The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-08-05
THE GOOD OLD TINES
How Old and Young Found Life
Sweet and Savory Half a Century
Ago.

AO" OH0 -.
weet and Sarory Half a Century
Ago.
The Messenger:
The old Latin author. In ~moralizins
exclaimed: The times are chang
ed. and We are changed with them"
This is as true in A. d. 1894 as IL was
b. c. 100. A man who has reached
|three-score years is absolutely startled
lat the revolution wrought in one life
time by the changes of half a century
in the business methods, in the art
|of living, in the pleasures OF social life.
These last are really least important
|of all; but, as this letter will be written
i'm reminiscent mood. it will zeal only
with the fun makers before the war.
alas now. like poor Yorick. browning
the amusements which warmed anc
made merry the hearts now cold as
the marble headstones above them.
The twentieth century outings of a
few hours or a day are the lawn party
and the excursion. I'VE had neithe,
10y SNoo NSO' lOA VIC q ~ las
but wild. tangled rose gardens. IND no
railroads to excurt with. to use afro
Icious twentieth century slang. But we
had picnics, and they were picnics for
true. They were not altogether sylvan,
functions-that is. such
was not the custom here; the big May
lspread-dinner picnic had its out-of-door
features, but it was held in a house,
and the way OF living of Fayetteville
Especially provided this house for fes-
tive purposes. There was a superstf-
Ition, which prevailed here up TO the
Fbreaking out OF the civil war, that IL
was not healthful to live in town dur
ling the summer; and those who were
mot SO rtuna as to own residences
lin the hilly suburbs, built what they
icalled summer houses" w or three
lmiles in the country, mostly west and
north, and there passed heated term.
but they did not retire to these rural
Idomans until along in June, and they
rendered their summer houses" with
Iold-time hospitality to the May pic
lnickers.
The crowd was of course of both
sexes, both races, and all ages. from
1.-THE ~octogenarian to the six months
The diuner-Set out in the
largest room in the house, or in two
lrooms opening n each other-was a
lrare feast both in excellence and album
dance, for there was a great rivalry
lamong the notable Fayetteville house,
wives as to the contents and size of
their baskets or boxes. But as eac
family carried at least one servant to
ibe generally useful, the dinner, enor-
imous in its proportions as 1t was never
Invent begging" In the afternoon tho
irooms were cleared, and the young
married folks, and the grown-up boys
land bellies danced until dark, while the
children played in the shaded yard.
Looking back on it now, 1 am convinc-
led that the musicians mostly knew
Ionly hOw to make noise, and that tho
dancing must have been modelled after
lsome practised by Terpsichore in her
most vigorous, hoydenish days-but 1t
was fun; there is no doubt about that.
There were some very fine negro fd-
Hers, blu they were aristocrats, who
Preserved their art for weddings n
the swell" balls. and the picnic music
was usually tough. This function was
devoid Of the 'frills' of the present
day, for there was not a dress coat or
"a dress "entrain" to be seen ON the
floor; but, for all that, there was many
a manly, handsome fellow footing it,
and all the girls were pretty.
/ recall the summer houses" special
lily Of C. T. Haigh, j. ID. Starr, A. A.
McKethan, wv. b. Wright, b. Rose, E.
lJ. Lilly and others. OF these, the ia
~lvorites with the picnickers were those
lof John ID. Starr. with a piazza all
laround it, which stood where is now
1.-THE floral nursery of Mr.. j. NJ. Lamb.
land rMcKethan's, which Is now the res
idence Of Mr.. n. H. Smith. There was
one picnic unique in style-the milr-
tary picnic, which was held on a COM
:pany's anniversary, and always at the
same place, Camp Adam, named in
Honor of Robert Adam, the first cap
tain OF the Independent Light Infantry.
NEARLY III years ago. Camp Adam was
la beautiful grove on Haymount. that
Ihas given place to the two handsome
residences Of Mr.. and Mrs. T. N. Green.
There also took place the 4th Of July
celebration.
/ remember one very notable military
Ipicnic in camp Adam, about the year
1856 or 1857, at which the guests Of
honor were the Wilmington Light In
lfantry, an exceptionally fine looking
corps. with a rich and tasteful uniform,
the coat being Of ~pigeon-tail style,
much more graceful n attractive than
the costly but awkward frock coats OF
the Independent and La Fayette Light
Infantry, and the cadets. The strictly
military ~features of this picnic were
VERY imposing, as the battalion consist
led of the Wilmington company and the
three Fayetteville companies. includ-
ling the boy cadets. There was an ele-
giant spread dinner in the grove. graced
by the presence OF many beautiful Fay
Ietteville women. Later in the day the
battalion filed into the United States
arsenal, which adjoined Camp Adam.
lat the invitation of the commandant:
land. after refreshments were served In
the armory proper. dress parade was
held on the plaza, commanded by the
United states officer in his full uniform
Iof the regular armory.
The festivities concluded with a bell
at night in old Fayetteville han. ON the
second oor OF the Fayetteville hotel.
which was situated where now stands
h elegant Hotel la Fayette, and
(which was destroyed by fire on the