The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1958-01-23

The horses went "round-and-
round" and the sorghum mol
asses came out, in Olive, Ohio!
Horses were hitched to a long
beam of timber called a sweep
which supplied the motive power
to operate a press consisting of
round, massive, iron cylinders
which squeezed the juice from
sugar cane which, in turn, was
boiled down in huge metal pans
to make sorghum molasses. All
this before the development of
sugar in its present form. Levi
H. Devolld opera ed the last
cane mill in this immediate
vicinity of Olive.
Sugar maple trees thrived and
grew in great abundance SUR
rounding this pioneer settlement
of Olive. From this source came
the first sugar by boiling down
maple syrup in huge iron pots
or kettles. The sap was OBJ aimed
by boring holes in the trees and
inserting spiles made from hol-
low stocks of elder or sumac.
Before the first buckets were
made to gather sap, containers
were made by heWing out wood
troughs. Bill Stewart, of Olive,
opera ed the last sugar mill In
this section which was located
on the Manly Davis Farm.
HOrse-draWn sweeps also sup
piled the motive power to drill
salt and oil wells before the
steam engine was invented
Kicking down a well was the
first method used. This system
was operated by manpoWer, the
foot being used to press a pedal
that hoisted heavy drill which
fell with its own weight when
the pedal was .tripped or re-
| leased.
Before the days of radio, tele-
vision, jazz, calypso, rock-an'-
roll, ct cetera, the young folk
in Olive had plenty of fun
Taffypulls, corn-popping par,
ties, husking bees and barn
dances were some of the forms
of entertainment. Great quanti-
ties of sorghum molasses were
boiled down into taffy which
made a delicious form of candy
When in a melted state the taffy
was used to form popcorn balls
which sWee ened the kisses giver
as prizes for finding a red eal
of corn at the husking bees!
These were the gay and care.
free horse and-b buggy days Wher
every village lass was a "queer
for every day" She didn't have
a gold Cadillac in which to ride
| Old Robin needed no attention
as the gay young blades courtec
the shy but willing maid o
which few, if any, ever walked
back home alonew The horse
and-buggy mode of travel wa
the tops!
Our belle of Olive was adorned
in hoop skirt, bustle, voluminou
| petticoats, very modest, cover
ing the ankle except for al
occasional glimpse when step
ping in and out Of the buggy
Chaste high-neck gowns ant
balloon sleeves were having
their day, and the modern high
school majorette in her costum,
of more-or- less un-dress, tWirl
ing baton, prancing arount
with abandon, or Miss Univers
in her Oh-so-scan bathing suit
would have set the Village o
Olive in an acute state of aghast
ness!
Our maid of Olive was yer,
modest when it came to ridin
a horse. She rode on sidesaddle
not straddle-Wise with her hal
in a pony-tail! Natural beaut
reigned supreme. Her hair wa
altogether lovely when washe
in soft rainwater from the famil
rainbarrel at the corner of eac
dwelling; when handbrushe
nightly with 100 measure
strokes to bring out the nature
glistening sheen of beauty. Hair
dressing salons (torture cham
bersD were unknown. No per
manent waves to last only
brief number of week SO as t
again repeat this HART twisting
baking, drying, bending an