Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-12-18
HUNTS BARN RAISING.

"Did I 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;
Il sha'n't have rum, boys. Ye needn't ex-
pect it; but We shall have as good a supper
as Melindy an the gals can git up
"'That's all right Applebee.' they says.
an every one on 'em 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, 50 It all the men
could set down to once. There was cold
pork, brown bread an beans, pum'kin an
mjnce pies, ginger cakes an lection cake,
an lido 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 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.
''Wal, everybody said this was the best
time they'd ever had at Il 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 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.
Eye know how buildins was raised in
them days? They j'ined 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
buCll ACdt3 luI IL ~ sSlNO way 'tu I'LL OdIA
'twould crush pretty much all on 'em to
death.
GLOW many men did it take? Wal, sew
enty-fye or HUNDRED was none too many.
Everybody went to a raisin in them days,
as they do to yandoo now.
'Eliakim always was as mean as pusley.
Still, we all thought he'd be too proud to
make a fool of himself.
L., IL, I ,l,o,,-
heavy, they like to "a had an accident.
Twas the last side, an the men, was
tuckered out. Twas master hot day.
The side was half way up, when it began
to tip.
CLAY to- boys! 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 a panic, but they rallied an
made a mighty lunge, an the beams slipped
into their sockets.
''Then such a shout as went up! Some
on 'em was SO beat out that they jest laid
down on the grass an painted
''They expected then that seein as he
hadn't passed any rum Eliakim ID invite
'em down to the house for supper, as IA
ther had. Iknowed better, for sister Jane
had been stayin in the house with Polly
Ann, who was kind O. sickly, 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 he wouldn't give in, an
there's nothin cooked in the house but a
loaf of bread an plate Of nutcakes.'
81 was only a lad and not a-workin, so
hadn't thought how mean it was of Ella
kim till see how beat out the men was.
Some on 'em had come afoot four or five
miles, an of course seem as Eliakim had
said nothin, they expected supper.
'sYou amt goin home tonights' father
asked one who was clean tuckered out.
81 must. Mary ID be afeard to stay
alone with the young uns. I'll be all right
arter supper says he.
''There amt to be any supper tonight.
Polly Ann told Jane so. Her father
wouldn't let 'em git any, said, kind O.
thoughtless.
SIT spread like wildfire, but most on 'em
wouldn't believe it.
'As soon as the barn was raised, Eiiakim
he dis'peared. Some thought he'd jest
gone down to the house to see il supper
was ready, but he didn't come back. Then
half dozen O. the men went down to the
house. Through the winder they could see
Eliakim eatin supper with his wife an Pol
iy Ann.
He'd gone off for good, an not so much
rs said much obleeged to the men!
"They pounded ON the door awhile, and
then they stalked into the kitchen.
"'What dye want?' asked Eliakim
1--WE want some supper afore We &C
homer
"'All we've got in the house is on the
table; help yourselves says Miss Hunt
nuick, afore Eliakim could speak.
'.They took slicero bread an nut CAKE
apiece an went back to the barn. Ther
there was reg'l lar Indignation meetin. /
ears burnt when folks talk about 'em, Ella
kim's would IA sot mis- head on fire thai
night.
s'Wal, father he asked some on 'em dow
to our house to supper an some O. The
neighbors asked them that lived further
off, and so ali bad supper; but no thanks
to the Hunts.
'sThere was mischief brewip, though
What do you s'pose some scamps that had
been there that day done?
"Why, they was so mad at Eliakim that
they went to that barn in the moonlight
with iron bars an pried out the underpin
min an sent the whole pile of timbers dow
in heap
''Father an I went up there the mex
day. Twas a pitiful sight, sure enough
Some o. the timbers was split, an the,
was all in heap.
sit Was a bad an unlawful thing to do
but for all that there want many tina
was sorry for Eliakim. An hs was purt
nigh crazy.
so do know why they done it, he KEEP
sayin, pitiful like. You didn't give n
rum, Applebee. an they never fetched you
barn.
'''I want so everlastin mean as to 6
off without thankin 'em fur their hell
nor yit to send 'em off without their SUI
per- said father sternly. 'You brought
on yourself. One mean tricks been pal
off by another
fsEiiakim winged an shuffled about, bu
when father had had his say out, he wer
right to work helping Eliakim undo til
mischief.
"'Twas a long job, an cost Eliakim
pretty penny afore it was done. The beam
was SO long an heavy It he had to hire
dozen men with OK teams to get 'em on
Then the underpinnin had to be all lai
over agin. Then how was be to raise il
He thought 'twould never do to ask em t