Through An 'Old Timer's' Eyes
By Howard 'Mac' McDonald

Music has always been a big part of my life. Except for hard rock and rap, I like all kinds. Marching bands with their intricate pattern games always fascinate me.

Cameron County High School's marching band has been in several big parades at Disney World. It must make these kids swell with pride to know that they represent out community.

The Rose Parade on New Year's Day is always a favorite, as the majestic horses carry their costumed riders. The horses leave enough used horse feed behind to fertilize all the flowers grown for that parade.

What would a big parade be without the Budweiser Clydesdale Team strutting to the marching band music? Each one of these gigantic equines is a carbon copy of the one pulling next to it. When a team of horses look like twins, this is called a matched team.

I would like to call your attention to the team pulling the wagon in this old-time photo. Even though the team is not a pair of matching Clydesdales, they are a matched team. This picture was taken in the summer of 1917 at the Andrews Farm.

The three older kids standing, from left to right, are Simon Hornung, George Hornung and Catherine Hornung Caldwell. In the wagon, from left to right, are Ada Andrews Drum, Russ Andrews and Junior Russell.

The wagon is not as elegant as the Budweiser wagon, but it's still a work of art. The name on the side says Auto Wheel Master. The picture is the courtesy of Joel Caldwell from the Emporium Pharmacy.

At the time that this picture was taken, World War I was raging in Europe. George M. Cohan was in his prime and producing songs that depicted the time at hand: Yankee Doodle Dandy, Give My Regards To Broadway, You're A Grand Old Flag, and the most popular American patriotic song of World War I, Over There.

War time seems to produce songs that live long after the conflict is over. Out National Anthem is a product of The War of 1812. "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," spawned by The Civil War, could apply to the way in Iraq today. Kate Smith's stirring "God Bless America" gave a musical flavor of WWII.

The police action in Korea was passed over by the song writers of that era, but Vietnam was remembered by the protest songs.

In 1951, when Korea was gobbling up troops faster than we could produce them, I was in basic training at Sampson AFB in New York. To get the troops in a better humor, we had marching songs that set the cadence. Some had lyrics that can't be repeated, but some were pretty funny.

To the best of my recollection, one of them went like this: "I'm engaged to marry Sue, honey, honey. I'm engaged to marry Sue, babe. I'm afraid to get undressed, cause Mary's tattooed on my chest, Honey, oh babe, be mine."

You marched at 120 steps a minute unless you were in a real hurry. Then, it was double time.

Another marching song that comes to mind, went like this: "Nellie bought a new dress and it was very thin. She asked me how I like it, and I answered with a grin. Wait' til the sun shines, Nellie."

I sometimes wonder what would my life had been like if I had done my four years and got out. Where would my children have been born? Where would I have lived and what would be my vocation? Your destiny is what you make it and mine took me to 31 different countries. The world is short one renowned brain surgeon.

The year 2006 is just about history and we are all a year older. I remember standing in line in Arizona to buy a lottery ticket. I was behind this elderly

gentleman and

when he was ask by the clerk if he wanted the cash or the annuity. He said, "lady, I am so old that I don't even buy green bananas, so get me one for cash."

Sometimes a year does a lot of damage to a person's body and sometimes it is like fine wine and it improves with age. I can't compare my last year to a fine wine but all in all most things are still functioning. Maybe a half step slower and not as quick of wit.

There were a lot of bear hunters in town and I noticed that not many of them were young. It seems that the youth of today don't seem to catch the excitement of being in the woods like our generation did. My mother always said, "Youth is wasted on the young." Sure wish I had some to waste.

Do you remember Emporium's Christmas Store? The fire that took away this landmark sure changed a lot of people's lives. Jean, Stella, and Susie Zito, with the help of Carol Dankesreiter, captured the spirit of the holiday with their creative displays.

The Christmas Store in Smethport is also gone. This store was famous all over this country. Did Wal-Mart cause its demise?

Flowers and Things has an awesome display of trees and Christmas decorations that is worth seeing. A lot of tender love and care went into the displays. We finally have a store that sells ammo. If you need a box of shells for the hunting season, you don't have to drive to St. Marys. All the hunting supplies you need are at South Park Supply.