Foreverglades_Valiente2019

170 BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
folks would gab and gossip.
The young bucks
would whisper to the gals,
who then would try to
elude their ever watchful
mamas while they slipped
off to where it might be
peaceful and quiet, for to
do a bit of courting.
Shine jugs would circulate,
while folks swapped
lies and talked about their
neighbors. Before dark, of
course, there most generally
would be a few fist
fights, t h e n everybody
would chug - chug home
after having
a glorious
Fritz Stein (left) and Fred Greer.
holiday.
After we got some schoolhouses on this lake, then folks
began to have square dances, since those were the o _ nly
buildings with floors big enough to dance on. At one time
there used to be a square dance every Saturday in Okeelanta,
South Bay or Belle Glade. In Okeelanta the frolics
were held in the town hall, a 30 by 60 building near the
school. South Bay was half way between the other two
settlements, but to get from Okeelanta to Belle Glade or
the other way about, you'd have to go by way of Torry
Island, a trip of eight or nine miles which would take you
well over an hour. Still, I reckon there's worse ways to
spend an hour than with your arm around your girl friend.
Everybody, of course, came by boat. If you didn't have
a boat you'd just have to stay at home. There was only one
family which came to the Okeelanta dances by land. At
that time Walter Greer and his wife, and his son Allen
with his wife and kids lived far out in the sawgrass south
of Belle Glade. On a dance night, just before dark, you'd
FUN AND FROLICS 171
see Allen, wrapped head and ears in a linen "duster", piloting
his wide-wheeled Fordson tractor through the sawgrass.1
Behind, in a flat-bodied and wide-tired wagon, were both
families, partly shielded from the itching muck dust by
an old tarpaulin. Allen would "yoo-hoo" like a Seminole
and someone would ferry the whole flock across the canal.
Then they'd all have to repair to some house for to wash
off that dust so's they'd look like white folks again. And
how those Greers loved to dance! You'd often see all three
generations dancing on the floor at once.
These dances used to break up at midnight, for folks
didn't believe in dancing on the Sabbath, and especially
since they'd be holding a Sunday school in the same building
in just a few hours. These settlers weren't like those catfishers
who danced at John Upthegrove's camp for two
days and two nights without a stop for breath. With plenty
of drinking liquor on hand, those catfishing boys and
girls just didn't know when to quit.
About the time that Belle Glade was beginning to be a
town, there was a bunch of young bucks here who loved
to stir up some kind of devilment. The main ones seemed
to be "Slick" Kirchman, "Gator" Tillery, Paul Davidson,
"Shorty" DeLaurie, all the Greer boys, and of course the
town marshall (and later High Sheriff), John Kirk. Then
from Chosen, roaring down that rocky road on their motor
cycles, would come Hans and Fritz Stein and Dick Lefils.
One of their games, whensomever some young buck
would arrive in town, was to ask him if he wouldn't like
to go to Mable's house. Now Mable, he'd be informed, lived
just outside the settlement. If he'd slip out to her house
some night, rap on the door and say, "My name's Joe",
she'd likely let him in. Of course, since he couldn't find the
house by himself, some of the gang would be good sports
and pilot him out there.
Now unbeknownst to this love sick swain, "Mable",
suitably dressed in the clothes of Shorty's wife Frieda,
170 BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
folks would gab and gossip.
The young bucks
would whisper to the gals,
who then would try to
elude their ever watchful
mamas while they slipped
off to where it might be
peaceful and quiet, for to
do a bit of courting.
Shine jugs would circulate,
while folks swapped
lies and talked about their
neighbors. Before dark, of
course, there most generally
would be a few fist
fights, t h e n everybody
would chug - chug home
after having
a glorious
Fritz Stein (left) and Fred Greer.
holiday.
After we got some schoolhouses on this lake, then folks
began to have square dances, since those were the o _ nly
buildings with floors big enough to dance on. At one time
there used to be a square dance every Saturday in Okeelanta,
South Bay or Belle Glade. In Okeelanta the frolics
were held in the town hall, a 30 by 60 building near the
school. South Bay was half way between the other two
settlements, but to get from Okeelanta to Belle Glade or
the other way about, you'd have to go by way of Torry
Island, a trip of eight or nine miles which would take you
well over an hour. Still, I reckon there's worse ways to
spend an hour than with your arm around your girl friend.
