Plymouth memories of an octogenarian

by William T. Davis

CHAPTER XXI.

To break the monotony of personal reminiscence, I shall recall some of the games which prevailed in my youth. When the April showers and the dog days come year after year at their appointed times, we are satisfied with the explanation that they are following the order of nature. When in their seasons the robins build their nests, and the blackbirds gather in flocks preparatory to their autumn flight, we are content with the statement that they are guided by instinct. But we have no answer to the question—why we boys, as if in obedience to a mysterious edict issued by a secret council, each year simultaneously in all our towns brought from their winter quarters our alleys and taws, and snapped our marbles on every available sidewalk. After the marble fever had run, like measles, a certain number of days, the scene suddenly changed, and driving hoop was the order of the day. The hoop was not one of those toy hoops we see in these days, galvanized iron rings, with an attachment to push them with, but the genuine hoop from an oil cask, one from the bilge for the larger boys, and one from the chine for the smaller ones. When we gathered at twilight, and either in single or double file, made the circuit of the town, we made the welkin ring literally to beat the band.

After the hoop came, as now, the ball games, skip, one old cat, two old cat, hit or miss, and round ball. We made our own balls, winding yarn over a core of India rubber, until the right size was reached, and then working a loop stitch all around it with good, hard, tightly spun twine. Attempts were occasionally made to play ball in the streets, but the by-laws of the town forbidding it were rigidly enforced. There were four gangs of boys, the North street gang, which played in the Jackson field in the rear of North street; the Court street gang, which played in Captain Joseph Bartlett’s field, where the easterly end of Russell street and the adjoining buildings are; the Summer street gang, which played in Cow Hill Valley, and the “tother side gang,” which played on Training Green, sometimes to the detriment of neighboring windows.

While the days were longest the street games were next in order, hare and hounds, prison bar, leap frog, Tom Tiddler’s ground, Red Lion in his den, I spy, hide and seek, nine holes, back side in the way, and follow the leader.

Over hill and dale,

Through bush, through briar,

Over park and dale,

Through flood, through fire.

Wherever the leader went we must follow, over fences, off stone walls, in and out of houses, astonishing families, and if the boot of the head of the family was in order, coming out a little more expeditiously than we went in. The members of the North street gang, to which I belonged, were besides myself and brother, Augustus H. Tribble, the Collingwood boys, John J. Russell, Richard W. Bagnall, Lewis Weston, the Jackson boys, Thomas Cotton, Charles Cotton, George Maynard, George Gooding and Charles T. May.

Football came next in the early autumn, with a ball made of an ox bladder inserted in a leather case of our own making. We bought the bladder at the slaughter house, and put it in pickle until it was ready to be used, and then when the case was made we put it through a slit, and blowing it up with a quill tied a string around the nozzle, laced up the slit, and the game began. In those days all the boys wore boots, and consequently little damage was done to our shins.

