floorboards and parts of a skull hidden inside a nearby stump.

Frankie Silver was described as a smart, spry young woman but only 90 pounds drippin’ wet. Just about everyone of that time was handy with an ax, but it didn’t take locals long to suspect she had help. Frankie, her mother and brother Blackston were arrested and charged with murder. As her trial drew near, charges against the latter two were dropped for lack of evidence.

Frankie would stand trial for murder and plead not-guilty at the steadfast direction of her father Isaiah. She would not testify as the law required in those days and many believed her plea was a desperate attempt to protect whomever took part in the crime. Her decision would nullify any attempts to claim self-defense or extenuating circumstances. The prosecution would have to win the case on circumstantial evidence and they did just that on March 31st, 1832.

Her ex*****on date would be set for June. Days later, Frankie would confess to the killing in a public statement that made the local and regional papers. She would claim abuse at the hands of Charles Silver and a direct threat to her & her newborn after a night of drinking. The version of events struck a chord with many and calls for clemency began. The case had concluded but the court of public opinion was beginning to boil.

Seven of the twelve jurors would come forward in support of a commutation. Women’s associations would put pen to paper, lobbying all corners of the state. Two governors in the midst of a transition would be forced to take a position, both siding with the court’s original sentence. The People vs. Frances Stuart Silver had become a lighting rod too great for the hollers of Kona.

On May 18th, the story would take another dramatic turn. Frankie was busted out of jail. She was dressed in men’s clothes and her hair cut as the Stuarts made a run for the open West. A posse was formed and cornered the family in Henderson County after an exhausting pursuit.

As the sheriff came close he hollered “Frankie!”. She replied, “I thank you sir, but my name is Tommy”. Her uncle who had joined the effort added, “Yeah, HER name is Tommy” and the gig was up. Back to jail went Frankie as did her accomplices.

On July 12th Frankie Silver stood in front of large crowd in Morganton with a rope around her neck. When asked if she had any last words, a voice emerged from the crowd. It was her father Isaiah, free on bond to witness his daughter’s ex*****on. “Die with it in ye Frankie”, he said as if to quell any notion of a hidden truth emerging. With that, the floor beneath her fell and Frankie Silver died at the age of nineteen.

In modern times, the story of Frankie Silver has been the subject of documentaries, plays, songs & continued folk lore. In most cases, her light has been cast as a victim of her time. A young woman confined to a traditional role without rights or a voice.

Others believe that justice was served and that accusations of Charles Silver’s abuse only came after her conviction. One possible motive for the killing has been long rumored to have been the Stuart family’s desire to move west before the murder. Theories suggest that Charles Silver would have none of it. Other possible motives include the Stuart’s making a land grab with Frankie being the beneficiary of Charles’ estate.

Detractors of Frankie Silver’s claim also point to a curse that followed the Stuart Family for years thereafter. Isaiah died from a falling tree branch, Barbara Stuart succumbed to a poisonous snakebite, her brother Blackston was hung for stealing horses and another brother was beheaded by Union Troops during the Civil War.

In perhaps the final twist of this incredible, multi-century drama …. Somewhere near Laurens, South Carolina lives a woman named Lara Martin. Her mother’s side of the family are Stuarts & her father’s descendants are Silvers, both from the area in question. It appears that once again the two families are living together in sweet harmony. Hopefully, this time for good.

22/11/2018

300 years ago this week, Blackbeard was killed in the shallow waters off Ocracoke Island. There is much about his slaying that we know to be true, some that is likely writer’s embellishment and a great deal that is pure bs.

A great battle between the respective crews of Blackbeard & Lieutenant Robert Maynard certainly took place. It was ferocious, bloody, hand-to-hand combat impossible to recreate in the world’s finest movie studios. What gets lost in historical context is that Maynard wasn’t supposed to be there.

Maynard was sent on behalf of Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood. North Carolinians had requested aid from their own Governor Charles Eden many times. Not only had Eden failed to answer their calls, but was actually in cahoots with Blackbeard. Historians today do not portray Spotswood as an arbiter of justice, but rather a power-hungry bureaucrat currying favor with the crown while exacting revenge toward an old rival in Eden.

Though Spotswood had every right to be proactive in regards to Virginia, his incursion into North Carolina affairs was a big no-no. This is why an expendable, lowly lieutenant carrying only small arms was sent while Blackbeard laid claim to eight cannon and home field advantage. The mission could not appear to be sanctioned by the Virginia Colony. If events went awry, there wouldn’t be anyone of stature left to tell the story.

