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Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: northern hewer] #31089 10/01/13 12:26 AM
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northern hewer Offline OP
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hello everyone tonight

well opened up my tool box today to check everything out and found that rust devil at work, especially on the chisels and axes, so spent some quality time cleaning them up, and I must say reminiscing about times gone by-----------it seems like yesterday that my father decided that it was time for me to try my hand at using one of his smaller broadaxes, and I must say that it felt pretty comfortable in my hand----being a "modern teenager" I was wondering where in the devil I would ever use what he was trying to teach me------about 25 years later I found out that knowledge stored away can be easily retrieved, and came in quite handy, something like learning the keyboard on the old typewriter, when computers came along that past training was put to good use, others marveled how this old woodworker could master using the keyboard on the new computer they placed in my office--I remember the look on their faces--you know I went to school in a one room country school, all 8 grades in one room--no fancy desks, recreation room, no computers, no indoor toilets, just wooden rooms outside, one for girls and one for boys, the boy's was really decorated up with fancy sayings from years gone bye, quite interesting to a young lad like me, but you know I finished grade 8 at 10 years old, finished highschool's grade 12 at 14 and headed out into the big world to find my fortune, well found a wife first that set the tone for the next 54 years--it has been great, wouldn't change a thing--well got the last chisel done putting them away for a while--till the next cleaning----------------------------I am going to have a one day training class for my grandsons, I wonder if they will wonder why they are being shown something they will never use---time will tell

NH

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: northern hewer] #31246 11/04/13 01:29 AM
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hello everyone tonight

well mother nature in these parts is readying herself to give us a wakeup call--few flakes today---my dad would be getting the sleighs out of storage, just in case they would be needed in a hurry, in doing so he would draw them out the lane and back just to remove the rust, and smooth up the metal shoes before the sleigh season starts.

Of course removing the sleighs meant moving all the harvesting machinery which always manage to make their way to the front line.

our sleighs had cross chains between the front and back sets, for those that have never seen a set of sleighs used in the bush, what I am referring to is the linkage from the front set of the sleigh that actually pulls the back set along, and being crossed as the sleigh turns (say to the right) it in fact will turn the front of the rear sleigh to the left so it tracks better--very similar to the modern all wheel turning on some types of feed handling equipment

some sleighs used a short straight tongue between the front and back sleighs, which had some advantages like if you wanted to back up--sleighs or horses by the way did not like reverse gear!!


The seasons as they rolled along seemed exciting to a youngster like me, couldn't wait to ready the axes, and crosscut saw, and head to the bush--but wait school work came first--#1--those dreaded --3--R's, well had to settle for weekends--

well have to go for now

NH

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: northern hewer] #31248 11/04/13 10:41 PM
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Winter hit today here too. Here it means the end of the rush to do all the little things you wanted to before the snow hit the ground. Growing up it meant that this weekend we would be chasing the cattle home from the pasture 6 1/2 miles north. We always had to wait till the snow landed or they wouldn't want to go.


Leslie Ball
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Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: Gumphri] #31250 11/05/13 02:44 AM
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northern hewer Offline OP
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hi Leslie

yes--I know what you mean--we didn't have the long cattle drives but we did have cattle out on pasture--they acted the same way, a little cold rain or snow sure meant a mind change in their heads--the warm stable was their reward, but it was not shared by the drivers that would be cold wet and tired at the end of the day!

My father and his dad and generations before him were tied somewhat to the land but shared a similar trait and it was a strong liking for timber construction which usually consumed the time from fall to spring, an exciting time--if such a thing existed then--

one thing that has been revealed in these 100 or so pages is that many others also shared that liking--proud of their ancestoral lines--ours being German--coming over in the 1700's to escape persecution, but trailing behind them came their family who practised the old ways, built the old ways, but adapt they did, spoke a new language, ran their fingers through a different type of soil, worked with different wood species, adapted to a decidedly different climate,--even ran across different strange looking tools and axes, which seemed to handle nicely, watched other close neighbours use them to build and construct unusual looking houses and barns--even churches with drivesheds, a lot of buildings were needed--

One thing that did happen was the interrelationship of cultures, and ideas which gradually emerged like broadaxe styles, timberframe building styles, like the 3 bay English barn--it just seemed that win they should--like the saying "the strong and best will survive"

sorry for rambling on

hope you enjoy

NH

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: northern hewer] #31259 11/07/13 02:59 AM
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hello everyone tonight

you know as time rolls along, and I reflect on things, I always felt bad that I could not have had the opportunity to construct a swing beam barn at UCV, to preserve for the next 100 years or so that wonderful timberframe creation from those golden years, in my area only 2 examples remained until recently now only 1 still stands

One thing I did was to video tape both barns and from these tapes both buildings could be closely reproduced, if someone feels inclined to do just that--it would be a worthwhile undertaking for sure

sorry again for rambling

NH

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: northern hewer] #31260 11/07/13 04:02 AM
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D L Bahler Offline
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This talk of cattle drives brought me some fond memories as well, though the cattle driving I experienced was a bit different. In The mountains of Switzerland, they herd the cattle up on top of the mountains each summer to graze and make cheese from their milk. Each day, we would have to go out onto the mountains and find the cows and herd them back in the evening to be milked. You learn quickly why Swiss cows wear bells, it is hard some times to find where they have wandered to day, especially if a heavy fog (which is a cloud for those down in the valley) has settled in -and might stay for many days.

