Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-07-04
IN MARBLE SCRAMBLE.

one of the jolliest things that can
possibly happen to a young Ameri-
can. This will be so, at least, so long
as julius p. Main lives, for every
year Mr.. Main stocks up with $4,000
marbles and 1000 pennies, and then
scatters the same before the village
postofiice for the children of the COM
munity to scramble for Mr.. Main
says that he does 1t "just for fun"
and because he likes children, and he
certainly does get enough fun out of
1t to last him year. AS for the
children. they look forward to it as
they do to the Fourth of July or
Thanksgiving.
The twelfth penny scramble has
just taken place, and one thousand
children assembled to gather up Mr..
Mains gifts. The hour set for the
scramble was 1.30 O'Clock, and long
before that time children began to
congregate, until the roadway was
choked with them and the town con-
stable had to make an opening to
permit the trolley cars to pass
through. There were as many girls
as boys in the crowd, and they en-
tered into the rough and tumble play
with just as much vim as their broth
erS.
Both boys and girls were dressed
for the occasion, the boys in overalls,
sweaters and caps, which they
promptly lost when the struggle be-
gan, and the girls in their oldest cal
icoes and ginghams, with no hats at
all, for the penny scramblers are no
respectors of persons, and feminine
millinery would fare hardly in the
fray. Most of the girls brought bags
to stow away their treasures in, while
the boys put their faith and their
booty in their trusty and capacious
pockets.
There are no printed rules for the
contest, but it is is generally under
stood that no children over twelve or
under five are to take part in it, and
rarely do the boys and girls disre-
gard this unwritten law. They also
understand that they are not to
strike or kick one another in their
efforts to get the marbles and PEN
nies, but they may fight with all their
strength. That is, Mr.. Main says,
they may fight fair, but there must
be no fouls. In general, he requires
the football code to be followed.
When the marbles are thrown out.
the boys and girls enter into the con-
test together, and no consideration
Is shown to the weaker sex. In the
struggle for the pennies, however,
the greed for gold renders the boys
more brutal, so they are required to
remain on one side of the street,
while the girls have the other. There
Is a desperate scramble over the pen
MES, but when boy or girl actually
gets hold of the coin no one has a
right to take it away. In the case
of marbles, the wise children know
that quality is better than quantity.
So before they do any fighting they
watch carefully to see II there are
Main has thrown out, for what boy
or girl does not know that an alley
is worth fifteen common marbles?
Mr.. Main always distributes his
own gifts, and as he strides through
the crowd of eager children, sowing
the pennies and marbles broadcast,
he makes striking figure. for he Is
over six feet tall, and on these occa-
sions he always wears long butch-
er's frock, reaching to the tops OF his
coWnide boots, with fur cap pulled
close over his eyes, the rest or ms
lace being almost covered by busny
beard.
When the contest is all over, the
children make for the candy depart
ment of the village store, and the
coins for which they have fought so
earnestly are turned into lollypops,
'taw breakers" taffy on stick ana
black licorice. New York Ir'hhne.