Learn about your antiques and collectibles with Georgia Caraway

penmanship. The typewriter, advanced printing methods, and the computer have served to end the era of excellent penmanship The collecting of old autograph albums can still bring back unhurried handwritten verses and wonderful memories of school days and friends

From the 1894-1896 album of M E (Lizzie) Grove, Grafton, PA:

Love me little, love me big, Love me like a little pig (1909)

Roses are red, violets are blue, Sugar is sweet, and so are you (1909)

Don’t worry about the future, The present is all thou hast, The future will soon be here, And the present will soon be past. (1913)

When I was in the 6th and 7th grades in the 1960s in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, my friends and I passed our autograph albums around to share sentiments and sometimeshumorous rhymes When I found my first autograph album dating to the 1890s, I was surprised to find out that we didn’t begin this fad And even more surprised to find that many of the little poems we wrote dated to these early albums.

These small, inexpensive books contained blank pages of paper in which people could express themselves to the owner of the album These sentiments often gave a small insight into the character of the owner as well as the signer. This practice was universal not only among the young, but early albums were prosy possessions of adults. Many of the sentiments were of a religious nature, pledged everlasting friendship, cited prosaic proverbs and Shakespearian quotations, gave marital advice, or were just plain corny

Autograph albums in the latter half of the 1800s gained popularity because people once took great pride in their penmanship Letter writing, the hand execution of wills, insurance policies and other legal documents, personal calling cards, diaries, journals and autograph albums were all labors of love and pride of

Sunday June 17, 1894

My dear niece Lizzie, I dip my pen into the ink And grasp your album tight But for my life I cannot think Once single word to write. Your Aunt Mollie

Jan. 20 1896 Friend Lizzie, A little word kindly spoken, A motion or a tear, Has often healed the heart that’s broken And made a friend sincere

From the 1890-1892 Floral Album of Pearl Buckelew, Birmingham, Ala

To My Friends: My album is a garden spot Where all my friends may sow Where thorns and thistle flourish not But flowers alone may grow With smiles for sunshine, tears for showers I’ll water, watch and guard these flowers. Pearl

Buckelew

Upon your wedding day, A broom to you, I’ll send In sunshine use the brushy part, In storm the other end.

Dr. Georgia Caraway, former director of the Denton County Museums for 14 years, will be opening the Howe Mercantile on Howe’s Founders Day, April 25. She has also written Tips, Tools, & Techniques: Caring for Your Antiques and Collectibles and four Denton history books

Baseball Continued from Page #5 strong outing behind starting pitcher Josh Griffin Griffin actually gave up two early runs, but settled in and blanked the Warriors over the next five innings He walked three and struckout seven His brother Matt Griffin pitched the seventh and got the save despite giving up a run and having the trying run at second base

Howe scored two in the first Easton Ross walked and Zach Blevins doubled to lead off the game They were brought in on a sac fly

Continued on Page #13

In the spring of 2012, Darren and Vanna Foster started a snow cone business in Howe called Chill Out. They have been seen at nearly every youth baseball game and city-wide function over the past three years. However, last Sunday, they finalized an agreement to sell the business to Ron and Audra Mitchell.

Selling the family business comes with heavy emotions because it truly was a family business for the Fosters