Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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8 ^^r?K;,/fl i: SBHimHB^^^^-B "There will be little boys craw taking care of me and thinking I BY WILLIAM S. CANNON Editors Note: Mr. Cannon, an avid train buff, is a member of the Presbyterian College faculty. He has written the article as if the "Little Red Caboose" was actually reporting the dedication story. "I have traveled many a long and bumpy mile in my life; I have seen sadness and sorrow; happiness and joy; but. I have never been happier than I am now. There \iri11 Kn 1 1 In K/Mre nrnnrltn YV in wv. uuic uwv o vi a w 11115 all over me, inside and out. taking care of me and thinking that I am real special. After all. I AM special ... I am a 'caboose made good' ... I am a Bov Scout House, and brother, that's pretty special. Spring Scout Cam| By Martha O. Rice Lydia Scout Troop 90 Clinton Mill Troop 138 were cohosts for the annual Laurens County Camporee held at the recently dedicated Cabin-Caboose in the Lydia Community Mav 11 and 12th. Bill Brackett, district Scout executive for Laurens and Newberry Counties said this was the largest attended Camporee in several years with 130 Scouts and leaders participating in the two day event. Mr. Brackett said the Camporee is a training ex perience and aids the boys in learning Scout craft skills. Between 100 and 150 persons visited the camp site during the event. For those who didn't you missed a love? IjiP ih'Wti I iiiI : ' / ft m i S Co-Host Lydia Troop * Songs and Skits were enjoyed 1: campfire. ded'<atecab W^Mfr-rTWi^/ Trjfcr H ^K C.' i PHK ling all over me, inside and out. am real special." And I have a home. I'll get a new coat of paint when I need it; I'll have my floor waxed and polished; I've got new heaters inside to cut off the cold, wintery winds, and I've got my own railroad track to rest my weary wheels on, never having to turn those tired axles again. Boy, I've got it made!" Those could have been the words of the Tallulah Falls Railway Caboose X-5 on Tuesday, May 8, 1962, for this was the big day at Lvdia. The official dedication was over, the folks had gone, and the caboose, now officially the Scout House for Lydia Troop Number 90 was open. For poree at Lydia ly view of looking down the hill and seeing the boys busy pitching their tents and preparing their camp sites. All seven troops were awarded blue ribbons for inspection, participation, morale and discipline. Mr. Brackett stated that it w a s most unusual for all troops to receive this award due to the fact that they must maintain a very high standard during the entire event. Lydia Troop received plaques for winning first place in the relay race and pushups contest. Clinton Mill Troop 138 was presented a plaque for winning second place in five of the ten events. -90 after a good lunch. 53^0 * ' ' *>y the boys and visitors around the THE CLOTHMAKER POSE CABIN where many old caboose cars wind up in a scrap pile, reduced to a pile of ashes by the scrapman's fires, this one had a new outlook on life. From bringing up the rear on the freight trains of the nowabandoned Georgia shortline, the X-5 had risen to new 1 I -L a. _ 1 U-i - e a r ueigius uy oeing in ironi 01 everyone and first in the sight of the Boy Scouts at Lydia. After having made its way to the Lydia spur on its own wheels, the X-5 was carried bodily, and a little disheveled, on the Company's big trailer driven by Ott Thomas to its present site. Its wheels were carried in two of the smaller trucks, and then it was placed back on its wheels on its own special HO' track, built especially for the car. From there, the shop men and yard men of Mr. Clyde Trammell and Mr. Glen Downs installed heaters, electricity, water, plumbing and sewer_ __ j? . i i mi_ o i age iacimies. i ne acouis themselves cleaned up inside and out and helped to put on t h e marker lamps, build steps, and cleaned up the yard around the car. Scouting awards and a story of the caboose and its origins were hung on the walls inside. Everything was shined and in readiness. The big day arrived. Flags and bunting were put on the end of the caboose, and a band, speakers, guests and refreshments arrived. A beurilrlprorl pnKnnco inrlnrwl fnr this much attention had never been paid to a mere caboose before. Children and grown-ups were everywhere around the car waiting for the dedication ceremonies to begin. The band played, the people talked, and then Mr. George Cornelson stepped up onto the platform of the caboose. The crowd quieted down as Mr. Cornelson began: "It is a distinct privilege and pleasure for me to welcome each of you here for the dedication of this . . . another fine recreational facility for the youth of the Lvdia Community. I wish to recognize and express our