The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1944-04-06
Turning Over An
Old Leaf
By PHILLIP 4. GLADDEN.

alley CT lllP onauOW,
There were faces unregarded. there
were faces to forget;
There were fires of grief and fear
that are few forgotten ashes;
There were sparks of recognition that
are not forgotten vet"
Sugar "bilin'" season is about over
for another year.
How many of us actually were in i
maple sugar camp during its busy sea-
son? I try to visit one of these delight
tul places every March. The nearest |
got to one of them this year was
through an oil painting that hangs in
the dining room Of the editor of The
Republican. 1t is one of the finest oil
paintings of his wife, Mrs. Lillian
Sinccll. One surely breathes the at
mOsphere Of sugar camp when gaz-
ing on this handsome scene.
When we were tots our dad, by
means of double motive would per-
suadc mother that we ought to visit
Silas Bcachy's camp. He always liked
to combine business with pleasure.
SO around the first of March we would
pile into a sled and cross over the
mountain where we would stay for a
few days helping the Beachys with
the "bilin'"
The maple grove in winter developed
some remarkable and memorable
scene. The tall rotund maple trees
stood like pillars of austerc blackness
in the great forest temple where the
carpet was Of chaste snow. Often
during the day when ice chung to the
trees, the sun would illuminate these
cnwrapping with myriads Of ilumi-
rated sparkles, more dazzling than
the vari-colored rays filtering through
the stained glass of cathedral. And
at night one would see people hurryng
to and from the kettle shed with buck
cts Of sugar water. Here in this for
est cathedral the altar fires would cast
their red glow against the night and
illuminate with Il brilliant redness the
black trees and white snow, and the
crystalline castings of the twigs.
We children liked best the tough
maple tatfy to be found at the bottom
Of the kettle. | otter reflected on the
sugar "bilin's'" as another lesson to
be drawn Of life-the riotous, free
cunning spirit Of man is the live sap.
1t comes up rapidly in his youth If
this energy is taken and reduced to its
/ essence, the life will bear its rightful
fruitage. But to be continually sub
iected to a boiling down process is
always a painful experience for hui
! man being. He wants to expand his life
otherwise. More Of our youth need to
/ have heir spirits carried in some yes
sci to the altar fires of God where
, their spirit is reduced to a useful es-
sence.
/ What a grand time we had during
March, To come back over the noun
tain with a barrel of maple sugar
well, there was nothing unusual about
that in those days. And what wonder
full people the Beachys. When the his
tory Of maple sugar camps in Garrett
county is written. there are two names
that must stand at the head of the
list, and these are the Beachys and the
BroadwaterS. These families have
made notable contribution to the
northeastern end of our county where
they have lived for several genera
tions.
Are these scenic days-these quiet,
heart-warming days-these happy, ro-
bust days Of blustery March-these
sweet days in maple sugar camp,
gone, and never to return?
These tall naples, majestic pillars
Of the forest temple, like fountain in
the desert, issuing honeyed sweetness,
have been felled by lumbermen and
turned into ten pins. What great hui
initiation has come to these trees
what sacrilege! People who allow
these maple groves to become desolate
for the sake of some ready cash, have
not only destroyed beautiful and
fruitful grove, but may live to regret
what they have done.