The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-19
Tae South During the War,
LETTER FROM A SOUTH CAROLINA LADY.
rprOn the New York Evening Pos. ]


Zone can scarcely form an idea Of the import
apce which the salt question assumed at the SOath
during the war. Indeed 1t was one OF the great
questions of the day where salt could be obtained
OF how il could be made. Both by the general
and state governments every encouragement was
given 10 its manufacture the blockaderunner had
every inducement TO import il, for the price II
commanded was enormous, and yet the supply
fell infinitely short Of the demand. In fact the
poorer classes gave mp entirely the use OF this
article generally considered one of prime neces
sity. Along the coast the people could boil their
own salt but in the inland country this method OF
procedure was imprscticable, and in that section
an eYpedient was resorted TO which will tOrclbly
illustrate the scarcity OF the desired article, by
the pains taken to obtain even a small quantity.
Every one had q smoke-hOuse on their prem.
ises, and in these smoke houses year after year
the annual supply of meat for the family had been
cured. Upon the earthen floors great deal OF
salt had from time to time been spilled, and they
had constantly been saturated with the brine which
had dripped from the sailed meat. Every house
keeper throughout the country had her ley leach,
and many in these times, had the earth from their
smoke-hOuses, TO the depth of foot, taken up
and put into the ley leach, and by the same pro-
cess by which ley is made from ashes, the salt
with which the earth was impregnated was ex
tTacted. This was afterwards boiled down aud
clarified, and an amount OF salt by no means con
temptbe was thus obtained.
" In the inland country salt became quite me-
dunn of exchange. remember just now bar
gain that my mother concluded with country
woman living some miles distant, upon the basis
of salt the terms of which were chicken for
pint of salt. Upon an appointed day the chickens
were 10 be kept up and my mother was TO SEND
the promised quantity of salt
"fhe DAY being fine, Lucy aud went too for
the drive, but on arriving at our destination we
found the premises deserted. After waiting for
about an hour for the arrival of some one, we
grew desperate, and driver having amused
himself in the interim by an examination of the
yard and its surroundings, and having IN cOnse-
| tuenee discovered the number OF chickens agreed
| upon put up in q coop, we concluded to appro'
pirate them, and with cOmmendable honesty LETT
the salt which we had brought in an empty basket
| found in aeupbOard. As no complaints were ever
made, we concluded that our procedure had been
| satisfactory.
"As have said before, the poorer classes gave
| up entirely the use of salt Remember however,
| hearing an old lady, who was celebrated for her
charitles, say, that on one occasion two women
came 10 ask her each fora pint Of salt. The good
| old lady, who was generally in state OF siege
from The numbers of petitioners who came to her,
| ore for a little corn, another for little bacon,
| ETC., was on this occasion, to use her own Ian
| guage worn OUT and informed her two visitors
that she had no salt to spare. Nothing daunted,
they told her that they would not go until she had
com Piled with their request, and thereupOn seated
| themselves with great sang trOid in her front
piazza. After an hour or so, the old lady gave
| them the quantity demanded, comfortable dla-
| per in addition, and they went on their way re-
| joiclng.
FACTORY THREAD.
"A few miles distant from US was factory
| which, before the war, had with difficulty mail-
| tanned a feeble existence. Homespuns were man.
ufactured there, and lunches of thread, but as
4 the northern manufactures OF both these articles
could be obtained to better advantage, the fac
| tory was little thought of. After the first few
months of the war. however, it began to attain
| an importance which rapidly increased, until ere
very long il becsme an object Of great attention,
| md maQQate6
| community.
"This state of things had no doubt its advan.
| tsg es, so far as Mr.. L. was concerned, but on
| the other hard were corresponding Disadvantages,
| for the pressure brought TO bear on him by the
| applicants for his fabrics, who were so numerous
that it was impossible to supply their wants, be-
| came oneTous as the cares OF royalty. The manu-
| facture of homespuns was discontinued, and the
whole power of the factory devoted to the spin.
ming Of punches Of thread. These were bought
| by all the housewives around and made use of for
the wsTping of their cloth, the filing being spun
| at home.
| "In order to give satisfaction the proprietor OF
the factory resorted to various devices. AT nrst
he went upon the principle OF first come first
served In consequence of this persons from a
distance of twenty and thirty miles would come
and camp all night in the vicinity, in order that
they might be the first in the morning. Other;
living at less distances would leave thei4 home;
al midnight or before daylight In order TO arrive
| at the factory at the earliest dawn. HereupOr
grew many disorders; the campers or their at
tendants made frequent excursions into Mr.. L. I
orchards, etc.; and 1t was often impossible to de
| eide who was really first.
''Much dissatisfaction also arose among those
who, having at great Inconvenience come miles
were forced TO go away empty handed. for it was
| out of the question to supply the wants Of ell
in fact there was often small mob and a bedlan
around the factory, and therefore the principle Of
first cone, first served was abandoned. In III
| stead another was substituted-that of dra wing
lots. Mr.. L. determined 10 have repOse, or a!
much repOse as was possible under the circum
stances admitted no one henceforth within the en-
closure of the establishment, all gates being rml
| locked save on Saturdays, and on that day be
| made up his mind to anything and everything
| The thread made through the week was allowed
to accumulate until that important day, at whicf
time. at ten O'Clock, all who came we're admitted
and each one allowed TO draw for a chance a
number of prize tickets equal to the number o
| punches of thread for sale, were placed among
number of blanks, and any individual who drew q
prize ticket was allowed the privilege Of purchas
| ing bundle of thread at very high price. 4
| bunch Of thread, let me say en- pdSSdnt ran abou
twelve yards of cloth, if used. The price of thu
punches. both for varying and filing, varied /
little according to the tneness Of the thread, anC
| rose gradually up TO fifty and sixty dollars
longer in exchange, provisions and specie wer'
required.
Had not the matter been too serious and pain
| full one might have been amused TO see the tn
l
| drew prizes compared with the downcast look
| of those who obtained nothing. and who, in orde
to procure the coarsest clothing, would be oblige
to come sgan-uncertsin then Of obtaining wha
they needed. While this regulation was in force
whole families Of eight and ten would come to
gether to the factory and each one draw. Ia thi
way, perhaps, several lunches of thread wou
fall to the lot of one family, while others wou
| have none. This being the case, order va
| issued that only one of family at time shout
be allowed TO draw, and there was bat littl
| opportunity for evasion in community wher
everybody knew everybody.
"Mr L.. however, despite his cares and trials
made money and even Confederate money wa
better than no money at all. remember that on
winter three or four of his daughters made thei
! appearance in new closks. That was something
surely, and more than the generality Of thei
neighbors could afford. They were only clot
closks to be sure, but then they cost five hundre
dollars apiece.
| CANDLES.
Common tallow candles were very difficult {
obtain, were used with great care, and sometime
could lot be obtained at all. Fortunately on on
place there was great deal of lightwOod. TIL
was split up and burned piece at time in tn
chimney place, giving out light by no mean