—Lancaster Fannin*. Saturday, FtJ). 7, 1976 72 Maurice Sheaffer and grandson, Craig, look over an old map covering “The Three Earls” - Earl, East Earl, and West Earl Townships. The Sheaffer farm 200 years old Editors Note: This is one of a series of feature articles describing farms in southeastern - southcentral Pa. which have been in the same family for 100 or more years. It is Lancaster Farming’s way of recognizing and salntlng agriculture - the foundation of civilization everywhere. By DIETER KRIEG NEW HOLLAND Hie original deed to what is now known as the Maurice Sheaffer farm, located four miles south of here, was signed by William Penn’s sons, Richard and Thomas. Payments for the farm were made to King George II of England, who reigned until 1760. Settling this property at a Wool supports set The incentive price of 72 cents a pound for marketings of shorn wool and a support of 80.2 cents a pound for mohair will continue un changed from 1974 and 1975 levels, according to Paul H. Kenney, chairman of the Berks County Agricultural Stabilization and Con servation Committee. These prices are in ac cordance with the National Wool Act, as amended, by the Agricultural Act of 1970 and the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973. The National Wool Act, as amended, requires that support shall be at the above levels for each of the marketing years beginning January 1, 1971, and ending December 31, 1977. Pulled wool will continue to be supported at a level comparable to the incentive price for shorn wool through payments on unshorn lambs. As in past years, shorn wool payments will be based on a percentage of each producer’s returns from sales. The percentage will be that required to raise the Bicentennial feature time when the Revolutionary War was still more than a generation into the future, was Peter Sheaffer, who came to this country by way of Rotterdam. Family records indicate he arrived in Philadelphia on Oct. 31, 1737. Born in 1912, Maurice Sheaffer is the fifth generation to be living on the 105-acre farm which in recent years has been used for growing corn, wheat, hay, and soybeans. Bespectacled and grand fatherly, Sheaffer notes that the 80 acres of cleared land he farms haven’t changed since the late 1800’s. As was customary before the time when building materials became less plentiful, the barn on National average price received by all producers from shorn wool up to the announced incentive price of 72 cents a pound. Mohari payments will be calculated in a manner similar to wool. Present market conditions indicate that payments may be authorized on 1975 marketings of shorn wool. The wool program promotes production of quality wool for the U.S. market. Payments based on a percentage of wool receipts encourages marketing of high quality wool by producers. A suburbanite put on a last-minute spurt of speed to catch his train - but missed it. A by-stander remarked, “If you had just run a little faster you would have made it.” “No,” the suburbanite replied, “it wasn’t a case of running faster, but of starting sooner.” Sheaffer property is well over 200 yearsold, while the map - found in the barn many years ago - dates back to the middle 1800’s. Sheaffer’s farm was built out of massive stones and thick hand-hewn chestnut and oak logs which were taken from the woods nearby. The original home, described by Sheaffer’s mother as having been a “big mansion of a stone bouse,” burned in 1883 while Ms grandmother was boiling soap in the kitchen. The “bucket-brigade” couldn’t save it Although Sheaffer himself can’t recall what life was like in the 19th Century, he’s well-informed on the subject thanks to what generations before him have preserved either in writing or by word of mouth. He gives much credit to his grandmother, Maria Parmer Sheaffer, who remembered dates and passed records of important events on to children and grandchildren. Sheaffer remembers stories, for example, of wheat-threshing on the bam floor with flails; raising flax, and weaving their own fabrics. He himself can remember the days when water was drawn from a well by a wooden pump. It wasn’t replaced with an iron model until about 1924, be recollected. A fanner all his life, Sheaffer says he wouldn’t want to live anywhere else but where he’s at “This is something to be proud of,” he said from behind thick glasses which magnified the sparkle in his eyes. Asked whether or not he would be in favor of a state law which would protect old farms from advancing bulldozers and developments, he said “yes.” But the countryside around him hasn’t changed much in his lifetime, he noted. He says the number of farms in the area is still about the same as what it was 50 years ago. New Holland borough, on the other hand, has seen quite a few changes, he said. Old houses have been tom down, the trolley tracks have been gone for years, and like most any other town, it’s grown. As might be expected, Sheaffer hopes that a younger member of the family will someday con tinue ownership of his farm. Only one girl has been born into the Sheaffer family during the past 100 years, so he doesn’t have to be-con cemed about the name being changed. Toughest Bam Cleaner Yau Can Buy Badger Barn Cleaners are built to pro- Rucmed Chain Vide more years of dependable, trouble _ . . free service. 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