Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-29
A Wartime Party

| While we were refugees the word
was passed along that the Confede-
, rate army was being greatly depict
ed. Some regiments and companies
| had been so reduced that there were
many more officers to the number of
sprivates, and, according to the law
OF the army, you couldn't denote Of
ficers to the ranks and turn them
| into privates. learned a good deal
about military red tape about that
time Of my life.
| TO shorten the story, we had a
| camp Of extra officers placed near
to us-about five miles out from Ma.
con, as the big road ran, and about
four as the crow flies. These officers
had to exist, and their camp fars
was not tempting to sturdy appe.
tiles. So they got to be- very neigh
borly and all We could spare, as to
milk and garden truck, was welcome
to them as a gift, and we soon be.
gan to- be quite chummy as neigh
bors., .u -.
There were also number of girls
| around and about, and they were
glad to meet the "hofficers."
After while they begun to talk
about some sort of a party, where
they could all meet, and We had q
piano, and it ended up by having
the party at our house. 1t. kept
growing with the growth Of the ar.
igument, and began to consider they
had to be fed, and the question i'm
mediately arose, What can I find
to make a luncheon?'
had a few hams safely cared
for, and some flour. and lard, and nc
sugar, only cane syrup.
In purchasing a lot of sorghum
syrup for the colored people, we
CHANGED to find a barrel of sure
enough Georgia cane syrup rolled in.
| perhaps by mistake, in a warehouse.
So I had a ham boiled and made
Dixie pound Cakes" with plenty
of: biscuit and several gallons of beer,
made from the seed, that would swell
up and, keep making beer as long as
We fed it with syrup and water, for
months at a time Everlasting beer
The question of pickles grew per-
sistent. There was an old artichoke
bed on the farm, and I gathered
some, scalded them in salty water,
sent to Macon for some vinegar, and
made very eatable pickles. Anyhow,
the, invited guests were easy to
please.
There was no moonshine that
night, but we had some small scat:
folds built in the front yard, GOV.
cred them with dirt and sand, and
thereon we built small fat-pine bon
fires. We had no candles, and moth
ing. to make candles out Of except
as we killed beef and used the
tallow, and cattle were not plentiful
after Sherman marched to the sea.
We had music-such as we, could
furnish with piano accompaniment
and enthusiastic singing. n.y., ~...
We were not bit set back as to
fun and jokes, and the young folks
INDUCED in what they called "twis-
tification," and T played a tune that
seemed to fit the occasion while they
were twisting. It wasn't a dance,
but it was second cousin to a dance,
and L will leave the conclusion of
the party festivi les to the readers
imagination. a.
If had been a Fifth avenue host.
ess could not have been given more
heartfelt thanks for this humble
little function, In a poor refugee
house, which had only shutters and
not a pane. of glass in the building.
: It was exactly the best I could
have done if the governor had call.
ed for a dining, and was made so