The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-12-03
EVER CHEW SUGAR cANEt
10 rot you Hsvs Missed ons sf abs sssss
nsiixhts Of This tife,

W Huts tuu HHvN mtteuu obs ~ N08 f*eEW
nsiishts Of This tife,
On the sugar plantations the tall,
thick stalks full of goodness are be-
ing pulled up by the roots and bum
died homeward on stalwart heads
and shoulders. Wagon loads are be-
ing carried to mill, Hanked by the
jugs and demijohns IN which the
sirup will be put after IL has been
,ooked and a due measure Of toll
deducted. Many and many digni-
fed carryall or rockaway making
its way along the roads has teth-
ering of stalks stoutly lashed to-
gether leaning upon the back seat
and destined for some boy or girl
whose home crop of cane has not
turned out well. Even the sports
man who drives in his buggy to the
appointed meeting place takes along
a stalk or two of cane to top of his
midday meal. The school children
all have the purplish sticks. On
every juggling board In hall or
piazza, every settle or rustic seat
where the young people gather In
the afternoon or evening, tho cane
tipple goes on. Those accustomed
to chewing cano are fastidious a. to
tho kind offered them.
Il say, Charley, whom did you
pull up that stalki Last week! 1t
isn't nice Bit" says girl con-
noisseur, throwing tho strip sho has
been working on as far out among
the flower beds as she can.
Now, Miss Fussy," protests
Charley, who is stripping off another
joint, II pulled that stalk as rode
up from Durland's yesterday after
noon. 1t couldn't have gone off in
flavor in that little time"
did it have the roots on all right,
or did somebody cut them off when
you brought it in the housei"
1T had the roots on until ten
minutes ago. There was no chance
for the goodness to escape"
"Well, then, don't like the flavor
of that patch on the road to Dur
lands. The cane down there in the
hollow back of the stables is twice
as good, and, besides, any cane to
DO first class ought to be eaten just
the minute it's picked.
Tho sugar cane season is a level
er, inasmuch as it reminds women
of their dependence upon men. Tho
plantation girl can't cut and peel
her canostalk any more than she
can sharpen her pencil. If she gets
hold of fine looking stalk, she
waits until Jack or John or Charley
is on hand to peel it for her.
Here, Miss Nancy, you chew
partners with me" says some boy
ish sprite of mischief to the new
conner who does not know the ropes.
Miss Nancy agreeing, the longest
joint to be found is cut, peeled and
split to convenient size. A pretended
measurement of the girls mouth
having been taken in order that the
slice may not be too wide, Miss
Nancy begins chewing at one end
and her partner at the other. When
middle ground is reached, tbs two
faces are, of course, close together,
and Miss Nancy retires, scarlet,
amid peals of laughter, declaring
that she will never, never, never
speak to that odious boy again"
If anything can approach the
watermelon in the dnrky's favor,
sugar cane does. Very few of the
negro small farmers can afford to
raise the genuine cane, as the cul-
ture requires rich ground and the
product is not regarded as a necessi-
ty. They all have little patches OF
millet, however, or of sorghum, and
those who are employed about the
places where cane is grown are In
clover. The p:ckanirnies do not
wait for knives when they want to
get at the sugary fluid of either cor
ghum or cane. They bite pieces out
of the hard rind with their teoth
and then pull the remainder off
somehow and break the stalk off
above a joint by hitting it on hard
surface. The pickaninnies demon
strate every day the uselessness Of
many articles that enlightened peo-
pie think indispensable. A figure
of bliss is a black youngster of 6 or
z clinging to stalk of cane for dear
life and dancing up and down with
satisfaction as the juice trickles
down his throat. His elders, though
less demonstrative, are by no means
above showing their love of the
sugary delicacy.
Il amt plant no cane myself, see
in as it take up right smart Of
ground rs would do to mako cot
ton, " says Uncle York, "but does
lub to see it GROWN off pretty in de
GUNNER time like dat dere the capt n
raise. ! likes TO taste it too. Seem
like when you git de newness of it
in you it does do you mighty sight
of good. New York Sun.