Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-04-12
Written for th6Green Mountain Freeman.
Incidents Of the Golden Time

a few weeks since, concerning the early settIe-
ment Of u town in this State, with lively
sketches Of hardships and heroism of pioneer
families, &C., and the thought suggested itself,
that there are many incidents treasured up in
the memory Of fi6 aged, relating to their
early experiences in new country, which,
were they collected and published, would be
read with pleasure by all.
Acting under this impression, | have conclud-
ed to jot down the following incidents of trial
and expedient, which have often heard relat-
ed, hoping they may elicit those more interest
ing from Others.
The reader, to enjoy a full perception of
these incidents, will please 60 back to the
commencement of the present century--to
the time when heNJorthern part of this State
was mostly wilderness, with settlers " few
and far between" who lived in log houses,
rooted with bark and floors constructed of
rifted trees, and warmed by huge logs piled on
immense stone fire places.
1t must be borne in mind that nearly every
article of food and raiment was cultivated and
manufactured by themselves, and sometimes
the supply was considerably short of the de-
mand. Economy, or making everything :" go
as far at it would" was sterling virtue, as
will be seen by the following:
A man, the cellar of whose house is still visi-
BILE in a field opposite to where | am writing,
said they did not consider boots or shoes only
"half rOorn out when they were obliged to bind
them with withes to keep the "uppels and
soles " from coming apart. He lived in the
days of " deer skin breeches," which he said
on wintry morning would be so cold and stiff
that he could stand them up on the floor, and
jump right in"
But that is not quite equal to this AN old
gentleman that lived across the {" lines" and
had the satisfaction of amassing quite for
tune, used to tell with fine effect of his priva-
tions. He said that he never had pair of
shoes until he was fourteen years DID, that he
used to go mile into the woods, in the winter
season, barefoot. He never had hat till he
was fifteen, and that was leather one, which
he used to deliberately I" grease up on Sun
days, till it shOne, to wear to meeting.
A friend says thas where she once went to
school, in summer, aAnan's children attended,
during the entire seasap, whose only apparel
consisted of shirt Their parents were abso-
lutely too poor to clothe them, and the unfortu-
nate children were so fond of going to school,
SO eager to learn, as to attend amid these dis
couragements. This must be, truly, I" seeking
knowledge under difficulties had not sup
posed such an instance could ever have occur
red in this country, aud much doubt whether
another can be found.
l have heard an old lady relate the following
as a part of her experience ON one occasion
it became absolutely necessary that her hus-
band should have man to assist him, for
time, in the arduous task of clearing off a
piece OF land, that be might be able to raise
grain thereon for the support of his family
through the ensuing winter, but they were too
poor to hire. But here the genius of the wife
became triumphant, lor she, considering me
cessity the mother of invention" told her hus-
band to engage the man, and she would agree to
be Pdy-maSter. Knowing that the man in
question Was in want of summer clothes, she
took her only pair of linen sheets, that were
designated by the name of "sparo bedding"
and from them manufactured clothing for the
hired hand, and by so doing, secured, in their
then destitute circumstances, desirable good.
What say the ladies of to-day at this instance
of self-denial? Is it not worthy of imitation,
as far as practicable? / know that you will
say yes, - for the heart of woman is the same
now as fifty years ago-loving, self denying
and true.
By labor and economy this faithful pair be-
came, in time, possessed of very large farm,
and at certain seasons a score of men might
have been seen at work thereon, but the hus
bandman now sleeps in the quiet church-yard,
and his companion calmly awaits her summons
to better land
But the want of clothing was not all from
which the early settlers suffered. At times
they were nearly deprived Of food, and were
obliged to resort to extraordinary efforts to OBJ
tain it, have heard it related that one man
who resided in this town, Franklin, has een to
Swanton, distance of perhaps fifteen miles, to
labor for bushel of potatoes, and then bring
them home on his back But he had doubtless
seen harder times than this, for he had been a