The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1952-12-11
Horse and Buggy Days
By Ida 10 Martin

In last weeks column l told about
the Paramount School Homecoming
and many details from the past,
brought to light by "reminiscing old
timers who were there. One of the
things l mentioned was the playing
of holy Ball" checked with Mr..
M. B. Keener, who told about the
game and found out what it was.
A slight hole was made in the
ground, and soft ball placed in it.
Someone took ct" and the rest of
the players stood in circle around
the hole. At signal, the one who
was It seized the ball, and tried to
hit someone, while the others of
course ran as fast and as crooked as
they could to prevent being hit.
When someone was hit he became
It and had to try to hit someone else,
of course, always going back to the
hole to throw.
While telling about the game, Mr.
Keener also told about the ball they
used Usually it was a homemade
ball, wound from yarn, and often, as
was the case with the one he used,
covered with cloth by an obliging
mother and sewed
The oldest person present at the
Paramount Homecoming who had
attended school there, was called up
for a prize. This was Mr.. Benjamin
c. Hartman, better known as "B. c."
Hartman. He attended about the
year 1882. Then when a prize was
offered for the oldest coupled COM
bined ages, Mr. and Mrs. Hartman
took that one too. Mrs. Hartman
was Bertha Hawse, originally of
Maugansville, and 'B. c." attended
at Paramount, or rather at paradise"
while he was working on the farm
of Billy Benchoos. (In an earlier
column I mispelled that name as
Bantzu)
A number of those who had at
tended school at Paradise half a
century ago were asked to tell about
what they remember. Some of this
was given last week. Then all who
had ever taught were called up and
the ladies presented with corsages,
the men with carnations.
Some other interesting items ap-
peared in the tales told by former
scholars. Mrs. Edith (Benchoos)
Martin recalled how they used to
carry a big" basket filled with
lunch and that just three of them ate
it all. They also ate great quantities
of apples every day, And shedding:
they used to all sled down Trovin-
gers hill. She also recalled that
Mr. Petre, who was present at the
Homecoming, was road supervisor
at that time and he had couple
of lovely breakers" part way down
that hill. When they would hit
these breakers, she said it was most
un-lady-like, as they would go up
into the air and come down some
place other than on the sled.
And she loved to play ANDY
Over" or kitty Over" another ball
throwing game. Half of the chill
dren would be on either side of the
school house A ball would be
thrown or rolled up one side of the
roof and down the other. The per
son who caught it, along with all the
others on his side, then would run
around the building, and try to hit
one or more of the people from the
other side. The ones hit were cap
tured and one side would usually
keep growing. There were always
some who would allow themselves to
be hit so they could be on the same
side with some friend. She said they
always dreaded it when Dave Petre
(present) caught the ball, because
she threw a mean ball" Our young
sters of today are deprived of this
delight-imagine them throwing a
ball over the buildings they have
now; not even a coal shed, or other
small buildings in our modern
schools to throw ball over.
Mrs Martin too remembered the
community drinking cup or dip
per. She claims there weren't any
germs in those days, because they
hardly ever got sick. And the wash
basin: dipperful of water went in
and then successive pairs of small
hands, till the water became fair
ly" brown, when it would be replac-
ed.
At Christmas they had a Santa
Claus. Once her grandfather served,
with a home made Santa suit, his
beard made from frayed rope. He
was a "Deutsch" and English speak
ing Santa.
The schoolmaster used to be so
busy with all his grades and classes
that if a scholar got stuck in reading