The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-13
The BOYS OF
CORNWALL, ENG.
How the Youngsters Of That Country Are
Brought Up.
Disobedient Are Made to 0bey-The Games
Day"-The Startling Hunt.
Special to THE SUNDAY CALL

boys.
The girls of Cornwall give nobody trouble
in early life. They are little automatons in
youth, silent as pagan stone circles in girl
hood. voiceless and bushing thereafter until
welded, when they at once develop such
strength or character, temper and tongue
that half the men of Cornwall are known
Individually as ''Jinny's Jack. and in rail-
lery are greeted with the inquiry:
How's the woman as owns 'ec?"
Whether or not the buys require rough
treatment they get it. They seem 10 expect
it. And they thrive under it. They are all
boys of parents who labor severely, and
whose fathers before them for more than a
thousand years have drudged and striven
in the same sturdy way. Sentiment in
withdrawing is here unknown. A drill
hammer. hob-nailed boot, or a huge fist
goes along smaItly with the reprimaDd.
Disobedience is almost unknown. When
ever it occurs it is nine days wonder 10
the entire village. Recently l witnessed an
instance in a mining village. 4 miner had
given his bow a command.
I went dot" replied the lad stoutly.
Tina wnsn't, eli? Well, if thee doesn't
I'll give tn a thunp in the nudeck (back of
the neck),"
The words were not out of the fathers
less by blow in the ''nudeck." No one
expressed surprise at the treatment. and the
boy was left where he fell until his senses
returned, when lie marched Straightway to
carry out his fathers command. But the
establishment at the boys disObedieuce set
the entire village in an uprOar
The Cornish boy is not permitted to i'm
agne himself proficient. One boy | know,
apprenticed to dis grandfather, the village
joiner and undertaken. had made little
dove tailed box with hinges, lock and key,
in which to store his pennies and other boy
treasures. lie was naturally proud of the
achievement, and aSkei the old man if the
work was not well done. The latter imme-
dateiy proceeded TO kick the too aspiring
Lad from one end of the village to the other.
The Cornish boy, either while skirted or
wien he has reached the corduroy age, is
never lonesome in his little labnrs or in his
yarluus sturdy paStines. All Cornish folk
live IN communities, move about in groups,
and even emigrate in crowds. Cornish fish,
ers live in villages. Miners are universally
found
IN LITTLE MINING TOWNS,
And from three or four to Il dozen farm
ers, with their steadings aud tiny farm
houses are hudGled close together. SO there
ars score of young Cousin Jacks"
in the smallest hamlets; and the ad-
vantage and the pleasures of numbers are
invariably possessed. The most marked
characteristic of the Cornish boy is his end
less participation in mischief. 1t never goes
the length OF brutality and harm; but 1t is
rs though his whole year were 4 mid form
Of Halloween license, aud it often seems
dvinely ordained as compensative form
oil punishment and Scourge to those de-
serving occasional reminder of perjury,
meanness and Feasibility. The pas
son. as the village rector or curate is
called, must lead most gOdly life to escape
this A stlnGv shopman loses more than
a a
A sc0ld is peculiarly the object Of their at
tentOns. A d. uhkard. who is hated in
CornS all almost as thoroughly as a stran-
ger, never knows peace. A misery farmer
who shuts his fist and door to the tender old
custom of Cornish giving TO all who come
on many Of the ieast-days of the year is
certain to lose his tuTZericks in the old Bel
tame fires of 81. Johns day, while lords of
manOrs who refuse their parks 10 Cornish
folk for an annual outing find much diff
Guilty in securing one good days shoot"
for their city friends in all their vast pre-
serves.
The games and pastimes of Cornish boys
are distinctive, and are markedly different
from those of boys OF the same quality else
where In England. For instance. foot ball,
the universal boys game Of England, is al
together unknown in Cornwall. Cricketing
is only kept up through the con tinued ef-
forts of the Church Of England curates
But kte-tiying is passion with all Cornish
boys.
Two Cornish boys games are universal,
endless and very ancient. These are " toe
stones" and "cob-nutling." The first ia
PLAYED in all open roads, paths and streets.
and the second, in any place under Cornish
skies where two rival lads can secure room
en- ugh in which to crouch down and swing
their stout little arms. In "toe-stones," a
diagram, sim lar to The one chalked on deck
for ship-billiards," with IL rounded end
like that OF bagatelle board is drawn in
the road; and the game consists of kicking
with the eft foot. the right foot being al
ways held in the right hand, n round fiat
stone from the approaching line from one
space TO another, but never over but one
line, clear around the entire thirteen spaces
and out again, without once having dropped
the right frot The little felloA4 become
wonderfully expert in this difficult feat
"COB-NUTTING
Is an 1.-the year-rOund sport. Much of its
Zest comes from the dangers in securing the
nuts necessary for the years supply. Com
mon haZel-nuis are used. These are got at
great risks from the dpmesue copses and
forest edges. The prizes. with The "shucks"
still on, are stored away in the attic and
dried with the greatest care, SO that the
nul-tber becomes hard and horny. The
hazel nuts are allowed to literally fall out
Of their sheaths. An the round, smooth.
ripe. shiny nuts are sacredly preserved for
'cob-nuttlng." 1t is often a Cornish bows
entire winter employment and diversion to
prepare the cOb-nuts for the rest Of the
years battle for superiority with his fell
lows. The sport takes its name from the
cob" or she'll Of the nut
The cobnuts are prepared by boring a
hole through each side of the nut removing
the kernel, and filling the hollow shell with
lead or shOemaker's wax, the latter being
preferred. The shoemaker of the village is
consequently an almost reyered parsonage
all Cornish boys. A waxed-end" drawn
through the loaded cob" or shell, and
held by strong knot, completes the cob
nut; and You cannot find boy in all Corn
wall who has not one ready strung for con-
test, aud pocketiu ready fer stringing for
reserve contingencies.
Then there is always the ob-nutter I"
champion to vanquSh, which is the constant
effort Of all other boys of the village. A lad
envIous of his honors will sidle up to this
champion with
Less ha' a 90 aw cob-nuts."
Yes, thec's mnd to-" is the rejoinder;
and at it they 90, squatting whenever the
spirit of battle oveTcomes them. Ties are
drawn for first "crack." The loser throws
his hat upon the ground, and lays his cob
nut in little hollow On its top. Then the
''cobber' or striker, holding his cob between
the ends Of the fingers of his left hand and
end of the attached waxed end in his right.
after many felnts, notions aud sights"
brings his cob with almost the force of
DulIet upon MS opponents. One or the
other is ''scated" or broken. 1t is turn and
turn about
Another game or pastme of Cornish BOYS
is the Long Hunt" distinct from, but
bearing. some resemblance, the "Haie and
Hounds" chase so famous with English
boys at Rugby and elsewhere. Moonlight
nights are selected for this sturdy and often
grewsome sport. A ''leader" is chosen. by
the following contingent rhyme, heard
everywhere among Cornish boys and girls {;
Ire, ore, igery, chen.
Eat n bone, crack a bono ten or eleven:
Spin, span, must be done,
Three times seven are neutrality-suspicious.
HE is GIVEN A START
VI 100, counted aloud. He leads the follow
ers into every weird and ghostly lane. by
deserted mines, through graveyards. and
everywhere his daring and ingenuity can
take his own strong legss He is ''leader"
every night until lie succeeds in evading cap
ture. when the same contingent process is
repeated.
"Rook day" is one of the happiest davs