今天,我們將啟動「光之對談」約定,穿越時空,與《Two men on a mill : The story of the restoration of Baxter's Mill》的作者 A. Harold Castonguay 先生進行一場深刻的訪談。
這本小書記錄了一段關於歷史保存、工藝傳承以及兩種生活方式碰撞的故事。Castonguay 先生與他的夥伴 George Kelley,如何在麻薩諸塞州鱈魚角 (Cape Cod) 親手修復一座擁有超過250年歷史的巴克斯特磨坊 (Baxter's Mill)。這不僅是一個建築修復的故事,更是對一個逝去時代的追憶,對現代生活模式的反思,以及對那些默默付出、讓歷史重現光芒的人們的讚頌。
現在,請允許我邀請我的共創夥伴,身為人類學家的哈珀,擔任我們的訪談者,帶領我們回到1961年的深秋,那座即將重獲新生的磨坊旁。
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**光之對談:重啟磨坊之輪——與 A. Harold Castonguay 先生的對話**
**(場景:1961年深秋,麻薩諸塞州西雅茅斯,巴克斯特磨坊旁。
哈珀身穿適應秋季微涼的探險服,站在磨坊入口,眼前是一位臉上帶著泥土痕跡,但眼神中閃爍著光芒的先生,他就是這場修復故事的敘述者,A. Harold Castonguay。)**
**哈珀:** Castonguay 先生,很榮幸能在這裡見到您。我來自遙遠的未來,從一本您的著作《Two men on a mill》中,看到了您與 George 先生修復這座巴克斯特磨坊的非凡故事。這段旅程聽來艱辛卻充滿意義。許多人都曾問您:「你們為什麼要做這件事?」現在,請允許我,一個未來的讀者,再次向您提出這個問題。是什麼樣的動力,讓您一頭栽進這片泥濘與歷史之中呢?
**Castonguay:** (輕撣了一下衣袖上的泥土,露出一個有些疲憊卻滿足的笑容) 啊,一位來自未來的訪客,有趣。這個問題,確實很多人問過我,尤其是那些搖著頭離開的人。說實話,很難 pinpoint 到單一的原因。或許是從小在西雅茅斯長大,離這座磨坊不遠,日積月累的好奇心和興趣吧。也或許是聽了太多關於這座磨坊的迷人故事,像是 C. Milton Chase 先生,他那關於小時候駕著馬車載玉米來磨坊的生動回憶。
兩個人,加上偶爾的幫忙,在 mud 裡,在 cold 裡,把那些石頭一塊塊 positioning 好,確保它們 forming a firm and complete wall。這比 we planned on 要困難得多。還有把 Maine 的那台兩噸重的舊 turbine 運回來並 lowering 到位,過程像一齣鬧劇,吊車都差點被拉翻,得靠旁邊看熱鬧的壯漢幫忙推回去。
但支撐我們堅持下去的,除了我們自己的 tenacity 之外,還有那些少數真心提供幫助的人。Harvey Studley 送來了所有修復屋頂的 shingles 和 timbers;Bob Hayden 和他的團隊做了新的地基;Charles Cunningham 慷慨地提供了 lumber stockpile,讓我們在那裡 discovered a treasure;Hinckley Lumber Company 提供了 supplies;Chris Marsh 借給我們 back hoe;Tom Powers 送來了樹苗。
Eric Sloane 說得好,"What a shame that with all our timesavers and with our abundance of wealth, we do not have the time today and apparently cannot afford to build the way they did or to use the excellent material they did." 這 not only 適用於建築,也適用於很多方面。
過去的 Cape Cod village,更加 self-sufficient。家家戶戶自己種菜,或者跟鄰居交換,complementing their food supply from the sea。每個人,無論老少,都有 something to do。Cutting kindling, getting wood, being handy boys around the house and barn。
我 clearly remember 小時候,每個男孩都知道 how to handle a hammer, a saw, screw driver, or chisel。這些 basic skills,在 today 的 so-called schools 裡 product 出來的 youth 身上,often seen lacking。他們或許懂得 jet airplanes 和 electric can openers,但 fundamental mathematics, figuring simple interest, or handling ordinary division or multiplication 都可能 struggling。這是一個 sharp contrast。
價值觀上,那個年代的人 not constantly looking to the town, state, or government for handouts。
他們 produced and developed,為自己的 town 做事 without expecting great pay in return。Seth Rogers 這樣的人物,典型的 country gentleman,還有 many others,他們 not looking for something for nothing。他們 work in some form or another,無論是 farms, cranberry bogs, business or trade。他們時間不多,但時間被 put to great use in production。錢不多,因為他們 not need it。那是一種 totally different 的 way of life。
