Yellow Springs Historical Society

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TAFFY PULLING AND SLEIGH RIDING

Social circles were formed of congenial spirits and friendly parties were given at the homes of those prepared to entertain. These were most enjoyable events. In the maple sugar season taffy pullings were quite common among the young people. It was the custom for the boys to arrange conveyances to bring together the young people invited to these functions.

We had at our home a large two-horse spring-wagon with seating capacity to accommodate three or four couples if properly arranged. Price Gordon, a neighbor boy about my age, with whom I was pretty chummy, could persuade his parents to let him use a team of horses, and I, by use of my persuasive power, with promises to use great care to prevent accident, could get permission of my parents to use this famous old spring-wagon. Thus, Price furnished the team and I furnished the conveyance, which arrangement enabled us to do our part in bringing the young people together. Being proprietors of the carrying outfit we assured the right of seating the couples in a manner most congenial to friendship, taking care that the ladies of our choice occupied the seats next to us.

At times the road were bad, mudholes terrific, but our horses were strong, the driver skillful, and mud-splashing helped to contribute to the amusement of the journey.

Now-a-days attempts are sometimes made to reproduce an old fashion taffy-pulling party, but to my mind they fall far short of the old-timers. The modern young people are too self-conscious, too fettered by so called rules of propriety. Great freedom of action must be allowed during the taffy-pulling process. He was a poor puller who could not stretch his mass of golden wax into a rope extending from hand to hand stretched at arms length from shoulder to shoulder. During this process much fun was evoked by an accidental(?) stroke in the face of an unguarded participant by the be-smeared hands of a very careless(?) puller. Sometimes a well formed rope of taffy, with all its sweetness, suddenly encircled the neck of feminine beauty no less sweet, the work of a mischievous performer. When this sport began revenge on the part of the supposedly injured party, aided by her friends, began in earnest. The way this sweetened compound was sacrificed in a tit for tat battle was frightful to behold! Finally order was restored and good humor prevailed due to the general sweetness of the contest. After this melee taffy, popcorn and apples were served in proper form to all and the merry making still went on, the company being seated around the room on chairs, benches and footstools, with all of which furniture the old-time kitchen and dining room was well stocked. General conversation was the rule, but many affectionate couples found opportunity to converse in whispers on subjects sacred to themselves alone.

Good taste dictated adjournment at reasonable early, hour, seldom later than midnight. The home going was after the manner of coming, party dropping out at the road or gate most convenient to his or her home. The conveyance was then returned to the home of the owner, and the driver, mounting one horse and leading the other, lonely takes his team back to its starting place, which is frequently several miles distant.