With the coming of the first cool nights we hunted in the morning for strips of ice in the gutter, and spent the hour before school in sliding, boys and girls together, the girls, I never knew the reason why, giving a little hop at the beginning of their slide. And then came our sliding down hill, the larger boys with George P. Hayward and William Rider Drew and Jesse Turner at their head. Mr. Hayward’s Constitution, painted green, and having round steel spring runners, taking the lead, would slide from the top of Burial Hill down through a wide open gate between the high schoolhouse and the Unitarian church, along Leyden street, down Turner’s hill to the end of Barnes’ wharf. The smaller boys would spend the afternoons of Saturday perfectly happy on the short slide from the bottom of the Middle street steps to Water street. All our sleds were made to order, scorning as we would if they had been purchasable, the toy sleds which can now be bought for a song, and are high at the price. There was a sled of domestic manufacture in my day which, considering its cheapness and simplicity, was a quite satisfactory sled in the minds of those who could afford no better. It was made of six white oak cask staves, three above and three below, with the convex on the outside, and a cleat at each end between the staves, to which it was nailed. With a little less speed, perhaps, than other sleds, yet in humpy dagger and belly hacker in wearing out boot toes, and heels, they were as efficient as any. With skating and its accompaniment hockey, the winter passed away, and the year came to an end. Of course many out of door games now in vogue were not known in my early days. Cricket was little played, while croquet, tennis, and golf had not made their appearance. To these modern innovations doubtless before long curling and lacrosse will be added. The game of ten pins was a familiar one, but its enjoyment was limited by the almost entire absence of alleys until the Samoset alleys were built in 1845. There was a poor, short alley on Billington Sea Island, but rarely used except on the occasion of picnics. It was by no means an uncommon thing in the college vacation to go as far as Holmes’ Tavern, near Harrub’s corner, and roll in the alleys of Mr. Holmes, whose lame back we sorely tried by his efforts to act as ball boy, and sometimes we went as far as an alley near the Cushman cotton factory, beyond Plympton Green. Carriage hire in those days was so low that such an afternoon expedition could be had without extravagance. We could hire for a half a day at George Drew’s stable in Middle street, for a dollar, either Dolly or Little Jack, or the Eastern mare, or the Peabody horse with a chaise, or for a dollar and a half, Bob sorrel with a carryall. I say chaise, a name derived through the English word chair, from the French chaire, because buggies were unknown in Plymouth in my youth. Buggies were introduced from India, where in Hindustani they were called baggi or bagghi, four wheeled carriages with hoods, and our wagon is derived from the Dutch word wagen. Every family owning a horse had a chaise, and carriage houses were universally called chaise houses, as they are still by myself, and older persons. The fronts of these houses were always made with curved tops, and I know of only three now left in town, those of Mrs. Lothrop, Father Buckley and William Rider Drew. The first buggy in Plymouth was brought from Boston by my uncle, Nathaniel Morton Davis in the 1830’s, and was owned by John Harlow of Chiltonville at the time of his death a few years ago.

Of the indoor games of my youth, battledore and shuttlecock and the graces have gone out. The other games of the young were as they are now, blind man’s buff, scandal, cribbage, backgammon, commerce, whist, chess, checkers, vingt-un, all fours, bragg, loo and euchre. The gambling game of bridge was unknown, as it ought to be today. Quadrille was played by older people, and Boston, after a disappearance for many years, was again introduced in 1844. Piquet, the ancient game of ombre adapted to four instead of three persons, and played also by older persons, was immortalized by Pope in the following lines:

Belinda when thirst of fame invites,

Burns to encounter two adventurous knights,

At ombre singly to decide their doom,

And swells her breast with conquests yet to come.

In the selection of leaders and sides in the out of door games, what were called “countings out” were used, very curious doggerels, whose origin is as mysterious as that of language itself. They are used in every town in every state in our Union, and have been found in more than twenty languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Dutch, Gallic, Turkish, Hindustani, Japanese, Hawaiian, Irish, Romani, Cornish, etc. There is a vein of similarity running through them, though changes and additions and corruptions have been the result of their adoption into various dialects. In closing this chapter I subjoin the following list of such as my own memory, and that of others have furnished me, and such as I have found in print.

Eena, meena, mony my,

Tuscalona, bona sty,

Hulda, gulda, boo.

Out goes you. (United States.)

Eena, meena, mona my,

Tuscalona, bona stry,

Tin pan, maska dary,

Higly, pigly, pig snout,

Crinkly, cranky, you are out.

(New Hampshire)

Eeny, meeny, mony my,

Barcelona, stony stry,

Eggs, butter, cheese, bread,

Stick, stock, stone dead. (England.)

Eeny, meeny, mony mo,

Catch a nigger by the toe,

If he squeals, let him go,

Eeny, meeny, miny mo. (Scotland.)

Eena, deina, dina doe,

Catch a nigger by the toe,

If he screams, let’ him go.

Eena, deena, dina doe. (Ireland.)