不是說我們要回到 oil lamps 和 outside privy,有些現代發明確實方便,但我相信 there are many things we can learn from the old people that would make our mode of living and our existence a bit more pleasant, tranquil and serene。保留這些 historical landmarks,就像保留這些價值觀和 skills 的 physical embodiment。
**哈珀:** 您在書中詳細描寫了磨坊的機械裝置,特別是輪機 (turbine) 和磨石 (stones)。您對這些古老技術有著顯著的欣賞。在修復過程中,與這些老舊機械打交道的經驗,帶給您哪些特別的 insights?特別是當您提到它們的 simplicity 和 reliability 時。
**Castonguay:** (眼中閃爍著興奮的光芒) 啊,這些 old machines,它們有自己的 language 和 personality。
Finding a company that could still build a small turbine was interesting. 而最終在 Maine 找到那台 used one,雖然搬運過程像馬戲團,但它 fitted perfectly in the hole.
最 fascinating 的是磨石,French buhr type stones。這東西 practically impossible to obtain today。我們發現,even if 你找到了,你可能也不知道 how to "pick up" them,也就是 re-sharpen the grooves。幸運的是,我們找到了 Arthur Mattson 先生,one of the few men left with that skill。
那是 August 3, 1961,差不多 exactly a year after we started。我們 put in the whole corn,opened the pen gate,let the rushing water fill the flume and wheel pit... 然後,raising the skirt in the turbine... (聲音稍微放緩,彷彿身臨其境) seeing and hearing the stones turn... at first a little slow, they weren't perfectly balanced yet, but nevertheless... Lo and behold, yellow gold came flowing out of the chute. Coarse at first, yes, but after George maneuvered the tenterer,the texture became right.
Someone shouted, "Ho, ho, she starts, she moves, she feels a spark of life." 我猜你也能 well imagine who that was. (笑)
那是 a feeling of great self-satisfaction。這些石頭已經 seventy-one years 沒有轉動了。You know, frankness would be lacking if we did not feel proud of our hard work and efforts. 它 ran smoothly, with very little noise. 我們花了整個 afternoon, turning the wheel off and on, just to be sure it wasn't hallucinations. The wheel and its gears responded with a very deliberate cadence. It was real.
On the one hand, relief and pride that we actually finished what seemed like a perhaps too much to have ever started 的任務。On the other hand... I felt a little sad. Sad that we had no more to do to complete the mill project. The whole process, the actual work, the research, the conversations with new people, reading stories of old mills, seeing other mills restored or abandoned... it was most fascinating.
It was more than just fixing a building; it was about connecting with a long forgotten part of life and history.
然後,你知道嗎?(臉上又出現了一絲 George Kelley 式的頑皮表情) George 剛才打電話給我,他說... "Harold... you know what?" 我問 "No, what?" 他說... "I think I have found an old tide mill..." (頓了一下,笑著搖頭) 好像我們的 adventure 還沒有結束。
**哈珀:** (也跟著笑了起來) 聽起來是個永無止境的旅程,就像您在書一開始引用的 Dobson 詩句一樣:「時間流逝,你說:啊,不!時間停留—我們離去!」您們讓時間在巴克斯特磨坊停留了。非常感謝您,Castonguay 先生,這是一場極具啟發性的對話。
**Castonguay:** 不客氣。