The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-03-02

for the natural laws Of dependence and the ueees-
sty for social intercourse and protection were too
urgent to be checked by arrogaied superiority.
Their habits were simple, open and discugcnunusi
her mode Of living plain aud unostentatiols, The
rich aAdithe poor lseaerally dressed alike. The
men were commonly habitcd with hunting shr's
buckskiu pants aud jackets, and aracccon cap, with
the fur outside. The deer-skin paniao1us could
not usually be very well tanned, aud whom dried,
after being wet were hard and inhexible, 80 when
thrown upon the floor they bounded and ratified
like tin kettles man in the cold winter 3 morn
lug, drawing pair, was in about rs oomtortt-
bic position as IL thrsting his limbs into couple
, OF frosty stOve-pipes. The women were ordinarily
robed in coarse wouleu fabrics, manufactured by
their own hands, aud il fair maiden wished
npcrb dress for her bridal day, hcr highest aspira-
/ ton was 70 obtain a Common American cotton
check, which then cost a dollar yard, and five
yards deemed an ample pattern; silks, satius,
and fancy goods that now initiate our vanity and
deplcte our purSes, were not then even dreamed OF
People who have spent their lives in an old settled
country, can form but faint idea Of the privatons
and harlships endured by tho pioneers Of this
great Northwest. One OF the early settlers, Illus
trating pioneer life, said in process OF time,
yard and half of calico was wanted started
On foot through the woods ten miles to Marietta, to
! prucureit but alas when arrived there found
| that in the absence Of both money and credit the
/ calico was not to be obtained. The dilemma was a
serious one, and how to escape could not dcvse
| but bad NO sooner informed my wife OF my fail
ure, than She suggested that had pair OF thin
/ pantaloons which | could very well spare, that
| would make quite decent frock The pants were
cut up, the frock made, and in due time the cnld
was dressed" t.'ht '
The early settlers generally erected the ordinary
log cabin hut others OF wandering character
! built bark huts The log cabins were ordinarily
about IA by l6 feet and story aud a half high,
made out of rough, round logs with the intervals,
| in the cold season, chnked, and the remaining
crevices filled with clay damp enough to work,
and which, when it became dried, assisted in keep
/ inn No thair nlNCQS.
/ floor was made OF puncheOns, a plank made by
| splitting logs about y or inches in thickness,
| and hewing them on both sides with broad axe.
| The roof was covered with clapboards which were
kept in their places upon the cabin by weight poles.
| The chimney was built up at one end outside,
/ made by layers or pieces OF good sized limbs ce-
mented together with clay mortar. The windows
were made BY saving out : feet of one of the logs
and putting in few upright pieces over which
! was sometimes pasted sheet of paper which had
been well oiled with bears oil or hogs fat; though
/ the opening Of the chimney gave ordinarily all the
/ light required rude ladder answered the pur-
! poses of stairs, and in case of attack was much
| safer. The bedsteads were homemade and often
consisted of forkcd sticks driven into the ground,
with eross-poes to support the elap-boards or
! bark ropes.
The house furnishing goods were few, one pot,
Kettle ana irying-pan, Wtfc1he only articles con-
/ sidercd Indispensable, though some included the
teakottle; few plates and dishes upon a shelf in
! one corner, was as satisfactory as is now cup
! from punchcon table. Some Of the wealthest
| families had n few splint bottom chairs but
! general thing, stools and benches answered the
place of lounges and sofas. Though the household
| goods were rude and i'll contrved, the furniture
| lli-made and unseemly, and the residence mere
rough log hut with puucheon floor, still around its
| Observation-Disclosures were gathered and reared as
| noble and ilustIious n set of men and women as
ever graccd the annals Of history. We pause to
! point with exultiug pride to few sucl-tle names
| OF the greatest and best men whom the world has
| ever known: to Washington, the father of his
| country, to Clay, the orator of America and to
Henry, the champion of liberty, as among the
many whose sublime aspirations were first evoked
at the home and around the fireside Of their rude
and unpretcntous cabins.
