Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-04-23
CIDER MAKING.
"Reminiscences Of One Who In His Youth
INDUCED In POmace and Sweet Cider.

| "reminiscences OF One Who In His Youth
] INDUCED In POmace and Sweet Cider.
My mind reverts with pleasure to that
period in my existence when the male
portion of my parentage persuaded me
to rise at 2:3O p. m. and allowed me to
pry yoke of anti-labor oxen ten miles
through November climate that stood
seven feet in its socks and was war
ranted to freeze everything that didn't
have Yale lock on it.
The object of these nocturnal trips
was the cider mill, which was usually
run by a joint stock company and a
horse that moved as if he had spent the
most of his life as an hour hand on a
town clock. Being of young and tender
years. it generally became my duty to
see that the horse didn't faint away or
liz down to slumber and allow the apples
in the mill to get rusty. The horse and
l generally got on good terms at an
early stage of the game and would
divide the time for sleep between us.
The horse had been sOmnambulist
from his earliest childhood, and his
habit of walking in his sleep enabled
him to sneak in few hours sweet re-
pose on my time without my knowing
it. The only way | could tell whether
he was April foOling me or not was to
mention whoa to him; if he was awake
and in full possession of his senses. he
would Immediately observe my sug-
gestion; if he was asleep and uncOn-
scious of his surroundings. he would
not heed my gentle murmur.
The art of cider making is not gener-
ally understood by those people who
love to drink it and put it in their mince
pies. 1t is for the enlightenment of
these people that this article is written.
The apples from which the cider is
made are picked off the ground in an
advanced state of decomposition. They
are generally picked with coal shovel.
and anything that happens to be lying
around on the ground is picked just the
same as if it was an apple and thrown
into the cart rs first-class cider material.
This gives tone to the cider and causes
it to work. When the apples and other
ingredients are ground up and ready for
the ardent hug of the cider press, the
composition is called pomace and looks
q good deal like sauer kraut in brown
study. The juice squeezed out of this
composition is called cider.
developed very large appetite fol-
cider at the first engagement l PLAYED
with cider mill. Iopened with eating
apples, gave matinee by filling up with
pOmace, and closed the performance by
absorbing cider from barrel through
three-inch bung-hole punctured with
a straw. When went to bed that night
l was so pulled up with pride and
pomace that l had to postpone my
evening prayer until after the swelling
went down.
No matter where you locate sweet
cider, it is bound to ferment 1t is sure
to foam and sizzle. From extensive re.
search in ancient history. find this is
caused by the alcohol the cider contains,
which is not visible to the naked eye.
but j. there just the same. Somehow !
forgot this when l sucked so much
juice into myself and retired without a
thought of the disaster that was likely
to follow. l awoke about 1874 a. IN.
with well-emphasized feeling of un.
rest equi-distant from the two poles. ]
thought l was a maddening crowd, as
my friend Shakespeare once remarked.
1 got the impression that l was a torch
light procession at political demon
stration. felt like bowling mob.
was satisfied that was full and COM
plete election returns. The cider had
begun to ferment. and as was on the
outside of it felt an irresistible desire
to celebrate the event. Iarose and with
a dollar and quarter umbrella over
my shoulder marched up and dowa the
room with firm and measured tread
while my voice rose clearly on the still
night air as | put the imaginary hosts
following me through military tactics.
The cider continued to ferment.
imagined that l was terrible holO.
canSt. Making trumpet out OF
the water pitcher. in stentOriar
hose on me. The cider still fermented. |
l thought was riot. and getting up on |
a rocking-chair, l ordered peace-lovine
citizens to put me down. Just then
stepped on the edge of the rocker and
my order was promptly obeyed. Icamc
down on my nose. More ferment.
got the impression that was terrible |
runaway, and appealed to the policemen
to catch me before did any more dam
age. While l was tearing at breakneck
speed up and down the room. crushing
the furniture beneath my proud and
angry hoofs, the door was suddenly
burst in and my father entered with his
hair looking up to the blue dome OF
heaven and hog walnut whiffletree in
his right hand. The whiffietree caught
me just as l passed him on my way u!
to the other end of the room for the
purpose of mangling the wash-stand.
This attracted my attention, and l was
on the point of rearing in the air and
paving him to death with my forward
feet when he lassooed me with the back
Of a chair, and was laid on the bed
while the entire family came in and took
reserved seats on me till the cider had
ceased to ferment, and / dropped of
INTO slumber that was childlike and
bland. Ever after this little episode ]
became guarded in the manner in which
corraled pomace and newly-born
H. Ga |