Those Who Boil

[lharris1]

I thought this might be of interest to all you evaporator operators who have help running your operation. My first cousin Fred Stevens was a schoolteacher and operator of a 4 x 14 evaporator in the 1980’s. His brother Lloyd was noted for a sharp wit and making rhymes. Sometimes when Fred had to sleep so that he could teach the next day, Lloyd would operate the evaporator into the night. Lloyd posted a sign in the sugarhouse that stated:

Those who boil
While the sluggard sleeps
Have maple syrup
To sell and keep

Whether this ia original, I do not know. He may have modified a saying that would start with “Those who toil while the sluggard sleeps”. Anyway, a Google search did not come up with a match.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Just a side note to that is Fred Stevens had a 3x8 and a 4x14 sitting side by side in the same sugarhouse. Imagine keeping up with both of them at the same time. 8O :lol: :lol: :lol:

[SteveD]

Good Lord.....that would have been rough....particularly, if they were wood fired...

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Both were woodfired Leader drop flues. :D

[lharris1]

One time Lloyd was supposed to be tending the boil but was doing what he loved - playing the fiddle with some friends. He let the evaporator go dry and ruined a pan. Fred told him "You know what you have to do don't you?" Lloyd headed out to vermont, probably that night, dirving his van and sleeping in it and returned with a new pan.