The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-10
THE CRACKERS. LIFE.
Customs That Are Little Known to
the Northerner.


the Northerner.
Few, indeed, are the pleasurable ex-
elements of the Crackers life, and
yet he has some fete days and holi-
days. Paramount among these are the
Cane grindin' " and Sugar bilin.' -
Most of them have a cane patch of
greater or less extent, according to
the number of his stock cattle, and
the children big enough TO assist; and
the extent to which he can overcome
his chronic indisposition to labor. Along
in November and December the grind
ings begin, and usually go in rota-
ton, so that the linked sweetness may
be long drawn out" writes q CORE
spondent from st. Petersburg. Fla, to
the Boston Transcript Everybody is
invited, and preparations are made 70
entertain all Corners, for the Cracker
is, above all things, hospitable. One
or more razor-backs yield up the
ghost; plentiful supply of grits and
sweet potatoes are on hand, and the
larder is ready. For some days before
cutting actually begins, the Cracker
is busy setting up his mill and fur
mace. The whole affair is primitive in
the extreme. 4 pine sapling, with Just
the right crook in il, is hitched at one
end to a pony; the other is fastened to
two small upright rollers between
which the cane is crushed. While
the pony steadily treads his circle,
three or four sticks of cane are fed
to the mill. The thin greenish juice
runs into a rude wooden trough which
conducts it to a barrel covered with
a gunny sack, which serves as a
strainer. The chimney and furnace,
into the fat top of which the large
fashioned of clay. After five or six
hours hard boiling and skimming, the
syrup is. done. and for a few minutes
all is excitement, as the firebrands are
raked out from the furnace and the
boiler is emptied of its saccharine con-
tents. The strip is a clear amber, and
of delicious flavor, and just few mo-
ments' Overlooking would change ii TO
sugar, for which your true Cracker
has little use, the strip having a much
greater financial value. The skim
mings are all carefully put in a clean
barrel, where they soon ferment and
make a kind of beer, they call il.
and which, with age. becomes highly
Intoxicating. Wen, the Cracker works
steadily, for him, for some days, know
ing fun well that his fun Will come
variably they end with a dance and
candy-pull.
Now, a truly Cracker dance is pc
culiar institution, one which furnishes
boundlesS amusement to the outsider,
If so be he is fortunate enough to
be invited to grace one with his pres
ence. Young and old, big and little,
attend, and each one bent on getting
the fullest amount of enjoyment out of
he oil q
them who can play the violin,
and the air they play must be an
heirloom, for il is always the same
and only one. 1t is always the same
monotonous jangle on q few notes, and
played as fast as possible: but the
Cracker seems to enjoy it, and his feet
keep time u the measure, however
large, but Is can dance at once, and
they are all in one set. two couples
being on each four sides. The fun
early and continues late,
q fresh lot of dancers always being
ready to take the places of those who
are about wearied out with a good half
hours rapid dancing; for each set
holds the floor at least that long. All
night long, above the tinga-tang of
the violin, is heard a continual repe
tition Of such calls as these: i'-Fonor
you partners; now you corners. 'Al.- !
amen left" First couple to the right
and dos-a- ballet net Next couple fol- !
low and lady swing or cheat Irvine
The blacksnake in and out" First lady !
TO the right. swing and float" and such
boating, about as airy and graceful as
2 careerine mule. "All lemonade and !
nit well sweetened with nothi1"
Honor the flower basket: now the ]
Yood-bo Big ring all around La |
lies to the middle of the floor and gem |
.lemen to their seats" Then each gen
leman makes a frantic grab for his |
OWN partner, and leads her, rosy and /
painting, to the coolest spot he can find, |
'or seats are few and far between.
Spring is surely travelling northward. |
md her harbingers are here already. |
rhe orange buds are waxing larger, /
md soon will burgeon into full flower.
The mulIberries are filing out broad
green leaves and dainty blossoms, fair
promise of full harvest soon. Violets.
purple and white. are peering at YOU
and the yellow jasmine is
inging its scented bells from porches,
ree-tops, or wherever its CAV stream
rs have a foothold. The air is reso-
lant with innumerable bird-notes, as
lock after flock of feathered tourists
wing their way overhead; and full soon
he robins and bIuebirds will again be
With you to make joyous New Eng
and's now leafieSS trees.