"THEN AND NOW"
Reminiscenses and Historic Romance, 1856 to 1865
BY JUDGE D. F. MORROW
Rutherfordton, N. C. Notice Copyright
CHAPTER 14
Corn Shuckings and Other Commu
nity Working, 1856 to 1865.
There never has been a time in the
history of the human race, when co
operation and the spirit of community
interest was stronger and practised
with such success, as was done in the
Southland for years before the War
and for some time afterward. The
people were simply estatic when there
was a chance to help a neighbor in
any of his laudable undertakings, be
it a laborous or pleasant undertak
ing, the pleasure seemed to be the
same; for they were glad to help each
other in those days. We mourn the
loss today of that good fellowship
of community interest and brotherly
helpfulness, but it seems to be pass
ing in a measure. Of course the
necessity for it, today, is not what
it was sixty years ago, for modern
invention has come to the relief of
the individual and he can do with
machinery today alone which it took
a community to do back in the six
ties. But I must stop this and go to
the corn shucking. The principal
crop grown in our settlement before
the war was corn. Thei*e was of
course some cotton grown, further
south, but not much, like today.
For there is large crops of cotton
grown in our section at this time, but
then there was none, except a very
small patch for home use and this was
hand-picked and hand-ginned, as
there were no gins in this section at
that time to speak of. I think it safe
to say, there was none grown in our
county for the market before the war.
Last year we grew eighteen hundred
bales for the market and have mil
lions of dollars invested in manufac
turing of it, in this county to day,
whereas sixty years ago there was
none. The cotton gin, invented by
Eli Whitney, a New England school
teacher, who came South to teach
school and while teaching down in
Every Sunday
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From LEE PHILBECK
Forest City, N. C.
South Carolina, Yankee like, saw the
necessity of such an instrument or
machine. He put his mind to work
and the result was the gin that now
bears his name, "Whitney Gin",
which was a wonderful invention and
had stimulated the growTng of cotton
in the South so much so that there
were quantities of it being grown
then in the eastern Carolinas, and
many other states of the South. But
this gin was invented, I believe in
1834.
But I must go to the corn-shuck
ing, or it will be over before I get
there and all the "tater" (potato)
pudding eaten up. Not only this but
the brandy and whiskey prepared for
Rhe shucking gone, too.
Now corn shucking, or husking,
was one of those community work
ings we have spoken of heretofore
and everybody who were invited were
expected to go, and they did, for it
was to help a neighbor.
Before there could be a shucking
there must be a pile of corn, and the
farmers vied with each other to see
who could have the biggest pile at
shucking time. I know this was so
in Burnt Chimneys settlement. That
very spirit prompted each farmer
during the summer to do and have
: all done that could be, that he might
: have a big pile at shucking time for
; his neighbors would then see it. It
was not a spirit of enemity but kind
good-will rivalry that will make peo
■ pie do things.
! When the corn was ripe and ready
for gathering and in this climate it
I was about the last of October and
first of November; the farmer and
his help, either negro servants or his
' own boys and 1 hired help, would be
in the fields by day light in the
morning. Some would pull the corn
; from the stalk and throw it in heaps,
; along some one of the corn rows. The
wagon, drawn by two, three and some
' times four or six mules or horses and
I a number of hands would follow
THE FOREST CITY COURIER
! along this row of heaps and gather •
j up the corn and toss it into the wag
! on body. When it was full or loaded
, the driver would turn the team to-
{ward the barn. In the lot around
' the barn this corn was tossed out
j again. This work of gathering was
; continued from day to day until the
; whole crop of corn was placed in one
1 long row in the lot; about fifteen feet
| wide at the bottom and from five to
six feet high and tapered out in a .
cone or roof-like shape and as long J
as there was corn to make it in this >
shape. The pile would some times be
as much as a hundred feet long. For
many farmers made as much as a
thousand bushels and often more;
and this in the shuck would make a
big long pile of it. When thus ready
it was the custom to send and invite
the neighbors to the shucking.
Annie Lightfoot and her father on !
October 25, 1863, sent old Charles
over the settlement, to ask the neigh
bors to come to their corn shucking,
which was to be on the 29th, for she
had her corn gathered as we have de
scribed and it was in the lot ready
j for shucking.
The time to be there was 8:00 o'-
clock in the morning and remain until
the corn was all shucked and this oft
en required till late in the night.
How well I remember that beauti
ful October day at the Lightfoot
home and corn shucking on October
29, 1863.
The neighbors had gathered in on
time. For folks got up in these days
the same time the sun rose, and long
before, often, on corn shucking days.
And on this particular morning all
were on time. Now certain number
of the ladies of the settlement went
to those big corn shucking as well as
men and there were several here on
this day. Not to help with the corn,
but to be with Annie and help eat
the good things which was no small
part of the show. The white men,
usually, went in the day and shucked
during the day and talked and mostly
talked, for it was generally under
stood that the negroes on the home
farm and those from the neighboring
farms would come at night and finish
up the job of shucking. And in or
der to insure the finish of the corn
pile by them, the owner or land-lord
would always put a five-gallon jug
of corn liquor or brandy under the
corn pile and it belonged to the crowd
that found and shucked the last ears,
for the judge was there and the ne
groes never failed to complete the job
of shucking and drinking to their fill
of the reward. Then supper for the
colored folks, even if it was late at
night for old "Nell" was at the "pot"
fixing it for them.