Ena, mena, bona mi,

Kisca, lana, mora di,

Eggs, butter, cheese, bread,

Stick, stock, stone dead. (Ancient.)

Allem, Bellem, Chirozi,

Chirmirozi, fotozi,

Fotoz girden, magara,

Magarada, tilki bush,

Pilki, beni korkoostdi,

Aallede, shovellede, edimeda,

Divid bushe,

Den Olayen, kehad bashi. (Turkey.)

Anery, twaery, duckery, seven,

Alama crack, ten am eleven,

Palm, pom, it must be done,

Come lettle, come total, come twenty-one. (Druids.)

One-ery, two-ery, ziccary zan,

Hollow bone, crockabone, ninery tan,

Spittery, spot it must be done,

Twiddle-um, twaddle-um twenty-one. (England.)

Ekkeri, akaisi, you kaiman,

Fillisin, follasy, Nicholas Jan,

Kivi, Kavi, Irishman,

Stini, stani, buck. (Romani.)

Eena, meena, mona, mite,

Basca, lora, hora, bite. (Cornwall.)

Eena, tena, mona, mi.

Pastor, lone, boni strei. (German.)

Eena, meener, mulker,

Porceleiner, stutker. (Dutch.)

Hickory, hoary, hairy, Ann,

Busybody, oven span,

Pare, pare, virgin, mari. (Guernsey.)

One ery, two ery, Dickey Davy,

Hulleboo, cracker, gentle Mary,

Dixum Dandy, merrigo hind,

Fersumble-du, tumble-du, twenty-nine. (Ireland.)

Eena, deena, dina dust,

Calita, meena, wina, must,

Spin, spon, must be done,

Twiddledum, twaddledum, twenty-one.

O. U. T. speels out,

With the old dish clout,

Out boys, out. (England.)

One is all, two is all, Zick is all zan,

Bobtail, vinegar, little tol tan,

Harum, scarum, Virginia merum,

Zee, tan, buck. (New Hampshire.)

One-ezzoll, two-ezzoll, ziggle, zol zan,

Bobtail vinegar, little tall tan,

Harum, scarum, virgin marum,

Zinctum, zanctum, buck. (Delaware.)

Intry, mintry, cutry, corn,

Apple seed, and briar thorn,

Wire briar, limber lock,

Three geese in a flock,

One flew east, and one flew west,

And one flew over the cuckoo’s nest.

Delia Domna, Nona dig,

Oats floats, country notes,

Hy, born tusk,

Hulali, Gulala, goo,

Out goes you.

One is all, two is all,

Zick is all zeven,

Arrow bone, cracker bone,

Ten or eleven.

Six and four are ten,

Chase the red lion to his den.

Intry, mintry, cutry corn,

Apple seed and briar thorn,

Wire, briar, limber lock,

Six geese in a flock,

Set and sing by a spring,

My grandmother lives on the hill,

She has jewels, she has rings,

She has many pretty things,

O. U. T. spells out you go.

Hunt the squirrel through the woods,

I lost him, I found him;

I sent a letter to his son,

I lost him, I found him.

Fe, fi, fo, fum,

I smell the blood of an Englishman,

Be he live, or be he dead,

I’ll have his bones to make my bread. (Plymouth.)

Eggs, cheese, butter, bread,

Stick, stock, stone, dead,

Hang him up, lay him down,

On his father’s living ground. (Plymouth.)

Een, teen feather pip,

Sargo, larko, bump. (Plymouth.)

Inditie, Mentitie, Petitee, Dee,

Delia, Delia, Dominee,

Oacha, Poacha, Domminnicher,

Hing, Ping, Chee. (Plymouth.)

Henry, pennery, pit for gold,

Had a louse in his head,

Seven years old.

Seventy, seventy on to that,

This old logy will grow fat,

Hinchiman, pinchiman, make his back smart,

If ever I catch him, I’ll sling him to my heart;

Sling, slang, chattery bang—out. (Plymouth.)