Everybody, of course, came by boat. If you didn't have
a boat you'd just have to stay at home. There was only one
family which came to the Okeelanta dances by land. At
that time Walter Greer and his wife, and his son Allen
with his wife and kids lived far out in the sawgrass south
of Belle Glade. On a dance night, just before dark, you'd
FUN AND FROLICS 171
see Allen, wrapped head and ears in a linen "duster", piloting
his wide-wheeled Fordson tractor through the sawgrass.1
Behind, in a flat-bodied and wide-tired wagon, were both
families, partly shielded from the itching muck dust by
an old tarpaulin. Allen would "yoo-hoo" like a Seminole
and someone would ferry the whole flock across the canal.
Then they'd all have to repair to some house for to wash
off that dust so's they'd look like white folks again. And
how those Greers loved to dance! You'd often see all three
generations dancing on the floor at once.
These dances used to break up at midnight, for folks
didn't believe in dancing on the Sabbath, and especially
since they'd be holding a Sunday school in the same building
in just a few hours. These settlers weren't like those catfishers
who danced at John Upthegrove's camp for two
days and two nights without a stop for breath. With plenty
of drinking liquor on hand, those catfishing boys and
girls just didn't know when to quit.
About the time that Belle Glade was beginning to be a
town, there was a bunch of young bucks here who loved
to stir up some kind of devilment. The main ones seemed
to be "Slick" Kirchman, "Gator" Tillery, Paul Davidson,
"Shorty" DeLaurie, all the Greer boys, and of course the
town marshall (and later High Sheriff), John Kirk. Then
from Chosen, roaring down that rocky road on their motor
cycles, would come Hans and Fritz Stein and Dick Lefils.
One of their games, whensomever some young buck
would arrive in town, was to ask him if he wouldn't like
to go to Mable's house. Now Mable, he'd be informed, lived
just outside the settlement. If he'd slip out to her house
some night, rap on the door and say, "My name's Joe",
she'd likely let him in. Of course, since he couldn't find the
house by himself, some of the gang would be good sports
and pilot him out there.
Now unbeknownst to this love sick swain, "Mable",
suitably dressed in the clothes of Shorty's wife Frieda,
170 BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
folks would gab and gossip.
The young bucks
would whisper to the gals,
who then would try to
elude their ever watchful
mamas while they slipped
off to where it might be
peaceful and quiet, for to
do a bit of courting.
Shine jugs would circulate,
while folks swapped
lies and talked about their
neighbors. Before dark, of
course, there most generally
would be a few fist
fights, t h e n everybody
would chug - chug home
after having
a glorious
Fritz Stein (left) and Fred Greer.
holiday.
After we got some schoolhouses on this lake, then folks
began to have square dances, since those were the o _ nly
buildings with floors big enough to dance on. At one time
there used to be a square dance every Saturday in Okeelanta,
South Bay or Belle Glade. In Okeelanta the frolics
were held in the town hall, a 30 by 60 building near the
school. South Bay was half way between the other two
settlements, but to get from Okeelanta to Belle Glade or
the other way about, you'd have to go by way of Torry
Island, a trip of eight or nine miles which would take you
well over an hour. Still, I reckon there's worse ways to
spend an hour than with your arm around your girl friend.
Everybody, of course, came by boat. If you didn't have
a boat you'd just have to stay at home. There was only one
family which came to the Okeelanta dances by land. At
that time Walter Greer and his wife, and his son Allen
with his wife and kids lived far out in the sawgrass south
of Belle Glade. On a dance night, just before dark, you'd
FUN AND FROLICS 171
see Allen, wrapped head and ears in a linen "duster", piloting
his wide-wheeled Fordson tractor through the sawgrass.1
Behind, in a flat-bodied and wide-tired wagon, were both
families, partly shielded from the itching muck dust by
an old tarpaulin. Allen would "yoo-hoo" like a Seminole
and someone would ferry the whole flock across the canal.
