New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-06-30
DOMESTIC LIFE III TEE S1UTIT-
WEST.
Ghin!essncrs OF The Chivniry-Whnt WINTER
They Drink and How Taey Eas Buner-
The Skeleton ai the Ecusi.

TIE Skeleton ai the Feast.
From ouI Own Cousfpoudeut
CAMP DEFIANCE, CAIRo, june 20. 1861.
Let us look into tie households Of tie people Of the
Southwestern Slave States. that IT, into those Of the
common people, having regard to tho rich and great,
who bear relation to the rest that few top-most
boughs do to whole tree.
The first thne. that an emigant from the old Slave
States seeks If spring, and near this If he can he
builds his house but it will often be found in re-
mote part Of surveyed lot he regards shorter dis
lance to his daily labor Of most consequence, and then
the water must be carried by the and children.
In warm climate like this, fresh cool water wond
seem TO be Of the first Importance and yet, usually,
when brought to the house it is Almost always
a long and difficult bill IL to be climbed. Over the
spring is a rude hut in which the set the milk
But il Is every tract Of land which has a spring
and to supply tho deficiency there are several ways
The rnoet common is dig the side Of hill where
il is moist; but this 10 a wet-weather spring, and, in
connection a hofe and sed arc used, with which
negro hauls from distant spring stream barrel or
30 Of water every morning. but stands in the sum-
II soon gets warm. An artificial but toerabe spring
is had by digging in the side Of bank Of durable
stream the water Of which soaks through and forms
the spring. This kind Is aso very common, but has
inconvenience with all other springs where the
ground adjoining is the least elevated that is, when it
rains the milk crooks flooded and il storm arises
in the night il lie small thing for woman 20 get up
whether in condition no. and feel her way from a
hundred yards TO quarter Of a mile, TO take care Of
her milk. Ii might be thought she could send a GER
want but this would not do, for the springhouse is
locked and 10 send negro not to send one would
Do the same thing-n either there would be no
milk in the morning There large spotted snake in
this country and he II called milk snake and he loves
milk very much, aud two or three Of these snakes viii
empty gallon Jar very quickly; but thsy have vooa
way OF preventing this by covering bH, lars WITH
boards Inns s"aAe is SHa 70 - lst himself around
cows leg in the day time bo, .o IA off in the oods
ana tneh 7" SUI the milk but as have never seen
MN W iii not say that he does. One thing do
Aio"' ne COWS often como home with q very little
Pix II the people Of this country would get in the
habit Of having cellars, they would DO saved much
trouble.
When there is no spring, and no brook, and the
ground is hard and dry, they will dig hole six or
eight feet deep and large enough to hold several bar
rels; then they will go with cattle TO spring, creek or
river, and have u day or 70 aud pour in supply. l
know Of one instance where a man boasted Of such .
well and the water was hauled from Of the most
,loathsome streams l ever Jaw. Now, If instead Of
going to the trouble Of hauling water they would dig
a little deeper, or, get cement and make cistem,
they would adopt what / call better plan. This,
however, requires labor and ingenuity. do not say
there are no wells or cserns but they very
There arc thousands Of farms where all the water is
carried by hand good quarter u mile, sometimes
more than half mile, and this has been done twenty,
thirty, and oven fifty years Nothing is more common
than 10 use ditch and pond water, which cattle FREE
quent for cooking purposes, and in moderately cool
weather poor people do not hesitate TO drink il. In
the Winter the running water Of any stream is good
enough for anybody to drink, bat am certain that it
gives one the ague
Now will tell you hev they wash. Usually two
OF three women with bundles Of clothes their heads
70 to the branch or stream, where iron kettle
hangs mnnsntly, and branches Of trees mako
shade md when the water Ia hot instead Of using
washboard the clothes are placed ona log or stump,
and with species of mallet they pound away till the
work is done Ii the clothes should not be very Clean
the great quantity Of bueins used will hide the dirt.
brass or copper kettle for boiling clothes In Is
known and indeed brass kettles, which CON-
mon ia the North and used for making preserves,
very seldom seen. OF course the water In this lime
stone region Is hard but II makes no difference and
doubt if many know kind from the other.
Suppose, now, you have been travelling oil day in
somo decent region OF the Southwest and after having
been in Search for tma, OF rstclass plantation
you ride up to the gate, what is likely, TO the
bars. Ii Jon have good appearance the planter
comes out, bids you good evening, and says Light,
stranger, light" A common welcome is in the in
quiry Light" Ii you little shabby you may
get OFT by yourself aD1 after making inquiries and
waiting for come time, he comes round the house, or
out of the barn, il he busy-but this Is common
elsewhere well-dressed stranger scarcely need say
he wishes TO stay night, for negro takes off his
horse ut once and be is hidden 10 20 into the sitting
apartment which is always called 'the ROOM" Pretty
soon If it is the Fail Of the year, you will hear the
chickens squawk, but if il is midsummer you are
quite likely to hear gun go of, and pig squai,
though some planters always have meat Oh hand; but
if you are welldrcssed and supposed to be
body, and il depends altogether on this, you
tain 10 hear the chickens. Ninety times in hundred
II ID log house, with porch in 'front.' where your
saddle is hung among many others, and in the room
several beds, one of which you will occupy. There
is always bed in each room, In the finest houses,
and in the towns as we'll AZ in the country. Where
they are rich and very particular you will see rss
sspeG