The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-09
FRESH CIDER A
1t IL Nice to Drink, Seems Harmless, and
Is Set of by n Time Fuse.

Is Set Oh by n Time Fuse.
EAST LIToHFIELD, Conn. Oct. Sierra Saw
yer. the old chestnut buyer. has begun ship
ping the fall crop to New York city. Tho
plump nuts have already begun to fall In show
ers. refusing to wait longer for Jack Frost's
signal to come out Of their velvet-llned cases.
Mr.. Sawyer has dozens Of people gathering the
nuts for hin when the season is at its height.
He works night and day himself in the mean
time making collection tours with his four
horse team.
While making a preliminary trip on Yellow
Mountain on Thursday he met with an adven-
ture that made him an uncompromisinG enemy
Of fresh cider brandy and came within an ace
OF costing him his life. He bargained for the
crop Of chestnuts from an early grove on the
Job Henly farm and then took sundry boots"
Of new cider brandy from Henly's still.
II have drunk a prodigious amount OF one
kind of stun and another in this ere county for
the past flfty-nve years." said Mr.. Sawyer In
relating the incident, but for all the meanest.
darnedest. brain-tanRlinG mixtures to swallow.
let me tell you folks to Just steer clear OF fresh
cider brandy. 1 never did see anything that
acted anywhere near so treacherous. Why, II
come upon me-. like Q thief in. the night. after
"a given up looking for 1t and had gone to bed.
,"Henly runs a .nfty-barrel outfit. and the
ridSF to Ea Sd 3p t i az 6h tb tu stlII. r RSirt w whsR = l / Is
stream Of brandy trickling out OF the worm OF
the stu about the size of u knitting needle
TRY some Of that ere says Henly, passing
me q s9ifter of the stuff it's the first brandy
below proof, consequently. 1t won't hurt ye.
But l don't calculate lisa bad drink. all the
Il took the glass, and the brandy slid down
as smooth as oil. I'd always heard that fresh
cider brandy was rather savage tasting stuff,
but this wasn't and | says so to Henly.
No. saws Hcnly to me, this Is all right.
This Is as smooth as velvet. as white as water,
ly.. it's both meat and drink for u man.
And / supposed Henly knew what he was
s t3ISi Ing % stGsr R and 50 ! {o stayed wed there bo%f. with Rba him
walked over to the chestnut trees with a lad
der. AZ that time was lqst as sober as a
dripEinG,S Whipppeedd TIE Chestnut ctr trees, s HSfH
four more no S'I bargains With som; ' Yellow Noun i
tain people, and then started for home.
when was still as, sober as n Judge. l felt the
most unaccountable impulse steal over me to
generally. l began yelling like a mailman, and
| remember that people came running out to
were running like wild. went tearing along
Then | seemed to, become lost. and all l could
tions about my head. These changed TO show
ers OF golden and crimson fire. and these again
~ FNNIlV5 III lhll1 lllls W l'lo L III W US
reclining on beds of roses and partakinR OF
foods meant only for the gods. I was there for
o long time. and then the bewilderinRly beauti-
full pinwheels came back. and tho golden fire.
and then there came a crash. After that knew
no more"
Mr.. Sawyer's friends here take up the thread
Of the story. When his belated cider-brandy
jag began to take effect at the top of Long Hill,
his horses. frightened by. his cries. darted like
mad down the three-mile descent. taking a
wheel off n passing vehicle here. smashing a
bicycle there, and wrecking everything that
came in their way. Mr.. Sawyer lay in a state
of beatitude in the bottom OF the wagon. About
three minutes passed and then came the crash
that Mr.. Sawyer speaks of. This was caused
by his wagon being hurled violently against
the trunk of a large oak trce at the turn at the
foot Of the hill. The shock threw Mr.. Sawyer
safely into the mud Of an adjacent duck pond,
scattered his vehicle about him. and sprinkled
both literally with the freshly gathered chest
nuts. The freed horses ran home.
Neighbors. rescued Mr.. Sawyer from the mud
and he was found to be ,unhurt. although I'M
regarded as remarkable. He was put to bed
still insensible, and it was fifteen hours before
he slept off the effects OF his fresh cider-brandy
Jag. Although sore from head to foot. he was
able to tell his story. today and enjoy it.
Il tell. EN-" said he. TO let fresh cider
brandy alone. I've Just paid bills amounting
to 1913 ~ for damages done by my runaway
horses In consequence of drinking the tricky
stuff. That'll take some Of the profits OF my
chestnut crop this year. but tho chestnut sea-
sons going to be a good one and I reckon I'll
rush a thousand bushels into New York my
self II that belated jag don't get after me again"