The white folks had both dinner
and supper and plenty of brandy and
honey and in the big house there was
music and dancing. At the corn pile
the negroes were singing, "Round up
Corn," and as soon as supper for the
colored or negroes was over, they too,
would sing, pick the banjo and dance
out in the yard till the wee wee hours
of the night, for they had found the
jug and had supper and nothing more
to do.
Just at eleven o'clock Squire Flax
en, Captain Morrow and others were
making the speeches of the evening,
the dancing and music had stopped
for this and just as the cheering
sound of the crowd in the big house
ceased after the speeches there was
quiet. And right at this moment,
there were several gun shots fired
near the house and much commotion
outside among the negroes. Every
body rose and rushed for the doors
and halls. The negroes were running
for their cabins and some of them
holleriijg "0 Lordy."
The Patrolers were after a run
away negro and this had caused the
stampede and excitement among
them. For as you know the appear
ance of a patrol was the signal for
the negro to run to cover. They
were always safe in their cabins. An
nie, pale and trembling, ordered
Charles to follow the negroes to their
cabins and see they were all in and
lock the stockade. He did and soon
returned and said, "Missus, Tobe's
gone." This meant, of course, that
old Tobe had attempted to run away,
while the dance was on in the yard
and had succeeded in breaking thru
the cordron of home guards and pa
trols, which had been thrown around
the house that night as a precaution
ary measures because of the excite
ment in the neighborhood aboui, the
negroes going to rise. Ther.j were
other shots heard down the river for
Tobe had escaped and was running
and patrols after him.
William Buster had been invited o
| the corn shucking, but for some rea-
J son had not come. It was this fact
> that had made Annie pale and ner-
I vous all day. But just then it was
I that he came to the door and fell. His
> cap was off and he was bloody and
> mud and dirt on his clothes. Annie
> fainted and Rena caught her in her
> arms. Thus ended the corn shucking.
> For by community work the corn had
> been shucked, all in one day.
t (To Be Continued)
"WHAT FOOLS THESE MORTALS BE" By A. B. CHAPIN I
FLORENCE MILL NEWS
A large crowd from here attend
ed the tent meeting at Henrietta
Sunday and reported a good time.
Mrs. Bud Deck and children were
pleasant visitors of Mr. and Mrs.
Howard Freeman, Sunday.
Mr. Gilbert Rippy and family, of
Cherokee, S. C.; Mrs. Rhoda West,
of Spindale, Mr. Johnnie McDaniel,
of Great Falls, S. C., were the din
ner guests of Mrs. Cindia Rich Sun
day.
Mrs. Edd Blanton and little daugh
ter, Lucille, visited relatives here
Sunday.
Mrs. Lola Hardin and daughter,
Jeariette, has returned ty> their
to their home at Easley, S. C.
ELLENBORO R-3 NEWS
Death Of Mrs. Amanda Callahan
Ellenboro, R-3, July 6. —On last
Tuesday night the death angel en
tered the home of Mr. Fred Callahan
andf claimed as its own his mother,
Mrs. Amanda Lee Callahan. She had
been sick for a long time and she
bore it with patience. She was 70
odd years old. Death was not unex
pecte~d. She was a good mother, a
"kind neighbor, was a member of
Bethel Baptist church. She leaves
three sons and two daughters, a host
of relatives and friends to mourn her j
I
passing. She was laid to rest in
Bethel cemetery last Wednesday,
Rev. Z. D. Harrill and J. D. Hunt
conducting the funeral services. The
bereaved ones have the sympathy of
the community. The floral offerings
were many and beautiful.
m • m
The community was blessed with a
good rain Monday evening of which
was greatly enjoyed.
Master Jessie Harrill, of Ellenboro,
spent the day Monday, with Mr. Has
sell Rabb.
Mr. Guy Harrill and sisters, Misses
Essie and Ora, of Spindale, visited
at Mr. Julius Beam's Sunday and
Misses Mattie Beam and Annie Mae
Rabb accompanied them home to
spend a few days.
Mr. and Mrs. John McKinney spent
Sunday with their daughter, Mrs. Ol
lie Harrill.
Mr. Ben Biggerstaff and family
spent the week-end with Mrs. Big
gerstaff's parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.
P. Wright.
Mrs. Allie Harrill was the guest of
Mrs. Julius Beam one day last week.
Mr. Clell HcDaniel was the guest
of Mr. Glenn Wilson Sunday.
Mrs. Margaret Harrill and adugh
ter, Texie, visited relatives in this
section last week.
Mr. and Mrs. Julius Beam and
daughter, Mrs. Bessie Rabb, Mrs.
Margaret Harrill and daughter,
Texie, Mrs. Arrie Wilson visited at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Beam
Sunday.
Miss Fola Wilson is visiting her
sister, Mrs. A. R. Beam at Forest
City.
Mr. Elmer McKinney and family
of Shelby, spent Sunday with his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. S. J. McKen-
Mrs. Clifford Green and children,
of IVlooresboro, spent one day last
week with her mother, Mrs. Ollie
Harrill.
Mrs. Roxanna Wood and family,
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Forest City, N. C.
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THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1925
and Mrs. Wonie Mcßee and children,
of near the state line, spent Sunday
at Mr. J. P. Wright's.
Mr. Foster Beam and son, Whit
en, visited at Mr. Julius Beam's one
afternoon last week.
Kerosene him yesterday, he hasn't
benzine since.