November 24, 1994 - The Place Where Memories Are'StoredNovember 24, 1994 • The Suffolk Times • SA
The Place Where Memories Are'Stored
By Paul Stoutenburgh
I'm writing in my retreat up on the
back pasture where I've often come to
collect my thoughts and sort out the
workings of the world about. It's an old
reconstructed building, probably more
than 100 years old, that once sat on Bar-
bara's grandparents' farm "up lane."
Then it must have been a special place
for it even had a
Focus on stone cellar with
granite steps lead -
Nature ing down into its
dark, damp stor-
age area. There,
seed potatoes would have been kept until
spring, along with other good keepers
like turnips, beets, carrots, onions and
apples. Here, away from winter's cold,
they'd be held until needed.
The building itself was used for an
assortment of farm purposes. The one
Barbara remembered hearing most was of
it being used as a sprout house. Here the
brussels sprouts were sorted over after
picking and put into baskets. Each was
culled and packed to make a presentable
box and I'm told the not -so- perfect ones
were put under the big, good - looking
ones on top. There was probably an old
cast -iron stove inside to take the chill off
the building and one can imagine the gos-
sip and chitchat that went along as all
hands packed the sprouts for shipping.
The farm, like so many good farms
here on the East End, was sold and
resold. Lots were cut up and houses
built. The sprout house, as we came to
know it, disintegrated with the roof cav-
ing in, but basically the structure was
sound. When we moved "down lane" in
the woods, I was in need of a building
and wrote to the new owners for permis-
sion to dismantle the old building and
rebuild it out on our back pasture.
Made New Again
This was the time when our sons were
just teenagers and so with their help we
took every board, shingle and nail out of
the structure and rebuilt it with a few
innovations. Today we store hay in one
side for the steer for the winter and on
the other side is an open retreat and col-
lection agency for anything not worthy
of keeping in the house. The area is
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
OLD FARM BUILDING —Farm buildings served many important purpos-
es. Some today have taken on another life with the help of new owners.
small and the collection too large but I
live with it.
In place of the old rotten windows I
put a set of castaway, old iron casement
windows that in their day must have
been something special for they have
brass hinges and handles that work per-
fectly to this day. Inside, its items hang
from the wall, sit on old bookcases and,
of course, rest around my
desk like statues of the
past. An old Smoky the
Bear hat from the years I
worked for the National
Park Service hangs curled
and fading above an old
two -man saw that my dad
and I, when I was old
enough, used to cut all the
wood for our gluttonous wood stove
back home.
The only time I ever remember him
getting any help cutting wood was after
the '48 hurricane when we had so many
trees down you couldn't even see the
house. Then a farmer with a buzz saw and
a long, flat belt came in and cut the wood
and opened up our place once again.
On the windowsill are glass fishing
floats that ocean fishermen use to buoy
up their nets. One's a rich amber color,
another clear. One is painted red. Old
boat lights that have lost their fashion
hang from the ceiling with some old lob-
ster buoys. None of the modern plastic,
though, for that belongs to a more mod-
ern era. The skull of a dolphin hangs ort,
the wall, a souvenir of a trip to
Gardiner's Island over 30 years ago.
There's even an old sad-
dle just waiting for one of
our grandchildren to take a
fondness to horses. Along
with the saddle are the old
trappings of a horse for
farm work. Now dry, black
and brittle, they merely
remind me of days gone by
and a reason why I can
never pass up something old.
There is an old clock that once sat on
my folks' mantelpiece. The glass is gone
and the key lost but I'm sure it is still in
working condition. I can hear the reso-
nance of the "bong- bong" that kept us
informed of the time, day and night.
And, of course, the swinging of its pen-
dulum — that "click- clack" in the quiet
of the house.
