Reminiscences of Newcastle, Iowa, 1848; a history of the founding of Webster City, Iowa . le working about the yard. Itwas a sure sign that a beau was due if a portion of the dresshem happened to become turned upward. It was, however,impossible to work about the premises or clamber overfences without acquiring the beau sign, but the girl aspi-rant for honors was in danger of losing her chance of mar-riage if she were so careless as to step over the broom ormop in the presence of the young man, or if she made thebeds unevenly. Preparation of Flax. When flax began to turn yellow at the base, it
Reminiscences of Newcastle, Iowa, 1848; a history of the founding of Webster City, Iowa . le working about the yard. Itwas a sure sign that a beau was due if a portion of the dresshem happened to become turned upward. It was, however,impossible to work about the premises or clamber overfences without acquiring the beau sign, but the girl aspi-rant for honors was in danger of losing her chance of mar-riage if she were so careless as to step over the broom ormop in the presence of the young man, or if she made thebeds unevenly. Preparation of Flax. When flax began to turn yellow at the base, it waspulled and left in the field a day or two to dry. Seed wascollected by pulling the stalks through the ripple—a plankwith wooden or wire teeth. The flax then was bundled intobeats, arranged in tepee shape, tied at the top and keptdampened until rotting began and softened the fibre. The stalks then were dried and broken on a flax-brake,and swingled—hacked with a dull knife. It was not al-ways practicable to use approved kinds of flax-machines. 186 REMINISCENCES OF NEWCASTLE, IOWA. WOMENS WORK 187 Many times they were out of repair or loaned to the neigh-bors. My mother often threshed small quantities of flaxacross the back of a chair or bench, or it was poundedwith any implement at hand. The woody bun, shives and remnants of bark, in theorderly process of manipulation, were removed. Thestrikes, or cleared fibres, were given a second round at thebreak—the heavy, flat, cog-fitting blocks for bruising. Themass was moistened and hetcheled with the wire combsand the long fibres were drawn out from the tow residueand refuse. Several hetchelings—the more the finer—were neces-sary, and much sorting or drawing of fine and coarse fibresto produce the desired choice threads for spinning. Thebulk of material at length was ready to be rolled aboutthe distaff^ on the small spinning-wheel. Spinning. Foot-power, by means of a treadle, drove the moistened and deft fingers
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectfrontie, bookyear1921
