Hooper? Say What?

That's right--Hooper. Basically, Hooper is a sophisticated game of tag played in usually in the warmer months. Like most games, there are some rules and when I ran into Darryl, a childhood friend, he gave me the lowdown on how the game was played. This is his narrative.

"The game usually involved 10 or more participants; I've seen 20 at times. The more, the merrier! Two of those participants were needed to get the game started - one being the "spinner", the other the "chucker." There were sometimes loud and contentious (but brief) debates about who would get to be spinner or chucker. I cannot remember why these positions were held in such esteem. The participants would stand in a circle, legs slightly spread, with the shoes of each participant touching those next to him/her so there was an unbroken circle. Prior to gathering in a circle, a stick, usually a small tree branch was found and the bark picked off of one end to the be "point". Here's where the spinner's job started and the game got fun!

"Standing as one of the participants in the circle, the spinner would spin/toss the stick into the middle of the circle and the "point" would end up pointing either to someone's foot (a "shoe") or directly between their legs (a "through"). If a participant receive 2 "throughs" or 3 "shoes", they were considered "it". More about that in a sec...

"Depending on the number of players, the spinning part could take a bit of time, but this was fun too. Because of the randomness of the spin and the group's judgment as to whose shoe the stick might actually be pointing to, there was often cause for the spinner to get down on hands and knees and draw and invisible line in the grass from the stick to the shoe to accurately determine who had gotten a "shoe". And then there was keeping track of how many "shoes" and "throughs" everyone had. More spirited debates, more fun!

"Eventually after numerous spins, throughs, shoes, etc., someone would be deemed "it". At this point, the boundaries of the game were briefly re-iterated; the Community Center and the entire block around it were the boundaries. The was bounded by Sycamore Avenue, Willow Avenue, B-D Street and Graham Lane. Participants were not supposed to leave this block during the game. You could run, you could find a hiding place (Mrs. Manley's tree for me, when she did not see you), as long as you remained on the block.

"This is where the "chucker's" job came in. With all participants still in the area where the circle was formed (including the "it" person), the stick was handed to the "chucker" whose job it was to "chuck" the stick as far away as possible, giving all participants a head start to get away from the person who was "it". No one could run until that stick was tossed. Once tossed, all were free to run. When the "it" person retrieved the stick and broke it in half, the game was officially "on" and they were free to try and tag/capture other players. Fun facts" depending on who was "it", some chuckers through it amusing to feign throwing the stick and simply drop it in the midst of the group where the person who was "it" could grab it quickly and tag someone before the slower runners in the group dispersed. If you were a fast-running chucker, this was not an issue but to slower participants, this usually meant they were caught early.

"OK, so the game has started, kids are running and hiding all over the place. Once the person who was "it" tags someone, they are considered "it" also and their job is to assist in catching everyone else. The more people who were caught, the more difficult it became to remain untagged since that group outnumbered those uncaught. With the game spread out over the Center grounds and sometimes throughout the block, participants could not always tell who was "caught" and who was not. So your friend walking up to you with a smile might deceive you with "c'mon lets hide over here" then tag you when you got close. Once it got down to 2-3 people left uncaught, the "caught" folks would usually devise a way to the remaining players. Eventually, the group would determine who was left and there would be the winner!

"Other facts:
1. You did not want a Christopher to be "it", particularly Calvin. Extremely fast runner with endurance who would run you down because you would tire long before he did.

2. Some hiding places were good only once or twice. Mrs. Manley's tree was a good one until someone saw me climbing down after I'd won. In subsequent Hooper games, it became one of the 1st places people looked.

3. Mr. Berry's garage (when open) was a good spot!"

Wildlife in La Mott

A few days ago, I looked at the back door in the evening to see an opossum looking for food. The floodlight was on so I got a good look at this invader. I don't think it was an adult as it seemed a bit smaller than those I've been before. Actually, most of the opossums I've seen in the past were paws up on the side of the road and I don't think they were faking it.

Anyhoo, I thought this creature was pretty cute although many 'possums lean towards the not so cute side. The creature navigated the yard a bit before disappearing from my sight. Later, I look out again to see if the 'possum might have reappeared and here I am looking at a skunk's hindquarters! I watched it only for a moment before closing the door.

A day later, I was chatting with a neighbor and we talked about the creatures that we've seen in and around La Mott including chipmunks, pheasants, foxes, a small herd of deer including a buck, raccoons and groundhogs. As we've seen the various forms of wildlife, they each seemed to move as if they owned the neighborhood and who's to say that they don't. Then again, whose going to argue with a family of skunks walking across the community center's grounds or along Graham Lane as if they are on their way to some important destination?

There are times when the animals aren't moving freely in the 'hood. One early Sunday morning I was walking around Latham Park, the former location of Lucretia Mott's home Roadside. A small deer was stuck between two iron pickets. It had rubbed its hind part sides raw to the point where you could see flesh and blood. Two police officers responded to a neighbors call as the animal control officer wasn't on duty. One officer climbed the fence, went over to where the deer was stuck and separated the pickets. Don't know how much strength he had to exert since we're talking about a wrought iron fence here, but the deer was released, ran across Willow Avenue and scampered away.

Ruth's Grille and LaMott Ice and Coal

Making the decision to study local history seems to be full of more questions than answers. In the case of La Mott or LaMott (spacing apparently is everything), without those who have gone before me I am clueless. There is so much that was going on in the village at one time or another and I rely on the memories of others to assist me in my search for information. The challenge is finding someone who was alive "back in the day" and whether or not any photos or documentation exist.

In a program for Salem Baptist Church's fashion show hold Wednesday Evening, November 5, 1952, I see advertisements for Ruth's Grille and for LaMott Ice and Coal. The photos show the building where the Grille and Coal shop were once located. Looking at the picture above you have what is simply a home to a family in 2010. Looking at the side of the building is the outline of a staircase that has since been removed. My objective is to find someone who purchased a sandwich, ice cream or coal for their furnace from this address to fill in some of the details.

One thing that does occur to me is who takes photos of places like this? When I visit my old stomping grounds of Washington, DC or Horsham, England, I am aware of the historical significance of the buildings that my friend is standing in front of as I take the picture. But how historical is the local coal shop or grocery store?

Think about it, sometimes what is in the background of a photo can be later found to have as much historical significance as what is in the foreground of that same photo. For example, I read a biography about Teddy Roosevelt a few years ago. In the book's center is a section with personal and professional photographs. You can see one photo of President Lincoln's funeral procession as it passed through New York City in 1865. In the background is a picture of Teddy Roosevelt and his brother hanging out of a window, looking towards the procession. The photo centered on the casket, the dignitaries and the military and yet a future president was also represented.

I'm sure there are photos out there with the old post office or Mr. McConnell's grocery or my great-uncle's print shop in the background of a family snapshot or something similar. The question remains will I find the oral history of a place as well as a photo from the past?