The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-09
QUITE ABLE IN THEIR AGE.
Connecticut Farmers at 30 and 80
Who Can Still Make the Hay Fly.
From the Nelp York Sum


From the NeU York Sun.
HARTFORD, Aug. 3.-A stranger, stroll
ing along Bloomfield avenue at Windsor
recently, saw an exhibition OF old-fashioned
haying that surprised and amused him.
Two hale and gallant old gentlemen in a
smooth open lot by the roadside were swing
ing the scvthe like sixty, but they were
good deal older than that, and 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 theym
"Wall," replied then Windsor man, they
are the boss hayers about here. One s Mr..
Prentice Of Court street. and he's II last
March; and the other is his neighbor, Mr..
Langdon Of Maple avenue, and he was 81
bout two months ago Hay it yeti wall
Course they kermit hay it as they used ter
forty years ago, but yer kin bank on 1t there
amt no young fellows round here that
wants to buckle onter O snath and foller en-
all day now, lookln' just as they 90 THIS
minute. Yer her me-
AS genuine old style Connecticut 'hayers"
Messrs. Langdon aud Preatice have quite a
reputation all about Windsor; they have the
old-fashioned. easy swinging style with the
scythe, and the sTsnglnR, gliding, swirl gait
that modern mowers know is monstrous
hard TO keep up with all day. Rhe old men
are not only neighbors, but lifelong friends,
and they were moving the Frisbie lot In
Windsor at the time the stranger saw them,
on account of a mutsal 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 Connections farms. There
L. - - In, 81 Of DIV
Habits There are many octogenarians
and few nonogenariaus who labor all day
all the year around, and there are others
jsut as vigorous whom, however, only the
exigeucies of the haying season bring to the
front among the Connecticut toilers There
is Ephriam Newell of Ellington, in lofty
Tollaud county, for instance, who became
IS years old 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. Said one Of
neighbors, speaking of the old mans vigor:
'Why, he not only cut the cleanest clip OF
all the men who worked with him in the
field, but he Graded right around men who
are not one-half his age. IL was boiling
hot day, too"
1t is fact that the best rye Grader in
New London county is a man over so years
old, and he is as straight as an arrow, 6 feet
2 inches tall, aud with the full plump, mus
Giles Of a man of 40. In the same country
is Francis Brown Of Norwich, who is so
years old, aud who a week ago Graded an
acre OF rye on his farm near that city. Gill
bert Chandler Of Putnam, WindhRm county,
recently celebrated the 80th anniversary OF
his birthday, and the day before that
incident he shingled one roof Of his
house alone. Then there is Deacon Ben
jamin 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 a regular boy yet He
takes chances that would appall some of
the modern dudes OF IS or 20, So he got
run away with the other day driving in his
usual reckless style, and got "hove out"
the Brooklyn folks put it. He fell on a
heap Of stones and was bruised about his
side and shoulders. Most men would have
been done up by the accident, but the dea-
con was at work about his farm day or
two later.
But old Lyman Tolles of Tolles Sta
ton, Terry vile, is perhaps the niftiest old
boy in the state. He is over 80 years old
and was haydn 1t every day this week in
the hot open fields of his farm, where the
temperature overtopped the number OF his
years by more than TO-. He lie strong and
tough as sole leather, and steps about as
briskly as boy. At Plainville is
Michael Cullen, who rides a bicycle like the
wind, but he Is young, of course, being
only II. He goes to and from
mis- business daily on his wheel, and ordi-
nary riders are not anxious to tackle him for
a running bout. In the same town is Mrs
William Newton, who rides horse daily,
and her hardihood and ambition are worth
noting, because she is 7S AT the village Of
South Lillingly is Schuyler Young, SO,
who has got the measles, and the joke of it
is he has all there are in Connecticut. There
fore he would like to know how he got
them. He's got 'em mild, however.