15/Jan/2009
Chappie
Editor’s Note: Here we continue with the childhood stories of Marvin Chapman “Chappie” Morgan, and his memories of growing up in Central, La., in the 1940s.
Robbing Wasps’ Nests
Jimmy and I played all over the Hooper Road neighborhood. One day we were in a pasture out in front of the Johnson houses. There were many tall briar patches in the pasture, favorite places for wasps to nest in. We would find a large one just covered with big, red wasps. Our favorite way to attack was to scoop up double handfuls of dust from the cow paths, douse the nest, then run like the dickens. The wasps would swarm after us. Just when they were about to catch up with us, we would hit the ground, and they usually flew on past. It was great fun with a minimal amount of danger.
On this particular day, we hit this big nest together and took out running. I was looking back and running down this cow patch toward Hooper Road. Just as the swarm got to me, I hit the ground on my belly…right in a fresh pile of cow mess!
The Mad Ghoul
After World War II started, and Harding Field was opened, the Baton Rouge Bus Company extended its route out to Harding Boulevard and the army air base. This convenient for us as we could walk a mile to Plank Road and catch the bus into town.
One time I went to the Regina Theater on Plank Road with Ralph Moneyhun. I saw my first horror film called “The Mad Ghoul.” After the movie, I caught the bus all the way to Six-Mile Store and had to then walk a little over a mile down from Hooper Road to home. It wasn’t dark yet, but not far from it, so I was really hot-footin’ it down the road.
On this particular evening, as I hastened past this wooded area, I spied some movement in the edge of the woods. My heart just about jumped up in my mouth. It was pounding as I came closer, my eyes glued to the form moving among the underbrush. As my eyes pierced the dark, I almost broke into a run. There a man with the strangest looking head! It stuck way out in front and back. My legs were shaking and having some difficulty keeping me on course, but I kept on trucking. Just as I got alongside him, the head came off! Pandemonium! Just then I saw that it was only a man who had been carrying a big chunk of split wood on his shoulder which had hidden his face. I was very happy to realize it wasn’t “The Mad Ghoul,” but much happier when I reached home.
Editor’s Note: Here we continue with the childhood stories of Marvin Chapman “Chappie” Morgan, and his memories of growing up in Central, La., in the 1940s.
Robbing Wasps’ Nests
Jimmy and I played all over the Hooper Road neighborhood. One day we were in a pasture out in front of the Johnson houses. There were many tall briar patches in the pasture, favorite places for wasps to nest in. We would find a large one just covered with big, red wasps. Our favorite way to attack was to scoop up double handfuls of dust from the cow paths, douse the nest, then run like the dickens. The wasps would swarm after us. Just when they were about to catch up with us, we would hit the ground, and they usually flew on past. It was great fun with a minimal amount of danger.
On this particular day, we hit this big nest together and took out running. I was looking back and running down this cow patch toward Hooper Road. Just as the swarm got to me, I hit the ground on my belly…right in a fresh pile of cow mess!
The Mad Ghoul
After World War II started, and Harding Field was opened, the Baton Rouge Bus Company extended its route out to Harding Boulevard and the army air base. This convenient for us as we could walk a mile to Plank Road and catch the bus into town.
One time I went to the Regina Theater on Plank Road with Ralph Moneyhun. I saw my first horror film called “The Mad Ghoul.” After the movie, I caught the bus all the way to Six-Mile Store and had to then walk a little over a mile down from Hooper Road to home. It wasn’t dark yet, but not far from it, so I was really hot-footin’ it down the road.
On this particular evening, as I hastened past this wooded area, I spied some movement in the edge of the woods. My heart just about jumped up in my mouth. It was pounding as I came closer, my eyes glued to the form moving among the underbrush. As my eyes pierced the dark, I almost broke into a run. There a man with the strangest looking head! It stuck way out in front and back. My legs were shaking and having some difficulty keeping me on course, but I kept on trucking. Just as I got alongside him, the head came off! Pandemonium! Just then I saw that it was only a man who had been carrying a big chunk of split wood on his shoulder which had hidden his face. I was very happy to realize it wasn’t “The Mad Ghoul,” but much happier when I reached home.
