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Decoration Day Boom!

Folks said Uncle Athanatious didn't have camphor for white, Sal ammoniac for green,
enough sense to come in out of the rain. lamp black for red, and ordinary sand for
However, neither would you if you were in "golden shower."Uncle Athan didn't mess
his business.Uncle Athan - no one dared around with garden variety fireworks. The
call him by his full handle - operated a construction of little paper tubes, and
gunpowder mill.Dynamite was safer, but stuffing them with tiny amounts of powder,
three times more expensive than black was too tedious. Such things as penny
powder and harder to set off. Farmers of crackers, sparklers, Roman candles, cherry
Boot Heel preferred the local "stump bombs, devil spitters, fire snakes and
lifter" so ably concocted by Uncle other "kid stuff" were imported from
Athan.Back then, explosives were in great China.* * *My uncle cured his powder in
demand for clearing land. Black powder was his house because it was clean, dry and
ideal because it exploded at a slower rate handy. Trays were scattered about on
than dynamite and thereby exerted tables, chairs, dressers, sideboard and
unremitting pressure on tree roots.Black beds. This kept Aunt Dilley in a nervous
powder also made great firecrackers - snit, but Athan was a stickler for quality
particularly rockets and salutes. The control."There isn't any cause for worry,"
latter were fist- size bombs whose only he assured her, "so long as you don't open
purpose was to burst the eardrums of the damper on the stove or scuff your feet
anyone standing close by when it was set on the rug." This did not seem
off.Traditionally salutes were the first reassuring.Aunt Dilley knew the problem
to be set off on the Fourth of July and and didn't appreciate safety tips. When
Christmas morning.Ingredients for black trays of powder were drying, she served
powder consist of common materials that cold pork and beans straight from the can
were easily obtained in country stores. and walked dainty.One night, when the
Individually the ingredients were useful living and dining rooms sheltered several
for many household purposes.Two are trays of gunpowder, a thunderstorm came up
charcoal and sulfur. I dare not reveal the suddenly. Apparently it was accompanied by
third lest a young reader undertake a static accumulation. In any case, the
dangerous experiment.The best charcoal for powder ignited.It went off with a loud
gunpowder was made from willow and alder POOF -- and sufficient concussion to blow
trees. Uncle Athan had a piece of out a couple of windows, smash chinaware
bottomland that supported a stand of the and singe old Fritz sleeping under the
trees and needed clearing. The powder mill dining table.Aunt Dilley moved out the
enabled him to turn a profit from unwanted next day and went to live with her sister
trees.His sideline venture was so down the road. Uncle Athan stayed on at
successful he continued manufacturing the mill and visited Aunt Dilley and her
explosive after his own need was met.* * sister for Sunday dinners.However, when a
*Uncle Athan's process of making black storm brewed, and gunpowder was drying,
powder was deceptively simple but a mite Uncle Athan hung around outside until the
touchy.First, charcoal and sulfur were weather cleared. It was right pitiful to
crushed to powder in a "ball mill." It was see him standing out in the rain in his
a rotating barrel containing recycled yellow slicker and under a Purina Feed
automobile bearings. The mill was turned umbrella.* * *The event everyone had
by Uncle Athan's faithful hound Fritz predicted for years finally occurred.
trudging inside an over-size hamster Uncle Athan bought a one-way ticket to
exercise wheel. .After a while, the that Great Powder Mill in the Sky.It was
mixture was dampened and ingredient X never determined what set off the
added. Water aided chemical bonding and explosion. The day was warm and overcast,
reduced the danger of accidental but these conditions were not deemed
detonation.This black "mud" was pressed adverse enough to cause the blast. Perhaps
through a "wheel mill" comprised of two Uncle Athan combed his hair too briskly
worn gears from a cotton gin. The meshed that day.Old Fritz was not hurt, but he
gears were turned by Jack -- a mule of ran off - never to be seen again. Life in
limited ancestry but docile temperament -- a powder mill for mans' best friend was to
by pulling around a long sweep attached to unsettling - what with the over-size
the gear wheels. A similar arrangement was hamster wheel, singed fur, sudden loud
common for grinding sugar cane.On visits, noises and a diet leaning excessively to
I was allowed to ride Jack while "it" cold beans.A large crowd came to Uncle
earned its keep. My mother kept the visits Athan's funeral. He was well liked, but a
short. Uncle Athan's casual attitude goodly number of strangers showed up. Word
toward his product made her nervous.The got around that Aunt Dilley was going to
wheel mill pressed out excess water and dispose of her late husband's unexploded
mashed the half-dry mud into granules. inventory after the burial ceremony.As
These were spread on wood trays to Uncle Athan was lowered into his eternal
dry.Finally, dry granules were crushed resting place, the Volunteer Fire Brigade
into "corns" by an ordinary kitchen-type set off 25 salutes, two cannon blasts, 15
rolling pin and sifted through various stump lifters and 30 assorted rockets.It
screens for size.This was the most was the end of an era, but Uncle Athan
dangerous operation -- performed solely by went out in style.Every Decoration Day
Uncle Athan. Though gainful employment was thereafter, Aunt Dilley visited Uncle
hard to come by, no one ever applied for a Athan's grave. She would set off a string
job with him. A stray spark, high heat or of penny crackers - prudently disdaining
static electricity could set off the stump lifters - and proclaim that Uncle
powder.Size of the corns, and any color Athan would rest easy for another
additives, determined the ultimate use of year.Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist
the gunpowder.Large grains were best for who can be contacted at:Website: with
removing stumps. It also was preferred for several hundred of Lin's Editorial & At
charging the Civil War cannon fired on Large articles written over 40 years.Also
Decoration Day - the south's name for the featured in its entirety is Lin's
north's Memorial Day.Fine-grain powder groundbreaking book "Boldly Onward," that
went into rockets. A little graphite gave critically analyzes and develops theories
the powder extra decibels. Rocket color about the original Spanish explorers of
was controlled by secret additives -- America.




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