File:Highways and byways of the South (1904) (14804594433).jpg

Identifier: highwaysbywaysof00john (find matches)
Title: Highways and byways of the South
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Johnson, Clifton, 1865-1940
Subjects: Southern States -- Description and travel Southern States -- Social life and customs
Publisher: New York, The Macmillan company London, Macmillan and co., limited
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ite which he said he would rub on if one of thecreatures bit him, and that would take out the poison.Charlie was a model of docility and cheerfulness, andwas very good company. He was of course barefooted,and his garments were wonderfully patched both behindand before. He had no coat, but wore a vest of hisfathers that flapped loosely about him. Finally we saw smoke rising on ahead, and we passedover one more ridge and there on the slope just belowwas a burning kiln. No one was near, and only thecrackle of the flames disturbed the silence. The kilnwas a broad, heavy cairn, seemingly of dirt, for it isrequisite that the fire shall be kept well smothered andonly allowed to burn outwardly in one thin rim. Tobegin with, a shallow basin twenty feet across is dugwith a slight slant from the edge to the centre — akind of big frying-pan to receive the pine lightood.The wood is cut about ten feet long and split up smallenough so that none of the sticks exceeds a thickness A Ouest for Tar 297
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The Burning Tar-kiln of three or four inches. It Is piled horizontally in acircle, care being taken to preserve a gentle dip fromthe outside inward. When completed the pile is fromeight to twelve feet high. A rough fence is now builtaround it, having a foot of space between the fencingand the lightwood, and this space is filled in with earth,and earth is thrown up to cover the top. In obtainingthe dirt a great ragged ditch is excavated at the base ofthe kiln. When the fire is started, the tar flows to thecentre of the kiln and thence runs out by an under-ground trough into a square hole dug for the purpose.From the hole it is dipped up into barrels. A fair-sized kiln will fill eight barrels. 298 Highways and Byways of the South I had not been long in the vicinity of the Brinkleykiln when a young negro came up the hill throughthe woods. Two dogs were at his heels and he car-ried a gun. He was the tar burner, and after we hadspoken together, he took his spade and began to heavedirt up o

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