Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-27

all ready. kettle of tallew that
could be moved without too much
difficulty was placed at one end of the
frame and one of the children dipped
the wicks into the tallow while an
Other moved the kettle along under
the wicks. They learned to do this
with surprising rapidity. The kettle
was moved the length of the attic and
the wicks In one frame dipped; then
the Kettle was moved back under the
second row of wicks. BY this time the
wicks that had been dipped first were
ready to be dipped again. Thus the
kettle was moved back and forth the
length of the attic and the wicks
dipped until the candles were of the
desired size.
Farm Work
My fathers farm contained about
200 acres, on which hay, corn and
oats were raised. The stock was reg
ularly 80 cattle, horses, 200 sheep
and about so hens. In early summer
the young stock was all driven away
to hired pasture where they re-
NAMED until fate autumn. Three
yoke of big oxen were sold every
furnish milk and butter for the fam
beef. not a little of which was used
at home as the people. were by no
means vegetarians in those days.
Fields were large, I we'll remember
the big corn fields as I used to ride
the horses to cultivate the long rows.
Haying was the big job of the year
on the farm. Moving machines came
later so the large fields of hay had to
be moved by hand. My father planned
the farm work and did some of the
lighter work. as raking. but he never
went into the field with the men to
NOW: 1t was not necessary as hired
men worked more faithfully than now.
There were usually eight hired men
at work in haying time and they used
to work more than twice as hard as
hired men work in haying time now.
They used to go to the field at day.
break and work about two hours be-
fore they came to the house for break
fast. The best man started ahead to
set the pace and after he had moved
a safe distance, the second man
started after him. and then the third,
and so on. In this way they moved
around the big fields. After breakfast
they went back to moving and kept it
up until noon, except that if there was
hay to be made, some of them stopped
to do 1t. The children used to carry
cold jugs of old cider to the men to
drink, and sometimes jugs of cold
water sweetened with molasses and
ginger. As we had a cider mill the
men could have all the old cider they
wanted, and most of them preferred
cider to water. Prohibition had not
yet been suggested and there was al
ways a pitcher of cider on the table
in the house for anyone who wanted
some, be he. or she. guest or member
OF the family or hired man.
Afer dinner at noon the men gem
orally went to work getting in the
hay. They worked until P. NJ, but
If the work was rushing they worked
until dark, making the day from 3 or
4 A. NJ. to s or p. NJ. in all Is or 1G
hours. filing it entirely with hard
work in the hay field for IS per month
and board.
Three-quarters Of a century ago the
district schools, most of which have
long since been closed, were filled, rs
were the churches. The young people
could 60 to school until they were 81
years of age if they wished, and
many of them did so. perhaps because
school work furnished change from
farm work and because they got lot
of fun as we'll as a good deal of
knowledge.
The school which I attended had a
long plank for a recitation bench ex-
tending across the front of the school
room under the blackboard, except for
a few feet In the center where the
teachers desk was placed. Thus those
reciting faced the rest of the school