Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-09-25
Sugar 211aking

IPhonny, Henry and Malleville are
cousins. Vaudeville is spending the
winter with her aunt, Mrs. Henry.
Beechnut. a lad of thirteen, is hired
to worl. on the farm. Franco and TOM
nv are dogs belonging to MaiieVllle
and Phonny.l 49,, L..
The trees which VAUDEVILLE and
Phonny were to tap, were near the
bank of the river, just above lns
mouth of the brook. Beechnut had
tapped six of them the day before
the children were to go down. ne
gave them particular directions as u
what they were to do, in collecting
and boiling the sap.
Phonny was to draw down all the
things that were necessary, on one OIL
the hand sleds He did not let the dogs
draw them down, for. he wished to
save their strength, as he said, for the
sap First he put upon the sledge a
nretty large box, which was to hold
the things in going down, and TO De
turned bottom upward and serve LOT
table when on the spot. Into TINS
box he put a kettle, number OF
sticks of wood, small iron chaln
with a hook in the end of it, and a
small saw. IL,
The saw was to cut up dead
branches of small trees. and othel
fuel as he might find in the woods 81
as to make the pieces OF proper
length for fire.
In the kettle, when Phonny placeo
If in the box, were some pieces o.
birch bark. a little kindling wood anc
q small box of matches. These were
to begin the fire with. There were
also three round poles, about SIX Zee
long, tied together near one emo pv
rope. These were laid upon the Top Q
the box after the other things nae
been nut in. The drag was not pu
into the box, but was attached by ~
rope to the hinder bar OF the han'
sled in order tolbe drawn along ate
1t. The tin pail for the sap was pu
upon the drag and was fastened TO IL
place by means of cord.
In the bottom Of the tin pail was
i naner. with some slices of bread an
four oranges tied up in it, and upol
the ton of this parcel were two sau(
ers and two spoons. These saucer
and SPOONS were to enable Phonn
and Vaudeville to try the sap from tim
to time as the boiling went on, to Sc
whether it was growing sweetel
There was also good-sized woode
hox to hold the sugar that they shoui
make. They had determined to brln
if all home and give it to Mrs. Herr!
When all was ready, the whole pa
tv set off from the house togethe
Franco and Tom ran before the sle'
,bprt N GREAT olpp
"Ah. my fellows!" said Phonn,
..vou little know what hard work yo
have got to do today, hauling sap.
The children went down the snow
road to the beach. Here the, groun
was almost bare, the snow being nea
Ily all blown off by the wind as II re-
The beach was warm, sunny plac
TOO so that Malleville and Phonr
had a place there for fire on II
smooth and dry surface of the SAND.
Phonny stopped with his sled whe
he reached the spot. Malleville, WI
was little tired with the long wal
sat down upon seat under the ban
"Now," said Phonny, 1.-THE fir
thing is for the fire.
IS mo" said Malleville, "the fir
thing is to get the sap
= No" said Phonny.
- eyes" said Vaudeville, for if y
build the fire, it will all burn aw
while we are gone to get the sap.
"Trse," said Phonny, "if shou
!, light the fire and SO set it 70 h"En'1
But l can build it, you know, and g
- it all ready. but not light it until t
sap is here
well" said Malleville. "and VIII
you are doing that, l will sit on II
stone and rest"
"Yes," said Phonny, "and you
be putting the harnesses on the dog
So Phonny began to make prepa
id, lions for building the fire, while M