Then they'd all have to repair to some house for to wash
off that dust so's they'd look like white folks again. And
how those Greers loved to dance! You'd often see all three
generations dancing on the floor at once.
These dances used to break up at midnight, for folks
didn't believe in dancing on the Sabbath, and especially
since they'd be holding a Sunday school in the same building
in just a few hours. These settlers weren't like those catfishers
who danced at John Upthegrove's camp for two
days and two nights without a stop for breath. With plenty
of drinking liquor on hand, those catfishing boys and
girls just didn't know when to quit.
About the time that Belle Glade was beginning to be a
town, there was a bunch of young bucks here who loved
to stir up some kind of devilment. The main ones seemed
to be "Slick" Kirchman, "Gator" Tillery, Paul Davidson,
"Shorty" DeLaurie, all the Greer boys, and of course the
town marshall (and later High Sheriff), John Kirk. Then
from Chosen, roaring down that rocky road on their motor
cycles, would come Hans and Fritz Stein and Dick Lefils.
One of their games, whensomever some young buck
would arrive in town, was to ask him if he wouldn't like
to go to Mable's house. Now Mable, he'd be informed, lived
just outside the settlement. If he'd slip out to her house
some night, rap on the door and say, "My name's Joe",
she'd likely let him in. Of course, since he couldn't find the
house by himself, some of the gang would be good sports
and pilot him out there.
Now unbeknownst to this love sick swain, "Mable",
suitably dressed in the clothes of Shorty's wife Frieda,
172 BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
Hog hunting party, about 1920. Left to right - Negro porter,
Frank O'Connell, Nelle Greer with dog, Claire Greer in rear,
Loti Greer far right.
would probably be Paul Davidson. But good grief, on this
particular night her husband would be at home, and he
would be nobody but John Kirk, the marshall ! After Mable
FUN AND FROLICS 173
the door and the shooting started, Jackson flopped down
on his face.
"Git going, Albert." he cried. "I'm hit and I think that
I'm a-dying!"
Albert high-tailed it back to Pahokee where some of
his friends, previously tipped off, were conveniently waiting.
They all drove down for to avenge their friend. In
the ensuing gun battle, two more Pahokee-ites were likewise
"killed", and poor Albert didn't dare go home for a
week.
Another game of this rough neck bunch was to initiate
a newly married man by tossing him off the Main Street
bridge. They didn't fail to get me either. I had gone to
Tennessee to get my bride, but I left her with my parents
in Ft. Lauderdale till I could get our living quarters finished.
One night "Big" Pate hurried upstairs to inform me
that I had a long distance call from Ft. Lauderdale. Gosh,
I knew that was important, so down I rushed to dash
across to the telephone in the hotel. It looked as if the
whole blamed settlement was lined up in the street! I was
right good at running, but not so hot at dodging, so Pate
got me cornered and the whole mob then escorted me to
the bridge where I had to high dive into that black, cold
water.
Homer Deloach had married a young widow who had
a couple of girls. The boys ganged up to give him the customary
dunking, but Homer decided to object. Now, Homer
wasn't very tall, but he had remarkably broad shoulders
28 BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
part of this stream was dredged out some five years later
to become a part of the Thirteen Mile Canal which Disston
had intended to continue on to Shark River. It now forms
part of the Miami canal. As this stream was typical of the
lake's dead rivers, including the Democrat, let's see what
it was like.