The pictures on the wall are mostly past
MONOMER
`Items rest
around my desk
like statues of
the past.'
i_sPAN i_wwV nwmbu
82 Years Ago
Nov 23, 1912
Big Football Game Afoot: Star Hose Company of
Greenport will leave firefighting for a while and take up the
task of whipping the Southold "Stars" in a game of football
on Thanksgiving day at the polo grounds. The boys are
working hard and a fast and exciting game is expected. Let
everyone come out and encourage the boys. The proceeds
are to help swell the fund for uniforms. Coaches Sherwood
and Mott, with Capt- Krancher, have picked a team which is
fast rounding into shape.
$25 Reward: The above reward will be paid for
information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the
person or persons who have been committing larceny of
small chickens and fowl in the Town of Shelter Island, Suf-
folk County. Ralph C. Greene, District Attorney, Suffolk
County, New York.
50 Years Ago
Nov 24, 1944
On Greenport Garbage: (Editorial) Now that the
Presidential election is over and national affairs are settled,
it is again time that we stressed matters of civic improve-
ment. Several months have passed since we first started an
agitation for what is in our opinion one of the greatest civic
improvements, which is an incinerator ... Now is the time to
make plans for such projects. One important project that
Greenport Village should list is the construction of a mod-
ern incinerator plant and also provisions should be made for
the municipal collection of garbage in the community.
Advertisement: Next to War Bonds, the best gift is
a fur coat. H. Katz & Son, ladies', boys', girls' and infants'
apparel.
25 Years Ago
Nov. 28, 1969
Marine Center to be Built: A half - million - dollar
Marine Science Technology Center on 49 acres of Cedar
Beach in Southold is now on its way to becoming a con-
crete reality. The research station will assist the marine
industry of the eastern towns in making scientific advances
toward utilization of the natural resources in the area. It will
also train students as technicians to aid the marine industry
on a practical commercial scale.
A 9,000 - square -foot laboratory area will be constructed
The wetlands of the acreage will provide a field laboratory
for the study of marine technology, aimed at practical appli-
cation of the relatively new science. Oyster and clam cul-
ture programs will be started and seaweed collecting and
culturing will also be initiated.
their prime. The one of my mother when
she was young seems never to change in
my mind. What a loss, and so young.
Pictures of an early airplane taking off
from who knows where. It was important
to someone once but today reminds me
again of an era that slipped by.
There's an old eel spear with a broken
fluke along with the irons of a hay rake
hanging close by. Both, I'm sure, could
vouch for better times. The mud eel spear
probably was broken when it hit a rock
or something else when winter spearing
through the ice. A reminder that on those
cold days of winter, entertainment was
found outdoors in many forms. There's
even an old clam rake whose shank has
rusted off. These curved works of art
were hammered and shaped by skillful
hands. A craft no longer needed.
The `Good Old Days'
There are boat numbers on a white
board that was once on an old 38- footer
that served our family well until its ribs
could no longer hold it together. It sank
at the dock twice and after much thought
and soul searching I towed it off Nassau
Point and gave it a Viking burial at sea
by burning it to the water's edge where
it then sank and hopefully provided a
fishing reef for years to come. That
adventure took place before regulations
and pollution were ever a concern. I
remember notifying the police and fire
departments about my intentions and
received a mere "Okay — no problem"
from both. How the world has changed.
Above a lone, old, iron single cot that
takes up one side of the room sit some
old decoys. They remind me of youthful
days when rain and freezing temperatures
were laughed at and self - punishment in
windswept blinds were all part of the
game. Those days seem so long ago.
A new generation has taken over and
my hope is that they will relish the
world as I do. Far too many of our
young are being bottle -fed on TV and
battered by the self - serving world of
advertisement. Hopefully our East End
will still have enough to offer our young
people so that they can escape the prob-
lems of today's "cool" world. Let's hope
so, for we have four grandchildren who
are starting to walk the wobbly road to
the future.
Lyme Disease Help
The Lyme Borrelia Outreach Founda-
tion, which offers support to Lyme dis-
ease sufferers, will meet Monday, Dec.
5, at 7 p.m. at Riverhead Free Library.
For details, call Stephen Nostrom at
298 -9606.
NOTHING
LEFT OVER?
Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Love Lane, Mattituck
(NORTH OF RAILROAD TRACKS)
298 -5445