Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-02-19
WESTERN STYLE OF LIVING.

have been carefully observing the mode Of
living among the people of the Western States
for a period of forty years. Great changes
have appeared during that time. or the fifty
two years of my life. thirty have been spent in
the employment OF an itnerant preacher, Afford
ing me the best practical means Of information.
Moreover, | am the son of Il Western Pioneer
who was in the celebrated battle at Point Pleas
ant, in 1891, and subsequently identified with
the Indian wars. till Wavne's treaty of l795.-
OF course it is a IN utter of interest to me to note
the changes in society of the flr-ianed West,
and it may be of some little interest to the rea-
dcrs of the Repository to see some of those
changes pointed ont. shall limit myself chief |
" to few items pertaining to the style of living
which NAV serve to remind us that. while the
real wants of men are few and simple. the i'm
aginary ones scarcely have any bounds. | shall
however, not take into account the wealthy ar
istocrat, with his costly mansion. Turkey car
pets, silver plate and thousand dollar carriage
nor the extremely poor man. who lives in
wretchcd howell. on Il floor of earth, and sleeps
on bundle of straw. They are both exceptions
TO the general rule. My few observations
ehall have reference to the great mass of West
ern population.
What is now considered an ordinary outfit
for house keeping! a donc with parlors.
hall, chambers, stiinr-room, dlning-room.
kitchen and cellar. To furnish these apartments,
there must be Scoth or Brussels carpets, hearth
rugs, brass-mounted andirons, window blinds.
ornamcn,cd or cushioned chairs, rocking chairs.
eolas, sde-boar,l>. bureaus. wardrobcs. cloak
racks wash-stands. elegant bedscads with tcs-
tors or canopies, dressed with curtains and val
lance, dressing-tabes and mirrors, breakfast
tables and dinner tables. with their tea sets and
dinner set, of China and Britannia, and silver
spoons, beside cooking stoves &c. Now this
may answer Tor a commencement as far as it
goes bit who wonll ever think of keeping
house without a cenre-tahlr, richly covered, on
which to lay the nice little volums done mp in
gilt and morocco which, however being in
tended as mere ornaments are fortunately sell
dom or never read. Or who could endure to
see paror so naked. and ont of all fashions.
ms not to have some mtntcl ornaments, such as
artificial flowers. with glass covers or some
specimens ofconcholoey and geological forma-
tons Beside the walls must not only be pa
pered, but beautiful with portraits, landscapes,
&c. These common place notions amount to
quite clever sum- though they are as few and
economical a> Western people of this day, VIII,
make any pretensions to being stylish, can well
get along with. Indeed they form only por-
ton Of the numerous and Indispensable fixtures
Of modern housekeeping. Again to procure the
vanls, such as are in keeping with this array OF
furniture, and maintain force requisite to
serve up and hand them round and keep all tile
affairs of the household in order, will cost an
other round sum---to say nothing of parties
and extras.
With this modern style shall take the liberty
OF briefly contrasting the early style of living
in the western country When young mar.
ried couple commenced housekeeping, from
thirty to forty years ago. very small outfit
sntliced. not only to render them comfortable
but to place them on an equality with their
friends and ncglbors. They needed log cab
in, covered with claboards, and fiored with
wooden slabs, in western parlance called punch
cons. and the openings between the logs closet
with billets of wood. and crammcd with mortar
to keep all warm and dry-all which. mar
could erect himself, without any mechanical
training, with one days assistance from hi
neighbors to raise the logs. Usually, one room
answered for parlor, sitting-room, dining-roonl
kitchen and dormitory. while the potatoe hol
under the puncheons, formed of course, by ex
cavating the earth for mortar, was "A good sub
stitute for cellar. As to furniture they needle
a stationary corner cupboard formed of uprigh
and traverse pieces of bo,rls arranged so as T.
contain upper, lower and middle shelf, to holt
the table ware and eatables. For their comfor
and convenience, it was requisite also to hav,
the following articles one poplar slab table
two poplar or oak rail bedstcads. supplied witt
suitable bedding, and covered with crossed-bar
red couuterpanes of homemade, one of which
was for the accommodation of visitors; 81,
split-bottom chairs one long bench, and a few
three legged stools were amply sufficient 70
themselves and friends a half dozen pcwte
plates. as many knives and forks, tin cups, anc
pewter spoons for ordinary use, and the SAM
number of deli plates cups and sauccrs, 70
special occasions also one dish, large enough
h,lJ ny
with the turnips, homony, or stcwcd pumpkin
All this table ware was kept in the corner cup
board, and so ad listed as to show off to tn
best advantage, and in Heated that the fam
were well fixed for comfortable living. Whc
weather WIS too cod 10 leave the door or til
window open, sufficient light to answer tn
purpose came down the broad chimney, an
saved the expense of glass lights and as ir
androus, two large stones served as Il good sui
stitute. The whole being kept clean aud swee
presented an air of comfort TO the contented an
happy inmates. 1t is true the cooking was u
ually done in presence of the i,mily. but W;
soon despatched, when the Dltch oven An
skillet, were nicely Gle ,ned and slowed und,
the cupboard, and the long handled frying pa
hung upon peg or nail on one side Of the doc
while the water pail was situated on the othe
and the neat water gourd hanging by it. F.
mantel ornaments they had the tin Crater, us,
in grating off the new corn for muSh before
was hard enough to grind, and the corn spte
being piece OF decr'S horn, very useful i'll pal
ing large ears of Indian corn for the cattle
The paror walls were sufficiently bcautted
the surplus garments and Sunday cloth
hung all round on wooden pins, the sure toxic
ofndustry and prosperity.
In regard to property, if a man owned an a.
wedge. hoe, plough and pony to pull it, al
a bit of ground to cultivate, or a few mechanic
tools, he asked no more and if his wife had
spinning wheel, a par of cards, Il loom. and
plenty OF the raw material of flax, cotton al
WOOL she was content In those days, kecpi
her own house was but little part of woman
work-it was only necdtul recreation from h
steady employment for she carded, spun. C,
ored, wove, cut and made clothes for the who
family Ladies of the first responsibility IN,
We'd in honorable competition. to mannfac,u
the finest and most tasteful dresses for ihei
selves, and the most handsome suits for Tin
husbands, sons, and brothers, in which ii,
appeared abroad with more exquisite pleas,
than people now do in imported satin and bro;
cloth, and with far more credit to themsel,
and honor to their country. For colorng Il
terals they used the bark of walnut, hicko
maple and sycamore trees, together with C
peras, indigo. sumach, paint stone, &c; and
carding for "A fancy suit of mixed, they worl
in scraps of colored funnel and silk, to varieg
the texture Those were the DAYS OF true rep
lcanism, true patriotism and real independent