By Danny Crownover
Back in the fall of 1883 the small boys of Gadsden were enjoying such things as: Jeter’s world, “preachin’ Jim Abbott’s mauling machine, a flying jenny motored by a pony, slingshot hunting of pigeons that almost smothered the old county jail on Chestnut Street, the activity around Elder Bob Barton’s “Horace Greely House” on Third Street, Ambrose White’s Ice Cream Stand at Broad and Court Streets and the “Hot Cat” Restaurant on Third Street.
Jeter’s world was a toy community, complete with farm horses, wagons, cows, plows, and the like, all in motion through a mechanical contrivance that was amazingly clever.
The activity included milking, churning, drawing water out of a well, horseshoeing, blacksmithing, washing with tubs and battling sticks, house building, store-keeping and the like, all animated.
J.T. Jeter, an elderly inventor built the “world” and exhibited it all over the country. He built a flying machine in his home on North Sixth Street that was pretty much like the airplane of today.
There are some left who will recall that the tall end, or rudder, stuck outside the house through a window. Mr. Jeter was one of the greatest mechanics this section ever produced.
“Preachin Jim” arrived in town in October with what most people called a “mauling machine.” today carnival companies call it a “skyhiker,” an attraction which offers prizes to the person who can hit a lever and send a ball the highest in a tube or through that is marked by numbers indicating the strength of the mauler.
But “Preachin’ Jim” was operating a very crude machine which he built of logs that still had the bark on them. He called the thing “Miss Kitty Liza.”
He was his own spieler and a good one, for he never failed to draw customers with his call to “hit Miss Kitty Lize: hit her hard.”
During this particular visit to town, he planted his machine in front of the courthouse and his antics were amusing to the small boys of the town.
The flying jenny was planted in the rear of vacant lot where the Kress store once stood near 4th and Broad Streets. The owner had two ponies and they were kept busy, one at a time, going around in a small ring.
The wooden horses were about the same as those found on electrically operated carnivals of today. The children got free rides for catching brass rings from posts planted on the outer rim of the circle traveled by the horses.
Ambrose White was an institution of Gadsden in the good old days. He was smart in many ways and he had many friends among the white people. His mannerisms and his deep bass voice that advertised his business were as much a part of Broad Street around the court house as the court house itself. He was a pioneer ice cream dealer of the city, especially as a street vendor. Most ice cream sold in those days was served indoors. Ambrose always wore white cotton gloves, a tall chef’s cap and a white apron. Being well over six feet and a giant of a man with it he was a conspicuous figure and a most colorful one.
While Ambrose yelled his wares another big, black African American on North Third Street, just off Broad, did some advertising, too. He called out: “Hot Cat” every few minutes. He had a little restaurant in a row of small business houses and that section later become known as “Buzzard Roost.” he sold Coosa River catfish. He gave his customers a large hunk of fried catfish and two pieces of bread for a nickel.
Most of the pigeons lived in the cornices and on the roof of the old jail. Out they flew all over town for food. Their worst enemy was a small boy with a slingshot until the air rifle, and later the .22 caliber regular rifle came along.
Later, the pigeons came from several sections to settle down on Broad Street where they feed in front of restaurants and popcorn stands without being harassed. They are very gentle, but out in the residential sections they were in constant danger from small rifle fire.
During October, 1883, elder Bob Barton had his blind tiger going full blast at the abandoned Whorton Mansion on North Third Street. He had a high board fence around the backyard with small peepholes or doors at intervals for the delivery of whiskey. The big shots went inside for their refreshments, ostensibly to buy cakes, watermelons, and the like as advertised by the proprietor.
The kids had a lot of fun watching this bold defiance of the law right in the heart of the business section.
