The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-12-25
Christmas in Davy Crockett's Time.
Written for the Democratic Advocate,
BY CHARLES l.. SHIPLEY.

The approach of Christmas-tidc always
recalls to mind the manner in which this
holiday has been observed in the advancing
tide Of the settlement and its attendant
civilization of our nation. We of the pres
ent generation are familiar with the pre-
yailing observances of our time, but what
Of the past, when our country was yet in
its infancy. To give our readers an idea
of the Observances of this festival from sew
enty to one hundred years ago, we cannot
take better example of illustration than
to describe one of the Christmas 1rolics Of
the time Of Davy Crockett, laying the
scene in Tennessee, the state Of his birth.
:; i; !: 1t is Christmas eve, and one
Of the typical cabins of that period is put
in shape for the frolic The floor is swept
and made ready for the dance. A general
invitation is sent out to the settlers of the
neighborhood and large number soon ar
rive at the scene of the festivities.
Both girls and boys have on their best
bib and tucker" and the girls look very
killing in calico and full linsey, and the
boys in full cloth and deer hide, their hair
slicked down by copious application Of
bar oil.
Had everything else been dull, the per
sonal appearance of old Abe, the violin
player, would have filed every one with
mirth He was seated in Il corner of the
cabin upon stool, and was typical spec
linen Of the old time negro. The perspi-
ration exuded so free from his face that he
looked like he had been creased His
wool-what he had-was combed up III
the fashion of the day His forehead
was low and narrow; his eyes red and
sunken; his nose flat and protuberant at
the sides, and his lips curling, as if in
scorn at each other His teeth were not
placed perpendicular but set at an obtuse
angle. which caused them to jut, and his
| lower Jaw seemed to have great antipathy
to the upper and when idle kept as far
away as possible His dress was in unison
with his facial appearance His check
shirt was open, exposing his bosom. His
coat, blue in color, hung nearly to his heels,
and at the same time was nearly large
enough for Il cloak. His pantalOOns, light
drab in color. were close fit all the way,
and so short that they only came where
the calves Of his legs ought to have been.
! The contrast between his black legs and the
! drab breeches might have caused one to
suppose that he had on boots, but the
shape of the lower extremities dispelled
this Illusion His leg was placed so nearly
in the middle of his foot that, with toes at
each end, it would have proven difficult
matter to have tracked him, and the hollow
of his feet projected so far outward that 1t
gave them the appearance of rockers to a
chair. Abe was also possessed of consid-
erable vanity and had great faith in ''Sal, .
his violin This, with certain portion Of
good humor and his willingness to oblige,
made him most desirable acquisition for
the dancers Of that section.
The Youngsters are now all ready and
impatient for the fun and soon girl named
Sally jumped up spun around and said she
could go her death" upon a JIG and cried
out. Nov Uncle Abe strike up 7
Another one named Jenny got up, faced
Sally, and both began to take the first step.
The rest caught the conta9ion and soon the
whole house is up and at it, while old Abe
scrapes his fiddle, beats time with his feet
and sings in quick time the following lines,
occasionally calling for particular steps
Il started off from Tennessee,
Ny old horse wouldn't pull for Inc.
Abe cries ont Now back step, an
heel an toe
He began 20 fret an slip,
An ! began 10 clISS an whip:
Walk jawbone from Tennessee:
Walk, awbone from Tennessee.
(..Now. weed corn. kiyer taerS. al
double shuttle =
Il fed nv horse in de poplar trof,
1t made him cOtch de hoOpin' cof;
My ole horse died in Tennessee,
An WILD his jawbone here to me-"
The dance is all life They spin round; j;
they set to; they heel and toe; they double
shuttle; they weed corn and 'kiver taters;
they whoop and stop. They now take a
little rest. The bottle is handed around
and they treat themselves and the fiddler,
and are again ready-no, Uncle Abe has
to mend his one suspender and pull up his
pantaloons. Now he strikes up ''Old jim
Crow. This and number of similar
ditties are ratified off, and in this manner
the night soon passes and in the wee small
hours of the morning the rustic assemblage
disperse to their respective homes, the
women to attend to the customary duties
of the household that the day requires OF
them and the men to spend it at divers
wrestling and shooting matches and rat1es
for turkeys, ''possums' = or rabbits.