The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-01-12
1.-THE Boys Of Ny Boyhood >"


"raislugs, meaning the 'rectiou If the
timber frsmes of houses or barns 70
which the board. wsre - b. atferw ard
nailed. Here the minister made point
Of h-ing prs -ent. apl hther ne able
bodied men of the ncighborhoosi, the
young men especially. were summoned,
aud took part III the gork with great
alacri.y. l. was spectacle for Us uext
- that OF a performer on the tight rope
10 see the young men walk steadily on
the Larrow footing of the beam at a
great height from the ground. or -
: they stood TO catch ia their hands the
wooden pins ard the braces flung to
them from below. They WED With each
other ia the feNterity and daring with
! which they went through the work.
and when the skeleton ot the building
was put together. some one of them
generally clappcd the climax Of fearless
activity by standing on the ridge pole
with hts heal downward and his heels
III the air Al that time even the pres
ehce Of the minister Was no restraint
upon the flow Of the milk punch and
grog. which liz some cases WAS taken II
excess. The practice Of calling the
neigbbors To these "raisin.." is now
discontinued in the rural neighborhoeds
the carpenters provide their own work
men for the business of adjusting the
timbers OF the new building to each
other, and there is no consumption Of
grog.
Another of the entertainments of
rustic life in the region of which l am
speaking was the making Of maple su-
gar. This was favorite frolic of the
boys. The apparatus OF the sugar camp
was OF a much ruier KIND than is now
used The sap WAS brought in buckets
from the wounded treets and poured
into q great caldron, which hung over
a hot Are from stout horizontal pole.
supported at each end by an upright
stake planted into the ground Since
that time they have planted: in every
maple grove sugar rhouse-a little
building in which the process of making
sugar was carried on with several inge-
NOUS contrivances unknown at that
time, when everything was done III the
open air.
part Of March aud the early part of
April, We could see perhaps a dozen col
umns of smoke rising over the woods Of
different places where the work was
going on. After the sap had been col
lected and boiled sor three or four days,
the time came when the thickening IL
T quId was made 10 pass INTO the form OF
sugar This was when the syrup had
become of such a consistency that IT
would "fcather" is to say, when
a becchen twig. formed at the smaller
end into little loop, dipped into the
hot syrup. and blown upon by tho
breath. sent into the air light feath-
cry film. The huge caldron MAS then
! lifted from the fire. and its contents
were either dipped out and poured into
moulds or stirred br,skly until the syr-
up cooled and took the form of ordinary
brown sugar III loose grains. This pro-
cess was exceedingly interesting 10 the
boys who came to watch It's different
stages and Ia try from time 10 time the
syrup as il thickened.
In autumn. the task OF stripping the
I husks from the ears of Indian corn was
made the occasions oi social meeting,
in which the bows took a special part.
4 farmer would appoint what was
called IA husking. 10 which he invited
his ueighbors The ears Of maize in
the husk. sometime along with par. Of
the stalk were heaped on the barn tloor.
In the evening lanterns were brought.
and, seated on piles of dry hu>ks. the
men and boys stripped the ears from
their covering. and breaking them from
the stem with Sudden jcrk. threw
them III baskets placed there for the
purpose II was often merry time;
the gossip OF the neiGhborhood was
talked over. stories were told. iests
were told. and at the proper hour the
assembly adjourned Ia the dwelling
house. and were treated to pumy kin
pie and cider. which in that season had
no, been SO long from the press a. 10
have parted with its sweetness
I Quite as cheerful were the apple
parings,' which en autumn evenings
broush, together the young people of
both sexes in little circles. The fruit
/ If the orchard was AIRED and quartered
and the core extracted. and supply OF
apples IN this state provides for making
what was called "apple-sauce, kind
Of preserve nf which every family laid
in large quantity every year
The cider r-making season III Autumn
was. AT the time at which | am speak
ing. somewhat correspondent to the
viutsge lii the wine ce untries Of Eu-
rope Large tracts of land lii New
England were oversh.,iowed by row.
of apple trees. aud in the month oi
May journey through that region VA,
Journey through wilderness oi
bloom. In the month If October TIA,
whole population was then gathering
apples under the trees. from which they
fell IN heavy showers a the brsnehe:
were shaken by the strong arms Of the
farmers The creak of the cider mill
turned by horse moving II circle
WAS heard Ia every ueighlorhood a
one If the most common II rura
sounds The freshly prysses! juice o
the spples was most agreeable IN boy
in tastes, aud the whole process o:
gathering The frul; and making the
cider came III amor : the more lalor
tous rural occupations Ia "a way which
diversified thvm pleasantly, ard which
made /; sewn pAstime, The t'ni'
that Mas given - making c'-fer, Al
the numler 4 barrels made AMI stored
in the CELLARS 4 the farm houses, woul'
uo~ seem incredible \ hanjFed bar
rrls - . single farm was ne uncomnao'
prcpor,,on. aai The quantity swal
.rmrti hy he mn 4 :l..s lay lei 4