The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-05-07
CIDER MAKING.


My mind reverts with pleasure to that
period in my existence when the male
portion of my parentage persuaded me
to rise at 2:30 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 joint stock company and
horse that moved as,if he had spent the
most of his life as an hour hand on
town clock. Being of young and tender
years, it generally became my duty to
see that the horse didn't faint away or
lie 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. It 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 as 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
good deal like sauer kraut in brown
study. The juice squeezed out of this
composition is called cider.
developed very large appetite for
cider at the first engagement | played
with cider mill opened with eating
apples, gave matinee by filing up with
pomace. and closed the performance by
absorbing cider from barrel through
three-inch bung-hole punctured with
a straw. When I went to bed that night
[ was so puffed up with pride and
pomace that / had to postpone my
evening prayer until after the swelling
went down. A
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 is there just the same. Somehow
forgot this when | sucked so much
juice into myself and retired without a
thought of the disaster that was likely
| to follow. | awoke about 12:14 a. m.
with well-emphasized feeling of un-
rest equi- distant from the two poles.
thought was a maddening crowd, as
my friend Shakespeare once remarked.
| I got the impression that l was torch
/ light procession at a political demon.
| stration. felt like howling 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
/ 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 host.
following me through military tactics
The cider continued to ferment.
eanst. Making trumpet out o
! the water pitcher, in stentorial
tones ordered the firemen to turn tn,
hose on me- The cider still fermented
thought was riot, and getting up OIL
| a rocking g-chair, I ordered peace-lovIn;
citizens to pnt me down. just then
stepped on the edge of the rocker ant
my order was promptly obeyed. Team
down on. my nose. More ferment.
got the impression that was terribl
runaway, and appealed to the policemeI
to catch me before l did any more dam
age. While was tearing at breaknecl
| speed up and down the room, crushing
the furniture beneath my proud am
angry hoofs, the door was suddenl
burst in and my father entered with hi
hair looking up to the blue dome G
= heaven and a hog walnut whiff1etree i
his right hand The whiffietree caugh
me just as passed him on my way u
to the other end of the room for tn
purpose of mangling the wash-stand
n This attracted my attention, and wa
on the point of rearing in the air an
paving him to death with my forwar
feet when he lassooed me with the bac
of a chair, and was laid on the be
while the entire family came in and too
reserved seats on me till the cider ha
ceased to ferment, and l dropped o
into .slumber that was childlike an
bland. Ever after this little episode
! became guarded in the manner in whic
] corraied pomace and newly-bor
cider. - Tom Holmes. in St. Paul Herald
s.Now. Johnnie, said the teachel
! IF your father borrows 500 an