The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-05

Oldest families in that portion OF tn
county: says that one Of his earIles
farm hands corning coal and dIgzip4 psa.
IN THESE very meadows for their persona
use. Mr.. Garfield had heard these tale.
dence to make himself, some Years ago
sole owner OF the meadows but not unit
the necessity arose OF feeding his engfnel
~ the umping station with something tina
was not-lke coal at the present price
going 70 devour him did he really test N,
possibilities OF his peat bog.
Then he found he pretty nearly had a Goa.
nine, or better, at his very door. for thoss
who have burned the peat say it is vastly
In the beginning the still somewhat sep
yea owner mad his doubts about peat for
pig hres It might feed a kitchen stove
II IN his engines and found II had. and Sc
pleased is he now with 1t that he Is moi
likely ever to bother with coal again
BIT OF EMERALD ISLE.
The peat bog Is a vertable bit OF Erin
put down in the Jersey meadows. Every
BODY knows that In Ireland the peasants
use peat as a fuel. and IL seems quite IN
character 10 md this Jersey bog worked
oy Ir1shmen who can give the Jerseymen
points when II comes 70 handling peat.
me oog covers an area OF about one
hundred and fifty acres, and is extremely
gs co 50; too, Is the simple. primi-
I'VE method In which the peat work Is done.
The land IS nat and spongy and covered
With a thick tangle OF towering weeds.
@N 80 n 0AdIA- wei SOIL EuEEagf-
i've Of ideal things in the way OF mud nfes
= SHOWN. But, instead Of being mud, Il
= q sticky. oily. hbrous sort OF clay which
holds together-a combination OF rushes
and other decayed vegetation which mas
been accommodating for no one knows how
many hundreds of years.
Mr. Garfield put some men 10 work on HE
DOG several years e TO see what they
could do with II. and he confesses himself
three turf sleds. one cart, two horses and
SIX men are the equipment for a process
Hhieh consists merely OF cutting the peat
ana spreading II on the ground to dry. Tire
cutter Is a peculiar turf shovel. called nv
me Arlshrnen a slain" and nothing OF the
sort was ever manufactured In this conn
Try Those now in use on the Jersev bar
were recently made by hand y Morris.ow6
rom a genuine slain" brought from Ire
possession OF hr. Candeid.
This relic OF the East Is ike all shovels as
70 handle but totally unlike as to blade.
inches-and about IS inches long. sharne1e5
IKE z razor at the end in order 10 easily
penetrate the hbrous matter. and having
attached to the side OF the blade snotbe1
piece OF steel triangular in shape ard I
inches long and equally sharp. When this
peat II cuts Il out in a brick or block n
inches long. the pieces being uniform IN
size n shape.
WEEDS CLEARED AWAY.
The method OF getting out the neat is irst
70 clear the weeds from q large patch OF
ground and mark out q space about 20 feet
VICE and % long. Beginning at one end OF
this, q line Is 1rawnt the length Sf IL. mark
ing on a strip ) feet wide. The cutting Is
eonnned TO this strip unfA the first layer. a
foot deep. Is taken out. When another strip
Is Degan. The ditch thus dug soon becomes
seli or pools OF oil water. which IS a part
o. ene composition OF the peat, but Il does
Il drains Itself OF.
cutting peat on the Jersey bog IS one Pat
rick ONei, an old hand at the business
Pat brought his slain" along with him
rom the .ould dart" when he came to Nor
TlstoNn. sixty years age. and used Il for his
own purposes on the Identical spot where he
y now industriousiy cutting for hIs em-
TO watch MIN at work Is most Interesting.
He does the job as neatly and easilv s@ n
ne were slcinS chocolate ice cream. One
tnrust OF the sharp two-edked Glade down
INTO the oroNn-black nbrous soil. one swing