The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-03-15

ger tired OF boots and want to come out and
touch the soil just as soon as the sun mas
warmed 1t little. The country boy goes bare
foot Just as naturally as the trees burst their
buds, which were packed and vanished over IN
the fall, to keep the water and the frost out
Perhaps the boy has been out digging Into the
maple trees with his Jack knife; at any rate.
he Is pretty sure to announce the discovery as
he comes running Into the house In great
state of excitement--as. II he has heard men
eackle In the barn-wtth, 'sap's runnln'3
Yes "saps runnin I'm the New England
states In New York, Ohio, Indiana. Illinois, II
fact, wherever hard naples are native to the
soil. On hundreds of farms In those states blue
smoke curling up into the air above the trees
In cougar bushf tells the passerby that the
sugar camp" Is In operation and that here 10
being produced those two fne OF all native
sweets maple strip and map'e sugar AND Il
that passerby has ever known the joys OF maple
sugar time, the sight OF that smoke and the
smells which drift toward him from the sugar
camp Will make memories tug at his heartstrlngc
and II will be difficult for him to pass on by.
For as Charles Dudley Warner says: In my
day. maple sugar making used to be something
between picnlcklng and being shipwrecked on
fertile island where one should save from Inc
wreck tubs and augers, and great kettles and
and begin at once to lead the sweetest life In
the world I am told that 1t Is something diff
ferent NOWADAYS and that there Is more desire
to save the sap, and make good, pure sugar,
and sell 1t for a large price, than there used
ITO be, and that the old fun and pcturesqueness
Of the business are pretty much gone. am told
that 1t Is the custom to carefully collect the
sap and bring 1t to the house. where there are
built brick arches over which 1t is evaporated
In shallow pans; and that pains are taken to keep
the leaves and sticks and ashes and Goals out
of 1t. and that the sugar la clarified. AND that,
In short 1t Is money making business, 10 which
there Is very little fun and that the boy is not
allowed to dip his paddle into the kettle Of
boiling sugar and lick Off the delicious srup
The prohibition may improve the sugar, Out IL
is cruel to the boy"
Those words we're written more than half a
century ago ("Beng Boy was first printed
IN 1877 and Houghton, Mlfflin and Company of
BOSTON got out second edition 90 years later,
illustrated with photographs by Clifton john
son. lovingly taken from the real life and heart
of New England" which aid In preserving the
charm OF those truly good old days'). II Charles
Dudley Warner were alive today he would nno
that In some places where maple sugar Is made
the .'fun and picturesqueness' are gone even
more than they were when he wrote For IN
stance In the state with which. more than any
other. we associate thoughts OF maple sugar
there's q man. known as the champion sugar
maker Of Vermont. who has devised an intricate
system of iron pipes leading from every one o
the trees In his maple grove to huge evaporation
in the sugar house, and this network OF pipes
more than $4,000 feet In length sends stead
stream OF sap into the place where II 10 con
verted into maple strip and maple sugar.
But despite this example OF modern eficlenc
anned to business rich In tradition. there stl
are sugar camps In many places where the sa
drns through .'spiles" made of sumach or aide
into wooden sap buckets Dust like the one
made famous by President Coolidge during n
administration where 1t Is collected into gret
wooden tubs or barrels on sleds. drawn by
yoke OF oxen or team of ploddlng horses
whore 1t is boiled down In great iron or copp'
kettles. where they still hang piece or 4
salt nork BY string from the pole over the nc
t,a so that It Is about two inches from the Y
edge to keep the sap from boiling over; al
whore they will let you dip some OF the bubblil
o,run ont OF the kettle and pour 1t on the snt
whore II forms almost Immediately that delca
~ al delIcacles-ma sugar wax NO. not
~ the FUN and plcturesqueness has been tax
out Of maple sugar time BY modern methods
.nawfangled notions OF efficiency In productit
Like so many other Items In our national Oh