A Birthday Party At The Franklin To Remember

Some of the photographs in the North Carolina Room Collection at the Transylvania County Library have little information to identify the people, event or location.  Such was the case for today’s feature photo labeled “At the Franklin July 1, 1905” in the lower right corner.  At a much later date someone had written this information, plus “Photo by Scadin” beneath the image. 

While searching the Sylvan Valley News for unrelated information an article titled, “Mother Goose Birthday Party” was discovered.  It was obvious this explained the “At the Franklin” photo of a group of children dressed in costume.  The article also names the photographer, Hiram Glover of Brevard rather than his friend and fellow photographer, Henry Scadin from Sapphire.

Below is the complete article from the July 14, 1905 edition of the Sylvan Valley News.

The Mother Goose party given by Master Joe Morton at the Franklin hotel on Saturday afternoon to celebrate his sixth anniversary was in every way a most enjoyable affair, marred only by the threatening storm, which hurried the little ones home earlier than was intended.

Promptly at 4 pm as per the invitation, Little Boy Blue blew his horn as a welcome to his guests and Mother Goose received each member of her family whose numbers rapidly increased.  After a series of merry games the party repaired to the porch where the table was spread.  In the centre was a perfect meadow on which the sheep and lambs gamboled merrily, while in a corner was a pond and the pen with the cows in the corn, proved how fully each detail had been carried out. After partaking of the delicious refreshments the crowd was grouped and a picture taken by photographer Glover. 

Joe Morton,"Little Boy Blue" and his party guests. 
Photo by Hiram Glover.

The following is a list of the guests and the character they represented: Ruth Genkenger, Mother Goose; Lillian Genkenger and Andrew Orr, Wheelbarrow Pair; Goode Cheatham, Old King Cole; Banks Withers, Jack Sprat; Sarah Falls, Nancy Etticoat; Marian Falls, Betsy Brooks; Frances Campbel, Mother Hubbard; Rubin Cornal, Queen of Hearts; Margerie Breese, Bo Peep; William Breese, Bobbie Schafter; Liza and William Wallis, Jack and Jill; Josephine DeVane, Mary and her Lamb; Ruth Moore, Miss Moffett; Felix Brunot, Doctor Foster; Hilary Brunot, Crooked Man; Frank Morton, Tom Tom Piper; Joe Morton, Boy Blue; Irene McMinn, Curly Locks; Sarah Burrowes, Mary Quite Contrary; Edith Burrowes, Daffel Down Dilly.

Following is the invitation extended:

Won’t you come to my Birthday Party

All the children will be there,

We’ll hunt pipes and blow soap bubbles

Mother says she doesn’t care.

Mother Goose will also come

To meet her large family, of which you are one,

So please dress as her children do

And a hearty welcome she will give to you.

Little Boy Blue will blow his horn

July 1^st on The Franklin lawn,

Four o’clock is the hour to come

And I am sure we’ll have lots of fun.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. For more information, comments, or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.