Threshing Grain by Flail--How the Flail Was Made--Spearing Salmon At Night

In the preceding chapter Mr. Merrill told of the excitement caused in the Chateaugay Lake settlement by the announcement that a railroad was to be built from Rouses Point to Ogdensburg, passing through Chateaugay Four Corners and Malone.

Chapter 26.

Threshing was not so pleasant a job. Wes had planned for Darius to help thresh all day Saturday, the last Saturday he would be at home. The grain was all tied up into shocks. A shock contained about twenty sheaves. Laying the sheaves down with their heads together in two long rows, they set-to with the flail--the device for beating grain from the sheaves. The flail was a straight strong maple sapling, four feet long and one and one-half inches thick, with a leather loop through one end, to which was hung another maple stick two and one half feet long, this short part being the one that whacked the grain.

Grasping the four-foot handle, they would swing the other end high over their heads in a circular motion, then bring it down with great on the sheaves till the grain was all pounded out. The the straw was removed and another layer of sheaves thrown down, and the process repeated until enough grain accumulated to run through the fanning mill.

Threshing was a far more agreeable process to watch than to engage in, for inside of fifteen minutes the dust would form a thick coat of black all over the faces of the threshers and just at that time the sweat commenced to wash the dirt into eyes, mouth, nose and down the back of their necks.

When night came the boys looked more like mulattoes than white men. Abbie called them Indians and drove them out of the house with the broom, woman's best weapon of warfare.

Another task the boys enjoyed next to gathering the apples, was pulling the carrots and turnips. When a choice, young, smooth turnip was found they would clean the dirt off by rubbing it on their trousers leg, then peel it with their thumb nail, and oh, how sweet and juicy it tasted. Wes like the carrots best, but Darius preferred the turnips.

And in the spring what fun it was to go racing through the woods, hunting crinkle root and ground nuts, which they munched with great gusto. And the sarsaparilla roots were dug and dried for medicine. Grandfather always kept a good supply of them on hand, together with large bunches of snakeshead and spikenard (spignet) and bitter weed.

Whenever any of the children contracted a cold in the head, grandmother lost no time steeping a dose of bitterweed which they had to drink without any adulterations. The bitter thoughts of this bitter dose prevented the development of many a cold.

About October twentieth the potato digging was finished and the following Sunday found Darius setting out on foot for the Drown district school house. Two weeks later he got permission from the trustee to dismiss school on a Friday noon in order to make the promised trip to the Upper Lake.

Arriving home at two, he found grandfather with everything in readiness for the trip. This time the old flintlock was not forgotten.

As on their former trip, they secured Mr. Drew's boat and stopping at the customary places to set a few traps they were soon examining the places where they had planted the white lily root. Not a sign of growth did they find until they reached Fields Bay and there they found about half a dozen leaves about a foot high from the bottom. Grandfather examined them closely.

"Gosh a mighty, Dide, that's them alright. Square corners on the leaves or pads, back of the stem, no mistaking that mark."

Dide was delighted in finding this one proof that the lilies would grow here, if given the right propagation, but why did the other roots die? He could not answer that question, but the positive proof that one had lived was enough to cause them to make another trip next summer to New Hampshire for more roots.

Arriving at the bark camp they hastily carried in their provisions and blankets. Having an hour before dark, Darius rigged up his fish pole and proceeded to the mouth of the Weed brook and soon had enough fish for supper. Grandfather accompanied him, and while Darius was fishing he set up the dead-fall for mink.

Then grandfather, searching along the trunk of an old fallen pine which must have fallen about the time Columbus discovered Ammerica, he picked up one of the huge knots which was saturated with pitch, so it was well preserved, and carried it to the camp. The knot had once been a limb, but had broken off about two feet from the trunk of the tree when the old monarch crashed to the ground, some hundreds of years before. Little black blotches of pitch stood out all over the knob where it had been united in growth to the old trunk. Darius had watched his father select this knot from among the others lying along the tree trunk, and thinking he intended it to replenish the camp fire, said nothing until grandfather carried it to the boat and placed it carefully in the bow, throwing an old bag over it.

Unknown to Darius, grandfather had brought along an old fish spear which he had used in New Hampshire in Massebeesic pond, but as yet he had had no chance to try it in Chateaugay Lake. Thinking this would be a good time, he had wrapped it up in the blankets, forgetting it until Darius' mess of little trout reminded him of his intention to show Darius some real big fish as it was the time of year that the salmon were having their last run, the male fish running last.

So Darius was anxious to know what grandfather was going to do with the knot. Stepping down to the boat he asked:

"Going to take it home to kindling?"

"No, No! We'll leave it here when we get through with it. Let's hurry up and eat supper now and then we'll cross over to the bluff and see what we can find." Darius was puzzled but felt sure his father had some surprise in store for him, so said nothing more, but hastily cooked the trout, warmed up some potatoes in the pan, and with some of grandmother's bread and butter they enjoyed a hearty repast.

Then grandfather gathered a few handfuls of dry moss and rolled it tightly in white birch bark, about twenty inches across, carried them all to the boat, and bidding Darius shove off, they paddled across to what is now known as "Salmon Rock."

This rock is about two hundred yards from the shore of Bluff Point and sticks its head about two feet out of water, resting on the edge of a rocky ledge covering about one-half acre and this ledge is from eighteen inches to four feet under water, dropping precipitately to thirty and forty feet on all sides.

It was now quite dark and not a breath of wind was stirring. The moon was high in the south and the Northern Lights were streaming up from the North. They reflected from the little ripples in the water caused by the paddle and the boat moving through the water, sparkling like myriads of diamonds, running in tiny circles around them. Darius thought he had never seen such a fascinating picture.

"Say, Dide, just hang on to that rock until I get this torch going," and as he spoke grandfather commenced striking sparks from his flint and steel. Soon he had the moss burning. Fanning it with his breath until it blazed, he placed a flat stone with the blazing moss up on the end deck of the boat. Then taking the pine knot he dipped the smooth end in the water, holding it several minutes for the water to soak in. Then placing the other end in the blaze he soon had a very brilliant torch.

Taking the torch in his left hand he grasped the spear in his right, then reaching the torch far out and over his head, he peered down on the rocky bottom which was plainly visible.

Almost instantly the spear was shoved down and as quickly brought up again. Impaled on the spear was a four-pound salmon trout. Darius wanted to shout with sheer delight. He then took a look at the bottom. Grandfather handed the torch to Darius, bidding him hold it above his head so he could see the bottom plainly. And the sight that met his eyes thrilled him. A black surging mass with their broad tails swishing each other, with their yellow and red fins flashing in the torchlight. It was enough to make any sportsman thrill.

Darius then held the torch while grandfather speared as many as the little boat would hold, which took only about two hours. Then they returned to camp, dressed the fish and placed them in the cold spring back of the beach. There were sixty-four in all, weighing from four to eight pounds each. Darius could scarcely believe his eyes.

"Why, father!" said he, "what are we going to do wtih all those fish?"

"Mighty! Mighty! Dide. They'll go like hot cakes in Malone, what we have left by Monday. It is freezing hard tonight. They'll keep a week in this weather."

This satisfied Darius and soon they were sleeping soundly under a heavy load of home-made woolen blankets. With their feet to the pitch pine fire, they could stand zero weather without being uncomfortable.

Copyright 1930
By Charles E. Merrill

A wonderful mirage seen over Chateaugay Lake is described by Mr. Merrill in the next chapter. Other experiences of grandfather and Dide on a hunting and fishing trip are narrated by "The Old Guide."

Malone Evening Telegram