Milford chronicle., 1932-08-12
Scenes Of Long AgO-NO. "a
Big Thursday. Slaughter Bench

town Hundreds, which have take1
place at the old bayside resort fol
the last hundred years.
Old timers who are now living
will remember that years ago, be-
fore the coming of the automobile
how people managed to reach the
old resort and the many kinds oi
teams employed to get there.
Go back fifty years and the peo-
pie of Ellendale can well remember
some of the scenes which took place
while people were bound for the
beach, passing over the streets OF
Ellendale.
Big Wednesday as they called it
when people who travelled by the
many kinds of teams in vogue at
that time had to start from home
to reach the old resort in time for
Thursday when the real fun began.
All day Wednesday teams of var
ious kinds would be passing through
Glendale; every kind of a vehicle
that the human mind could think of
would be used. Covered wagons ga
lore, and some of the propelling
force to move them was unique in
deed
There was Glib Donovan who liv-
ed near Redden with his covered
wagon with two yoke of oxen hitch
ed to it. They were a wild team and
required the constant watching of
the owner to keep them from run
ming away as they were not used to
k10 af ,Ir
went, rain or shine; he was always
present at all Big Thursdays at
Slaughter Beach, until his death
only few years ago. Some say that
Big Thursday has never seemed the
same since Mr. Donovan passed on.
1t was said that people who intend
ed to go to the bayshore were weeks
getting ready. Hoops had to be Sc
cured from the woods, bent and fit
ted to the wagon. The best sheets
were used for covers and the cook
ing of stuff to be used on the trip
had to be gone through, as both the
poor and rich had to have the best
for their excur sions to the beach. i
Let us go back fifty years and
note the classes of people and teams
which passed through Glendale on
Big Wednesday, day and night. 1t
was an interesting sight. The first
to come and pass on, was a covered
wagon pulled by pair of mules,
the music bursting on the air show
ed that some one in the wagon
could handle violin. AS we expect
ed it turned out to be Jerry Miller,
a colored man, who formerly resid-
ed here and who has been going to
Slaughter Beach for many years on
Big Thursday to play for those who
wished to dance.
Another wagon is passing, very !
large horse and a very small mule |
composed his team. 1t looked funny,
but they will get there. Music was
also coming from this covered wag-
on, full of people who were very
happy in anticipation of what they |
would see when they arrived at the !
shore. Another wagon is passing
there is no music-but the inmates
are singing some of the old time
ballads. 1t sounded very sweetly as
there were some good voices among
the inmates of the wagon, both wo-
men and men. Ok teams were very
prominent in the parade passing
through town and the drivers had to
walk to keep their steers in the road
as they were generally wild. Wagon
after wagon passed. Music of all
kinds was made by the violin, ban
jo, guitar. Turkey in the straw and
Red Wing seemed to be the favorite
tunes played, and SO the covered
wagons continued to pass until the
clock tolled the midnight hour, but
there is one coming which is to be
the last, but seems to be propelled
by an unusual force. A single OK
was hitched to a covered cart "a
man was walking beside the OK, as
the beast seemed very much fright
ened, and was ready to run away
notice. A woman was sitting
in the front part of the cart and she
was trying to force tune out of an
accordion. What she was trying to
play, no one could tell, but the
part of the scene was two
girls and boy, all of tender years,
were trying to dance. I suppose they
called it reel, but they were MAX
ing bad out with it. The old wo-
man was still trying to grind tune
out of the accordion and the chill
1ren continued to dance until they
passed out of sight.
Most of the wagons stopped at the
stores and purchased some cheese
and cakes to make their larders
more to their taste.
Let's reverse the scene and see !
what the people did when they ar
rived at the beach In those days
here was only few cottages at the
I'D resort. The space from the ho-
el to the shore was one bed of sand. :
of every conceivable ma
ure used this for parking purposes,
ind the space was always filled by
he teams coming to the shore in
hose days.
The people got but very little
ileep Wednesday night. Some few [
Who had imbibed too freely kept the
light alive with their yells and '
aughter, as these were days before
ocal option went into effect, the I
iotels kept liquor of all kinds and /.
old it to all who wished it, Fistic !
ncounters occurred during the !
light but generally the crowd was
and orderly.
Thursday morning the people
rere up at daylight and after eating 1
heir breakfast got ready to take in
II the festivities of the day. Dane Il
1g of the hoe down style was in