Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-24
TRAMP In CORN WALL.
HObgoblins and Bugaboos That Still
Live in the Folk Lore.
THE MOVING OF A BIG MINE-BOB.
Roadside Games of the Children and
Strange Old Customs
THE FESTIVAL OF THE EIGHTH OF MAY
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH

may nave done IN altering the everyday
lives of the Cornish folk, no power has yet
been able to Danish the endeared wraiths of
the mysticisms and mysteries of a legen-
darby heroic past To-day, as firmly as
five centuries since, the inner heart of the
Cornish man clings to his ''droll'' or tale of
giant, hobgoblin and fairy with the greatest
tenacity; and a few of these are interesting
bv wav of illustration. Bellerian was
formerly the name of Lands End, as also
the name of a mighty giant who made it
his home. Cormoran built st. Michael's
Mount but was slain by the redoubtable
Jack the Giant-killer. Holiburn of the
Cairn defended ordinary mortals from other
giants than himself.
The Giant of Nancledry principally sub
sisted upon little children. The giant Ire
biCgan frightened bad children into virtu-
GUS lives, and dined off the incorrigible
ones, which he usually fried upon a flat
rock by his cave door. The giant Blrnder-
bus, killed by little Tom Hickathrift with
cart axle was the embodiment of surly
laziness and cruel greed. The giant Wrath,
terror of the coast, walked out to sea
dozen miles or so, and, fastening the fisher
mems boats to his girdle, strolled leisurely
back to his cave to serve his prisoners up
for food at will.
Gogmagog lost the kingdom of Cornwall
to Trojan giant, Corineus, in a wrestling
match. Thunderbone walked the land
everywhere inspiring terror by his awful
ugliness. While the mighty Bolster, whom
Cruikshank endeavored to depict, was so
huge that he could stride from St. Agnes
Beacon to the top of Gran Brae, distance
of six miles
Monsters That Are Still Alive.
To all Cornish folk these monsters still
live in fireside tales, and the numberless
monuments to a pagan past scattered over
the rocky tors and wild moors, such as
cromlechs, monoliths and other rude stone
monuments. are the household goods and
pastime impliments of this vanished but
not vanquished race. Every hill or crag
has its cairn or cromlech; every gorge or
glen its ghost or goblin The knowledge of
all this takes firm possession of the wan
derer through Cornwall.
If these were not enough to keep alive all
manner of weird superstitions the Chin
meys of the deserted mines of Cornwall
alone would furnish sufficient grewsome in
f1uence to create and foster spooks enough
for an entire people. Anyone who has ever
looked upon the dreary round tower puz-
zles of Ireland will recall the feeling of
hTtdu anu IlN SllClSlll bucN dlhdNS , tuStuucI.
But these lonely landmarks of former activ-
titles seem to possess more dire and forbid |
ding aspect.
Away back in the vicinity of Liskeard |
they began to loom darkly upon the land |
scape From this place they are every |
where seen, increasing in numbers as the |
Redruth district is approached, and decreas- |
ing in frequency toward St Ives and Pen |
zance From the top of some high Cornish |
rbo+ lo lro a. bo |
and on the road betw cen Redruth and Cam
born, distance of but five miles, 1 counted |
upward of 40 ''knacked" or abandoned mine
stacks.
The Moving of Mine-Bob
Moving a mine-bob is one of the curious
performances in the Cornish mining dis
tricts happened to witness. Turning from
a hill lane into a wide highway L saw a |
great concourse of people following an
enormous truck drawn by at least 90 teams
of shaggy Welsh horses. Joining the crowd
found that Cornish folk had come from
miles around to see the ''mine-bob movin'."
This "mine-bOb' is the great beam, the
hugest piece in all huge Cornish mining
machinery, which works, like a steamer
beam, the man-engine and the man pumps.
This one weighed upward of lis tons!
4 mime had been abandoned; new one
was being opened by the same company;
and from the great forge works at Hayle
had come this iron truck forty feet long,
with steel wheels like engine drivers, on
which the tremendous casting was being
conveyed The earnest interest OF miners,
"kepens" (captains) and engineers who ac-
companied the ponderous beam; the curious
excitement of hundreds of stragglers drawn
together by the event; and the mischievous
prayers of Cornish boys that something
would 'scat" or break, to increase the
anxieties of the occasion, here very great
owing to the hilly nature of Cornish roads,
furnished a most interesting opportunity
for character study.
Cornish BOYS at Their Games
One of the most fascinating pleasures of
the road in Cornwall will be found in loiter-
ing alongside groups of Cornish bows en-
gagged in their various games. Chief of these
are ''toe-stones" and ''cob-nutting." Both
are played wherever the spirit of emulous
battle overtakes these sturdy little embryo
miners and fishermen, and their pluck, per-
siStencv and pertinacity are unsurpassed.
In 'toe-stones, diagram, similar to the
one chalked on deck for "ship-billiards,
with a rounded end like that of bagatelle
board, is drawn in the road; and the game
consists in kicking with the left foot, the
right foot being always held in the right
hand, round fiat stone from the approach
ing line from one space to another, but
never over but one line, clear around the
entire 13 spaces, and out again, without
ever once having dropped the right foot.
The little fellows become wonderfully ex-
pert in this difficult feat.
'Cob-nutting" is an all-the-year-round
sport. Much of its zest comes from the
dangers in securing the nuts necessary for
the wears supply. Common hazel nuts are
uSed. These are got at great risks from the
demesne 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 nut-fber becomes
hard and horny. The hazel nuts are al
lowed to literally fall out of their sheaths.
All the round, smooth, ripe, shiny nuts are
preserved sacredlv for "cob-nuttlng" 1t is
often a Cornish boys entire winter employ
ment and diversion to prepare the cob
nuts for the rest of the years battle for
superiority with his fellows. The sport
takes its name from the cob or shell of
the nut.
Cracking at the Cob-Nuts.
The cob-nuts are prepared by boring a
hole through each side of the nut remoy-
ing the kernel and filing the hollow shell
with lead or shoemaker's wax the latter be- |
ing preferred. The shoemaker of the viii
lage is consequently an almost revered per-
sonage with all Cornish bows A "waxed.
end' drawn through the loaded ''cob'' or
shell, and held by strong knot, completes
the cob-nut; and you cannot find a boy in
all Cornwall who has not one ready strung for
contest, and pocketful ready for stringing
ior reserve contingencies.
Ties are drawn for first crack The ]