GOING MARBLES IN THE OLD BARRIOS OF BROWNTOWN

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Playing marbles was a religious affair in our neighborhoods.

In the beginning, centuries ago when pebbles were used as marbles — the game was played for
fun. Returning the winnings at the end of the day was common since the game was played as a display of skill rather than to stockpile the winnings.

In the 1950s all games in local neighborhood were for keeps. Every win was a trophy in your pocket. But unfortunately, some of us had to count cost at the end of the day and that could prove to be painful.

Every player developed his unique style of shooting marbles. Techniques varied from player to player and from neighborhood to neighborhood. If you played in your own backyard — you had the home field advantage. So rotating sites within our barrio was common.

(A reader commented on the photo above: "The kid doing the 'span' with his hands is part of a marbles game we called "spider." Four holes arranged in square with a larger hole in the middle. The object was to get your marble successively in each hole and then win the game by shooting your marble in the middle hole. 

Any player could use his marble to knock another guy's marble way away from the game scene. After you've made the first hole you get to move your marble one "span" closer to the next hole. Oh, it paid to carry a "steely" which was large ball bearing which you could substitute for your shooter between shots. This kept the other players from knocking your marble out of sight. I've always been interested in how games like this came to be. This one never seemed to get old for the duration of "marble season.")

Venturing to play outside your home ground was not done alone or done at all. Additional security was necessary if you were brave enough to enter the territorial grounds to play the “vatos” (boys) from the “Colonia Mexicana and “La Villa Verde”, “La 4-21” and/or “La Muralla”.

A favorite gathering place for most kids in our neighborhood was on the turf of Resaca Elementary — which was mere steps away from our front door. In a typical afternoon the girls could be seen playing jacks, hopscotch and/or jumping rope.

Those that were lucky to own a bike rode them with pride — while the rest of us were shooting marbles, playing races pushing a car tire down the street or tossing a barrio-made baseball on the vacant lot. Wadding a bunch of holey socks and wrapping them tightly with black electrical tape produced the perfect sandlot baseball.

In those days we created our own after-school programs that required no adult supervision, the raising of taxes and/or selling bonds. Kids were involved in habitual play and in control — without any cries
from parents — as none were in sight.

Our marble skill level matched that of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. As a matter of fact, both would have fit right in. Playing for keeps meant that you had to choose your games carefully or if not, your pile would quickly disappear. We learned our lesson one day, as Carlos “La Canica,” (El Marble) an expert at the game of “ahogado” took us all to the cleaners.

Every neighborhood had its local marble “legend” to contend with. Playing by the book was not always the case. To prevent arguments, we made sure that the main characters engaged in the game understood the house rules. But it was violation of the rules which taught us the “freedom of speech”. Expressing your opinion was part of the game.

Arguments in some cases required a journey to the alley —  you either walked away or fought for
your rights,” in the ring of life, the “callejon” (the alley). Individuals involved in the dispute would have a supporting cast of friends at the scene — just to make sure that the other side would not slip an unsolicited punch.

No kid ever attempted to use weapons of mass destruction. After the rumble, we were all outwardly friends again, that is, until the next encounter. The duration of the games could go on for hours or ‘til you were called for dinner. The “call” for dinner was seldom ignored —f or being late meant you ate the “sobras” (leftovers). And since most of us had six brothers and four sisters — the leftovers of “arroz” and “frijoles refritos” (rice and refried beans) prepared with “Manteca del marranito” (pig’s lard) were miserably small.

It was an age when obesity and diabetes among kids was not a “concept” yet. You would rarely see a barrio kid that was consumed by fat — our rib cage was well defined. Today, many kids would be embarrassed to take their shirt off because the opposite is true.

The only other break in the action was taken when you took time to watch “Howdy Doody Time,” Captain Kangaroo” and, of course, Annette Funicello on “The Mickey Mouse Club.”

In this dream era, Elvis was shaking, and the other Mickey was called up to replace Joe DiMaggio. The “other” Mickey, of course, was the great Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees. 

3-D movies were filling the theaters and the “Hit Parade” was playing the popular music of the era..
It was a time of toy cars, model trains, jump ropes and marbles. And as far wew were concerned, playing marbles was as popular as the 1955 hit, “Rock Around the Clock.”

We survived “Sputnik” and the “Marble Experience” with less than more scars and a lot of fond memories.

Marbles anyone?