Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-07-18
IN A MARBLE SCRAMBLE.
Why 1t is a jolly Thing to BE Born
in Florence, Mass

sAA AAOASASNS NAssS
70 be born In Florence. Mass, Ia
one of the jolliest things that can
possibly happen to young Ameri-
can. This will be so, at least, so
long as Julius P. Main lives, for ev-
cry year Mr.. Main stocks up with
$4,000 marbles and 1000 pennies,
and then scatters the same before tho
village postofi1ce for the children of
the community TO scramble for. Mr..
Main says 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 chill
drep, they look forward to 1t as they
do to the Fourth of July or Thanks.
giving.
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
calicoes and ginghams, with no hats
at all, for the penny scramblers are
no respectors of persons. and FEM
inine 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 capa-
cious pockets.
There are no printed rules for the
contest, but 1t 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 dis
regard this unwritten law. They al
SO understand that they are not to
strike or kick one another in their
efforts to get the marbles and pen
MES, 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 re-
quires the football code to be fol-
lowed. When the marbles are
thrown out, the boys and girls enter
into the contest together, and no con-
sidcration 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 re-
quired to remain on one side of the
street, while the girls have the other
There Is a desperate scramble over
the pennies. but when a boy or girl
actually gets hold of a coin no one
has right to take 1t away. In the
case Of the marbles, the wise chill
dren know that quality is better than
quantity. So before they do any
fighting they watch carefully to see
If there are any alleys in the hand
full which Mr.. Main has thrown out,
for what boy or girl does not know
that an alley is worth fifteen COM
mon 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 cowhide boots, with a fur cap
pulled close over his eyes, the rest
Of his face being almost covered by
bushy 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,
Jaw breakers" taffy on a stick and
black licorice. York Tribune