"The river at its mouth is about 100 yards wide, the
depth of water being about eight feet. To say that our
little party was overjoyed would but poorly express it. We
do not go one hundred yards before we hear exclamations
from the members of the party in praise of the beautiful
scenery which greets the eye on every side. There is no
perceptible current so far as we can discern. The water is
clear as crystal, the banks fringed with a dense tropical
growth of trees, presenting to the view a solid green wall,
impenetrable to the eye. This wall is formed by vines,
which have twined around the trunks and branches of the
trees, and have interlaced and wound themselves around
each other until they form a screen which is almost sufficient
to shut out the light of day. Looking behind us we
find that we are followed by innumerable alligators, who
are swimming lazily along in our wake. From all sides we
see them plunging in the water, remain under for a few
seconds, rise after we have passed and join the crowd behind
us. We do not go two miles before the river begins
to get narrow, and we find ourselves in a little stream only
a few yards in width, the sunlight completely shut out by
the branches of trees and vines, which have interlocked
and twined around each other until a perfect roof is formed
... After going half a mile, we find we are no longer in
a stream, but winding around in dark, sluggish water, the
roots and branches of the trees forming a barrier to our
further progress ... As we return we examine more closely
the vines which grow so luxuriantly, and find that they are
a species of gourd, with innumerable gourds hanging from
them, perfectly round, and about the size of a billiard ball.
The vines run all over the trees, and on the ground form
a mat two or three feet deep."
DEMOCRAT RIVER 29
When I first came to this lake these gourds still were
plentiful in the custard apple forest, although they then
were less luxuriant than the moon vine, a kind of morning
glory, which completely blanketed the tops and the exposed
flanks of the custard apple woods, making a shadowy
dusk at mid day.
After cruising the south shore for. nine days the party
arrived, near the southernmost point on the lake, at the
largest and longest of all these rivers. This they christened
T-D, or Times-Democrat River. After traversing this
stream to its end, they laid a course south by the compass
for Shark River, ninety miles away by air line. Although
water had evidently been five feet over the land not too
long before, they found that it now was a scant five inches,
and under that was fifteen feet, more or less, of soft mud.
So now they are compelled to battle the sharp-edged
sawgrass, which they had believed to be only ten miles in
extent, but which actually persisted clear to the headwaters
of Shark River. At times they were able to burn the sawgrass,
but usually the way must be hacked with machetes.
For many days they were compelled to push and lift their
boats every foot of the way, often making only a few hundred
yards in a day. On November 17th, a week after leaving
the lake, a tall cypress at Democrat River was still
visible to the naked eye.
Constantly they were plagued by innumerable snakes,
though fortunately, nobody was bitten. But they were
tortured by mosquitoes, leeches and poisonous wampee
plants "which produce a terrible burning sensation. Its
appearance is similar to the water lily, the leaf being from
six to twelve inches across, the root running to a depth
of six inches, and resembles a shallot in appearance. We
had the curiosity to taste it. We shall do so no more!"
Yes, I know blamed well they didn't! That wampee
was a hellish plant, nobody would ever taste it twice!
Indian turnip it's called up north. It's tuber looks like a
30 BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
big and delicious potato, but it is hotter than seven hundred
firecrackers. Although I had seen men taste wampee,
I decided to be smart and boil the poison out. After cooking
one in several waters until the lavender liquid no longer
showed, I took one cautious bite and spit it out. In a
few seconds my mouth felt like a thousand burning needles,
and the sensation lasted until next day. Scientists say that
wampee juice contains microscopic balls which expel innumerable
tiny needles with great force. Great grief, I
know that's so, and those needles are red hot to boot! Yet
strangely enough, wild hogs used to love the root, and got
unbelievably fat on it. A sawgrass hog would eat a wampee
and squeal in pain, but then he'd root up another. Even
the jackdaws which used to follow us as we grubbed up
sawgrass roots, would peck on a wampee, then gape their
bills toward the sky while their tongues cooled off.
As the party penetrated the Everglades they seemed
also to have been oppressed by the uncanny silence.
"All around us reigns a death-like stillness unrelieved
by any sound of animal life of any description. The croaking
of a frog, the hoot of an owl, or the bellow of an alligator
would be a relief." This caused a "feeling of depression
we cannot avoid."
As they progressed, the water in places became somewhat
deeper. On the 21st they found ponds in which their
boats could float and that day they made a mile and a
half. On the 24th the first dry ground was discoveredabout
five feet square, and on the 28th their first island,
some five acres in extent. However on December 3rd the
islands were more numerous and the water courses deeper
and more plentiful. On that day they made fifteen miles,
and on December 6th they travelled thirty-five, for they
then were in Shark River, which they descended to its
mouth at the Gulf of Mexico.
