Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-12-08
YOUNG PEOPLES ANUSEME MS
Eighty YEARS AGO.

William Cullen brysnt,l
One of the entertainments OF the
BOYS Of my time was what were
called the "raisings,' meaning the
erection of the timber frames of
houses or barns, to which the
boards were afterward to be nailed.
Here the minister made a point Of
being present, and hither all the
able-bodied men Of the neighb)r-
hood, the young men especially, were
summoned, and took part in the
work with great alscrity. 1t was a
spectacle for us next to that Of a
performer on the tight-rope, to see
the young men walk steadily on
the narrow footing Of the beams at
great hight from the ground, or
as they stood to catch in their
hands the wooden pins and the
braces flung to them from below.
They wed with each other in the
dexterity and daring with which
they went through with the work,
and when the skeleton Of the
building was put together, some
one among them generally capped
the climax of fearless activity by
standing on the idge-pole with his
head downward and his heels in
the air.
Another of the entertainments o.
rustic life in the region Of which
am speaking was the making Of ma
pie sugar. This was a fayorite froliC
Of the boyq. The apparatus for thu
sugar camp was Of a much rudel
kind than is now used. The sal
was brought in buckets from the
wounded trees and poured into {
great caldron which hung over
lhot fire from a stout horizonta
pole, supported at each end by al
upright stake driven in the ground
Since that time they have built il
every maple grove a sagar-house-
a little building in which the pro
cess of making sugar is carried OF
will, several ingenious contriyance
unknown OF that time, when every
thing was done in the open air.
in autumn, the task Of stripplii:
the husks from the ears Of Indi9l
corn was made the occasion of 50
cial meetings, 10 which the boy
took special part. 4 farme
would appoint what was called
husking," to which he invited hi
neighbors. The eatS Of maize il
the huslI, sometimes along viii
part of the stalk, were Aeaped OF
the barn floor. In Che evening
Lanterns were brought, and, seate,
on piles of dry husks, the men ant
bows stripped the cars Of their GOV
ering, and breaking them from th
stem with u sudden jerk, throY
them into baskets placed iof th
B purpose. IL was often merry time
the gossip Of the pieghborhood wa
talked over, stories were told, Jest
went round, and at the proper Aou
the assembly adjourned to th
dwelling-house and we're treated t
= pumpkin pie and cider, wbich i
that season had not been SO Ion
n from the press as to have parte
? with its sweetness.
The cider-making season ia au
tumn was, at the time of which
7 am speaking, somewhat correspou
:, dent to the vintage in the win
!. countries of Europe. Large tract
y of land in New England were owe.
n shadoWed by rows of applo-treei
d and in the month Of Maya iourne
through that region was a joune
8 through n wilderness of bloom. |
the month of October, the who
population was busy gathering al
- pies under the trees, from whic
they fell in heavy showers as I'll
branches were shaken by the stron
arms Of the farmers. The crea
of the cider.mill, turned by a hors
moving in a circle, was heard j
every neighborhood us one OF Il
most common Of rural sounds.
- From time to time, the wint,
N evenings, and ocoasionallya wint'
To re- afternoon brought the. young pc
d. pie of the parish together in attel
he dance upon q singing school. Son