Antique Wood Voting Box with Clay Marbles
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In the early days of the Volunteer Fire Companies in America, candidates for membership were accepted or rejected by members using the "black ball" system. This is a relic of those days, dating back to the 1800's. The box contains several white clay marbles and one black clay marble. It has two compartments, divided by a hinged wood partition. The partition has a hole in the middle, with a chute on one side. The partition swings up to dump the marbles from one side to the other. Firefighters would vote by reaching into one side of the box and select a marble. The lid on this side has sides that make it difficult for others to see into the box. The marble is then placed in the chute of the partition and it drops into the other closed compartment. When all members have voted, the closed compartment is opened to reveal the marble "ballots" that were cast. If all the marbles are white, the candidate is accepted into the company. But if the black marble was used, then the candidate is rejected. Thus the term "black balled". This box is in pretty good condition for it's age. It does shows signs of having been used regularly. It is missing the turned wood handle on one end that the vote taker would hold as he walked among the members. The lid on one side apparently split at some point and has a very old repair. This lid is stamped on the
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