Bo
Swindle (Perry, Florida)
Although one
shouldn't make a habit of it, occasionally, it pays to
humor one's spouse. Thus, a family outing that began as a
quaint furniture search ended as a cane-syrup mission.
Either would have been fun, but the combination was simply
great. Anyhow, Mr. Swindle has a unique business down a
dirt road near Perry, Florida: he sells old-growth cypress
and furniture he makes of it. It was spiritually
comforting to observe a person spending life on his own
terms and creating products of value to others. I expect
this trip will continue to cost me.
Slides 1
and 2
show a Corley sawmill, the heart of Mr. Swindle's
operation. Although he could not remember the date of
manufacture or model, it is enough to note that this mill
dates from the 1800's, when it could be purchased for
$395. Mr. Swindle is in this for the long haul; he has two
other (disassembled) mills nearby.
Slide
3, is an overview of Mr. Swindle's syrup operation.
The Golden No. 2 is powered through a vehicle transmission
and the right-angle converter is a differential. Sprockets
are mounted on the axle and the mill. The background shows
Mr. Swindle's syrup house.
Slide
4, is a close-up of the mill. My wife, Nedra, provides
perspective. Slide
5, taken inside the syrup house, shows the kettle.
This is the first furnace that I have seen in which the
door is perpendicular to the stack. A pile of fat lighter,
with all the aroma that that implies, was at ready. The
background shows cases of syrup, silent testimony to
Labor's ability to extract
goodness from Earth.
|