For Robert Maynard, the rewards could not have been more tempting. Glory, infamy & bounty. When the smoke cleared however, Maynard’s dance with destiny had become a nightmare. Jealous peers accused him of seizing valuables for his own accord (though no formal accusation was ever brought) and he did not receive bounty until four years later. In that time, Robert Maynard was actually demoted. He would not command another vessel for 21 years and faded into naval obscurity.

Blackbeard will forever be a larger-than-life figure and is worth every ounce in historical significance. Yet, let us pause to appreciate Robert Maynard who pulled off one of the most stunning and frightening acts of heroism in the new world.

03/11/2018

The first Europeans on North Carolina soil were the Spanish. Decades before the Lost Colony, Conquistadors pursued our riches & resource with great fervor. First came de Allyon, then de Soto and both scored mild successes. However, the most prolific & fascinating explorer would be Juan Pardo.

Juan Pardo was a military man by trade. However, his greatest strides were made via the carrot, not the stick. In 1566, Pardo established a series of garrisons from the South Carolina coast toward the North Carolina Blue Ridge. Pardo was gifted in the art of diplomacy and forged alliances with native tribes along the way at an astonishing pace.

Pardo was so successful in his initial quests that Spanish commanders ordered his return one year later. Here he continued to chisel through the Appalachian Mountains searching for a back door to Mexico (erratic Spanish mapping had the Smokies & Rockies as part of the same range). Before it was all said and done, Pardo had cemented a presence in modern day Charlotte, Salisbury, Morganton, Asheville, Marshall and many other points of activity.

In 1568, word came that Spanish interests were being threatened by the French back in South Carolina. Without hesitation, Pardo would return and his network began to unravel. Soon, relations among soldiers and natives would turn bloody and the establishments lost cohesion without Pardo’s ability to persuade. Spain was now on defense as other world powers crept closer.

There is no further written or oral history on what happened to Juan Pardo after his time in North Carolina. Like the Spanish, Pardo vanished from the new world and from the history books often dominated by Anglo-centric perspectives. He has today earned newfound respect among researchers as we better understand the scale of Spanish influence in the Southeastern United States.

Early exploration often meant exploitation when it came to the Spanish, but not so much for Pardo. He is one of the few sympathetic figures we find just beneath the surface, who by all accounts had the god-given ability to connect on a human level. Only one of his outposts has ever been found.

18/09/2018

Tar Hooves.

They relied on their instincts to ride out the storm.

25/08/2018

Before Ric Flair was the "Nature Boy" he was referred to as the "Wrestling Hippie". His real name is also not Richard Fliehr, but possibly Fred Phillips, Fred Demaree, or Fred Stewart. The future 16-Time World Heavyweight Champion was adopted from an orphanage later accused of kidnapping nearly 50 children.

04/08/2018

On April 15th, 1925 Babe Ruth was reported as dead in Asheville. The news sent shock waves throughout America and a dark cloud of grief set in over New York City. His obituary ran in the afternoon newspapers and the nation fell numb as its greatest star of the 20th century had left too soon.

However, Ruth was not dead. The rumor had good reason to take root as Ruth had been whisked away to the Battery Park Hotel under extreme desperation. Hours earlier, he had collapsed at the train station after another night of consuming spirits, grub & women in his usual fashion. His weight had bloated in recent weeks and teammates were stunned that he could continue the torrid pace while playing better baseball than ever before.

The next morning Ruth was loaded into a private railcar and shuttled north. Yankee officials did their best to get ahead of the whispers. A beat writer labeled the episode “The Bellyache Heard Around The World” and Ruth would undergo surgery in the following days to remove an intestinal abscess. He would spend the next seven weeks in the hospital then return to the field on June 1st. When it was all said and done, Ruth finished the season batting .300 with 25 home runs.

Ruth will always be a man of New York City, but his legacy is very much written in North Carolina. The Babe received his nickname in Fayetteville in 1914. Days later he hit his first professional home run some 400 feet in what observers called the “longest ever seen”. Ruth also spent considerable time at Craven County's Camp Bryan, a private hunting lodge that is rumored to still be in operation today.

14/07/2018

There are few events in North Carolina quite like The Smokeout Rally. A biker affair for sure, but so much more. Nestled within the sprawling 300-acre Rockingham Dragway one will find a curious mix of folks bound by a love for beautiful motorcycles. If you like to people watch, this is the place.

There is really only one rule at the Smokeout. Respect the person next to you. After that, all bets are off thus creating North Carolina’s greatest version of adult spring break. It is also family-friendly in a sense where mothers, daughters, grandfathers and grandsons often unite for a weekend of fun.

