The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-10-13
THE OLD CIDER MILL.

THE OLD CIDER MILL,
Yesterday they tore down the ole
cider.mill OF tue Lynches'. It's place
or rather Its office, is TO be taken by |
little cast-iron one set in the stable.
Odd enough 1t will seem TO 20 pas
the Lynch farm now, and miss the OLE
mill, for II was very conspicuous OBJ
iect where II stood, three or four rod
back from the house, with its grea
hopper and masll-wheel encircled b,
tho deep.trodden path where old sill
used to plod eudlessly through The
brisk October days, grinding all tht
cider applesof the neighborhood. And
there were the great posts and cross.
beam Of the press, massive pine tim,
bers, eighteen inches square, that had
certain Cyclopean look, CT to make .
boy stare, and put large ideas into hii
head. There, too, were tho big, steam.
ing heaps Of tan.colored pummy
(pomace), and the great sour.smellInp
trough into which the ground apple
fell and was thence conveyed to the
hoops. --s
For several seasons, however, the
huge wooden jack.screws have been out
OF the lofty cfoss-beam, and the mash,
wheel has grown toothless. Indeed
the old mill has never been quite itseli
since, the Maine Liquor Law made Q
revolution in tho neighborhood. But
the great pine posts stood fast, and
hada fot, N t1n an far a :, at1,n,, l,,If -,
tury, 10 the wonder Of strangers. 10
"Say, old iellowl is that the gal.
lows n passing "runner demanded OF
Uncle Billy Gives, who, one day, sal
nodding under the balm.o Gilead, q
little beyond.
Now, Uncle Billy has always been a
steady consumer Of. the beverage oi
which the old mill may be considered q
shrine. and was even at that moment O
little under the potencyof tsinduence.
"Gallusp quoth the old fellow.
"Wal, fust an larst it's sarved me o
sight wuss than gallus cud 'ardono.'
It may be remarked that Uncle Billy
stoutly denies this confession in hir
sober moments. II is only when "hali
seas over" that he' frankly owns how
sadly drink has ruined him.
But at present my story relates to the
last years Of the,old mills active career,
during which it was at certain seasons
put to special, but less Legitimate use,
the precise nature OF which long re.
manned q mystery. This was when til.
Lynch girls, then yorging toward young
womanhood, wero all at home,-Lu'
creesh, Cad, jess, and Lorette, q merry
lot, rosy, and "full of the old cat"
We had q custom in that neishbor.
hood-a custom not confined to thai
neighborhood, I may add-of hanging
May-baskets, sort Of paper valentine,
made basket-iorm to hold more sub
stantial tokens than mere poetry; but
ns the writer has already described this
custom in former number, nothing
need here be said concerningit, further
than that tho hanging part was gener.
ally followed by q hot pursuit Of the
hanging parties, who, il caught, were
subject TO no end Of slaughable igho,
miny. The Lynch girls, swift OF foot
as Diana herself, sometimes captured
the lads who yentured to append favort
to their door; and then came the drolI
part, the part which has to do with the
old cider.mill. Whenever they had
caught any OF the boys, there would be
plenty Of exultant f1otppop while they
took him back to where the old mil
stood, then extravagant calculations
often yells Of genuine distress, and nc
end Of humble begging. The girls did
something to him there at the old cider,
mill. What II was, whether they stuff
ed his mouth with "pummy, or pinch.
ed his toes in the mash.wheel, was moi
very clear TO the other lads. And oi
the three or four boys they had thus
misused, tone could be got 10 tel
what the girls had done TO him,-it was
something he didn't like to talk about
Now, I will wager that some one oI
my readers is saying that he should just
like to sec the four girls that could
hustle him back TO that mill and stuf
hR mouth with ground applet Well
sir, should just like TO sec how yoy
would go to work TO help yourself, will
four girls al laughing and pullipga d
you. What would you do? Double III
your fist? All, but you know that itI
morally impossible 70 hit one Of th
eoit calteo'ey things,--aiter you'y
COUPLED III It's about the best way I,
iet EN- work, and bear II oil with Won
best grin, w.
This sort Of thing had bcen going o,
for two springs, when, late N NAV,
cousin (some degrees remoyed) ofth
writer's came on from New Yorf. wher
his father resides 10 mako IA Mi
visit, and stay through the summer
His name, as he wrote II, was Horae
9. Melcher, the G standing for the lat
great editor; but we knew him a
"Hod simply. Iwonder whether Mi
dreeley,s early playiellows used to cal
him Hodp
Well, Hod was pretty good sort Q
fellow. OF course he had on q few airs