1996 #2 - Austin Genealogical Society

AGS Qu arterlv Volume XXXV II. No. 2 fJune 9996) Ancesto r Listina Paaes Austin. ‘n(
Many evenings, Hilmer and I would go with his Grandma to her garden at the river where Wiley
Mangold and Kilhom now live. She had a big garden and we would pump water from a shallow well for
the garden.
In the winter time I always set traps. I caught skunks, possums, coons and bobcats. Our school
would stink in the winter, never got rid of the skunk smell. We made a little money from the pelts.
In the spring we always fixed us a ball diamond on a vacant lot. We made our own balls and
bats. On our playground at the school we had a six foot solid fence between the boys and girls. No
playing together.
Sister Pierre was one of our teachers and she broke one of those yard sticks on me every other
day. They didn’t hurt, broke easy. Sister Marcella was our best teacher. She would have been a
General if she were a man. She had discipline and when she cracked you with a pomegranate switch
across your bare calf you had a red mark. But we leamed under her. I still remember her every nite (sic)
in my prayers.
We enjoyed our neighborhood. All the kids to play with. We played marbles, spin tops, hide and
seek, all such dumb games, but we thought it was great.
In the summer we were in the river all the time. We had a big swing on a cypress tree just above
the dam.. It would take you half across the river. We also had a spring board. That was our biggest
enjoyment in the summer. Swimming and more swimming. The river was clean, we would dive way
down and get a cool drink. The swimming hole above the dam was enjoyed by many people from all
around, Hondo, Devine, D’Hanis and all the small communities would come to swim and play.
We went 9 years to the parochial school, and 2 years to the public school. We never had a
library. At the public school we had two books, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. But we learned
reading, writing and arithmetic. Never to (sic) good at spelling.
Our teachers at the public school were Miss Octavia Davis, Mrs. Sonny Haass, and Joseph,ine
Brucks. In the winter on Friday nites (sic) we would take the three teachers and go coon hunting from
DeMontels up to Rio Medina. It was fun.
Later when we were out of school we would go to dances and surprise parties on the farms.
Sweep out an old barn and go to fiddling. We always had a good dance on Sunday nites (sic).
Wemettes Garden and Electric Park dance hall. We didn’t go in blue jeans. We wore white shirts and
ties, and the girls were all dressed nice, we respected each other.
Jimmy Klein was the good orchestra. Jimmy played 2 clarinets at one time. He was great. We
danced waltzes, one step, trots, Charleston, and later when we were older we danced the old time
dances. Waltzes, 2 steps, schotish (sic), put your little foot and others.
Grandpa Droitcourt played the fiddle, Aunt Alice the piano, and Paul Tschirhart the flute. No
microphone, and you could hear them, real nice music. We really enjoyed dancing with all the nice
ladies. My wife was a good dancer, well most all could dance well, because we learned young. The
Brieden girls were light as a feather. Alice and I won the waltz contest at the Wernettes garden. Came
and Laura were really good dancers. Mother and I really could dance the schotish (sic), we liked to
dance it. I had several girl friends before I found Mother.
We had good teachers in our school. We learned the Baltimore catechism and I believe the
world would be better today if we lived as we learned.
At Christmas time dad would get a cedar tree. Mother put a few candles, candy, fruit and a few
trimmings, and sometimes a few gifts on it. I never will forget when I received a 20 cent can of paint for
my bicycle. But we always had good eats every day of the year. Homemade bread, butter, cheese,
bacon, sausage, blood sausage, head cheese, and all the good things that are no good so they tell us.
That is all B.S., what goes in does not hurt, only what goes out.
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