INDUSTRIES AND FIRESIDES. 



■62 



Bayberries that grow plentifully in our woods yielded 

 a wax about one pound from a bucketful, that was made 

 into bayberry candles or mixed with common tallow to 

 make the tallow candles a little harder. In later years 

 the tallow was poured into tin candle molds, but the 

 "dips " were more common even then. 



Both kinds gave dull enough light and a foul stench 

 when they were blown out. To make a poor lantern for 

 night traveling one of these candles was placed inside of 

 a tin cylinder pierced with hundreds of nail holes; but 

 this was a luxury that did not come until the more recent 

 times of our forefathers. The sun was ruler in those days 

 more than it is now with our artificial lights turning night 

 into day. 



Their labors began when the sun peeked above the 

 horizon, but when he turned his back upon them at night 

 the great swathing of darkness was too thick to be pierced 

 by the tiny flickering candles that struggled to be seen in 

 the dark dwellings scattered throughout the town. 



One of the industries of a winter evening was broom 

 making. The father would take a birch sapling long 

 enough for a broom, and sitting before the fireplace, would 

 sliver one end of it with his jackknife, patiently stripping 

 it one shaving at a time, until the end of the stick was a 

 bunch of long slivers too tough to break off easily. Then 

 from a place above the bunch other slivers were peeled 

 and turned down upon the others until the whole made a 

 thick, round broom, all from the same stick of birch. The 

 children were delighted to sit near, catching the splinters 

 that accidentally were broken off and weaving them into 

 little baskets or fancy figures. 



The making of flag-bottomed chairs* was also a com- 

 mon trick of economy. 



But how many more interesting industries might be 

 described that furnished the comforts of the fireside .-* 



* The town paid Dr. Beal for " Bottoming a Great Chair for y« Scliool house, and 

 Parish, one shilling four pence," February 19, 1765. 



