Uncle Jim Blackburn

I recently received an e-mail from a third cousin inquiring about some of the Blackburn family. I had mentioned my Uncle Jim, and he remembered him. My Great Uncle Jim (James Kennedy Blackburn) used to come to our house from time to time. Somewhere back in my old pictures I have a picture of him, sitting in a chair in our yard speaking with my mother and father.

Once my older brother placed a firecracker under Uncle Jim's chair and lit it. When it went off, Uncle Jim jumped very high. My brother was in trouble after that, and I don't remember my Uncle Jim's ever coming back to our house after that. I may be exaggerating a little (I simply don't remember fore sure whether he came back or not).

In those days firecrackers were much more powerful than they are today. Today they are toys compared to the ones we used when I was a child. They were very dangerous. I am surprised that none of us was ever hurt from these firecrackers.