The herald., 1895-06-21
HALSTEAD'S PADDY'S RUN PAPERS


work for sugar water privileges. was q
learned boy in this sugar business. Years
and years and years, Us much as that vast
span in boys life of three years. | had
been noticing, and that is the way boy
gets his information. l knew that sugar
water was the sap of the sugar maple tree,
which flows most freely and sweetly ''just
as the frost is coming out of the ground;"
that the ideal weather for the sugar max
ing is when there is white frost in the
morning and thaw after sunrise. March
usually offers the best conditions in south
ern Ohio, though there has been sugar
made late in February and in April and
even, in backward seasons for few days
in May. / knew ono must have an augur
boring q hole about three quarters of an
inch in diameter to tap the trees and
should have sugar troughs, or crooks or
pans for the water to run in from the
trees. The sugar trough was the thing,
but it was hard to hollow out My prefer
ence was crooks or milk pans. / had not
SO many taps did not need hundreds of
crooks! Unjust have spiles-elders-- the
right diameter, with the pith out and cut
so as to fit the tap in the treo to DO driven
in so tight there could be no leakage of the
water with the sugar in it, There was
something more important. twas fur
mace. a shelter and q row of kettles The
repular furnace had four. sometimes six
KETTLES fixed in a double row. md ono
black not on a crane for '!sugarinp off %
which was the last and best of if. AS for
shelter that must be considered for If
might rain. and il was unpleasant tn he
wet and cold out of doors in the night.
finally secured the approbation Of NV
superior officers to make sugar think
there was intercession but of that did
NOT know the particulars and set IN
work [ NAV saw. to toll. | had first to
know the size of the kettles and seleoted
two Smear making time was riobt at
hand had tho SMEAR and tho crooks and
the smiles. The next thing was tn dio n
ditch in slopinp ground and drive forks
which had to bo cut into tbe oround to
support fresh hickory pole to swing the
KETTLES when thew had to be lifted and
other forks for the other MOLE to lean
boards aeainst so as to t,,rn the rain The
work was slow. | had to have helm to
move tho kettles. needed fiat stones to
cover the furnace. save where tbe boilers
stood nm tho fire Sugar making time ar.
rived Suddenly. tanned n free and tho
water ran freely If Won did NOT mind
mining n tree nj, Won had to do was tn
cbon deem notch in If sloning down.
word and sncl, tho wotar ont with n
stray One had to drink that one,s self
Tbo last tbin, wac 70 constrrct n wood.
villa md nIace tho tettIcs Holm came
when IL anneored T had tbo work noarlv
all done Ono dav when tbere xvern Roth
sunshine and FROST bnt rather moro snn.
shine than frost J.b,d % frees tanned and
three kettles two sitting and ana hano,;ng
and then had two of them flIIod with wa.
TOW and the fro startod 7 omntied tbe
crooks into a tin bncketand CARRIED if and
,onrnd tho ontnnt of the manles info tho
kettles And when the water beoon ia
boil that was bns;ness 7 had not mnch
+irre 70 cir down The fro had to be Font
Going and there was dancer the cracks
would RIM over for tbe bio s,veet drons
fell fast and constant dronning soon dllod
n crock did NOT know until then thar
tbo water ran ca swiftIv rho worst If If
1-.s tho wind would blow aud blow tbe
sn,ote and asbes in tho yrono nlacos Pnt
when the color of sirnn anneared of n fine
male bnt duskv cold there was snccoss in
tic air and in the 1yater and tho labors
beoame still, mora comnlicated The fresh
water was no,,red into tho first kettle in
the row and as II was boiled down was
transferrod and the third or SWINGING
boiler. was for the molasses with tho
.oro;nu II, Il and oronr,,tod Sirun was