Your talk of the new experiences and a new land brings emotions to me as well, as does the talk of heritage. Few people are more connected to their heritage than us, and we still don't consider this to be our home. Some people came to this land of new experiences and new adventures by choice -seeking a new life, a new world, a new adventure. Some were not so fortunate, they came because they had no choice. My own people were exiled from their homeland.

Perhaps the 3 bay English barn should have won, or maybe it should not. I will never love any framing more than that of the homeland. But this I can say, maybe it was best adapted to the situation faced by these new settlers.

I have considered the videotaping like you said. When I was in Switzerland last, I took the opportunity to take some 2 to 3000 photographs, mostly of buildings, for just this purpose. Today, largely as a fruit of these labors, I am designing as faithful a reproduction of a 17th century structure as I can.


Was de eine ilüchtet isch für angeri villech nid so klar.
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Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: D L Bahler] #31269 11/08/13 12:45 AM
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northern hewer Offline OP
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Hello everyone tonight

Hi DL thanks for coming on line with some of your past memories, I really enjoy them-- everyone's past is a little different for sure but treasured immensely by those that have experienced them.

My hat is off to you for taking the time to try and preserve your heritage--I am interested somewhat in when and why your peoples were exiled, I always thought that the Swiss people in general retained their country and traditions throughout the ages, unscathed by the turbulence close around them

There are quite a few Swiss families that have moved to Canada-- and have become a great part of our society--they are great farmers, one thing that they like here is the opportunity to acquire quite easily large tracts of farming land, not possible in their homeland they tell me


Well have to go

NH

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: northern hewer] #31282 11/08/13 04:34 PM
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D L Bahler Offline
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My family left late, 1886, to avoid service in the Swiss military due to religious beliefs (changes to the constitution in the 1870s removed any exemption to military service) but most of our people left a century or two earlier, fleeing first the the Jura, France, and Germany and finally to America. We are Anabatist -Mennonites, Amish, etc. We were persecuted because Switzerland had fought religious wars to determine whether they would be Reformed or Catholic, and we were neither, choosing instead to cling to the old ways. So they killed us at first, then imprisoned us,. then exiled us. Some were sold to Venice as galley slaves (the executions of earlier were a better fate than this)
The city of Bern was particularly bad, and most of our people were in Bernese territory. They wanted to control everything, including the church. Our churches are all but nonexistent in the Canton today, because we all left. Switzerland has escaped the turbulence of the modern world, but before that experienced quite a bit of its own.

I'm surprised to find out how few people know of our history -most people have no idea that we peaceful, gentle folk have such a history of death and suffering -a history we pass on and try to honor every day. Official tolerance was never granted to the Anabaptists, though today there is no penalty or suffering as the Canton enjoys freedom in this regard. Even so in the 1880's it was still a big enough problem that my family fled. But we still maintain contact and travel back. We are still Swiss, America is just where we have to live.

And that is nothing against America or its people, just the fact that we came here against our will


Was de eine ilüchtet isch für angeri villech nid so klar.
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Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: D L Bahler] #31292 11/08/13 06:52 PM
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northern hewer Offline OP
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hello everyone tonight

Thanks DL--

our history books tell us nothing about these happenings in Switzerland, just that it is a quiet small country with flowered hills, and a quiet history that goes way back

it seems too bad that differences in religion seem to ferment such violence it seems to go on and on from century to century

our people also fled the Rhineland around 1700 due to religious differences in the controlling kings over this area for many 100's of years--

Canada seems to have became a safe haven for persecuted groups since the 1500's and is still going on.

best of luck

NH

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: northern hewer] #31293 11/08/13 07:33 PM
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D L Bahler Offline
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Well it didn't help matters that Bern just kind of ignored the topic until very recently. They didn't even teach to their own people, only now are the people starting to gain interest in the Anabaptist history. Used to be flocks of Amish and Mennonites would show to see these important places that no one else really cared about or knew much about, today there are a lot more Swiss tourists going to see these places, and you can actually find out information about them right there. This mostly since 2007 when the government formally acknowledged what had happened and extended their hand back to us in friendship. Though understand, there is no sentiment to give back what was taken away from our ancestors -on either side. They don't want to give it to us, and we don't want any handouts.

One of the great things to me is how our people always loved the homeland, and never rejected it for what happened. Even today, there seems a possibility some of us might go back.

But returning to your thread's topic of old ways,
I loved my experiences in the mountains, here a lot of old methods are practiced because often there is no good alternative. Heavy machinery is useless on a mountainside which might have a 50 degree slope. So up here hay is still often cut by hand, and where possible some may use small walk behind sickle-bar type mowers. The hay is still carried and stored up loose -no way to bale it into tight bundles. Up high, it is tied up into nets and carried on the back, which is very hard on the bones.
Some houses even still use wood fired stoves for cooking, and in many cases even in the valleys horses were used for farming very recently. Our family farm near Kirchenthurnen was farmed with horses into the 60's. Some houses into the 70's and 80's still had the open 'Rauchkuche' a high ceiling kitchen with the smoke from the cooking fires vented into the upper reaches. Often the farmers were more interested in improving the practical and economic aspects of the farm than improving and adding 'conveniences'. Many still do without television and the internet, a lot of people never had a telephone until the invention of the cell phone.


Was de eine ilüchtet isch für angeri villech nid so klar.
http://riegelbau.wordpress.com/
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