Did you know that Charles Leopold was the undertaker in Berwick around 1900? He had a hearse and a full line of funeral supplies. His best business came from gun shot battles.
I’ll never forget when I was in the third grade. My teacher was Miss Gilbeaux. She saw June Faslum making faces at a girl in class. Miss Gilbeaux fussed at June, got a ruler, and started paddling June on the rear. June had a hand full of the old-time matches in his back pocket. When Miss Gilbeaux struck June on the rear, the matches flared up and caught on fire. June took off to the neighbor’s house next door and jumped in the water barrel.
Did you know that Berwick is the oldest settlement in St. Mary Parish? Berwick was named after the founder, Thomas Berwick. There was quite a mixture of nationalities here in the Berwick area – however, Morgan City, Berwick, Patterson and Franklin were all settled by the English people.
I knew a Cajun from Pierre Part who was called Poo-Poo LeBlanc. He didn’t like his name of Poo-Poo LeBlanc and he said it sounded terrible. His wife used to yell at him saying, “Poo-Poo, dinner is ready,” or “Poo-Poo, go to the store for me,” or “Poo-Poo, do this or do that.”
So, he said he was going to change his name. He went and saw the judge of his parish and told him he wanted to change his name. Accordingly, the judge said, “OK, what would you like to change your name to?” The Cajun said, “I want to change my name from Poo-Poo LeBlanc to Poo-Poo Thibodeaux!”
My father once told me to get a job, a good job so that I would be over a lot of people. So, I got a job mowing the graves in the cemetery.
Remember the old Evangeline Theatre in Morgan City? Besides showing movies, they also had stage shows.
Remember the S&W Theatre in Berwick? It was located where Casso Fisheries was on the river. Business places were advertised with smoked slides shown on the screen.
I went to a movie the other day and the show was so bad that four seats walked out! The next day I saw another movie that was so sad that during intermission they sold candy, popcorn and tissue paper.
After the show I walked into a restaurant in Morgan City, sat down and ordered a steak. When the waiter brought me my steak, he had his thumb holding it in the plate. I asked him, “Why are you holding my steak with your thumb?” He said, “I don’t want it to fall on the floor again.”
Remember when President Clinton had to make his historic speech to the American public about his relationship with Monica Lewinski? Well, I bought myself a large bag of jelly beans to eat and enjoy myself while I listened to his speech. About the time that I opened the bag with that tough cellophane wrapper, and put the first jelly bean in my mouth – the speech was over! That was the shortest speech that I ever heard a president make. Well, I put my jelly beans away because I didn’t want to waste them listening to “Know-It-All” Sam Dondaldson.
****
My wife and I were invited to Billie Casso’s home at 40 Neptune Street in Bayou Vista for a Mardi Gras celebration, which also included a spectacular parade. The house was decorate in the Mardi Gras colors of purple, gold and green. Billie had a most unusual tree in her living room that she called a Mardi Gras tree. It was trimmed in the Mardi Gras colors and exhibited fans, figurines, and large colorful bows – all of which depicted the Mardi Gras season.
The house was full of Mardi Gras revelers. Billie was busy setting out food in the garage. There was everything from gumbo, red beans and rice, jambalaya, all sorts of sandwiches, salads and desserts. I truly enjoyed myself – I really ate too much, but this was because everything was so delicious and tasty.
After the parade, I went home and I had to go up into the attic to get something. While I was in the attic, I found an old bottle which I picked up and cleaned. I then took the cork out and out popped a Gene. The Genie was so glad that I had freed him that he told me that I could have two wishes.
So first, I wished that I would have happiness and good health. The Genie said, “You will have it.”
Then, I remembered someone whom I had met at Billie Casso’s house during the parade. This was Mrs. Frances Taylor who said that she often made fig cakes – which I love so much.
So, my next wish was – I sure wish that next time that Frances makes fig cakes, she would send me a few!
* The End *