Intry, tentry, tethery, methery,

Bank for over Diman Diny,

Ant, tant, tooch,

Up the causey, down the cross.

There stands a bonnie white horse,

It can gallop, it can trot,

It can carry the mustard pot,

One, two, three, out goes she. (Scotland.)

Eeny, teeny, other feather hip,

Satha, latha, kedarthun deck,

Een dick, teen dick, ether dick, fether dick, bunkin,

Een bunkin, teen bunckeen, either bunkin, fether bunkin digit. (Indiana.)

Eenity, feenity, fickety, fig,

El del, dolman egg,

Irby, birky, stony rock,

An tan toosh Jack. (Scotland.)

Hinty, minty, cutry corn,

Apple seed and briar thorn;

Wire, briar, limber lock,

Three geese in a flock;

One flew east, and one flew west,

One flew over the cuckoo nest.

Up on yonder hill,

There’s where my father dwells.

He has jewels, he has rings,

He has many pretty things,

He has a hammer with two nails,

He has a cat with two tails.

Strike Jack, lick Tom,

Blow the bellows, old man. (New England.)

Onerie, twoerie,

Hahbo crackaro,

Henry Lary,

Guacahan Dandy,

Bullalie Collilie,

Forty-nine.

Onery, youery, eckery Anna,

Phillicy, pholocy, Nicholas John,

Queeby, quoby, Irish Mary,

Tinkerlam, Tarkerlum buck.

One ezzol, two ezzoll, zichara zan,

Bobtail vinegar, little tall tan,

Harum, scarum, virgin marum,

Zinctum, zanctum buck.

Tit, tat toe,

Here I go,

And if I miss

I pitch on this.

Rumble, rumble in the pot,

King’s nail horse top,

Take off lid.

Fe, fi, fo fum,

I smell the blood of an Englishman.

Be he live, or be he dead,

I’ll have his bones to make my bread.

Een, teen, feather pip,

Sarco, larco, bump.

Akaha, ou oi, ha,

Paele, kakini,

I kana, hoole pa;

Mai, no alaee

Ohu, memona kapolena, Kaide, wilu. (Hawaii.)

Een, twee, koppie thee,

Drie, vier, glaas ge beer,

Vzl zes bitter in de flesch,

Ziyen acht san op wacht,

Negen teen, ok hit diener gezzen. (Dutch.)

Ene tene mon emei,

Pastor Loni bone strei.

Ene funi, herke berke,

Wer-we-wo-was. (German.)

Eggs, cheese, butter bread,

Stick, stone dead,

Stick him up and stick him down,

Stick him in the old man’s crown. (United States.)

Ink, pink, papers, ink,

Am pam push. (Scotland.)

Ink, mink, pepper stink,

Sarko, Larko, Bump. (Plymouth.)

Hink, spink, the puddings stink,

The fat begins to fry,

Nobody at home but jumping Joan,

Father, mother and I. (English.)

One, two, three,

Out goes she.

One, two, three,

Nanny caught a flea,

The flea died, and Nanny cried,

Out goes she. (United States.)

One-ery, two-ery, eckeery Ann,

Phillisy, phollisy, Nicholas John,

Queebe, quarby, Irish Mary,

Sinkum, sankum, Johnny go buck. (Cambridge.)

Winnery, ory, accury han,

Phillisy, Phollisi, Nicholas Jan,

Queby, quorby, Irish Mary,

Sink, sunk, sock. (England.)

Eeny, meeny, mony mi,

Pastalony, bony sty,

Harby, darby, walk. (Michigan.)

Great house, little house, pig sty, barn.

Rich man, poor man, beggar man.

The last two were used in Plymouth in the ball game of skip. One of the two boys who chose sides tossed the bat to the other who caught it and held it. Then the two alternately grasped it hand over hand, and if there was enough of the bat left for the next one to hold it, and throw it over his head, he had the first choice of players.