The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-12-19
CHRISTMAS FORTY YEARS AGO.
The Approaching Yuletide Brings to
Mind Old Times i'm Lancaster.

Mind Old Times i'm Lancaster.
To the Editor of The News:
Now that the Christmas season is
with us again, thought 1T might be
3 interesting to the children of today
y to know something Of the Christmas
y OF forty years ago. Lancaster was
then a small town OF perhaps five
hundred people. 1t had few laws and
they were not rigidly enforced, which
enabled the children, as we'll as
grown-ups, to do pretty much as they
pleased In the way of exploding fire.
works and even fire arms when and
where they willed. There were sew
eral commons" In and around the
town where all kinds of games could
be played. Some of these places
were the Patty Hunt lot, where Mr..
II. Y. Williams now lives, the Mus
ter field" extending from the cotton
oil mill property southward to the
street leading to the cotton mill; the
old field between White, Market,
Arch streets and Chesterfield avenue,
on which the Baptist and A. r. P.
churches stand, the old field compris-
ing the territory south of Elm street
and extending to French, as well as
many other places within the present
limits.
In those days we usually had
crisp, cold weather and frequently
there was snow on the ground from
four to twelve inches deep. On the
night before Christmas there was
A usually a battle royal with fire works
and fire balls on Main street, par
ticipated in by the boys and young
men of the town, the contending
forces arraying themselves to the
north and south of Gay street. Birds
were plentiful then and 1t was royal
sport shooting the robins from the
Chinaberry trees in town. We
would set traps and dead falls in our
front yards and gardens and catch
red birds, snow birds, cat birds and
beyond the town limits in the nearby
woods and fields, field larks, doves
and partridges.
Then, as now, stockings were
hung up by the chimney with care, in
hopes that st. Nicholas would soon
be there" But ii seems to me the
belief in him was stronger then than
now. AS child, ! believed in Santa
Claus and now that am in the "sear
and yellow leaf" still believe in
him, and to tell the truth 1 haven't
much respect for anybody, young or
old, who doesn't believe in him. If
they have doubts about the matter it
is because their hearts are not right.
AIIeT HdnBluB up OuI SlOChluBS WI
rather our mothers because hers
were larger and longer than ours
and would hold so much more,
the hardest thing was to get
to sleep because it had been
instilled into us that Santa Claus
would not come until we were sound
asleep. We were usually up next
morning by o'clock and after get
ting down our stockings and seeing
what we had, would then proceed to
HStch father and motrer Christmas
gift" From then on until midday
1t wasSa continual christmas gift"
Christmas gift" The darkies on the
place, too, would slip into the house,
crying christmas gift, Marster,"
Christmas gift, Mssus." Although
then free, the negroes of those days
continued to use the old way of ad-
dressing their employers.
Before breakfast the old-fashioned
egg-nog was prepared and the chill
dren had their little cups filed along
with the grown-ups This, too, was
the season for hog killing and our
hearts desire was to get the blad-
ders. blow them up, put cowpeas in
them and make a noise. And what
fun we used to have coasting down
the snow covered hills in chairs with
the backs to the snow. What roar
ing fires we used to have in those
days. Biw hickroy back logs and
dogwood and white oak. In those
days wood could be delivered to your
yard for a dollar a cord and such
things as coal and heaters were not
in use. The different ministers were
always remembered, not only by in
dividual gifts, but were pounded"
almost beyond recognition. Then
the county paper was "The Lancaster
Ledger" 1t was delivered to the
patrons in town by little boy known
as the devil" or carrier" No
paper was published Christmas week
but instead a Carriers Address,"
usually written for him by the late
DIR. r. e. Wylie, your great grand
father. 1t was taken to the homes
OF the subscribers OF the paper and
the devil was rewarded with a small
stipend OF from five to twenty-five
cents and occasionally more, which
put life into his heels for many days
thereafter. But l am trespassing too
much on your space, Miss Editor, and
will close with Tiny Tins prayer,
God bless us every one"