INDUSTRIAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS 27 



INDUSTRIAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN 

 MY BOYHOOD 



I did not take part in all that I am about to 

 relate in the next paragraphs, but I can assure the 

 reader that I well remember the stories told when 

 I was a lad by my parents as we gathered around 

 the great fire of logs in the living room on winter 

 evenings. In my boyhood the men in harvest time 

 worked from " sun to sun " ; if there chanced to be 

 a field of hay or grain nearby they worked for an 

 hour before breakfast and, on rare occasions, har- 

 vesting was carried on by moonlight. They had 

 to have an " eye-opener " when they arose and 

 another drink just before sitting down to break- 

 fast. The bottle was carried to the field and two 

 or three drinks apiece were taken during the fore- 

 noon by the grown men and one after washing up 

 before dinner, which was served punctually at half- 

 past eleven; but no drink was served after supper. 



In harvest time, beside the three regular meals 

 of the day, lunch was served at ten o'clock in the 

 field and again at four if the fields were too distant 

 for the men to come to the house for the five 

 o'clock supper. It may seem that the eating and 

 drinking was excessive, but so was the work. On 

 our farm, hasty beer was provided for the boys 



