Milford chronicle., 1932-04-22
GLENDALE
Scenes OF Long AgO-NO. II
Public Square, Georgetown, No. 4
Fire Balls


in the years before the Civil War
and the public square was the scent
of many escapades of the young mer
and boys in the days now past anC
gone. When the time for July was
near at hand the boys would ge
busy and each would become a SPY
whose duties were to locate all the
boxes and barrels which the mer-
chants or others had left out and
report the same to the bunch OF
boys who had charge of such mat
ters. This duty of spying generally
fell to the lot of the smaller boys
while the actual work accomplished
was by those of more mature years.
The fire works were not of that
extensive nature as they are at the
present time, but boys in those days
had but little money and to have
enough to purchase a pack of fire
crackers or tOrpedOes would consid-
er themselves rich and be envied by
the other boys who were not quite
so lucky. But the boys had a way of
making fireworks of their own man
ipulation. They would take some gun
UOWuGIs put II WI a bOeAAN eAAh WV
il good and then touch ii off with
match. II would splitter and sputter
and make quite noise. This was
called spit devil. Those who hand
led these things had to be careful
or they would get burned.
Very often after the celebration
was over several of the boys would
be seen with their eye lashes and
eye brows burned off.
The night of the 4th was all eX-
citement, the fire balls, made by
sewing hemp or other material into
round balls as large as a fair size
grape fruit, and then they were
soaked in spirits of turpentine for
at least one week before the time for
their use came around.
Some would say why not use coal
oil. Coal oil was not in use in those
days-candles and a substance call
ed fluid, which was used in pewter
lamps and very dangerous, were all
the lights they had before the Civil
War; but let MS continue with the
fire balls-On the night of July 4th |
these balls would be placed at the |
four corners of the square, still re- |
naming in the receptacles where |
the turpentine was, and at the hour |
of eight o'clock the fun would COM
mence. Only the young men and old
er boys were permitted TO engage in
throwing the balls (the younger |
boys were to keep the bonlires run
ming, which they did to perfection). |
Two men at each corner would |
light the balls and throw them to
those waiting for them, and they
would grab them and hurl them |
through the air making a scene |
which is beyond description. Think
of it: 40 to so balls passing through
the air at one time, a magnificent |
sight; they looked like large num-
ber of comets with their blazing
tails, and they were never let rest;
some one would grab them and
throw them again. This would con-
tinue until eleven o'clock, when the
fun would cease and both old and
young would seek their homes. 1t
took an expert thrOwer 20 handle
these balls without getting. burned,
and sometimes those who did under
stand, often got their hands badly
burned, and were for weeks getting
their hands healed.
The little fellows though forbid
den to touch the balls, if one fell
near them could not resist the temp
tation to try to throw it. The conse-
quence was a badly burned hand
and sometimes their clothes were
scOrched.
People came from nearby towns
to witness the scene of the throwing
of the fire balls and would gather
on the square at different points.
Some of the expert thrOwers would
drop a ball in the midst of them,
which would compel them to scatter
any warning. These were
great times at the county seat OF
Sussex which continued until the
of the Civil War
when most of the young men who
used to take a part in these doinSs,
enlisted; some in the Union Army
and some with the Confederate
forces. Some came back at the close
Of the war, but many gave their
lives for the cause which they be-
ieved to be right.
The throwing of fire balls was not
resumed after the war closed.
We might say a word in favor "f
he smaller boys who took part in
he fun on Independence Day many
years ago. We have already said
heir duty was to keep the bOniires
going but they had other things 10 ,
muse them. They had lirecrackers, ,
OrpedOes, pin wheels and spit dew
Is. Now they did not have many of I
Ioys in the early days had but little ,
money. Firecrackers and torpedOes :
we're only three cents per pack; jim r
wheels one cent each, and spit devils ,
we're made by some one giving them
Iowder. This was one evening when l.
he boys were allowed full sway un-
il eleven o'clock. No teacher would
are TO correct one of his pupils for u
nything they did on the 4th of July =
light. They were simply immune i
rom any punishment. ,
People living in those days were !
Ontent with their lot; they had in \
lOcent fun and enjoyed it. They q
vent to church and enjoyed that al "
o. Their minds were not bent on N
citing more of this worlds goods n
han their share-they were honest Fl
nd happy-their nerves were strong /
nd their confidence in God and their
elbow man was sure and stead2st. n
What is the condition of the peo- d