The Washington herald., 1909-03-21
MANY AID IN BARN-RAISING
Farmers of BerkS County Make the Occasion Day
of Fun and FeaSting.
Frnf ths Philadelnhia Rscora.

Frof the Philadelphia Record
When you see a hundred Pennsylvania
Germans at an old-fashioned barn-raising
climbing in midair and erecting beams
and joists you will no longer wonder why
it is that Berks County boys become such
excellent sailors. You can comprehend
why they are like cats among the sails.
A barn-raislng in rural Berks County IS
a frolicsome event. While 1t does not
come around so often as does the old
fashioned apple butter party and the
husking bee. when IL does come there
is nothing that will prevent a hundred or
more neighbors within a radius OF three
or four miles being on hand and show
ing their neighbor the courtesy Of
beIping him out with his great work
Nothing short Of illness or a funeral in
the immediate family viii keep the neigh
bors away.
Barn-raising is not easy. neither is II
all froIic. To erect the timbers of a 100
foot structure. like the Swiss barns now
adays. in those sections where farmers
make money like hay but not as long"
is no sinecure. The preliminary work
is done by the country carpenter and a
dozen journeymen, when. weeks in ad-
vance they prepare every beam, purline,
and rafter, fitting them together out in
an open field and marking each piece. so
when the time comes 10 erect all the tim
bers. the mechanic can direct the hun
dred or more men expeditiously. Sockets
are chiseled into the ends Of the beams
10 ft other pieces in and wooden pegs
or pins are made so as 20 1T certain
holes at these sockets and to hold the
beams. purlines, and rafters in place
when erected.
By the time the carpenter and his crew
have finished an acre or more is covered
with all kinds OF lumber for the barn
raising, and you can be sure that when
the last rafter is placed there will remain
not a single piece on the field
BY this time everybody is ready for the
barn-raising. The farmer has even sup
piled a keg or two OF old Berks County
appIeJaek, a gallon OF good rye whisky.
and the women folks have filed the larder
to Overficwing. It is s o'clock in the
morning when the carpenter boss cries
out. "Krick del helm!" (get the poles).
Inc poles are picked up Dy willing hands
and the men walk 10 the bedecked field
OF lumber. where a dozen OF more of
these poles were placed under a 5O-foot
beam. and all hands get busy. as twenty
or thirty men carry the first piece OF
lumber 10 the site for the new barn. The
carpenter goes ahead, like a great gen.
eral marching his army TO victory, feel
ing proud that not a single neighbor
is missing. The marching is kept up for
half an hour and the woodwork for the
entire first floor Is laid. Soon there are
others carrying planks and boards. and
within half an hour more the first floor Is
laid Temporarily. OF course), so they will
have room 10 work ahead erecting the
timbers. up. up, Up, 10 the very rafters.
The work Of erecting the first band or
the end framework Of the barn is under
taken slowly. First the upright ioists are
laid on the temporary floor. then the
cTosswise sections are fitted into the
sockets and the pins tightly driven. Then
comes the first task. You hear the car
penter boss yell. 'Nuf. nufr' Oup. mn
and with spear-like points forty men grah
the entire clOsely-ftted framework for
one end. and. as the boss keeps yelling
''Nufr' the framework goes Up. up til
with outstretched arms the forty men