Mattie’s Corner
Today is Monday March 19, 2012. Birthdays for the week are: Mar. 19: Ryan Pinkston and LaDonna Walker. It was the birthdays of Bob Eddins, Olga Edwards, Melvin Smith and Charles Ray Reynolds.
Mar. 20: David Shires. It was the birthday of Dr. L.S. Oates Sr., who would have been 110. It was also the birthdays of Gene Haley Sr., Arnold Kuykendall and Eloise McMeans. It is a wedding anniversary for Ken and Christy Mahan.
Mar. 21: Jessie Jacobs, Spencer Matthews, Tom Kimbro, Sandra Boles, Becky Luman. It was the birthdays of Tommy Joe Watson, Mrs. Dick (Clara) Griffin, Olga Atwood and Maxie Lout.
Mar. 22: Don Pinkston, Becky Tindol Passmore, Bonnie Lucas, Sue Smith Williams, Daniel McLeroy. It was the birthday of my mother Mrs. Carrie McLendon 1885-1995. It was also the birthdays of Doug Reech, Tassie Gill, Myrtle Mills Curtis.
Mar. 23: Dana Howard, Pat Tyson Menefee, Michael Ash. It was the birthday of F.E. (Shorty) Baugh and Carrie Windham.
Mar. 24: Sara Elizbeth Person, Joe Davis Foster, Rusty Wittman. It was the birthday of Mrs. Wade Ramsey. It is the wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Jones and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Haley.
Mar. 25: Delbert Palmer, Gregg Watlington. It was the birthdays of Brooksie Parmer, Royce Mills and Pauline Sholemire.
Mar. 26: Linda Anderson, Mathew Mettauer, Letha Boren, David Griffin, Vernon Bartle Jr., David Swanzy, Merle Childress, Howell Howard, William Russell Haley.
••••••• The annual Center Homecoming date for the 2012 fall event has been set for the weekend of October 19-20. The football game on Friday night Oct. 19 will be with the Carthage Bulldogs according to the Roughrider head coach Goodwin.
••••••• A.J. Procell, the owner and producer of the only mayhaw orchard in Shelby County said his trees are looking good and the cold weather had killed only a few of the trees.
A.J. is very enthusiastic about his new orchard of 127 fig trees which have good roots and leaves.
“The deer came through one night and pinched the tops off most the big plants, but I got some new kind of chemical and sprayed the little trees. The wild hogs make a pass through and didn’t touch my trees, they didn’t like the smell of the spray”, explained A.J. over the phone.
He plans to keep using that spray and he said he also plans to have a 250 foot well dug to irrigate these trees.
A.J. not only will be selling fresh mayhaws in May but he also makes mayhaw jelly to sell in pint jars.
••••••• Tom Steele called from Los Angeles, California to check on me. He and his wife Mary Jean have been so supportive of me for years with phone calls, letters, pictures, flowers and gifts. I had recently listed a number of names of folks no longer with us, for readers to check their memory and see how many they could recall. Tom said he knew about all of them, so Tom makes an A plus.
••••••• See how many of these departed folks from Center and elsewhere that you remember or have heard or read about them: Oscar Rushing, Fred B. Martin, Julius (Son) Anderson, Hoyt Elliott, John Henry Carriker, Mac Bussey, the Rev. C.D. Daniels, Ludie and Angie Latham, Bertha Davis, Virgie Ramsey, Zed Holt, Orren Ramsey, Vada Samford, Henry McCauley, Nell Brown, N.O. Thomas Jr., Calhoun Perkins, Betty Oney, Stewart Beckham, the Rev. J. Frank Norris, Sue Floyd Moses, Bro. Joe Smith (Sue Moses’ grandfather).
••••••• Is Lincoln King, a Gary school teacher, still living? He and his students published a history magazine twice a year called the Loblolly. I have several. I wonder if it is still published.
••••••• An old timey expression which was said when folks understood was “I see, said the blind man!”
