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| George Buster Singleton |
(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator
George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere
in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Fox hunting – the end of an era”
was originally published in the Nov. 19, 1998 edition of The Monroe Journal in
Monroeville, Ala.)
There was a time, not long ago, that this time of year was
the beginning of fox hunting season. The full moons and cool winds of early
autumn gave warning to the sly, old fox that the hunters’ moon now hung in the heavens.
But the old fox hunters, as some of us once knew them, have
slowly slipped from the scene. The nights of chases across open pastures and
freshly harvested fields, the fireside gatherings have almost disappeared. No
more do the night winds carry the laughter of fox hunters as they gather for a
hunt and the stories of great fox hounds with names like Danny Boy, Old Bottom
and Dixie Darling. Fox hunters were truly a special breed who are fast
vanishing from the scene.
No more does the smell of wonderful hot coffee, brewed over
an open fire ride the night winds of autumn. Having a glorious full moon
overhead while feeling the warmth of an open campfire has almost been
forgotten. What is the reason for the end of such a wonderful era? Why have the
beauty of the chase and the music of foxhounds trailing a crafty old fox across
the meadows lost their call? Is it a lack of love for the outdoors? Has the
boob tube (television) captured all our interests? Have we become so weak and
lazy that we no longer have the strength to go forth on a chilly autumn evening
and be part of Creation?
Whatever the reason, a time in our history has almost
disappeared that will never be recaptured. The beauty and romance of the fox
hunters’ moon will soon be no more. The campfire tales have disappeared, never
to return. Those few of us that remember have lost a beautiful portion of our
lives.
What will we tell our children? Will they pass through life
without the pleasure of hearing a pack of fox hounds as they give chase? How
will they know the satisfaction of hearing the tall tales of fox hunters as
they sat around glowing fires, listening to the hounds. Deep in their hearts,
each hoped the hounds never catch up with the sly old fox. Are we depriving
them of knowing the love of an open campfire under a full harvest moon? Truly,
we should never let this happen. These wonderful times of our past have almost
disappeared.
As Southerners, we are at the time in history, when we desperately
need some of the old forms of entertainment. I believe we must have a knowledge
of these if we are to identify with our past. Laugh if you must, but the time
has come when we have separated ourselves almost completely from our
upbringing. We have become so absorbed in our lives of fantasy, in a world of
make believe, we have forgotten what has made us great.
I know that many of you smile and wonder just how, perhaps
foolish to some, this form of entertainment could be of value in our way of
life. Today our world is a finer place to live because of the generations
before us. I do not wish to sound like the voice of doom, but I think the time
is at hand when we must share the knowledge and know-how of our past, so our
youth of today may live sane and useful lives into tomorrow.
This does not mean that one has to be a dyed-in-the-wool fox
hunter to survive the coming years. But, the peace and contentment of such a pastime
will be a great plus in the minds of our youth when facing the coming
tomorrows. It seems that we try very hard to separate ourselves from our
history. But, we should pass our experiences, both good and bad to our youth of
today. I have a saying that a person, a family, a community or a nation, does
not know where they are going, unless they know where they have been. This, I
believe with all my heart.
Many problems were discussed around those evening campfires
and things looked much better with the new day. I know that honor, respect and
decency were common words of the old fox hunters. These men put great faith in
the words of others. Their word was law; that’s all they had. This practice
could be of great use in today’s society.
Today, as we push deeper and deeper into the age of the
computer, we are less inclined to give much honor and respect to the word of
our neighbor. We turn to the machine for much of our thinking and advice. We
cannot see the rising of a glorious full moon on our computers or televisions.
We cannot sit in our dens and living rooms and feel the wonders of our
surroundings and know that somewhere up there a loving and caring God is
watching.
We must be a part of our creation. We must smell the
campfires and taste the crisp evening air. As we feel the chill of evening and
listen to the lullaby of autumn winds, we will know that our God is forever
present, and all is well within our souls. As the fox hounds race in the
distance, you will know that peace of mind is at hand.
(Singleton, the author
of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of
79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born on Dec.
14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School, served in
the Korean War, moved to Monroe County in 1961 and served as the administrator
of the Monroeville National Guard unit from 1964 to 1987. For years,
Singleton’s column “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he
wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama
Life magazine. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column
above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through
the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville.
Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship
purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)
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