The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-07-04
A Boys Experience with Tar Marbles.

Almost all boys, at some period Of
their lives, devote their spare time to
playing Nth marbles, and 1 certainly
was not unlike other boya in this re.
spect. My fondness for marbles began
very early, and when was about seven
years old led me into curious expert
ence, which l am about to relate. A
g,eat rivalry for acquiring marbles had
-guddenly arisen at that time among the
boys of the town, and to possess Us
many Of the little round beauties as my
oldest brother owned, so0n ;becamo the
desire Of my heart and the height Of
my ambition.
III had already obtained a large number,
when one day 1 overheard my oldest
brother telling one of his schoolmates
that he had made the. important discov-
cry that marbles could be formed from
cnnl-tar; nfwhich there @sss 6 large large GUAM
4 tity on o certain street in distant part
of the town. He did not condesceud to
explain the process Of manufacture, but
he showed the marbles he had made
black. round, and glossy. The sight In.
spired me with ardent desire 10 possess
an unlimited quantity.
My brother told me just where the
coveted treasure gaa TO bs found, and. in
the afternoon, started off withora con.
hding TO any one my intention, to find
the spot and lay inSa' supply Of the raw
niatTial, which I could convert into
marbles whom had leisure. It wasa
very hot July afte.TUoH, aud was in
violent heat; but the sight of the heaps
Of ooal.sAs pts ais lhoaght OF any s..!sg.
unpleasanE quite. out Of my .lLSad = IL
caused me TO forget also that had on a
suit of new clothes, of which had been
cautioned by my mother to be extreme.
ly careful.
need hardly remark that was not
,vs:y we'll acquaintedswith- esnbstaneo
/ was handling, and my only idea Of its
qualities was, that it could be nodded
into any shape pleased. l was; not
aware that it has all the qualities of or.
dinary tar,-melts with heat, and be.
comes the toughest, stickiest,; most un.
manqgeable;of substances with which d
small 10y laT IuIiu into cUItuUt.
fell to work TO collect what I want.
ed to carry home. 1 filled the pockets
of my pantalcons, and Of my Jacket, aud
lastly, when these were stuffed to their
utmost capacity ! filed tho crown of
my hat 80 full. saat titlwoulh hardly 20
on my head. The place was at some
distance from my home, and did not
wisis to have TO return immsdiateIy for
moro.
With a heart filled with triumph I
started off toward home. BY this time
I began to realize that the weather. wao,
not cool. 1t had been long walk. and I
was pretty tired, but was also in q great
huprv IN. .hoofr @s,,,l,;po. e,. S,tfA- %. i
walked as fiast as I could. 1ftef q little ii
time / began to be sensible of o Gliss.
greeable feeling of atiSkigsss .ab6hs my
waist, and o slight trioEling Ia sensation i,
the region Of the knees.
A cloud not bigger than e m86s hand
fitted ssToss my hOfiizon, perhaps coal.
.A very slight inspection of my two
pockets satiaiied me that coal.tar was
capable Of becoming liquid, and, ifL
needed further evidence, the sable rivuset
that began to meander down the sides of
my face gave ample Cprroboration Of the
fact, ! tried to take off my hat, but it
would not come.
Hooked doSn at my new trous5rs with
feelings OF diamay.i Ominous spots ofa'
dismal hue were certainly growing lar.
GER. i+trlnd Co get the 'tilr out OF my
pockets, but only succeeded ia covering
my hands with the black, unmanagesbie
8h,T. - ~ -. N"5
That rsbSald goga whipping sor poll.
20 ~ sS" =:.:s, .o...la s1s Isiaiinvu
10 get the tar of, ] was quite certain,
and had had no permission 70 20 from
hprles and SH tho whole the ohti0sj Z Mas
hot cheerful in tlIat direction. Quite
driven to desperation, seated mysaif on
tho ground, and tried to scrape of the
black spots, which he'd now extended to-
dimensiohs while I could fsei1
small streams coming down insidel los ,Athd
collar of my shirt, and causing sgasler-
singclaraug ggestionso OF q rope around my
necd. My labor wae all in vain. I got
} good deal of, but there seemed 70 he Z.
inexn nstihle quantity on. gave 1t up5
IN lie pair and burnt into anS SontEollabIa
sp5s. Tho aow Of eeAra thinned the lava
Iik6' huid, and It now rSsembled ink,
which covered ny face like aveii, bat
IN tho extremity OF my anguish q hope
ieyned upon me. / found that could
wipe of with my hand this thinner soln-
ion, and if water would do it, watsr was
plenty, and would wash it of. A cous.
III of mine fiySa not very fsroig, and 81
knew that in the yard oS her hodsS there,
vas a pump. Inspired b5 this idea, I ssE 4
,ff atRrun, and did not slackon my pace
lntil 7 reached sthe spot Hera another
hliieulty met tie. / could NOS roach
he handle of the pump SO as 10 ret the
lencft OF the stream Gofi its mouth, aud /,
! tshiI only i ent1p piete khd ssef-b u thnt
aould restore me 10 respectAbilits. Iset
o work to dtid q rope, and faatened to-
sss.hes quite complicated p;ece Of ma.
ss =s1 f5y winch iiSans
lgea 10 pnInp the iee.cola Rs..f nb0n
~ devoted head, Is siifieet ssss not 4 i
tiEnediRte rs 4 had hoped. But i had.
sitll q Y Y 3 listle ass goodt moye rniist 30