Milford chronicle., 1927-09-09

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This version of "The Old Oaken
Bucket" was written by DR.. James
A. Belts and sent to Mrs. Georgia
Morris Regan of Tampa, Fla. Mrs.
Regan's parents, John and Louise
Morris once lived in Ocean View and
are well known here. 1t was treat
to all those present on August 10 at
the annual Home Coming to hear
Mrs. Regan render this song in her
beautiful voice.
The Old Oaken Bucket
I've heard of this Ocean View all of
my lifetime
From my dear old parents so far
far away.
I've come here today to sing you a
message
From Johnnie and Louie down on
Tampa Bay.
They love all the people from old
Ocean View here
The people of this place me thinks
love them too.
They've told me about you, your
traits and your habits,
So 1 am glad to be here in old
Ocean View.
August 18th, 1927
Dear Friends:-We arrived at
home yesterday just before a heavy
rain storm much like the one we left
here in last Monday, starting for
Home Coming.
We were tired and as usual were
glad to get back to our own home
though it is only an apartment and
located in our hospital.
The trip of more than four hun
dred miles almost did us up. 1 fell
over on the bed for a fifteen minute
nap before announcing my arrival,
but soon was stirred out and have
ever since been trying to catch my
work up.
Our five girls who do the work in
our laundry and kitchen had come
into our apartment and busted and
made us as spick and span as Net
tie usually likes it to be. But even
that did not stop her from going to
work. She dug into the five day mail
accumulation for couple of hours.
We all feel better for having had the
trip and seeing our old friends.
Some how 1 feel that our Home
Coming at Ocean View was so sue
cessful, due to so many helpers do
ing their work so well and that as
a speaker I would have made a fail
ure if 1 had tried to express my
gratitude to them in public, that
should ask you writer's down there
to say few words through our
news columns, not forgetting the
music furnished so unselfishly by the !
Laurel High School Band or a good
part of it. The music was a splendid
collection, we'll rendered. The spirit
of Ocean View must have seized up
on the whole band as I, personally
saw their beloved leader Winking
and smiling at his boys during their
very best rendition and they in turn
winking and smiling back to him.
I also feel that word about our
beach party the night before would
not be amiss at this time as it is an
affair to which no one is invited per-
sonally, but all who care to meet
there with their canteens of hot cof- |
fee or ice tea or sandwiches or boil
ed corn or cake or watermelon or
without anything except longing to
see old friends from far and near.
had hoped to have a registration !
of the names of those who have Wis
tied the Home Coming but find it
4Oo orr.oof 7 do fhiOl- !
that without an exceeding amount of |
work we could collect a good list of
most of the names of the people or
families that have touched Ocean
View.
This if carried far enough could .
become very interesting. sent a list !
to Mrs. James NJ. Evans, consisting
of about one hundred and sixty, col
lected from my own memory and
have thought of many since as well
as recalling many who have married |
into our circle and whose names we
have never known or have forgotten.
If this list could be printed and the
left outs will send names to me or to |
Ocean View we will add and get a
few hundred more who wish to be
recorded with us. Suppose we try it |
as soon as we can get them in print.
Any one thinking of names that have |
touched Ocean View in any way
should send name on if it is not in
the list. See how many more can be
put in a list of month later. And
at next years Home Coming let us
come as nearly to completion Of the
list as possible.
Another thought that comes to my |
mind is that if more of us would try /
our hand at writing we might have
more strokes of ability shown such |
as the masterpiece produced this |
year by Edith B. Belts, Sussex
County," to the tune Of America the
Beautiful.
I tried my hand on some to the
tune of "My Bonnie Lies Over the
Ocean," "Old Black Joe," and "The
Old Oaken Bucket" and was sur
prised how interesting it was to me
and also how uninteresting they
seemed to be to others.
Am going to send you some cop
les. Let those refuse to sing who |
never knew their God. think have
written enough for you to get my
line Of thought and pass it along in
your own good English.
Sincerely your old friend,
JAMES A. BELTS
The following list is an attempt to
collect all families touched by Ocean