Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-03-31
rRE .cRAckER.s" LlFE
Customs That Are Little Known 10
1 tho NorfheFnaP.


Few, indeed, are the pleasurable ex-
citements of the Crackers life, and yet
he has some fete days and holidays.
Paramount among these are the Cane
grindin' and ''Sugar-bilin'." Most OF
them have 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 in
disposition to labor. Along in Noyem-
Der and December the grindings begin
and usually go in rotation, so that the
linked sweetness may be long drawn
out" writes a correspondent from st.
Petersburg, Fla. Everybody is invited,
and preparations are made to entertain
all Corners, for the Cracker is, above all
things, hospitable. One or more razor
backs yield up the ghost; plenty 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
furnace. The whole affair is primitive
in the extreme. A pine sapling, with
just the right crook in it, 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 rude
wooden trough which conducts it to a
barrel covered with gunny sack which
serves as a strainer. The chimney and
furnace, into the fat top of which the
large iron boiler or caldron is set, are
rudely fashioned of clay. After five or
six hours hard boiling and sl1imming,
the strip is done, and for 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 clear amber, and
of delicious flavor. and just a few mo-
ments' over boiling would change it to
sugar, for which your true Cracker has
little use, the strip having n much
greater financial value. The skimmings
are all carefully put in clean barrel,
where they soon ferment and make a
kind of beer, they call it, which, with
age, becomes highly intoxicating. Well,
the Cracker works steadily, for him, for
some days, knowing full well that his
fun will come when once the boiling is
over; for invariably they end with
dance and candy-pull.
Now truly a Cracker dance is a pc
culiar institution, and one which fur
nishes bound1ess amusement to the out
slider, if, so be, he is fortunate enough
to be invited to grace one with his pres
ence. Young and old, big and little, at
tend, and each one bent on getting the
fullest amount of enjoyment out of the
occasion. There are always some among
them who can play the violin, and the
air they play must be an heirloom, for
it is always the same and only one. 1t
is always the same monotonous jangle
on a few notes, and played as fast as pos
sible; but the Cracker seems to enjoy
it, and his feet keep time to the meas
ure, however rapid it be. AS the rooms
are not large but 16 can dance at once,
and they are all i'll one set, two couples
being on each four sides. The fun COM
menees early and continues late,
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 ting-a-tang of the violin,
is heard a continual repetition of such
calls as these: Honor you partners;
now YOU corners!'' ''AlI-a-men-left."
First couple to the right and dos-a-bal-
let-net!" Next couple follow and lady
swing or cheat" Irvine the black
snake in and Quit" First lady to the
right, swing and float!" and such float
ing, about as airy and graceful as a
careering mule. "All lemonade and hit
we'll sweetened with nothin'!" Honor
the flower basket; now the woodbox!"
"Big ring all around!" 'Ladies to the
middle of the floor and gentlemen to
they seats!" Then each gentleman
makes frantic grab for his own part
ner, and leads her, rosy and painting, to
the coolest spot he can find, for seats
are few and far between.
Spring is surely travelling northward
aSd her harbingers are here already.
The orange buds are waxing larger and
soon will burgeon into full flower. The
mulberries are finging out broad green
leaves and dainty blossoms, fair prom
Use of full harvest soon. Violets, purple
and white, are peeping at you every
where, and the yellow jasmine is ring
ing its scented bells from porches, tree
tops or wherever its gay streamers have
a foothold. The air is resonant with in
Vulnerable bird-notes, as flock after
flock of feathered tourists wing their
way overhead; and full soon the robins
and bluebirds will again be with you
to make joyous New England's now
leafess trees.-Boston Transcript.