The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-11-12

"The Song of the Flail," taken from
Harper's Magazine. There are young
women, and perhaps young men, in this
county, who do not know what fail is.
l threshed with fail in this old barn
many day. The floor would be swept
with a split broom, and then l would lay
down a dozen sheaves OF wheat, six on
each side, with the heads together, slight |
ly overlapping each other. Then l |
would strike on them with a fail until |
the grain would be pretty well out, |
then turn the sheaves over, and |
thresh the other side The fail was |
made of a hickory stick, some eight feet |
in length, and as thick at the larger end
as mans wrist. Some three feet from
the larger end it was pounded with the
poll of an AK. on log, until it was shiv
cred for a space of four or five inches,
then bent and twisted until it was quite
timber. The thresher would take the
smaller, and longer end of the fail in his
hands, raise it and whirl it over his head,
and then bring the short end with great
force down upon the sheaves Every
time he would raise it and whirl it to
make a stroke it would turn around in
his hands. A thresher who was accus-
toned to it could strike the sheaves with
great accuracy 1 believe l could now
strike within half an inch of the point 1
desired every time for half a day.
Threshing with fail was very hard
work.
went to the house of Joseph Phillips,
mile south east from my old home, and
took dinner with him. The old man is
now over seventy. He has resided on
that farm for fifty-seven years. He owns
three hundred and thirty acres of land
and he bought it many years ago. He
owned four hundred acres, but he gave
sixty acres some years ago to his oldest
son, John. He said he had been offered
sixteen thousand dollars for his farm. l
asked him if he did not think that he
could live a more quiet. comfortable life
on the interest of $4,000, safely invest
ed, than to have the care of his large
risk in every species of property except
| land, and he had resided there nearly all
his life, and he.did not think he could be
contented to make the change. l think
he is correct. Mr.. Phillips had fine
crop of corn this year. He had part of
his crop on the bottom of the Black
Fork, the same creek of which l have
spoken He said he had corn this year
on land which had been cultivated for
fifty-two years, and it produced fifty
bushels of corn 10 the acre.
Next 1 went to the Oak Hill Fire Brick
establishment, on the railroad quarter
OF mile below Portland. There found
in charge of the works an o4d acquaint-
ance, Reese Thomas, one of the men who
established an ak factory at the old
steam mill, half mile south of Oak Hill,
in the year 1848. Mr.. Thomas took me
about the establishment and showed me
the works The making of fle brick is
very simple process. The fire clay is a
kind of cross between the common blue
pipe clay, and slate. 1t is very abundant
all around in that region of country, and
is of very superior quality First there
is a kind of brick furnace, like tall hay
stack. In the centre of this is thrown a
quantity of the clay. Around this, be-
tween an outer and inner wall, fire is
passed, by little CRATES at the bottom,
and the clay is thoroughly dried, or cal
cined, as they call it. Then it is drawn
out at an iron door at the bottom. 1t is
then piled up ready for use. There is a
huge cast iron pan, with cogs on the bot
tom, which is turned by an engine, with
shaft connecting small cog wheel with
the cogs on the bottom of the pan. In
this pan, on each side of The centre shaft,
rest two cast iron rollers, like great
grindstones on their edges. Each of
these rollers weighs forty-five hundred
pounds. When the pan revolves it turns
these great rollers. A wheelbarrow full
cf the dry, calcined fire clay is turned
into the pan, and water is let upon it
from lead pipe above, as it is needed,
and the grinding of these rollers in the
pan with their four tons weight, in five
minutes reduces the clay to the consis-
tency of very stiff dough. 1t is then
shoveled out of the pan as it is still re-
volving placed in a wheelbarrow and
taken to The molder, who makes it into
bricks in the ordinary way. The bricks
are laid upon floor which is heated
by fires underneath. When thoroughly
dry they are taken out TO brick
building and put up in the same
manner thatcommon bricks are put
up. Here they are heated by fires
under the building, and kept at great
heat for four days. Fire bricks are
composed of nothing but the pure fire
clay, no other substance being used. The
Oak Hill works grind about IA tons of
clay each day, and employ 80 men. Mr..
Thomas showed me new CRATE back, in
one piece, which he has invented, and
also specimens of tile for roofing which l
think he will make a success.
Next, l went to the Etna Fire Brick
works, at the north side of Portland.
This is the establishment that was burn
ed, and has been rebuilt. 1t is almost
exactly like the other. They were grind
ing the clay dry, and p~ssing it through
a screen. They told me that this is to
be used by pa. lies who set fire brick, it
being made into mortar as it is used.
Next. I visited the new church. 1t is
built of brick, and the plasterers are put
ting on the last coat, and the glazier was
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