Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-06-06
FORTY-FlVE YEARS AGO.
How the Boys of Western New York Used
 to Enjoy subIunary Existence.

How the Boys Of Western New York Used to Enjoy Sublunary Existence. Cor San Francisco Ar-onautl
 In winter we snow balled. slid down ! bill. ana skated. In summer We swan in
 the creek and boated in the pond Thero was village deIai z society. and We hal district spelling schools We drove the
 girls to apple pairing bees in ~pungs. v made with crOckeTy crates on bOb-sleds7 7 filled with straw and buffalo robes There were huskiug frOlics. candy puliings.
 maple sugar making, summer picnics,
 general framing rOurth of .uiy. Celebra-
 lions, l thanksgiving dinners. W did not
 dance because it was wicked we played
 games and Alssed the girls for forieits In summer we played ball. and our mothers made the bails of yarn uuraycled from old stockings covered with old buckskin gloves We made the bats ourselves.
 We pitched quoiis. and the quoits were old horse shoes or flat stones
 in winter We broke steers and colts In
 hog killing times we blew up the baIder5 and rUa>tgd pig tails In the long winter evenings. around a blazing fire we had apples. cider. butternuts aud hickory nuts these gathered m the summer. and their gathering was a holiday In summer after the dandeliDus came We went bare foot In ring we made cOru-sia.Is Id. dleS. whistles from the willow. and flutes from pumpkin vines We iished with ang e-wOrmS W went Co school in the winter. doing the chores in the morning and evening. We worked on the farm in summer
 To amuse ourselves We went tO the me nagerIe, or exhibition of wud animals. 10 winch all the country young folks might flrn faf- f..r.. orthodox families. who made conscience au excuse for meanness This class of young folk skirmished for the shilling of admission. Or crawled under the tent AccOmpa IyiIg the circus was the side show of the fat woman, the boa. con strictOr. and the. Albin0 children The clown of that day was better than the one of To day; the horseback rider has never been surpassed General training was a great occasion. Election day came in August; it was an important day for settling lights and for wrestling matches he Odrth of July was the graudest day in the year. lt han its procession. read ing of the Dec aratiOn, oration and poem. and m the evening fireworks balls of cotton wick soaked in turpentine. lighted and thrOwn by the hand We h6d C hi- nese fre-crackers-sixpence a package. X blacksmiths anvil placed above another dld duty as artillery. and was fired at sun rise on Independence day. The great SO ciai festival was New Years Day hrist- l mas had about 1t the avOr of pOpery. and l in those days Rome was regarded as the l scarlet blonde bad woman of Babylon.
 lt was the begSnning of negro min | streisy. A learned pig was exhibited | which could play cards and step among | eggs without breaking them The show | bill described the performance as -the | learned pig dancing on e1gS An Occa- | siOual concert was gwen with comic songs l Il recall one. Pretty Polly Polly Hop | kins how to you dor None the better | NIT. Tommy Tommy Tom. kins for see ing you Another was Coal black Rose, and Jump Jim Crow.