The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-02-07
c1den Time; Log
Rolling, Eiuskillg
Bees and Bee Trees

Bees were popular social events.
When new settler was admitted to
membership in the colony they held
chopping-bee to clear an open
ing" for him in the forest. In order
to make 1t easier and to add sport
to the job they made a drive" by
cutting a large tree nearly enough
to fall it, and cutting that much on
each tree it would hit in falling and
each one that each of these would
hit, and son for an acre or two.
When the master tree fell, all the
others fell, and there was a great
and prolonged crash and roar. These
drives were very exciting, for to cut
some trees too little would make the
drive "a failure, and to cut -one too
much would cause it to fall prema-
turely in a mere breeze and then the
drive would catch some Of the chop
pers before they could escape.
After the timer. drive of chop
ping-bee, the trees had to-, lie and
season for the summer. Then the
trees in the cut-down would carry
fire and the owner burned them some
fine day. Only the fine stuff and
limbs would burn and the rest would
be a charred and blackened mass.
Next would follow the log-rolling,
and the men and oxen would as
semble the logs in heaps and punches
10 he burned Everybody would be
black ald dirty, and it was under
stood that plenty of gin must be fur
nished by the owner to make them
forget the dirt and black as they
@orkeu. he women would prepare
a feast, and plenty of soft soap for
use in arranging the mems toilet"
After a cut-doWn had been burned
the place was known as an open
lng,' and the following spring it
was planted to grain, pumpkins and
the like. The ashes enriched the
ground aud the stumps were much
in the way.
When field of corn was ripe they
cut and shocked it, and later, held
husking- bee. Everybody and his
children turned out, and whoever
found read ear, was slated to kiss
the person of their choice Everybody
witnessed the kissing, and that was
the press report" of the times. Press
reports don't have the snap to them
now days, nor the interest they had
then. Sometimes mouse appeared
and disappeared in the fodder and
That always interested the girls and
women. There was a supply OF gin
TO pass around at intervals, and there
was big spread of eatables with
plenty OF pumpkin pies.
When the stumps had stood long
enough to be getting loose there was
stump-pulling, and all the men at
tended, and some of the women went
to help with the department of
nourishment, Sometimes a snake was
found under stump, and then
everybody drank something to make
sure that they were safe from a bite
that might have been, Everybody was
ambitious for the honor of discover
ing the snake. and it was he who
saved the day. The man who could |
treat the oftenest was the big stump
pulier. Men even brought snakes
along and "salted' certain stumps
in order to become popular
Bee-treeing was a useful event and
had to be attended to. The fellows
who blew smoke and took the honey
had the most excitement, and those
who carried the product to the set
tiers cabins had the sweetest, stick
lest JOB OF the season. The women
folks put it down" and furnished
the soda and one thing and other
to put on the red ,swollen spots when
the tree-climbers reported for first
aid. No matter how skillfully a fell
low handled the smudge, there was
always a chance for a gust of wind
to leave sim exposed to attack. A
little mixture of gin and honey was
q very warming" line of stuff.