Jay County IN Archives History - Books .....Chapter IV Giddy Young Things 1896
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 17, 2007, 10:25 pm

Book Title: Reminiscences Of Adams, Jay And Randolph Counties

        CHAPTER IV. "GIDDY YOUNG THINGS."

How the Jay County Boys Celebrated Valentine Day Forty-one Years Ago.

    Editor Sun:—Forty-one years ago this night I, with many others, met at the
house of Aunt Polly Hardy, in Pike Township, for the purpose of having a wax
pulling. Arrangements had been made some days previous so that refreshments
could be prepared and the necessary amount of sugar scraped up. Each one of the
boys was required to bring two pounds, and I think nearly 60 pounds were brought
in. I will never forget what a time I had to get my part. My father never had
any money for anything, so I was compelled to find some one that I could borrow
12 1/2 cents from to get the sugar. I, like many other boys, was backward asking
for that amount of money at that date. Father and John Shanks, a brother to the
late Aunt Rebecca Headington, were standing on the old log porch, nearly or
quite opposite of the Commercial office, as that was used for a hotel—the old
building that William Haynes put up—and when I came up Mr. Shanks asked me if I
wanted anything. I dared not say before my father that I wanted 12 1/2 cents to
buy sugar, but just then old Dan McNeal called father away, and that gave me a
chance to tell Mr. Shanks what I wanted. He gave me the money, and I promised to
pay him in a day or two, or as soon as my 'possum skins was dry enough to sell.
No one knows the heartfelt gratitude that I entertained toward that man for that
act of kindness. I went home as happy as a lark, as the tug of war was then
over, and when the day, or rather the night, came, I saddled up an old blind
horse that was used on the farm, and went for my girl—the daughter of Ammon
Cook. There were but a few that came on horseback. Nearly all walked. The ground
was bare of snow, but frozen, and the moon shown. The most of us arrived at the
place of pleasure about dark. All preparations had been made for making the wax.
A large 15-gallon iron kettle was hung over a slow fire to make the great
luxury. The pies had been made for a day or so. Curtis Hardy went one mile and a
half below old Deerfield, to old Geo. Reitenours, and bought one and a half
bushels of apples for 75 cents and brought them home on horseback, and the pies
were made by Aunt Polley Hardy and her daughter Orpha who in after years became
the wife of Reuben Jellison. But the oddest thing to all was that by some cause,
not known to me or any one, a small amount of salt got into the boiling syrup
and that was "good-by John to the wax." It was soon discovered that there was
something wrong about the thick syrup, as it was repeatedly tried and no wax.
Finally it was emptied into a tub of cold water, that it might cool. Well, we
rolled it around in the tub until we could handle it and then it was laid on the
table and many were the efforts to cut, brake or pull any part of this huge mass
of sweetness loose from the big lump, but all was in vain. There it laid, about
the size of an ox head. We ate the pies and had a good time, anyhow.

    I wish I could call to mind all who were there that night. A few are left to
sigh in sadness when the mind travels back over forty-one eventual years. Of all
the rosy cheeked maidens that formed that happy crowd I am unable to call to
mind anyone, and of the stalwart youths of that night time will soon blot out
all who remain, as the sands of life with many of them have well nigh passed. O,
those happy days! Could we recall them, or say: "time, stop thy onward march!
and let me live thee over again that I may drink deeper of the fountain of
youth!" A few more years at the longest and we will have filled the allotted
mission of mortal man. I extend my dearest regard to all that see this and note,
remember that night. It was the last night that I ever met with any of my
associates in this county, as my father moved off to Randolph County on the 17th
of February, 1848.

                                      I am ever yours,
    Briant, Ind., February 14th, 1889.           OLNEY WHIPPLE.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Reminiscences of Adams, Jay and Randolph Counties

Compiled by Martha C. M. Lynch

Ft. Wayne, IN: Lipes, Nelson & Singmaster

Circa 1896

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/jay/history/1896/reminisc/chapteri482gms.txt

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