The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-07-14
THE OLD AND THE NEW.
Fouth of July Musters, Corn shuck-
ings and Cuttings of the Old Days.


large part of the people, and big
picnics, ball games and dancing are
all gentle reminders that this great
republic was born on that day, and
as the years roll by let it be remem-.
bered. Well does the writer recall
the old-time fourth of July muster
when all turned out in wagons, carts,
and a few in buggies or old-tlme
gigs or chairs, many walking, and
the cider and ginger cake stands, the
big dinners and the silent awe that
a small boy looked on the crowds,
and as these old days come back
they bring back the happy days of
the old-time corn shucking, when
hundreds of bushels of corn was
hauled and placed in a long half
circle pile all evened up as nearly the
same as could be placed, all the
neighbors invited and brought all the
help on their farms. Then was all
hurry hustle, as the women lent
a helping hand, and how they laugh
ed and joked at each other, with
Maum Zena or Clary or Hester
giving orders to the young ones, with
orders to the boys with long aprons
on to hurry with the wood as they
made the pots boil hung on crane
in the chimney. and to some girl:
"Make haste, der gal, fur de crowd
is now comm an supper's not DONE
Soon they all gathered to the corn
pile in the barn yard; captains were
chosen, the length of pile measured,
the hands chosen by each one, lots
drawn for one or the other end OF
the pile of corn, then with a shout
and yell all hands were soon busy
taking the shucks off amidst loud
talk, songs and laughter, as the cap
tains halloaed and yelled, each try
ing to encourage their side to out
work the other. Then the great fun
as one side finished little while be-
fore the other, the good natured jest
and Joke as one captain would slap
the other on the shoulder and say:
"I told you so, my side never bin
beat yet" Then supper, the white
folks all going to the dining room
where the table was groaning under
the weight of the good things to eat,
the colored under the trees in the
yard where a long table was built,
and all was life, fun and laughter,
in land of plenty raised at home,
and that flowed with milk and
honey.
Then the cuttings often were
along with the corn shuckings, and
such good natured all round enjoy
ment was indulged in that the even
ing was the talk of the settlement
until the next one.
But my! the roads of the good old
days. Mud holes, water, deep sand,
then a bog down and prize out, then
go again with hills all quilted on the
side aud bogs at the foot, logs to
drive round, limbs to dodge, leaving
two hours before day to go to Bam-
berg and getting home perhaps .
O'Clock at night, the team tagged out,
drivers sore and weary, and seldom
was more than ton hauled with
four horse or mule team, and they
the best. Now all is changed, and
often three or four bales and never
less than a ton is put on two and
hauled over many of our roads with
case, the driver leaving home after
breakfast and back before night if he
chooses, with his team ready for
work next day, and where sand beds
or mud holes once held sway, now
all is level and firm made of sand
and clay, and where three miles an
hour was thought good time with a
load now five is made with ease, and
the automobile speeds faster than the
railroad train did in the years gone
by.
Let the good work go on for in
them lie the only hope for the coun-
try people, and with the telephone,
rural mail routes, motor cars and mo-
tor wagons to haul the crops to mar
ket, motor or steam plows will en-
thuse our young men to stay on the
farm, then will it be pleasure as Will
as profit. Then with pride can the
good roads builders look at the new
order of things and say or feel thus
have I helped to make the desert
a pleasant place to behold and have
been benefactor to mankind. All
honor to the good road builders is
the wish of OLD TIMER.
APPEAL IN EDWARDS CASE.