James Orland “Bud” Hasty

His family called him Bud, but he gave J. Orland Hasty to the city directory man. The oldest boy and second child of ten, Orland was born in 1886 in Kemper County, Mississippi. By 1900 his parents, James Scott Hasty and Mattie Ann Watkins, had moved their eight children across the county line to Daleville, Lauderdale, Mississippi. Orland was still in school at age 14, although his 16 year old sister Onie was working in a general store. Two years later the family moved to Meridian and got a house on Poplar Springs Drive, and the father went to work for the A. Gressett Music House. Orland gained two more sisters in 1903 and 1908, but he lost his baby brother Telius Algier to measles in 1904.

In 1907 Orland married Janie Clark, and in 1908 he appeared in the Meridian city directory as a harness maker for the Threefoot Brothers & Co. During that time a photographer named Hardt took this photo.

Orland in the 1908 Meridian city directory

Orland and Janie had no children. In December 1910 he died of tuberculosis at age 24.

Mexican dancing girl hides menacing stranger

Jack W and Nita Hagemeyer abt 1938My archeological dig through family photos continues. Framed pictures offer hope of more photos underneath, maybe younger versions of the old guy on top. In this case the top pic was yet another copy of a particular shot of my dad and his sister as little kids, squinting into the sun.  Don’t they look like the Little Rascals?

Flipping the frame over, I pulled out the rusty nails holding a cardboard backing with this stamped on it:

Mexican picture and mat - Hasty(4)-001

Radio Picture Frame Co.?  Odd.

Under the kids’ photo was the advertised Hand Colored Mexican Picture, although it looks more Spanish to me.Mexican picture and mat - Hasty(1)-001 Mildly interesting but not nearly as exciting as the movie poster that had been cut up to use as backing board.  The fine print says, “Copyright 1936, RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.”  Who was this ruggedly handsome man?  Does he look threatening because someone called him yellow?

RKO Radio Pictures - Yellow

No Christmas for Us

Christmas 1895

Pops got caught by a train.  He was supposed to catch the train, but the train caught him.  Now he can’t doctor no more.  Moms is upset, says she don’t know how we’ll eat.  That’s silly ’cause we have crops and chickens everywhere.  Today was supposed to be Christmas.  Now it ain’t.

Brantley house in Gwinnett Co.