Old Folks Day at
Massey’s
On the 25th of July, the old folks held their
annual meeting at the Massey school house down in Johnston County. It was the
day set apart by the old pupils of the school to renew old acquaintances and
have a good time acting and playing the games of 50 years ago.
They met early in the morning with old fashioned tin buckets
or baskets filled with green peas, apple dumplings, huckleberry tarts, and an
abundance of fried ham and corn bread, with here and there one of the best melons
that a boy ever did eat, and with several other common but mighty good things.
Now, remember, said the invitation, that everybody goes to
school that day and if he forgets his dinner he will take part in the games
only as every family takes its lunch out around on logs and under trees as they
did 50 years ago. At 10 o’clock sharp we play an old game known as round town,
using a cotton ball made from an old worn-out sock with a small piece of rubber
in the center. The bat will be made out of some old barrel stave that once held
the sap of the long leaf pine. After this game we will pay bull pen, roly-hole,
marbles, run foot races, jump jim crow and skip the rope. This rope will be
furnished by John Wiggs. We will use our old-fashioned brier with the thorns
removed. All old fiddlers (and young ones too) are especially requested to
bring their fiddles to make music, as there will be an old-fashioned Virginia
reel conducted by Mrs. Lanes and others.
Last year we left out a large part of the program as the boys
were in the trenches, and we couldn’t make merry while they were in so much
danger. Mr. Jasper Wiggs promised to speak last year but was in France. He
landed in New York a few days ago and is expected to be Patty on the spot. He
is an old Turlington Graded School boy and one of the county’s best speakers.
We don’t know what his subject will be. We will have short talks by all the old
teachers who taught at this place, but they will be limited to 10 minutes. Some
of these old teachers are 80 to 90 years old.
Remember, everyone is invited to come from all over the
county and take part in the games, but nobody will win a prize, but those who
are 45 or 50 years old. We give prizes to the best fiddler, dancer, rope
jumper, foot racer, jumper, jimcrow jumper, and the biggest fool.
You see I have never won a prize and think I might come in
on the last, said Mr. W.L. Creech who issued the invitation. Now watch out
boys, I am limbering up every day, and expect to have a good time with those
girls dancing, jumping, running and several other things. You see, we leave off the handle and call everybody by
the first name, Sal, Jack, Jim, Bill, Kate, Lucy, Van, and so on. Don’t forget
the time, July 25.
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