The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-09-07

| work, and under their hands the candle
box became gradually filled, though there
was many sigh and groan at the long
continued application that VAS lieces-
sary. But the children Of the pioneers
learned to carry their share of the fam
lily burden, and they thus learned habits
OF industry that showed good results in
later days. Then nothing that could be
produced at home was bought, for there
was little money and many ways for il
to go.
The candle making had to be done in
cold weather. and the colder It was the
faster the work proceeded, The big cop
per boiler was placed on the stove or
hung over the fireplace and III 1t the tai
low was melted. While waiting for it to
reach this stage the wicks were meas
ured off and cut to the proper length.
When molds We're used the wicks We're
placed IN them, supported at the top
by small pine sticks and knotted at
the bottom to keep the melted tallow
from escaping. Then the molds were
hlled with the melted tallow and set In
cold place to harden. When ready
to draw the knots We're cut and the
candles We're pulled out. leaving the
molds ready for repetition of the pro-
cess. Sometimes the wicks would break
under the strain and then it was nee
essary to pour hot water on the outside
OF the moldS. which We're made of tin,
thus melting the tallow sufficiently to
permit the extraction of the candles
The wicking had to be soft to give
good light when ignited, and because
of that fact it could not stand a strong
pull, and had to be handled very care
fully. thus teaching the operator the
necessary lesson of patience which help
ed to make uD his education.
Under the dipping process number
Of wicks were arranged on stick as long
as could be dipped into the boiler. and
after each immersion in the melted tai
low they were hung in a cold room for
che tallow to harden. the process be-
ing repeated until the candle grew up
successive additions to the required di-
mansions. Enough of the sticks carrying
wicks were provided at the outset, so
that the dipper could keep busy while
another gave attention to the tallow that
1t should be kept from hardening in the
boiler. This process was more rapid
than the other but the output was not so
presentable and consequently the nodded
candles were preferred. 1t was their
practice in making tallow candles that
gave the farmer boys the idea in later
years, when coal oil became the general
illuminant, that they could combine
their experience with the new agent so |
as to provide satisfactory lamp for
night fishing in the lakes and streams
around them.
Sometimes the store Of candles show |
ed signs of exhaustion before the long
nights of winted had passed away, and |
as there was often no tallow at hand for |
another supply other expedients had to |
be used for lights. One of these was to |
place strip of cloth in a shallow dish, |
one end hanging over the edge. Then the |
dish was filled with lard. and the COM
bination made very satisfactory light |
for those days, though hardly suitable
TO be placed before company.
In some cases camDhene was burned |
In lamps, but it's explosive character
caused many people to regard 1t with |
suspicion. and it did not come into gen
eral use. The tallow candles of the pio-
neer served a very9useful purpose The
mother had to knit and sew and patch
and darn during the evening hours; the
children had their lessons to study or
their few books to read: the father had
his harness to mend, his ak to hang, his
mauls and wood and many other little
things to do for which he could not af-
ford to waste daylight. Often whole
family would be grouped around the ia
BILE with one or two candles in the GEN.
ter, giving light for all, and they con-
sidered that they were very fortunate in
having as good light as it was, but
a family at the present day would think
in almost total darkness un-
der similar circumstances.