The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-11-10
14S.3t
HUNTS BARN RAISING.

"Did 1 ever tell you about Eliakim
Hunts raising?" inquired Uncle Silas Ap-
plebee, as he sat on the porch in the moon
light.
"Never did? Wal, in them days twas
the custom to have plenty of rum at all the
raisin's. And sometimes the boys took
more'n was good for 'em, an got reckless,
an come mighty nigh havin some purity bad
accidents.
$50 when father was ready to raise his
new barn, he says to all the folks, says he;
4 sha'n't have rum, boys. Ye needn't ex-
pect it; but We shall have as good supper
as Melindy an the gals can git up
"'That's all right. Applebee,' they says,
an every one on EN- come an worked with
will
"Mother an the gals had done their best.
There was two long tables, the whole
length of the Kitchen twenty-five or thirty
foot, an in the front room, so It all the men
could set down to once. There was cold
pork, brown bread an beans, pum'kin an
mince pies, ginger cakes an lection cake,
an do know what else.
"All the gals in the deestrict was there
to help wait on 'em an see the fun, an the
women too. There was enough for all.
Father want a bit stingy in pervidin, an
mother knew her reputation was at stake.
''Arter the tables were cleared, the men
an boys went to wrastlin. They always
did arter raisin, an good time they had.
That was the time yer Uncle Dan throwed
Salma Chase three times runnin, but I've
told We bout that afore
oval, everybody said this was the best
time they'd ever had at raisin.
''Eliakim Hunt was goin to raise his
barn the very next week. Twas a mon
st'ous one. No such mis'able little j'ice
used as they use nowadays-hardly strong
'nough to hold up the ruff. Eliakim's
barn he'd blowed down the winter before
an killed a dozen head o. cattle for him,
an he meant to have one this time strong
'nough for any wind that might come
The timbers was more'n foot thick each
way, an all mortised in together.
aye know how buildin's WAS raised in
them days? They fined a whole side to-
gether on the ground; then they'd take
long poles with iron spikes at the end and
pry it up an raise it till the ends of the tim
bers would slip into the sockets an it would
stand firm.
"'Twas hard work an resky If one lost
their head, fur if it give way an fell back
'twould crush pretty much all on 'em to
death.
Glow many men did it take? Wal, sew
enty-fve or HUNDRED was none too many.
Everybody went to raisin in them days,
as they do to a vandoo now.
"Eliakim always was as mean as pusley.
Still, we all thought he'd be too proud to
make fool of himself.
The barn bein so big an the timbers so
heavy, they like to "a had an accident.
Twas the last side, an the men was
tuckered out. Twas a master hot day.
The side was half way up, when it began
TO tip
"'Lay to, boysl Lay to for your lives
called father, for if it fell twould be the
death of the most of 'em. Lay to for your
lives
1.-The women screamed, an there was
nigh about panic, but they rallied an
made mighty lunge, an the beams slipped
into their sockets.
Then such shout as went upi Some
on 'em was so beat out that they jest laid
down on the grass an painted.
"They expected then that seem as he
hadn't passed any rum, Eliakim d invite
EN- down to the house for supper, as IA
Their had. Iknowed better, for sister Jane
had been stayin in the house with Polly
Ann, who was kind O. siekly, an she had
come out awhile afore, an says she:
Don't you think Mr. Hunt is too mean
to live, He wouldn't let Mrs. Hunt git
supper for 'em. Polly Ann says her ma
cried about it, but be wouldn't give in, an
there's nothin cooked in the house but a
loaf OF bread an plate Of nutcakes.'
II was only lad and not a-workin, so /
hadn't thought how mean it was of Ella
kim till l see how beat out the men was.
Some on EN- had come afoot four or five
miles, an of course seem as Ehakim had
said nOthin, they expected supper.
"'You amt goin home tonightP father
asked one who was clean tuckered out
~ must Mary d be afeard to stay
alone with the young uns. I'll be all right
Rrter supper, says be.
There amt TO be any supper tonight.
Polly Ann told Jane so Her father
wouldn't let EN- git any, said, kind o
shougbtiess
ut spread like wildfre, but most on EN-
wouldn't believe it.
AS soon As the oaFE was TaLscu. LllAAtIA
be dis'peared. Some thought he'd jest
gone down TO the house 10 see II supper
was ready, but he didn't come back Then
half dozen O. the men went down 70 the
house Through tRe winder they oould So
Eliakim eztin supper with his wife an Pol
IL Ana.
He'd gone of for good, an not so much
as said much obleeged 70 the men.
They pounded on the door awhile, and
then they stalkea into the kitchen.
What dye want asked EiiAkim-
1--WE want some supper afore we &C
home
".AIl we've got in the house is On the
table; help yourselves says Mss Hunt.
.nick. atore E.iakim could speak.