Farmerville Gazette, October 5, 1939
Written by Edna Liggin as Uncle Lige
“Wal,” sez Ma, “reckons as thar is a little nip uf frost in thar air, we’d better set a time on killing our yearlin’ to can so’s the adpshuns kin haf sum hambergers to put in their lunch.” I bin alookin’ fer this. “ma, don’t you think them adopshuns will like fried eggs just as well? I–I–I, well you see, it wuz like this “I” —
Ma got purple in the face. “Lige, have you dun sold thet calf?” “Oh no,” I hasten to deny. “Then,” ground out Ma, “Whut is all this mutterin’ about?” I let her have it. “You see, I promised thet yearlin to the meat committee over at Farmerville.” “Whut in the world are you talkin’ about?” Ma wants to know.
“Good grief women! Don’t yau read in Gazette” This month’s centennial celebration of the parish’s birfday. We is gonna haf a barbecue Friday, Oct. 13! “How much will it cost,” axes thet woman. “It’s free!” L yelled. “Then why are you a-givin’ thet yearling?” I give up.
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I’ll jest git busy on my news. I heerd Sunday the Fomby boys war out to win thet five dollars prize money given away by the Bernice Fair. They gathered things all Sunday…Brother Paul Thompson of El Doradee wuz a Union Gin viistor Sunday arternoon and left Rufus Albritton diskussing the Bible fer hours afterwards.
John Mathews and Junior Barham say it aint much fun to hitch-hike at cold midnight. Missus Ruth Wynn, Edna Liggin, Joe Henry and Laura Lewis and John went to the big singing at Ruston Sunday. Ma walked a mile to hear them broadcast, thinkin she could hear on the air Louvadee who also went. Oh, yes, the Lucien Copelens went too.
The Bob Shaws have a new baby; makes old Bob four darters and the fust son. Ma says she heerd the W. L. Goldens sung at Ruston … Anette Liggin sez the Ed. Shavers of Ruston brought thar cute baby up Sunday to the Otis Wynn’s. .. Pansy Reeves wuz home over the week end frum La. Tech. Nell Liggin relaxed over the week end at home frum teachin’ four grades at Beech Grove. She wuz sporting a new hair kink Satiddy and give Sis a new want to hurt her.
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People bin a-fishin’ quite a bit last week….Ma and the hull she-bang uf the HDC ladies acheeved muchly at Farmerville last Friday….A bunch uf the same kind uf i-nitial ladies frum Evergeen went.
Ma also tole me thet Alma and Starling Tabor wuz sum tickled when they peeped outa the window Sunday and thar set a brand new car….Outa the car jumped her kids, Mrs. Emma Smith, Floy Tabpr. a Mr. Higgins and Miss Alma’s granddarter, Betty Jo Smith, all uf ’em frum Shreesport.
Sis wants to know why we can’t go to Shreesport now they’s picked all uf my cotton fer me. “We gonna do better’rn thet,” I shouts. “We gonna go to Farmerville on October 13 and celebrate lak everything.”
“I need sum new shoes,” said Junyer. “I need to sing on the program,” said Luvadee, while Sis merely stated she needed a new “outfit” whatever thet is. Wal, it’s plum funny, but the celebrashun has me feelin’ so good, I promised them folks all uf them things!
Edna Matthews Liggin will always be remembered as the official historian of Union Parish and the Book Mobile Lady. She began writing the Uncle Lige column in The Gazette in 1939. Over the years she wrote many articles about the Union Parish history, the people there and her bottle collection. In her retired years she enjoyed visiting the older people in the Union Parish community.
Shiloh to Canaan 