Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-12-28
THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
"REMINISCENCES OF APPLE BUTTER
MAKING AND "FLANNel KICKING"
Two Popular Customs which Prevailed
Among the Settlers Away Back-How
the Apple Buttsr was Made-Fulling
the Home Made Flannel.


the Apple Butter was Made-Fulling
the Home Made Flannel.
al have seen many newspaper accounts
recently of customs that prevailed among
the settlers away back, all OF them born
of necessity. But there were two thai
prevailed in Coshocton, the county in
which was raised, in the great old state
of Ohio, that seems to have been over
looked or probably entirely forgotter.
One Of them was apple butter boiling and
the other was flannel kicking Talk about
the fun they had at apple cuttings, corn
huskings, cuttings, ETC., but for genuine,
uproarious fun flannel kicking would
knock them all out in one round. Every
new house had its old one, which was left
standing, generally in close proximity TO
the new, which was used for all manner
of purposes. The old fashiOne loom,
which almost every thrifty farmer pos
sessed, was set up there. The big broad
fireplace, s or O feet wide, with its big
crane on which 10 hang heavy kettles and
pots, was always in order and was used
when boiling the apple butter, large
copper kettle always being used for the
purpose. But few families could afford
the luxury Of large copper kettle, conse-
auently one served large neighborhood,
going the rounds every apple butter sea-
son.
BOILING APPLE BUTTER.
"Tbe log house was usually but one
large room. 1t took two couples to boil
apple butter-always two fellows with
their best girls. II required constant stir
ring, which was usually done with
board about inches wide by
about feet long, with holes bored
through il and handle about feet long,
so that the fellow and his best girl could
handle IL easily. While they stirred the
other couple were having a most delight
full time off In one corner of the room,
there heing no light except dim, relig-
ious one from the fire. OF course they
changed places quite frequently, for the
couple at the handle could not endure
that kind of thing for any length Of time,
knowing what a high old time the other
couple were having away of in the cor
ner. They were being deprived Of their
opportunities. This thing usually lasted
all night, and as n rule the little party
were not interrupted 10y meddlcrs, aud
they had blissful season free from the
rude gaze Of any one.
"But the crowning glory, the boss fun,
was the flannel kicking. As have before
stated, almost every old house had its
loom. on which the women woye tlannels
-lnsey woolsey, casinets and linen.
sigh for the days when | used to wear this
home made linen. Pillow slips. sheets,
shirts, pants aud short tailed rnundabouts
all made oil the same piece Of goods.
There were no long tailed summer coats
in those days. This linen was stout, and
if a hoy or even good sized man caught
the seat Of his pants on splinter in climb
ing rail fence or ON "A nail he hung there.
1t would hold him every time.
"The flannel was usually woven in
webs, or pieces Of 80 or 40 yards. and of
course IL had TO be fulled before il was in
proper condition TO be made up into gar
ments. Fulling mills were a thing almost
unheard Of in that country at that
time, and some way must lie devised to
thicken up or full the flannel, and they
did IL to perfection. / have attended
many Kicking" and my recollection Of
them is as vivid as If it had occurred but
year ago.
4 FLANNEL KICKING.
"The boys and girls of the neighbor-
hood-which took in a range of several
miles-were notified that on certain
evening they were going To have n flannel
kicking, and ii needed no urging 10 gather
In enough To maket party. The flannel
was placed in loo pile in the middle of
the tiOor-usually that same old log
hUuse-chairs were placed around 1t,
forming n complete circle. The boys and
girls filled the chairs, and then plow
line or rope was passed around the out
side Of the chairs, drawn through the
backs, TO hold them in position. Ofcourse
the performers all faced toward the fan
mel. The boys, with their trowsers rolled
up above their knees; and the girls-well,
the girls in those days were not incum-
bered with rs much toggery as they wear
now,
"Soapsuds-as hot as the operators
could possibly bear twas then poured
on the flannel, and then the fun com
menced in dead earnest, every one kick.
ing the pile Of flannel for dear life-the
boys laughing and yelling, the girls
screaming, and the soapsuds spirting up
and out in reckless irodigality. When
the snds became ali. ,rbed and began to
cool more hot suds were poured on, and
Ailtll ~ llF9HbulbiiESl VI hlthluE anu spirit
ing, laughing and screaming began, their
feet and legs looking as red Bs boiled lob
sters.
This usually lasted about three hours,
the old folks pouring on the hot soapsuds
and looking and enjoying the thing about
as much as the younger ones. Ii was rare
fun, aud The writer Of this article remem-
bers il better than almost anything else in
the way Of parties in his young days OF
course the work was not so well done as
1t Is done nowadays in the mills, but it
answered the purpose, and everybody was
satisfied with it. Alas for the days tnat
will never come back, the days when all
these customs prevailed in Coshoctou
county. ."-"Walhandingr in Chicago
Tribune.
A. T. stewart's Remains.
w. A croffut, Of The Washington Post.