The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-06-01
THE MILKING STOOL.


An Article Of widespread Common Use
Not Made In Factories.
A man who had seen in pictures milk
ing stools occupied by milkmaids engaged
in milking cows that stood placidly
switching off fly now and then and look
ing drowsily uut upon a lovely summer
landscape, thought TO himself that, taking
into account the enormous number of
cows I'm this country that were daily
milkCd, thrro must be an enormous num-
Der of milking stools used, and then efore
that the milking stool must be- a consider
ablo item Of manufacture, and that it
might even be that there were factories
that made nothing else. With this idea in
mind be set out to get some facts concern
ing the trade in milking stools At two
establishments for the sale of dairy sup
plies, where he saw a great variety of all
sorts Of things for dairy use, the inquirer
was informed that they did not soil milk
ing stools and had never heard of them
as an article of trade. 1t was quito true
that there were many thousands of them
in daily use, but they were made by the
farmers themselves. 1t wouldn't pay to
make them to sell, cheaply as they could
be made because the farmer could make
them cheaper still, and there was no oCCa
sion for him to buy thing that he could
make in very short time for nothing or
next to nothing.
The most elaborate of milking stools
would be one made of piece of board or
plank with the corners rounded off, max
ing the stool round, or practically so, and
into the under side of it would bo bored,
not quite through, three or four auger
holes. Into these holes would be driven
pegs for legs But not all milking stools
are SO elaborate rs this. Two dairymun
who were asked for Information on the
subject said that thoy had never seen "A
milking stool for sale in any store, city or
country that every farmer mado his own,
and that il might bo something far sim
plor still than the milking stool with legs.
1t might be simply a handy small box, or
it might be "A short stick of wood with
piece of board nailed across one end,
stool that would be picked up by tho
board. Whatever it was, the milking stool
was something that was found or could be
made on tho farm.
NO such thing as an Ornamented milk
ing stool of any kindY' asked the inquirer.
"There's generally some COW in the
herd that does whatever ornamenting
there is done" said one Of the dairymon,
and from this the inquirer was led to infer
that the COW does not always stand placid
ly, lnzily switching off fly and gazing
drowsily meanwhile off upon a peaceful
summer landscape, but that there is now
and then COW that occasionally rears
and tears and upsets the milk pail and
kicks the milking stool into very small
sliyUrs.
Inquiry at the offices of two largo dairy
establishments elected the same informa-
tion. Indeed it was not until the inqur-
or had sought the establishment of whole
sale chair manufacturer that he found the
milking stool produced as an article Of
trade The stool so made is "A disk of wood
with short, turned legs, called by tho more
euphOuious name of the milkmaid s stool,
and sold, finished in the natural wood,
not for milking purposes, but in city
stores, to women who paint, enamel and
ornament them in one way and another or
adorn them with ribbons making OF them
useful or decorative articles of furniture.
New York Sun.