Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-08-05
How We Used to Live.


to reply unless directly asked.
How We Used to Live.
Mr.. Goodrich (Peter Parley) in his ere
collections of Life-t time,) thus depicts tie
life of his youth in New England:
"Money was scarce, wages being about
fifty cents day, though these were gener-
ally paid in meat, vegetables, and other ar
ticles of use-seldom in money. There
was not factory of any kind in the place.
There was butcher, but he only went
from house to house to slaughter the cattle
and swine OF his neighbors. There was a
tanner, but he only dressed other people, 8
skins. There was clothler, but he gen.
eralIy fulled and dressed other peoples
cloth. ** Even dying blue portion
of the wool, SO as to make linsey -woolsey
for short gowns, aprons, and blue mixed
stockings-Yital necessities in those days
was domestic operation. During the au-
tumn, dye-tub in the chimney corner
thus placed SO as to be cherished by the
genial heat-was as familiar in all thrifty
houses as the Bible or back log. 1t was
covered with board, and formed a cosy
seat in the wide -mouthed fire. place, especi-
ally of a chill winters evening.
"Our bread was of rye, tinged With In.
dian meal. Wheat bread was reserved for
the sacrament and company. All
the vegetables came from our garden and
farm. The fuel was supplied by our own
woods ds-sweet-scented hickory, swapping
chestnut, odoriferous oak, and reeking, fizzl-
ing ash. x Sugar was partially snp-
piled by our maple trees. These were
tapped in March, the sap being collected
and boiled down in the woods. This was
wholly domestic operation, and one in
which all the children rejoiced.
"Rum was largely consumed but our dis
tilleries had scarcely begun. A half pint
of it was given, as matter of course, to
every day laborer, more particularly in the
summer season. In all families, rich or
poor, it was offered to male visitors as an
essential point of hospitality, or even good
manners. Women beg pardon-ladies,
Elixir" which was the most delicious aHd
seductive means of getting tipsy that has
been invented. Crying babies were silenced
with hot toddy, then esteemed an infaliable
remedy for wind on the stomach. Every
man imbibed his morning dram, and was
esteemed temperate. There is story of a
preacher about those days who thus lectured
his parish: Il say nothing, my beloved
brethren, against taking little bitters be-
fore break fast, and after breakfast especial
" If YOU are used to it. What | intend
against, is this dramming. drumming, dram
ming at all hours of the day.
"We raised our own flax, rotted it, hack.
led it, dressed it, and spun it. The little
wheel, turned oy the foot, had its place, ant
was as familiar as if it had been member o.
the family. The wool was alsc
spun in the family, partly by my sisters
and partly by Molly Gregory. daughter o
our neighbor, the town carpenter. re-
membered her we'll as she sung and spur
aloft in the attic. In those days, churci
singing was one of the fine arts--the only
one indeed which fourished in Ridgefield
except the music Of the drum and fife
The choir was divided into four parts, range'
on three sides of the Westinghouse gallery
~
"Twice year, that is, in the spring an
autumn, the tailor came to the house an
fabricated the semi-annual stock of clothe
for the male memberships being calle
whipping the cat' Mantuamakers an
milhners came in their turn, to fit out tn
female members of the family. There wa
similar process as to boots and shoes.
"At the period of my earliest recollectio
, men of all classes were dressed in lon
: brosd-tailed coats with huge pockets. ion
waistcoats and breeches. Hats had !o'
I crowns, with broad brims--some go wide 6
! to be supported with cords. The stocking
of the parson, and a few others, were
silk in summer and wors!ed in winter; thof
y of the people were generally of wool, ar
E of blue and gray mixed. Women dresst
& n wide bonnets, sometimes of straw ar
q sometimes of silk; the gowns were of sill
n muslin, gngham, &C., generally close ar
v short WASTED, the breast and shoulders b
It ing covered by full muslin kerchief.-
j. Girls ornamented themselves with larl
white vandyke.
n "Tavern hauntins--especially in winte
t, when there was little to do-was commo
J. even with respectable farmers. Marriag
SO were celebrated in the evening, at the hou
n- of the bride. with general gathering
le the neighborhood, and usually wound of
n dancing. Everybody went to public c
n hibi:ion without an invitation. Funers
"a generally Dire " large professions, which pl
r ceeded to the grave. Here the minister