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Hall of Famer [22127]
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An Old Southern Tradition
Jan 24, 2021, 10:54 AM
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A few of of you older posters may be able to relate to this if you lived in or near a small southern town pre WW2 or soon thereafter. Saturday was the day when the farmers nd their families came to town to shop and transact business. All of the stores and the bank s were open. The stores remained open well into the night until the last family left. Saturday was the big day when the merchants made their money.
Business was usually slow on the week days, particularly during the summer, so most of the businesses closed on Wednesday afternoon during the summer. And what did the employees do on Wednesday afternoon? I would guess that about 80% went fishing.
Some of the farmers liked the idea of having Wednesday afternoon off and this became a ritual. Uncle Barney (no relation) was a dairyman. He asked me if I would like to go fishing with him on most Wednesdays. I was to operate the boat and we had the choice of several good fishing lakes. He was a lot of fun. Uncle Barney lived to be about 100 and when I would go by to see him years later he always wanted to talk about our fishing adventures, and we did have some real adventures.
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All-TigerNet [12592]
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Re: An Old Southern Tradition
Jan 24, 2021, 10:59 AM
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I do remember some stores in the Pee Dee closing Wednesday afternoons when I was a kid and young teen. A lot of the store owners did in fact go fishing except from Thanksgiving until the end of February. Bird hunting was the deal during that time frame and by bird, I mean bobwhite quail. Good times!!
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All-TigerNet [13885]
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Good to see you back Joe!***
Jan 24, 2021, 11:11 AM
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All-In [25962]
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Re: Good to see you back Joe!***
Jan 24, 2021, 11:21 AM
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Yes I remember it as well Joe. Where I live, a lot of the men would meet at different spots on Black River on Wednesday and fish and then have a fish fry or fish stew. Saturday was indeed their day to make money. Nowadays, some stores close on Saturday because people recreate in other ways on Saturday.
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Orange Blooded [2538]
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Re: An Old Southern Tradition
Jan 24, 2021, 11:52 AM
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I remember those tomes vividly. Lots of the neighborhood boys would walk into town on Saturdays to have a beer(or three) and just hang out. My brothers and I did not participate in that tradition because Dad had us working in the fields the entire day, By that I mean until darkness. Sundays were truly our only day of rest until the crops were "laid by"(the time between cultivating and harvest for you youngsters and non farmers). then we fished. We could also skinny dip in the river and fish when the fields were too wet after rains, We built our own wagons with gears from the textile mill just down the river and built our own wooden boat for fishing. It was hard work but a wonderful life where play and entertainment Was limited only by your imagination and creativity.I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
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CU Medallion [50787]
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I remember the closings during the’50’s
Jan 24, 2021, 11:54 AM
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but didn’t know about owners going fishing or the farmers taking the afternoon off - happy to hear fishing correlates with living to 100
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Orange Blooded [2319]
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Re: I remember the closings during the’50’s
Jan 24, 2021, 11:58 AM
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I got this from my grandfather, who was born in Yemassee in 1894. there are little spots on the road every two to three miles because that is how far one can drive a duck or chicken in one day.
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MVP [529]
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Re: An Old Southern Tradition
Jan 24, 2021, 12:12 PM
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I worked in a grocery store on Saturdays my junior and senior years in high school. Our town was crowded and folks came in and spent the day. Many would buy the groceries in the mornings and we would hold them until they came before we closed at 9:00 and pick them up.
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Orange Blooded [2419]
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Re: An Old Southern Tradition
Jan 24, 2021, 12:23 PM
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There are places in the Florida Panhandle that still observe Wednesday afternoon closings and many go to the river to fish for shell crackers, mullet and catfish. It’s a wonderful tradition.
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All-TigerNet [10849]
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Re: An Old Southern Tradition
Jan 24, 2021, 2:25 PM
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I remember when stores closed on Wed. afternoon in central business districts up until the mall opened in 7o's in my little town and that changed everything. Also worked in a discount store part time while going to college in the 80's. Stores started opening on Sundays around 84 in SC I think. Funny for 20 something years after that you could open only at noon on Sunday in many counties only for grocery. I remember not that long ago in some towns you could walk into a Walmart Supercenter before noon and only buy groceries. The rest of the store was roped off until noon.
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Replies: 9
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