••••••• As I think back about my youthful days growing up in Center and make a partial list of activities that our families enjoyed, I realize that Center didn’t lack for entertainment.
For instance, my earliest remembrance of fun things to go to included Buster Brown and his Bulldog Tige, who arrived in a special pullman car on the train. He stood on top of the Polley Mercantile Building on the north side of the square and advertised Buster Brown shoes while throwing out souvenirs. I still have a pencil that he threw. It’s a foot long and ½-inch thick.
Then there were the Beaumont Fair Boosters who came in the fall by special train car to boost their fair. They came with a band and marched from the depot to town and always gave out souvenirs and pamphlets telling of the Beaumont Fair.
We had three tent play shows that made regular trips to Center, like G. Doug Morgans, Toby’s and Skeeter Kell’s, carnival, circuses, medicine shows, Joe and Bob Shelton, two brothers who were called the Sunshine Boys.
The two picture shows were always available and to boost attendance they added little James Brittain to sing and tap dance with his mother Mrs. Zelma Bell Brittain at the piano.
Bryan and George Smith also conducted bank nights and merchandise to give away regularly.
There was the Shelby County Fair in the fall with a Ford car given away at the close of the fair on Saturday night. Band concerts by the town men led by Duke Samford and later by Oz Metz were regular events. When someone wanted to have their fortunes told they drove to Joaquin where Mrs. Kate Collins revealed satisfactory data for believers. Then Red Eagle who lived near Nacogdoches became popular with his gift of telling fortunes. One of the Center restaurants sponsored him one night to tell us about his gift and Molly Hibbard and I attended. There was a packed house.
Our churches were our focal point that came first with children’s organizations like our Baptist Sun Beams, BYPU’s, G.A.’s, Y.W.A.’s, Sunday School and W.M.U.
I recall that a man came to Center and was hired by the city to draw a crowd for a special event. He secured a rope from the Payne and Payne Building across Shelbyville Street to the two-story Bridges Drug Store (which was Stripling-Armstrong then), and he walked across the span holding onto a long stick to balance his body. He didn’t fall!
••••••• Did you read the article on Joe Brown written by Colleen Doggett last Wednesday in the Light and Champion? Many of us would never have known about his military service had Colleen not taken the time to interview him in the nursing home.
Our nursing homes are full of treasures including many like Joe Brown. I wish our historical society would purchase a portable recorder and put on tape the stories that are just waiting and wishing to be told.
••••••• I read that folks who like sausage and whiskey should never watch them being made.
I always thought that sugar cane juice wasn’t sanitary. The few times that we visited a syrup mill and watched the horse or mule go round and round causing machines to grind the dusty stalks of cane into juice in a big, uncovered pan, I decided never to drink any of the juice which was made public for visitors. They used the same dipper to dip into the vat of cane juice for tasting.
Of course, the juice was boiled to make the ribbon cane syrup and I forgot the open kettle of cane juice when I enjoyed hot buttered homemade biscuits with thick cold ribbon cane syrup. It was so good! Yum.
••••••• I talked with Glenn Russell about the looks of his peach crop this year. He said that all is looking good unless there is a frost or freeze. His trees are in good shape, and he, his wife and family are looking forward to selling us some more of the delicious Shelby County grown peaches later this year. I’ll keep you informed.
••••••• Vickey Dudley has put out another good issue of her Coffee Break booklet. She has some interesting articles. She offers lots of services at her shop including Texas souvenirs, copy service, business cards and other services. The Coffee Break is free at sponsored businesses. However, a copy can be mailed to you for a small yearly fee.
••••••• Royce Johnson sent me the instruction on hog killing and preparing the meat including the making of hog head souse. His sister Linda in Angleton, Texas had mailed it to him. I’ll keep it and print it later this winter. Becky was the messenger who delivered the article to me.
••••••• Some people dream of success, while others wake up and work hard at it.
••••••• – Mattie