Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-01-17
CHRISTMAS IN NORTH CAROLINA.
Celebration Much Changed Since
Good Old Days Befo' de Wah."

Christmas in Dixie isn't what it used
| to be in the good old days befo' de
wah," as l have been told many times
by the survivors of that interesting and
more care-free period. Then it was the
great family day when the children
came home and the nearest of ken got
| together for the weeks celebration on
| grand scale. There were big house
parties, especially of the great planta-
! tions, little kingdoms in themselves,
! with innumerable servants-slaves, of
| course-and there and then the poets
command to "let joy be unconfined"
was heartily obeyed Youth and pleas
ure did indeed meet, while the older
set had their schare, too. Every Christ
mas caller was cheered on his way by
the hot toddy they knew so well how
| to make and in many instances had
produced all the ingredients on the
| plantation. It was a great day for the
colored population, for they were not
| omitted in the serving of the cheering
beverage, nor in the distribution OF
generous gifts. Also they had their So
cial diversions.
Now this is much modified. So many
of the old families were broken by the
war, and the plantations, planned for
cotton and slaves, cut up and more or
less dismantled. that the Christmas
doings have undergone radical chang
es, too, Many of the old families were
no longer able, after the war, to in
| duige in these bountiful entertain
ments, and they have not been resum-
ed on the scale once so typical of
southern hospitality, now that pros
perlty, happiness and contentment
| nave come back to Dixie. Still. the
| old spirit of hospitality is strongly in
evidence at this time. Changing for
tunes have not been, and never will
| he, sufficient to stifle it, though GER
tain unavoidable alterations have
taken place in the life of the South.
Many southern people would like to
do much more than they do in the
way of entertaining their friends and
visitors. They make the paying guest
from the North feel very much at
home. Thanksgiving day has become
more of a day for family gatherings
than Christmas day, and this year
was one of great rejoicing among the
old families, as we'll as many others,
for they feel that the South is COM
ing back into power at Washington
under very favorable conditions
l. The most striking difference between
the observation OF Christmas in the
South and in the North is the very
extensive use of fireworks at this time
in the South. In fact, Christmas is
| to the South about what the Fourth
of July is in the North. F'irecrackers,
and too often firewater, play a large
part. Persons, even families, that rare
! ly touch liquor at other times consid-
/ er 1t quite important to be supplied
for Christmas. They tell me, however,
| 1T is less so than formerly. North
| Carolina is prohibition state, but
| tho thousands of express packages
/ that may be seen almost any day at
any railway station, show that the
alcoholic taste has not departed from
the people. Moonshine. or blockade,
whisky and applejack. as it is called
/ here, still is sometimes to be obtained
| by the trusted ones. This industry.
too, has suffered decline, owing to the
activity of the federal revenue Off
GERS.
From sportsman's standpoint, the
Christmas season in North Carolina
offers choice attractions, particularly
4 the quail shooting in the Piedmont
and mountain sections, from the mid
! die of the state to it's extreme north
western corner. The variety Of eli
mate offered by this state Is so great
/ that one may find almost anything
he chooses, from the mild low country
of the middle and eastern sections to
| the cool, pure air of the mountains.
On the coast he may have some of the
| finest duck shooting in North Ameri-
/ ca. Up in the mountains it is usually,
though not always, a little late for
bear, coon and possum. Squirrels are
! plenty and rabbits a nuisance, they
are so numerous all over western
/ North Carolina, in spite of the fact
that they are much hunted by the
men and boys all fall and winter.
Rabbit hunting has become a fayorite
sport in many localities on Christmas
day. Quail are quite often to be found
in the mountain farming country,
while the phea SAINTS, or ruffed grouse,
are gaining in numbers and in some
/ localities are very numerous / know
of several places where the hunting
] No6
for a man who can shoot some.
These birds are not easy game in the
woods, any more than quail, and for
this reason are little hunted by the
mountain hunters. I have heard
them drumming all through the
mountains this fall.
The mountaineers fayorite game is
bear, coon and possum, and by Christ
mas time he has had many race
after them. If the weather is not too
cold, he will have more, while lower
down, in the warmer zones, the pur-
suit of these highly-prized fcod ami
mails will continue
The amusing sport Of "turkey-roll-
| ing" Is still kept up about Christmas
time, especially up in the mountains.
1t never fails to attract crowd, ana
after one or two have made start,
| others soon enter. The contestant is
blindfolded, stood between the handles
| Of a wheelbarrow, and whirled around
rapidly by two men, Then he is told
! to wheel the barrow to stake in the
i ground, which he has seen before be-
ing blindfolded, and toward which the