Here they boarded the
schooner which had come to meet them for the return to
civilization. The entire trip from Lake Okeechobee had
taken 27 days and their average speed, except for the day
in Shark River, had been only three miles a day.
DEMOCRAT RIVER 31
Major Williams concludes his report by stating that
the Everglades "are nothing more nor less than a vast
and useless marsh, and such they will remain for all time
to come in my estimation." Good golly, he should see them
now!
And so that was the first trip ever made .from Lake
Okeechobee southward through the length of the Everglades,
yes, and the last one too, until the Miami Canal
was surveyed some thirty years later.
But let's take a closer look at what Democrat River was
like in those primeval days. The scribe of this expedition
gives us a detailed account, though curiously enough, he
never mentions those ancient mounds at the river's fork.
Maybe the jungle growth was so dense that they weren't
even noticed.
"On the 10th day of November," he relates, "ere the
first streaks of dawn, every man in camp was astir." The
boats were loaded and for a few hundred yards were rowed
up the stream. Then the oars were stowed away for the last
time "for poles will have to be used for many miles to come.
The river has narrowed down to a stream not more than
five or six feet in depth, dark, sluggish and with a slight
perceptible current running north. The boughs of the trees
lap over the water, the vines form a perfect network to
bar our progress, and to all appearances when we approach
these barriers it seems as if the end of the water course
has been reached, but with a few strokes of the machetes,
axes and hatchets our way is cleared, and our journey is
resumed for a few yards until the next obstruction is reached,
sometimes a sunken log, the roots of trees extending
across the whole channel, or the branches of trees which
reach the surface of the water. We have gone a couple of
miles when we discover that the river no longer exists, but
has lost itself in the dense swamp of custard apples. Our
compass is now, and will be until the end of our voyage,
our only guide. We are now penetrating a portion of the
state which has never been done before by any white man,
31
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30 BE
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30 BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
big and delicious potato, but it is hotter than seven hundred
firecrackers. Although I had seen men taste wampee,
I decided to be smart and boil the poison out. After cooking
one in several waters until the lavender liquid no longer
showed, I took one cautious bite and spit it out. In a
few seconds my mouth felt like a thousand burning needles,
and the sensation lasted until next day. Scientists say that
wampee juice contains microscopic balls which expel innumerable
tiny needles with great force. Great grief, I
know that's so, and those needles are red hot to boot! Yet
strangely enough, wild hogs used to love the root, and got
unbelievably fat on it. A sawgrass hog would eat a wampee
and squeal in pain, but then he'd root up another. Even
the jackdaws which used to follow us as we grubbed up
sawgrass roots, would peck on a wampee, then gape their
bills toward the sky while their tongues cooled off.
As the party penetrated the Everglades they seemed
also to have been oppressed by the uncanny silence.
"All around us reigns a death-like stillness unrelieved
by any sound of animal life of any description. The croaking
of a frog, the hoot of an owl, or the bellow of an alligator
would be a relief." This caused a "feeling of depression
we cannot avoid."
As they progressed, the water in places became somewhat
deeper. On the 21st they found ponds in which their
boats could float and that day they made a mile and a
half. On the 24th the first dry ground was discoveredabout
five feet square, and on the 28th their first island,
some five acres in extent. However on December 3rd the
islands were more numerous and the water courses deeper
and more plentiful. On that day they made fifteen miles,
and on December 6th they travelled thirty-five, for they
then were in Shark River, which they descended to its
mouth at the Gulf of Mexico.
Here they boarded the
schooner which had come to meet them for the return to
civilization. The entire trip from Lake Okeechobee had
taken 27 days and their average speed, except for the day
in Shark River, had been only three miles a day.
DEMOCRAT RIVER 31
Major Williams concludes his report by stating that
the Everglades "are nothing more nor less than a vast
and useless marsh, and such they will remain for all time
to come in my estimation." Good golly, he should see them
now!
