In the olden days... 02.24.14

 

                I was reminded of the olden days during a conversation this morning.

I believe the year may have been around 1956 or at least in that time period. I went to school at May Green grade school in Cape Girardeau, Mo. I started the first grade at the age of 5 and continued through about half of the 5^th grade at May Green. We moved to the country where I attended Juden School through the 6^th grade.

At May Green the girls play ground was to the north of the school and the boys was to the south. Now days it would be considered discrimination because the boys had room for two ball diamonds, football and basketball while the girls didn’t. I guess the boys were treated differently in those days.

There were trees along the west side of the boys play ground and that is where we played marbles.  Under the trees there was no grass so it was easy to draw a circle to make the ring for the game. There was two ways to play; “Funnies” was played and each contestant kept his own marbles, while “Keeps” meant you keep any marbles you knock out of the ring.

There were other terms one needed to learn if they were going to successfully participate in this sport.

“Steelies” was a metal ball baring the size of a marble.

“Lobbie” was an extra-large marble two or three times bigger than a normal marble.

“Tall” was the marble one used to shoot at the other marble in the ring.

“Innies” is what you said when you shot your Tall and it knocked a marble out of the ring but the tall stayed inside the ring. You could make your next shot from that point inside the ring.

If you miss a shot and your tall stayed inside the ring the other players could shoot at your tall. If they knocked your tall outside the ring they would say, “two or your tall” which means you had to give the other player two marbles or he would keep your tall.

“Pinks” was the term used if you wanted to put the marble on a small pile of dirt (kind of like a golf T). 

I do remember those of us who played marbles would be dirty after recess and that is probably why the teacher would always make us go to the rest room and wash up before going back to class.

The reason for this history lesson is; what we use to do as kids in the olden days is not acceptable now. Now days kids are not allowed to bring things like marbles to school. I assume the schools might consider marbles as weapons. Possibly some student might get their feelings hurt if they were not as good at marbles as other kids.

I hope your day is satisfying.

 

Don Ford