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- Melchi Rhodes (1827-1892), son of Christian Rhodes, II, had in him the u rge for adventure, for before he reached his majority he joined a gold see king group of young men to go to far away California to find fortune in go ld mining, and after a six months' voyage, via Cape Horn, they reached S an Francisco and he got a job paying $25.00 a day as overseer of the water way used for washing gold. Within three years he returned home, choosi ng the perils by land rather than the perilous sea voyage in a sail boa t. Each of the party brought three broncho ponies, one to ride, one to ca rry food and another to carry baggage and bedding, for there were no hote ls on the way, and after six months he arrived at home with his cash, a ll in $20.00 gold coins, carried in a buckskin belt.
He then for a while taught school in Gaston. One day a pupil was call ed forward for punishment and when ordered to remove his coat the boy refu sed to obey, whereupon the teacher undertook to take it off, but findi ng no shirt under the coat, sent the boy to his seat saying, "That is puni shment enough."
Mr. Rhodes married to Carolina Killian, April 3, 1855, and settled on t he plantation near Salem Church in Lincoln County. In 1861 he enlist ed as a Confederate soldier and when peace finally came he returned hom e, cast down because his fortune, invested in Confederate bonds, was absol utely lost. Like many another Southern soldier, with a brave heart he det ermined to solve his problem by hard work and economy and amassed a good e state. He was a Lutheran in faith, loyal to his church and a generous giv er to every worthy cause.
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The Back Rhodes of Our Genealogy
1827 - 1892 (65 years)