And so that was the first trip ever made .from Lake
Okeechobee southward through the length of the Everglades,
yes, and the last one too, until the Miami Canal
was surveyed some thirty years later.
But let's take a closer look at what Democrat River was
like in those primeval days. The scribe of this expedition
gives us a detailed account, though curiously enough, he
never mentions those ancient mounds at the river's fork.
Maybe the jungle growth was so dense that they weren't
even noticed.
"On the 10th day of November," he relates, "ere the
first streaks of dawn, every man in camp was astir." The
boats were loaded and for a few hundred yards were rowed
up the stream. Then the oars were stowed away for the last
time "for poles will have to be used for many miles to come.
The river has narrowed down to a stream not more than
five or six feet in depth, dark, sluggish and with a slight
perceptible current running north. The boughs of the trees
lap over the water, the vines form a perfect network to
bar our progress, and to all appearances when we approach
these barriers it seems as if the end of the water course
has been reached, but with a few strokes of the machetes,
axes and hatchets our way is cleared, and our journey is
resumed for a few yards until the next obstruction is reached,
sometimes a sunken log, the roots of trees extending
across the whole channel, or the branches of trees which
reach the surface of the water. We have gone a couple of
miles when we discover that the river no longer exists, but
has lost itself in the dense swamp of custard apples. Our
compass is now, and will be until the end of our voyage,
our only guide. We are now penetrating a portion of the
state which has never been done before by any white man,
28 BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
part of this stream was dredged out some five years later
to become a part of the Thirteen Mile Canal which Disston
had intended to continue on to Shark River. It now forms
part of the Miami canal. As this stream was typical of the
lake's dead rivers, including the Democrat, let's see what
it was like.
"The river at its mouth is about 100 yards wide, the
depth of water being about eight feet. To say that our
little party was overjoyed would but poorly express it. We
do not go one hundred yards before we hear exclamations
from the members of the party in praise of the beautiful
scenery which greets the eye on every side. There is no
perceptible current so far as we can discern. The water is
clear as crystal, the banks fringed with a dense tropical
growth of trees, presenting to the view a solid green wall,
impenetrable to the eye. This wall is formed by vines,
which have twined around the trunks and branches of the
trees, and have interlaced and wound themselves around
each other until they form a screen which is almost sufficient
to shut out the light of day. Looking behind us we
find that we are followed by innumerable alligators, who
are swimming lazily along in our wake. From all sides we
see them plunging in the water, remain under for a few
seconds, rise after we have passed and join the crowd behind
us. We do not go two miles before the river begins
to get narrow, and we find ourselves in a little stream only
a few yards in width, the sunlight completely shut out by
the branches of trees and vines, which have interlocked
and twined around each other until a perfect roof is formed
... After going half a mile, we find we are no longer in
a stream, but winding around in dark, sluggish water, the
roots and branches of the trees forming a barrier to our
further progress ... As we return we examine more closely
the vines which grow so luxuriantly, and find that they are
a species of gourd, with innumerable gourds hanging from
them, perfectly round, and about the size of a billiard ball.
The vines run all over the trees, and on the ground form
a mat two or three feet deep."
DEMOCRAT RIVER 29
When I first came to this lake these gourds still were
plentiful in the custard apple forest, although they then
were less luxuriant than the moon vine, a kind of morning
glory, which completely blanketed the tops and the exposed
flanks of the custard apple woods, making a shadowy
dusk at mid day.
After cruising the south shore for. nine days the party
arrived, near the southernmost point on the lake, at the
largest and longest of all these rivers. This they christened
T-D, or Times-Democrat River. After traversing this
stream to its end, they laid a course south by the compass
for Shark River, ninety miles away by air line. Although
water had evidently been five feet over the land not too
long before, they found that it now was a scant five inches,
and under that was fifteen feet, more or less, of soft mud.
So now they are compelled to battle the sharp-edged
sawgrass, which they had believed to be only ten miles in
extent, but which actually persisted clear to the headwaters
of Shark River. At times they were able to burn the sawgrass,
but usually the way must be hacked with machetes.
