The Newtown bee., 1899-02-10
Flax Days.
WRITTEN FOR THE BEE.l

Very few people of go years of age
and under will realize the import of the
above words. 70 the old timer, how
ever, of 20 years and beyond there will
come memories of the time:
When was heard the thud OF the sounding
fail.
From the wide swung open door;
And the treasured grain like the rafting hail,
Fill'd all the thu eshing floor.
There will come memories of clear
bright winter days, when the great barn
doors swung wide, and the crash of the
''crackle" and the chatter of the rude
ok mill made cheerful music from morn.
ing till night on many sunny winters
day, as the silverY fax was pounded out
and prepared for the finer task of the
spinners among the female portion of the
household. At the period of which |
speak every well-to-do farmer raised o
patch Of fax of from a half acre to one,
two, and sometimes three acres In extent
he was looked upon as a one horse
farmer who neglected to raise fax
enough to furnish himself and bows with
cloth for frock and trousers in which to
perform the work Of the farm; with
enough left for several pairs Of linen
sheets, towels, table cloths, etc. What
days were those not only for the men
and boys, but for the female portion of
the household as WE'LL Great bundles
OF the dressed fax were brought in from
! the barn at the close Of the day to be ia
/ Ken in hand by the thrifty housewife and
her grown up daughters, IL such there
were, and the work of converting 1t into
cloth commences.
First came the hackle, or IS 1t was
more Familiarity called ''the hetchel."
This implement was an iron comb, COM
pc ed Of numerous teeth of several inches
IN length, inserted in board of suitab BILE
breadth and thickness. Through these
The fax was drawn until the coarser part,
called tow was separated from the long
| silky fiber, and this, when tied In hand
fols OF proper size was ready for the
distaff.
The distaff was formed by tucking one
end of bunch of fiber under the apron
string or belt OF the operator, the other
end being held in the left hand. The
fiber was now carefully pulled apart at
the outer end, thereby forming loose
mass, while the end under the belt was
held intact. This end was then fastened
to an upright staff above the wheel and
it was now ready for the spinner. L can
see the mother IS she sits down to her
| task. l can hear the hum of the noisy
wheel and the Fl yers, as they were call
ed, by which the threads were wound
on to the spools as they spun out from
the disEaff. | can see the fore fingers of
che spinner as they are dipped ever and
anon into a cocoanut shell cup half filled
with water by which the threads were
kept smooth and even as they were
drawn out. I can hear the pleasant song
and feet as the work went ON and the
| spools were filed.
Then came the reel, and the threads
were formed into skein of the required
number of knots, which was then hung
on peg at one side of the room until
ready for the loom. There was no proud
er or happier woman than she who could
show her visiting neighbors the biggest
bunch Of linen yarn. The tow next came
in for It's share In the business. It was
formed into great balls as it came from
the sshetcheln and then subjected to the
carding process by which it was formed
into e lac pads of from eight to ten inches
long, two inches wide and half inch
thick. They were ready for the spinner,
TO be formed into yarn on the wheel used
for spinning wool.
The fine linen threads composed the
warp. while the tow yarn was used for
the woof filing. What with the hetchel-
ing, the carding and the spinning process,
the farmers kitchen did not always pre-
sent 90 tidy an appearance az some of
our modern apartments delight TO b0ast
of, but what ii there were COW and dust
everywhere? Suppose it did get into the
hash; was 1t not healshsi There we're