The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-08-19
QUITE ABLE IN THEIR AGE.
Connecticut Farmers of 90 and 90
Who Can Still Make tho
Hay T1y,

ling along Bloomfield avenue at Windsor
recently, saw an exhib. tion of old fash
Toned haying that surprised aud amused
him. Two hale and gallant old gentle,
men In smooth open lot by the roadside
were swinging the scythe like sixty, but
they were good deal older than that
aud the stranger was sure of it.
Accosting a Windsor wayfarer. he
pointed to the bayfield, and inquired ::
WHO are the smart old men over there
and how old are they2"
WALL replied tue Windsor man,
they are the boss hayers abou. here
One is MIR. Prentice of Court street, ana
he's 81 last March; and the other 10 his
nelghbor, Mr.. Laugdon of Maple avenue,
: oud INC VINO CT 'Dout-cwU-rrrt rrrt,uefry--ryu--
Hay it YETI Wall. Course they kerp't
hay it as they used ter forty years ago,
but you kin back on it there amt no
Young fellows round here that wants to
buckle onter suath and foler 'em all
day no w lookin' just as they do this miu
ue. Yer hear me-"
AS genuine Old-style Connecticut
"hayers" Messrs. Langdon aud Prentice
have quite reputation all about Windsor;
they have the old-fashioned, easy swing.
ing style with the scythc, and the swing
ing, gliding, swift gait that modern
mowers know is monstrous hard to keen
ur with all day. The old men are no
only ncighbors, but lifelong friends, and
they were moving the Frisbie lot in
Windsor at the time the stranger saw them
on account of mutual resolution to "try
The old scythe' and see whether they had
forgotten the way to swing It yet.
There's nothing very wonderful how-
ever, about rugged old fellows doing
mems work all day on Connecticut farms
in re are lots of them in the Land OF
Steady Habits. There are many octogen
arians aud few nonogenarians who la.
Dor all day all the year around, and there
are others just as vigorous, whom, how
ever, only the exigencies of the hayiug
season bring to the front among Connec
ticut tOilers. There is Ephraim Newell
of Ellington, in lofty Tollald county
for instance, who became IS years old
one day recently, and celebrated the
event by taking down the old Newell
cradle aud grading just one acre of stout
rye in the forenoon of the day s i'll
one of his neighbors. speaking of the old
mans vigor: "Why, he not Onlv cut the
cleanest clip OF all the men who workeu
with him l.; :h:. Ga!.l, but he crad.;a 1
right around men who are not more than
one. half his age. 1t was . boiling
hot day, too"
1t is fact that the best rye GRADER in
New London county is q man over 81
years old, and he is as straight az All n,
row, feet . inches tall, aud with the
full, plump muscles of man of 40. In
The same county is Fraucis Brown, of
Norwich, who IS 80 years old, and who a
week ago cradlcd an acre of rye on his
farm near that city. Gilbert Chandler,
of Putnam, Windham county, recently
celebrated the cightleth anniversary of
his birthday, aud the day before that in
cidcnt he shingled one roof Of his house
alone. Then there is Deacon BENJAMIN
Brown, of Brooklyn village, in the same
county, who, his neighbors think, is
rather too frisky; he is IS years old, and
his friends say he is regular boy yet
He takes chances that would appall some
OF the modern dudes of 18 or 90. So he
got run away with the other day, driving
in his usual reckless style, and got "hove
out, the Rrooklyn folks put it. He fell
on heap of stones, and was bruised
about his side aud shoulders Most men
would have been done up by the acci.
dent, but the Deacon was at work about
his farm day or two later.
But old Mr.. Lyman Tolles, of Tolles
Station, Terryville, is perhaps the nifticst
old boy in the state. He is over 80
years old. and was hayiu' it every day
this week in the hot open fields of his
farm, where the temperature over-topped
the number of his years by more than 10
degrees He is strong and tough as sole
leather, and steps about as briskly as a
boy. At Plainville is Michael Cullen,
who rides bicycle like the wind. but he
is young, OF course. being only II. He
goes to and from his business daily on
his wheel, and ordinary riders are not
anxious to tackle him for q running bout
In the same town is Mrs. William New
ton, who rides horse daily, and her
hardihood and ambition are worth not.
rng, because she is 7S. At the village OF
South Killingly is Mr.. Schuyler, 83, who
has got the measles, and the joke of 1t is
he has all there are 10 Connecticut.
Therefore he would like to know how he
OOt them HasI oNt 'ou, mild hauavar