For many days they were compelled to push and lift their
boats every foot of the way, often making only a few hundred
yards in a day. On November 17th, a week after leaving
the lake, a tall cypress at Democrat River was still
visible to the naked eye.
Constantly they were plagued by innumerable snakes,
though fortunately, nobody was bitten. But they were
tortured by mosquitoes, leeches and poisonous wampee
plants "which produce a terrible burning sensation. Its
appearance is similar to the water lily, the leaf being from
six to twelve inches across, the root running to a depth
of six inches, and resembles a shallot in appearance. We
had the curiosity to taste it. We shall do so no more!"
Yes, I know blamed well they didn't! That wampee
was a hellish plant, nobody would ever taste it twice!
Indian turnip it's called up north. It's tuber looks like a
170 BELLE GLADE FROM SW AMP TO SUGAR BOWL
folks would gab and gossip.
The young bucks
would whisper to the gals,
who then would try to
elude their ever watchful
mamas while they slipped
off to where it might be
peaceful and quiet, for to
do a bit of courting.
Shine jugs would circulate,
while folks swapped
lies and talked about their
neighbors. Before dark, of
course, there most generally
would be a few fist
fights, t h e n everybody
would chug - chug home
after having
a glorious
Fritz Stein (left) and Fred Greer.
holiday.
After we got some schoolhouses on this lake, then folks
began to have square dances, since those were the o _ nly
buildings with floors big enough to dance on. At one time
there used to be a square dance every Saturday in Okeelanta,
South Bay or Belle Glade. In Okeelanta the frolics
were held in the town hall, a 30 by 60 building near the
school. South Bay was half way between the other two
settlements, but to get from Okeelanta to Belle Glade or
the other way about, you'd have to go by way of Torry
Island, a trip of eight or nine miles which would take you
well over an hour. Still, I reckon there's worse ways to
spend an hour than with your arm around your girl friend.
Everybody, of course, came by boat. If you didn't have
a boat you'd just have to stay at home. There was only one
family which came to the Okeelanta dances by land. At
that time Walter Greer and his wife, and his son Allen
with his wife and kids lived far out in the sawgrass south
of Belle Glade. On a dance night, just before dark, you'd
FUN AND FROLICS 171
see Allen, wrapped head and ears in a linen "duster", piloting
his wide-wheeled Fordson tractor through the sawgrass.1
Behind, in a flat-bodied and wide-tired wagon, were both
families, partly shielded from the itching muck dust by
an old tarpaulin. Allen would "yoo-hoo" like a Seminole
and someone would ferry the whole flock across the canal.
Then they'd all have to repair to some house for to wash
off that dust so's they'd look like white folks again. And
how those Greers loved to dance! You'd often see all three
generations dancing on the floor at once.
These dances used to break up at midnight, for folks
didn't believe in dancing on the Sabbath, and especially
since they'd be holding a Sunday school in the same building
in just a few hours. These settlers weren't like those catfishers
who danced at John Upthegrove's camp for two
days and two nights without a stop for breath. With plenty
of drinking liquor on hand, those catfishing boys and
girls just didn't know when to quit.
About the time that Belle Glade was beginning to be a
town, there was a bunch of young bucks here who loved
to stir up some kind of devilment. The main ones seemed
to be "Slick" Kirchman, "Gator" Tillery, Paul Davidson,
"Shorty" DeLaurie, all the Greer boys, and of course the
town marshall (and later High Sheriff), John Kirk. Then
from Chosen, roaring down that rocky road on their motor
cycles, would come Hans and Fritz Stein and Dick Lefils.
One of their games, whensomever some young buck
would arrive in town, was to ask him if he wouldn't like
to go to Mable's house. Now Mable, he'd be informed, lived
just outside the settlement. If he'd slip out to her house
some night, rap on the door and say, "My name's Joe",
she'd likely let him in. Of course, since he couldn't find the
house by himself, some of the gang would be good sports
and pilot him out there.
Now unbeknownst to this love sick swain, "Mable",
suitably dressed in the clothes of Shorty's wife Frieda,