Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-06-09
MAPLE SUGAR
How Wr. SnImn Wasted zHis Tina
Patience and an Augur.

MAELE SUGAh-
How Mr.. SnIfan Wasted zEfs FIane,
Patience and an Augur.
& MIR. Shifin sends us the following: !:
Wheu1 bought my present place,
the former owner offered, as one of
the inducements topurchase, the fact
that there was superb maple sugar
tree in the garden. 1t was a noble
tree, and / made up my mind that
would tapit some day and maua-
factnre some sugar. However, i
never did so until this year. But a
few weeks ago, concluded 10 draw
the sap, and have what Dir. Bangs
calls a 'tsugar-bilin." Ny wife's pn-
Gle was staying with us, and after
inviting some friends to come and
eat the sugar, he and / got to work.
We took huge wash kettle down
into the yard and piled some wood
beneath it, and then we brought out
a couple of buckets to catch the sap,
and the augur with which to bore
a hole in the tree.
My wife's uncle said that the
bucket onght to be set about three
feet from the tree, as the sap would
spurt out with a good deal of force,
and it would be a pity to waste any
of it. F
Then he lighted the fire, while /
bored the hole about four inches
deep. When l took the augur out
the sap did not follow, but my wife's
uncle said what itwanted was a lit
tie time, and so while we waited. he
put fresh armfal of wood on the
fire. We waited half an hour, and
as the sap didn't come, l concluded
that the hole was not deep enough,
so 1 began boring again, but bored
too far, for the augur went clear
through the tree and penetrated the
back of my wife's uncle, who was
leaning up against the trunk, trying
to light his pipe. He jumped nearly
forty feet, and l had to mend him
with court-plaster.
Then he said he thought the reas-
on the sap didn't come was that
there ought to be a kind of spigot
in the hole, so as to let it run off cas-
lily. We got the wooden spigot
from the vinegar barrel in the cellar
and inserted it. Then the sap did
not come. My wife's uncle said he
thought the spigot must be jammed
in so tight that it choked the flow,
and while l tried to get it out, he
fed the fire with some kindling
wood, AS the spigot could not be
budged with a hammer, concluded
to bore it out with the augur, and
meanwhile my wife's uncle stirred
the fire. Then the augur broke off
short in the hole, and 1 had 70 go
half amile to the hardware store to
get another one. 1 -a1hl
Then ] bored fresh hole, and al
though the sap didn't come. the
company did, and they examined
with much interest that kettle, which
was now red-hot, and which my
wife's uncle was trying to lift off the
fire with a hay-fOrk..a As the sap
still refused to come, Invent over for
Bangs to tell me how to make that
exasperating tree disgorge. When
be arrived he looked at the hole,
then at the kettle, aud then at the
tree. Then turning to me Vith a
mournful face, he said: 1
"Snifin, you have had good deal
of trouble in your life, an it's done
you good. lis made man of you.
This world is full of sorrow, but we
must bear it without grumblin'.
You know that, of course, Conse-
quently, now that I've some bad
newsto break to you, / feels if the
.shock won't knock you endways, but
will be received with patient resig-
nation. I say I hope you will not
break down an give way to your
feelin'sgwhep 1 teA you that that
there tree is no sugar-maple at all!
Grashus! why, that's a black hicko-
ry! 1t is, isdeedy and you might as
well bore for maple sugar in the side
of a telegraph pole!!" - Is,saui
The company went home, and nay
wife's uncle said he had an engage
ment with a man in Hatboro, which
be must keep right off. took the
kettle up to the house, but as it was
burned out, / sold it next day for Is
cents for old iron, and bought
new one for twelve dollars. I think
now maybe les better to buy your
maple sugar. ..Ieg-g IN drFE |
a story Of Dr. Netts OF Union College.
The theory Of DR.. Mott was that
of family government, as far as
practicable, and to attain this he
brought the faculty inpersohaf con
tact with the students. He was
himself very intimate with the
students, and many stories are told
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