Settled in some out ofthc v place, in the very
heart of the Wilderness cut off from civilization
except by long, weaTiSome and dangerous iournies
| through unbroken woods, with not even a trail or
Il blaze line to guide his path, the pioneer was
| compelled to depend upon his own ingenuity snd
tact for such implements he had not provided
| himself with. They proved themselves fully ca
pablc for the emergencies To get grinding done
was often great difficulty, by reason of the
scarcity of mills the freeze in wiuter, drOughts in
summer. They had often to manufacture meal in
any way they could get it to pieces. They had
either to soak and pound it, at the proper season.
CRATE it. The general mode was to pound ii in a
mortar or hominy block, as it was called, which
made by burning hole into the end of stump
| or block To save meal they often made pumpkin
kins would predominant as to render il next to
impossible to tell the bread from that article either
by looks or taste, or the amount of nutrment 1t
contained. recocct my father going 80 miles to
mill with an OK team, and it frequently took him
week to make the trip, and when the flour was
obtained it was far darker than buokwheat, so
badly was it ground. The meat was bear venison,
wild turkeys and other game, as it was very
difficult tO raise hogs and sheep account of the
wolves and bears, hence pork and wooden clothes
were very scarce. ! have known them TO even
attack hogs in the pen and make good their escape.
| The wolves where so numerous around the neigh
borhOod that We had to close and barricadc the
doors at night and have heard their dismal howls
ut my window many times. My father made
! large trap within sight the house aud in that
manner caught great many. The mischievous
depredations of the wolves, rendered their scaps,
a matter Of some Importance. They were worth
| by way of bounty about five dollars apiece. This
made wolf hunting rather n lucrative business,
| and of course called into action the best inven-
| tive alentin the country. Panthers reported
| to have been seen and hunted in the neghbOfhOOd
! but | have no recollection Of having seen any.
| Game of all kinds in abundance. | have
| seen deer rambling about the barn-yard as unmind
| tul of the movements of the men as though they
had been reared pets. Meat was either eaten fresh
or jerkcd, barrels were not generally to be had.
Rude barrels aud boxes were often made out of
elm hickory bark. The best were made of
| hickory bark with the outside shaved off. The
bark taken of all around at the desired hight.
Into end was placed fat piece of bark or
! puncheon cut round to fit in the bark, which stood
| on end the same as when ON the tree. There was
little need OF hopping, the strength Of the bark
was sufficient to keep it in its proper position. A
much finer article was made Of slippery elm bark,
shaved smooth and with the inside out, bent round
and sewed together where the ends of the hoop or
main bark Tapped. The length of the bark was
| around tue box, and inside nut. A bottom was
made Of piece of the same bark dried fat, and
| lid like that of common band box, made in the
same way. These, when painted and adorned,
the ornamented furniture of the ladies' dress
! ing rooms. The Indians made their mococks for
! packing their sugar in this manner.
The amusemeuts of the early settlers were few.
! Their parties wero for raisngs and log -rollings,
and the labor being finished, their sports usually
shooting, athletic exercises aud dancing. If they
had no fiddler, which was not very uncommon,
! some one of the company would supply the deicicn-
| cy by singing. Both sexes participated in these
! conyiyial umusemcnts and AL were happy and en-
| joyed themselves in seeing others so.
Though the early settlers denied those lux
uries OF life that now initiate our vanity and pander
to taste and DESIRES vet they felt grateful and
| contcnted for that which they were under wise
Providence permitted to enjoy.
" It's not in titles nor in rank
It's not in wealth, like London Bank,
To purchase peace or rest
| If happiness hath not its seat
Aud center in the breast,
We may be rich, We may be great,
But can't be truly blest'
! Though many of these llustrious pioneers, hav.
! ing filed up the measure Of their destiny have
| passed away, yet there lived in the hallowed mem-
| ores clustering around them, moral influence