Page 51 - memories-of-golde-dicks-markham-(1996)-golde-dicks-markham

Memories of Golde Dicks Markham (1996) Golde Markham Dicks 36/125

The older folks sat on the banks of the lake with all the children around. The grandfa­

thers chewed their tobacco, and Grandma Tyre dipped and spit her snuff. Grandma Dicks
never dipped snuff. As the boys were lowering the seine down in the middle of the lake, we
heard Uncle Press scream and shout. He swam to shore like a streak of lightning. Press

waded onto the shore and seemed quite relieved. What followed him was the largest alligator
I ever saw. It came out of the water and headed right straight for Press. He took off running
as fast as he could go with the alligator right at his heels. The banks were real steep, but
Press just made it to a split rail fence. He put his hands on the top rail and just threw his body

over the fence. The fence stopped the alligator and saved Uncle Press.
The alligator had a litter of baby gators and that is why she was so aggressive. While

the alligator was charging Uncle Press, the other boys pulled the seine out and did they have
fish! Big fish, little fish, middle-sized fish, catfish, and even some baby alligators. They
emptied out what they needed for the picnic crowd and threw the rest, including the baby
alligators, back into the lake.

Grandpa Tyre and Grandpa Dicks sat in their homemade cowhide bottom chairs, and
the rest sat in the chairs they used in the wagons. Ma made hushpuppies and others brought
jars of homemade pickles and bottles of syrup: Everyone had a good meal1 that day.

One Christmas Ma and Pa attended the Bethlehem Baptist Church to see its Christmas
program, so Pa hitched Old Beck up to the buggy and off we went. After the program, the
pastor passed out the usual brown paper bags of fruit and hard candy. Pa went out and

unhitched Old Beck, and Ma got into the passenger side of the buggy seat. I' loved to ride on
the back of the buggy. At night, I would lift the lid that was on the back that kept the rain off

of whatever was stored inside. I’d lift that fid, sit inside, push my feet and legs under the
buggy seat, and push myself under until I could lie down and stretch out. That way there was
no way I could' fall. My parents knew I*dl be asleep in three seconds in there. In the daytime I

would stand on the back axle if the weather was nice.
Old Beck was the laziest old mule I ever saw. Pa had to keep tapping her with the
buggy whip to keep her from just stopping dead1 still. She trotted slower and slower, but on

the way back home, she got right frisky. She knew she was going home, and she hurried to
get there. Old Beck was speeding us along at a pretty fast pace—even for Old Beck.
Just before we got home, halfway between the branch and the lot, Old Beck stopped

so suddenly that the buggy almost ran over her. It gave such a jolt that it woke me up.

36

www.LakeCityHistory.com LCH-UUID: C15F5985-B57F-498C-9C99-F425FA07E049