The Smokeout has written its own history. Next June, motorheads will toast their 20th Anniversary after stops in Cherokee, Salisbury, Farmington and now Rockingham. For those a touch nervous about maxing out your bike, rest easy. The Rock offers the longest post-finish shutdown in the United States.

Audio & performance of the hit single “Play On” courtesy of The Blue Pickups Band, a carolina favorite for years to come and available where you buy music.

07/07/2018

Lake Mattamuskeet is North Carolina's largest freshwater body measured at sixty-three square miles. Modern scientists believe it was caused by an asteroid strike. First Americans say it's from a smoldering peat fire also known as the "Fire of Thirteen Moons". Only one of the two possible scenarios can be correct.

23/06/2018

300 years ago this week, Blackbeard entered the town of Bath, North Carolina and received the King’s Pardon from Royal Governor Charles Eden. With a new lease on life, Blackbeard took the hand of his fourteenth wife in Mary Ormond. The ceremony was also performed by Governor Eden, who quietly acted as Blackbeard’s fence, or middleman for stolen goods.

The next two months would provide Blackbeard with a taste of civilian life. Here he would build a small home overlooking the Pamlico River and the future looked promising for he and his young bride.

In August, Blackbeard is reported to have become extremely restless. Edward Teach had spent an entire life at sea and in truth was his first and most sacred love. There he wasn’t just a somebody, but a superstar on par with the historical likes of George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant.

By September, Blackbeard couldn’t resist the lure any longer and returned to piracy. After taking five more prized ships, Teach was hunted down and killed on Ocracoke Island in November 1718. There is no record in what became of Mary Ormond, but it’s fair to say that in life & death Blackbeard proved to be a real heartbreaker.

Happy Anniversary to Mary and Edward. RIP

09/06/2018

The Lady Praying Mantis is North Carolina’s ultimate display in Femme Fatale. When choosing a mate, a female will play passive and allow the male to mount then hold her by the neck. After fertilization, the male will remain in a brief state of euphoria. This pause enables the Ms. to summarily turn and bite the head off her partner, a snack loaded in Amino Acids. The phenomenon is thought to increase her offspring by some 400%.

14/04/2018

Roberta Flack was born & bred in Black Mountain, North Carolina the daughter of two church musicians. Her own exceptional talent drew a full-scholarship to Howard University at fifteen years old.

Her father's death a few years later forced Flack to abandon any dreams of the stage. She would come home and take a job teaching in Farmville upon graduation.

The years would pass, but Roberta's desire to sing would not. Flack would return to Washington D.C. nearly a decade later setting up shop in a tiny apartment. There she would teach lessons by day and perform by night.

Her life would forever change when an Atlantic Records representative walked into the club one evening. After the performance, he said "her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I've ever known. I laughed, cried, and screamed for more".

Roberta Flack - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 1972 The first time ever I saw your face I thought the sun rose in your eyes And the moon and the stars were ...

01/04/2018

Maggie Valley's Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton was a legendary moonshiner and bootlegger. His nickname came from an unfortunate confrontation with a stubborn vending machine. With the aid of a pool cue, Sutton was able to successfully retrieve his tasty prize. However, the machine didn't make out too well and the feisty Sutton was forced to make good on the unit.

10/02/2018

Rose Greenhow was A Confederate spy who earned her fame by infiltrating Washington military and political circles.

In July of 1861, Union forces moved south looking for the war’s first fight. Rebels would be waiting and ready, the beneficiaries of Greenhow’s sinister work. The Blue & Gray would collide at First Bull Run, where Yankee divisions were overwhelmed and scattered back to Washington.

One year later, Rose Greenhow was jailed for her suspected treason. She would continue her escapades in prison, using the window blinds and candles in a combination of signals from her streetside room. Guards eventually moved her quarters toward the courtyard, then gave up and deported her south to Virginia.

Greenhow would receive a hero’s welcome upon her exile and be named courier to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. By 1863, Greenhow was off to Europe on a Southern Sympathy Tour. Her history as a Washington socialite would serve the mission well upon stops to Napoleon III and Queen Victoria.

The following year Rose would return in a dashing attempt to run the Union blockade of Wilmington. Her steamship Condor ran aground as a federal gunboat closed in for the kill.

In a frantic attempt to escape, Greenhow fled the vessel by way of rowboat through heavy surf. It would capsize and Rose would frightfully submerge, taken to the ocean floor by thousands of dollars in gold tied around her neck and waist.

Rose Greenhow is buried in Wilmington’s Historic Oakdale Cemetery. She was laid to rest with full military honors.

25/11/2017

whoa. Asheville

A PHOTO bought for £7 at a flea market which may show Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid and his future killer could be worth millions, experts have said.