M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-03-18
How People Lived only n Gener-
alton Ago.

Mr. Goodrich (Fe:er Farley in his
"RecollectionS of Lifetime" thus de-
picts the life Of his youth in New Eng
land:
Money was scarce, wages being
about fifty cents day, though these
were generally paid in meat, vegeta-
bles, and other articles ofuse--seldom
in money. There was not a factory of
any kind in the place. There was a
butcher, but he only went from house
to house to slaughter the cattle and
swine Of his neighbors there was q
tanner, but he only dressed other peO.
ple's skins there was a clothier, but
he generally fulled and dressed other
peoples cloth. = = Even
dyeing blue portion of the wool, SO
as to make a linsey-wool for short
gowns, aprons, and blue-mixed stock
ings-vital necessities in those days
was a domestic operation. During
the autumn, a dye tub in the chimney
corner-thus placed so as to be cher.
ished by the genial heat-was as "a
miliar in all thrifty houses as the Bi-
bic or the backlog. 1t was covered
with board, and cosy seat in the
wide.mouthed fireplace, especially of
chill evening. = \ Our
bread was of rye. tinged with Indian
meal. Wheat bread was reserved
for the sacrament and company.
u = All the vegetables came
from our garden and farm. The fuel
was supplied by our own woods
sweet-scented hickory Swapping chest
nut, odoriterous oak and reeking, fz-
zling ash. " Sugar was
partially supplied by our maple trees.
These were tapped in March, the sap
being collected and boiled down in
the woods. This was wholly a do
mestic operation, and one in which all
thel children rejoiced. = =
Rum was largely consumed, but oar
distilleries had scarcely begun. A
halfa pint OF it was given, as a matter
OF course, to every day laborers, more
particularly in the summer SEASON.
In all families, rich and poor, it was
offered to male visitors as an essential
to hospitality, Or even good manners.
Women beg pardon, ladies, took
their schnapps, then named "Hop-
kins' Elixir" which was the most de-
ficfous aud seductive means Of getting
tipsy that has been invented. Crying
babies were silenced with hot tOddy,
then esteemed an intallible remedy
for wind on the stomach. Every man
imbibed his morning dram, and this
was esteemed temperance. There is
a story OF a preacher about those days,
who thus lectured his parish: 81 say
nothing, my beloved bretheren, against
taking "a little bitters before breakfast
aud after breakfast, especially if you
are used to it. What | contend a.
gainst is this drumming, dramming,
dramming, at all hours of the day p
We raised our own
fax, rotted it, hackled it, dressed it,
and spun it. The little wheel, turned
by the foot, had its place, and was as
familiar as itit had been one OF the
family. The wool was
all spun in the family, partially by
my sisters, and partially by Molly
Gregory, daughter of our neighbor,
the town carpenter. | remember her
well, as she sung and spun, aloft in
the attic. In those days church sing
ing was one OF the fine arts-the only
one, indeed, which fourished in
Ridgefeld. except the music OF the
drum and fife. The choir was divided
into four parts, ranged on three sides
of the meeting-house gallery. =
= Twice year, that is, in the
spring and autumn, the tailor came to
the house and fabricated the semi-an-
nual stock ofclothes for tie mail mem
bers--this being called whipping the
cat. Mantu. makers came in their
turn, to fit out the female members OF
the family. There was similar pro-
cess as to boots and shoes.
"At the period Of my earliest recol-
lection men of all classes were dressed
in long, broad.tailed coats, with huge
pockets, long waistcoats and breeches.
Hats had low crowns, with broad rims
-some so wide as to be supported at
the sides withtords. The stocking of
the parson, and few others, were Of
silk in summer and worstcd in winter;
those OF the people were generally OF
wool, add Of blue and gray mixed
Women dressed in wide bonnets.
sometimes ofstraw and sometimes of
silk; the gowns were of silk, muslin,
gingham, &C., generally close and
WASTED, the breast and shoulders be-
ing covered by full muslin kerchief.
Girls ornamented themselves with
large white vandyke. = =
Tavern haunting, especially in the
winter, when there was little to do,
was common, even with respectable
farmers. Marriages we're celebrated