The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-12-29
AN 0LD-TIME CHRISTMAS In THE UP.
COUNTRY.

ht VIII OhNhOiFhS IN
COUNTRY.
Ghen Men Shot Muzzle-LOading MuSketS,
which were Often BeWltChed How
the Yankees Kissed.
Spartanburg, December g.
These days, when crowds of
men, women and children are
crowding the stores in which
Christmas goods are displayed
and preparing to make the holi-
day pleasant for the children,
bring to the memory of older
people Christmas in the former
times. Even many. of the hum
blest homes receive a visit from
Santa Claus now. .Seventy-five
years ago there were no Christ
mas trees, no giving of gifts, no
church services in commemora-
ton of the day, no toy stores, no
decoration of the homes, no kiss
ing under the holly and mistle-
toe, and no popping of firecrack-
ers. Up to 1850 there was not a
town of any size in Spartanburg
district, except "the village, +" as
Spartanburg was called. The
best people lived in the country.
At Limestone Springs there were
a few families that settled there,
1885 to 1910. There were few
stores in YAe country. Goods
were at iVst hauled from Angus
ia, Charleston and occasionally
from Philadelphia. Clothing,
shoes and house furnishing goods
were not kept in stores. Fire
crackers, torpedoes and all the
accompaniments of a modern
Christmas celebration were un-
known.
CLOSING THE YEARS WORK. ,
1t was always a rush to finish
the years work on the farms be-
fore Christmas. Shoes were
made, and the new clothing was
ready for Christmas morning.
Generally the children and
negroes did not get their new
shoes till Christmas. If they
had no old ones they went bare
footed. The last work was to
cut and haul in a supply of green
wood and lightwood or rich pine.
In one family the father said to
his boys that they might have
Christmas as long as they could
make a back log last. Remember
that the chimneys were 8 to 10
feet wide and it took two hands
to put on the wood. The old man
was named Buice, who gave
holiday as long as a back log
lasted. The boys had been fooled
a time or two by trying gum and
poplar. They put their heads
together, and early in September
they cut a black gum about a
foot in diameter and put it in a
creek to soak. When Christmas
came it lacked much of being
dry. 1t required four stout young
men to carry it. When a week
was out the back log was as good
as ever: 1t seemed to be planted
for the summer. The old man
HAD to give in and acknowledge
that his boys were too smart fol-
him.
Instead of firecrackers anC
torpedoes to announce the com
ing of Christmas the ordinary
guns were used. Only powder
charges were put in. The boy.
of this day could not load OF
shoot the guns used rs years
ago. The quiet way of announc
ing Christmas was for an early
riser-2 to A o'clock-to fire :
gun. He would be answered by
his nearest neighbors, until al
il the neighborhood had hailet
the day with the explosion O.
gun powder. But there wa
little. fun in that: 1t was to,
tame. The usual plan was fo
two or three persons to get to
gether and quietly slip up to !,
nsighbor's house and fire a salut,
with the muzzles of the gun il
a crack of a log house or unde
the door. The men in the house
il they had guns, would put ol