Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-03-08


came the camp and its equipments, fol
it was now nearly time for tapping trees
Harry got from his father some board:
and slabs, an old brass kettle, that would
hold nearly half barrel, and another
smaller one, some pieces of iron, few
bricks, little mortar, several pieces OF
stoye-pipe. and such heavy things as he
needed. These were piled upon the
cart, together with spiles and troughs-
making in all full load. George was
on the spot to do bis share of the work
The oxen were yoked to the cart, and the
boys started for the woods, as happy in
the prospect of their coming success as
two boys ever were.
After they arrived at their destination
they unlosded everything where the
camp was to be built, then they hauled
three large fiat rocks for the arch OF
fre-bOx-two for the sides and one fol-
the back-and at once set about building
it. They soon had the stones in place
and put pieces of iron from one side
stone to the other, and then placed the
kettles upon them. These were set in
brick and mortar, and piece of funnel
was also set behind the kettles. A rude
door was made of two small fiat rocks
and an old piece of thin iron, and the
arch was completed.
Now for the camp.
This, though larger. Was much easier
to build than the arch. They selected
four trees for the four corner posts
sawed small notch in the side of each
at about eight feet from the ground
in the two rear trees and at ten feet in
the front ones. Therein they placed the
stringers for the roof and made them
fast. This being done, the frame of the
camp was practically up. They then
placed poles from one stringer to the
other, at a certain distance apart, fol
rafters, and set some posts into the
ground, long enough 10 reach the root
strlngers, four teet apart, all the way
around the camp, and the frame was en-
tirely completed.
| The roof was covered with slabs and
boards, and the walls were composed OF
spruce and fir houghs, thickly packed
against the posts. 1t took the two boys
Ouly d sew hours to build the entire
camp, and when finished it was warm
and comfortable.
There being nothing further to be
|
they waited for warmer weather. This
soon came, and the boys. being well
supplied with provisions, dishes and
blankets by their mothers, and taking
with them their guns and ammunition,
started out in earnest to camp among
| the naples.
Arriving at the camp they found ev-
erything in good order and proceeded at
once to tap the trees, which they con-
| tinued until 200 of the giants of the for
est were pouring out their sweet life
blood.
1t being too late to gather any sap
that day :he. boys took little circle
with guns. Harry brought down a rab-
bit and George shot a large partridge,
which latter they cooked and ate for
supper, and it seemed to them that it
tasted far better than anything cooked
at home.
The second day in the woods was
more like business. The work was new
to the boys, and they were all enthusl-
asm. The night had been clear and
frosty, while the day was bright, warm
one, and the sap flowed freely. In 4
short time they had half filled the large
kettle and kindled a roaring fire under
it, and now the process of sugar making
had actually begun.
Between firing up, bringing sap, and
watching that which was boiling, the
boys we're kept very busy throughout
the day until nearly o'clock in the af-
ternoon. when they had some leisure,
though there yet remained a large
amount of sap which must be disposed
of in order to make room for the next
days catch. The sap in the large kettle,
being boiled down nearly to syrup, was
bailed into the smaller one, and the larger
one WAS again refi.led. There being
nothing more to do at this time, save
watching the sugaring process and keep
ing up the fire, the boys placed their
supper on the rude table that they had
constructed for this purpose, and seat
ing themselves one at each end, ate as
only hungry boys can do.
"Well, George, we have worked hard
to-day. l don't remember ever having
been as tired BEFORE" said Harry, as he
finally paused to take breath
You are right about hard work." re-
piled George, "we have lugged nearly
two barrels of sap to-day, besides all of
the other work. 1t seems to me never
saw sap day equal to this. apd 1 hope
they won't all hold out at this rate"
"Why not? we are here to make mon
ey, and as for my part Pm willing to
work for it, and work hard, too. You
will find, after it gets warmer, that sap
will run faster than it has to-day, and
we shall have to run faster too, if we
get it all into camp. But what of that ?
Just think Of the money we will have
when we sell our sugar. l tell you, the
other boys will wish they had gone into
this business, when they see US with our
hands full of cash."
too. But say, Harry, what shall we do
with it all ?"
Il don't know what you will do with
yours, hut l shall buy sheep with mine.
Father has large pasture, and says
there's nothing on farm that pays equal
to sheep. l have four now, and 1 want
to get enough out of this business to
buy six more, and that would give me
quite flock. Ten sheep would bring me
in money enough every year to pay a
good part of my expenses at the acade-
my. You know l want to go there next
fall, and father has not the cash to help
much
at seems to me you are going to do a
great deal of hard work here" replied
George, land then not have any fun
with the money you can earn, if you
spend it all for sheep .As for my part,
shall buy new suit of clothes and a
turning lathe,and use the rest for spend
ing change. l don't care about going to
the academy. I'm going to be a machi-
mist; that's what would suit me-"
"All right" said Harry, "it that suits
you; but want an education. and am
going to have it, too"
The contents of the small kettle were
by this time boiled down into sugar and
the boys turned it into tin molds to cool
in cakes. This being done, the kettle
was again reflled from the large one,
and the fire urged to its almost, The