Looking Back

D1

By David Henderson

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As everyone would know by now, this Friday night is Hallowe'en, or All Hallowed Eve, the night before All Saint's Day, an evening full of devils, goblins and assorted spooks of every kind. This is an evening looked forward to by the young people, however it's often a tense evening for property owners, and since it falls on the weekend this year, well, time will tell. But in the meantime, let's look back at a few of the Hallowe'ens of our past.

Sussex - Nov. 2, 1888

Hallowe'en was celebrated in the usual manner, the removal of signs, the unhinging of gates and the many other pranks that have been handed down from time immortal for the boys to imitate and which they never fail to perform were duly exercised Wednesday evening.

Sussex - Nov. 8, 1889

The boys doubtless had a good time on Hallowe'en. But when it is considered that a certain woman had to give her clothes two washings at the expense of their fun, we think they might have left the clothes-line alone.

Upper Corner - Nov. 6, 1891

All Hallowe'en of 1891 has passed, and it is hoped has left the darkest stain of rowdyism upon Upper Corner that it is destined to receive.

It is indeed too bad that the quiet residents of a spot so favoured by nature for a desirable dwelling place should be so frequently annoyed by a few who seem to think the highest attainment of life is to resort to deeds which can only be accomplished under the cover of night. They work their ruthless designs when honest and respectable people are in their homes and thus escape such detection as would insure sufficient proof to bring them to the bar of justice, although the citizens are pretty certain who they are.

Their depredations of Saturday night were of such a character as will likely rebound upon their own heads. We cannot recount all their actions, but, not being satisfied with unhinging gates, spreading a large pile of clean lumber belonging to Mr. H. McMonagle along the muddy roadway, strewing the road with all the carts and wagons and farm implements they found outside of storehouses, a stone of about a pound weight was driven through the study window of the rectory of St. John's Church. And a most valuable dog, well-known in Sussex as "Cliff," was killed at the door of his master, W. McMonagle. The weights were stolen out of the hay scales, a cushion, horse rug and blanket from a wagon belonging to Mr. McMonagle.

Mr. McMonagle is confident of being able to bring the disgraceful marauders into court with sufficient proof to convict them. I am sure he will have the thanks of every good-minded man, woman and child of Upper Corner for his efforts in that direction.

Havelock - Nov. 3, 1893

The old superstitions common in old Scotland in the time of Bobbie Burns respecting Hallowe'en have died out in Havelock. In their stead a number of youths generally celebrate it by removing gates, platforms, fences, etc., and a few night ago was no exception. This occasion was marked by utter recklessness and frenzy.

Rockville - Nov. 9, 1894

Miller Sharp is a puzzled man. He is either of the opinion that his almanac is not keeping good time or else some of his neighbors regulate their actions by a calendar that has gained a day thus far in the year.

The way of it is this: Mr. Sharp had been using a plow in his fields for some few days during the latter part of last month, and, by careful reckoning, had left it out overnight with the intention of putting it in a place of safety on Hallowe'en. But all in vain, some mischievously inclined person, taking time by the forelock, swooped down on the plow the evening before the set time and disappeared with the mould-board, shear, and other plow irons.

Mr. Sharp is very wrathy. He says he knows who the offenders are, and, unless the articles are replaced at once, there will be blood on the moon. While admiring the enterprise of his neighbors in stealing a march on time, he positively cannot put up with it and will land the culprit in Hampton jail if it costs him what is left of the plow.

Sussex - Nov. 4, 1937

Hallowe'en night in Sussex passed off very well, and there was practically no damage done by the jokesters. After a rainy day, the evening favoured the celebration. As usual the little groups of weirdly dressed boys and girls made the rounds of the town's residential district in quest of apples and candies, which was not denied them. Ghosts, goblins, Indians and remarkably small ladies and gentlemen in flowing dresses and bowler hats were among the visitors. Many elaborate costumes were seen about the street, although many completed their disguise by an eye mask or the black off the underside of a kitchen stove lid.

A number of interesting Hallowe'en parties were held. A large number attended the Hallowe'en dance and card party in the Pythian Hall, and many impromptu parties, in which ducking for apples was the main feature, took place.

As usual, householders carefully removed anything in their yards that was not nailed down, but it proved unnecessary as only very few articles such as gates, fences and flower boxes were touched, indicating that the younger generation is rapidly realizing the advantage of good clean fun instead of destruction on Hallowe'en night.

According to reports, there was plenty of fun in the country, and many a motorist was startled to come face-to-face on a lonely road with strange demons.

Sussex - Nov. 6, 1941

Fun and not destruction seemed to be the main aim of local "pranksters" on Hallowe'en night, which fell last Friday. Of course there were the soap marks on store and other windows. There were pieces of wood found not in their proper places next morning, and there were even certain buildings that had changed their position strangely during the night.

As usual the little groups of weird figures began the rounds of the residential areas as soon as night fell in order to get the usual "shell-out." It was just the night for such rambles and the cloudy night was well-suited to the mysterious goblins and just plain ordinary ghosts. Most people who were to be called upon by the parties of nocturnal visitors on Hallowe'en night had plenty of warning of their coming, for, unlike the usual spooky visitors to this earthly sphere, these ghosts had shrill or otherwise prominent voices. In fact they could be heard a block away, despite their attempts to appear stealthy. It was a great night for watchdogs. They had lots of fun.

On Hallowe'en night two of the boys from the army camp had fun, but it was of the proper sort without undue violence or disregard of property. A small foot-bridge was removed on Main Street, but this was really nothing.

The one occurrence that did put a shadow over the Hallowe'en celebrations was the action of some individual in breaking in the head of a barrel of molasses at the Eastern Hay & Feed Company yard and spilling three-quarters of the contents on the ground. Outside of this regrettable incident, the police report a very safe and sane evening.

With regard to the breaking of the barrel, Chief Asbell stated this morning that the barrel may have been rolled into the road and struck by a car.