appreciation to the following men a n d organizations, through whose efforts and cooperation we were able to locate the caboose on this site. First ol all, I would like to thank oui President, Mr. Robert M Vance, for making the purchase and renovation of the caboose possible. Secondly, 1 want to thank the Southern Seaboard, Atlantic Coasl Line, and Columbia, Newberry and Laurens railroads for moving the caboose without cost from Cornelia, Georgia, to the Lydia Mills Spur I also wish to thank Mr. William Cannon, Professor ol Mathematics at Presbyteriar College, and his twin sons Larry and Corey, for their in valuable advice and assistance in securing and pre paring the caboose. We arc grateful to Mr. Melettc Wham of the Wham Con struction Company for mov ing the car without cost fron "J. B. Templeton nea the spur to its present location. And finally, to the following, without whose help we could not have done the job we give our thanks: Mr. "Lydia Scouter" himself, Clyde Trammell and his men, Glen Downs a n d his men, Ellis Huffstetler, Truman Owens, and Jimmie Braswell. As you can see, many people and businesses cooperated in this unified effort to bring the caboose to us." All the while, the X-5 was nrntmtilu mnciiKt <r> WV/M CW UOL11 . "All this fuss is being made over and about me." Just about then, Reverend Roscoe Brvan of the Penticostal Holiness Church at Lydia stepped forward to offer a prayer of dedication for the Scout Building. At its conclusion, Mr. J. B. Templeton, VicePresident of the ClintonLydia Mills, climbed onto the rear platform of the caboose. Scout Marion Waters came out from inside where he had been waiting to present Mr. Templeton with an official railroader's cap complete with the Scouting insignia across the front, and a red bandana to wear while cutting the ribbons across the J _ r A 1 a r* * ? nour 01 me car. Alter Mr. Templeton put on his cap and kerchief, he took the scissors from Mr. Cornelson, neatly snipped the ribbon, and the i car was open. Then, the caboose got the whole idea. All those folks had come to visit IT ... to go through and see what a real caboose looked like inside. A shudder of joy must have crept through those aged sills under the car. The children. almost 400 of them from the ( Providence School, the First Presbyterian, First Baptist. Calvary Baptist and Lydia Baptist kindergartens, glee, fullv lined up with their l teachers to swing up the steps like real railroaders and ; ^ ^. APR CLINTON C Calvin Chappell?Carding Thomas J. Howe?Carding f Luther Tollison?Carding Mason Boyd?Spinning Mary Bradley?Spinning , Louise N. Campbell?Spinning Shirley Richardson?Spinning Fred Switzer, Jr.?Spinning Inez Wood?Spinning Claud J. I LYDIA CC James L. Osborne?Carding Vina V. Campbell?Spinning Lottie Thornhill?Spinning Douglas E. DeYoung?Weaving 1 MAY. 1962 Hr. tly clipped the ribbons" visit the inside of the caboose, a long-awaited treat. Finally, to top off a pleasant morning, through the courtesy of Hartness Bottling Works of Greenville, everyone had a cold Pepsi Cola in the shade near the car. All the while, the Clinton High School "Devilaires" played under the trees, the flags waved, and visitors chatted in the bright sun. "Ah me, to think of all those years of going from Cornelia to Franklin, back and forth over those mountain miles with all those high trestles that always did frighten me . . . and look at me now! A caboose NEVER had it so good. Pardon me if there is a tear in one of my windows ... it is a tear of joy . . . for me. I hope I can give all those folks, and especially 'my' Scouts, happy years of service. So what if I don't roll over the singing rails now? As old as I am, those rails had begun to hurt my wheels anyway. This track of mine is just exactly ^ the right width not to cramp 9 my flanges, and the length is perfect. I can't go anywhere. Besides, what caboose in its right mind would want to go anywhere and leave all this? I can think back over mv %/ past, but I'd rather think of my future as a home for the Lydia Boy Scouts. I'm a happy caboose, and I hope all my friends are happy with me.*' And so, a fanciful story udoui a "red caboose' does not end but merely begins with a formal welcome from its new neighbors at Lydia. The Scouts, and indeed the folks of Lydia, are proud of the new Troop 90 headquarters, and look forward to many years of good Scouting with the "caboose m a d e ^ good". IL. 1962 OTTON MILLS Ernest Trammell?Spooling Lewis Abercrombie?Weaving 1 ~ ? id 11 tir. : ^larente Daywt'ii?wedving Homer Jones, Jr.?Weaving James R McAbee?Weaving Willie L. Motes?Weaving James M. Pruett?Weaving Ruby Thomas?Weaving Paul D. Tyson?Weaving 7armer?Cloth >TTON MILLS E. W. Fuller?Weaving Robert W. Gaines?Weaving ^ Mitchell B. Wigley?Weaving fl Walter C. Holbert?Cloth ^