The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-02-22
PALLADIUM CORRESPONDING
A Trip to Sockum. in O!deu Times.

Ny first trip from my native home WAS IN Novem-
Der, 1922, when my father conceived the project Of
taking tour into the adjoining county of Randolph
where he had heard there laIge quantity of
crab apples that could be had for the gathering.
The place was situated few miles from where
w nchester now is, in q wilderness. My older
brother rugged up with wagon and pair of OK
en-, while my father and accompanied him in
'Sew ~ age.
Westarted early in the morning TO make
the journey day. As this my first trip from
home, took particular notice of things trav-
eled on 1t was not long till reached the border
settlement We found but few cabins after leaving
the vicinity of Newport which then contained but
few inhabitants. These were chiefly Friends from
North Carolina, among thcn, tho Shugards, the
Thomases, and buckets.
One Daniel Pucket lived there and carried the
business of tan ming, when not out preaching, be
being minister among the Friends. Probably he
was on such a mission at the time made this
trip for he was not at home. Baving other
qua intances in the village, continued jour-
new The rude cabins which 1 saw, it may seem
hardly necessary desc rbe since they that
early date the common domi Giles of all.
Such is the hut which one rude beam divides,
And naked rafters from slOping sides,
Where the rough ra lis that cover it seen,
And sticks and mud are all that be betw cen;
One rude deel pane that rudely patched gave way
To the rude tempest, yet excludes the day
When wall of mud scarce bar the door.
But as happened to be born and raised in one
they appeared in way dissimar in structure to
what had left behind.
Imagination need not stoop to trace
The muddy splendor of this rustic place,
No vanished clock to tick behind the door,
No white washed walls, no nicely sanded foor;
A hoy douh la dol to
A bed by night, place for clothes by day.
No pictures placed for ornament or use;
rest for pigs and hens and also the old goose;
The chimney of sticks conveys no smoke away;
The hearth all rubbish and smaller Jumps of clay;
Three broken cups wisely kept for show,
In one corner ranged, to glisten in row.
Vain, muddy splendor, could not all
Repreve this tottern. cabin from its fall,
An hours Importance 70 the travellers by.
Those cabins usually contained but one room, and
two small windows.
The following incident is said to have occurred in
early times in the days OF log cabins:
A preacher whose father lived in a cabin of that
GLASS; was holding forth at old fashione camp
meeting. In the audience, CHANGED to be a
who acquainted nth the preachers family. The
preacher read his text: "In my fathers house are
many Mansions and preparing to expound
when the aforesaid acquaintance spr.ng up aud
gave him the lie direct declaring that he had often
been at the house of the preachers father, and
would make oath that it log cabin, and there
was only room in it.
Those early settlers of Randolph county seemed
to be little behind the age in living III such squal
lid huts. 1t was not unusual to shelter their fowls
and young pigs in cabin. It might be said of the
cabins which saw our trip. that, though bull.
for human abodes, they none to good for swine
and have seen more eligible sites Whitewater
for pg-styes and hen roosts.
We travelled a road newly cut out, till night
came on, when halted at a house near where
Winchester now is. The owner was a new settler
named jonathan Osborn. He was Friend. and it
the custom for members of that Society to en-
terrain each other free of charge. l thought my
father entitled to some hospitality a. the hands
. of the Friends for his aid in helping one of th cir
ministers make missionary tour east, some time
before. Osborn gave US leave to stay night.
Early the following morning started in guest of
the crab orchard. But route soon obstruct-
cd by fallen timber lying the road leading
into the town of Winchester. With the of our
and aftor some delay go. through the timber
and arrived at the crab orchard. but found that
kind Of fruit not so plenty we had heard it
After considerable time spent gathering the fruit,
started back the way came, for the
Friends house had left in tho morning. To help
N AXE out load and add to the of
enterprise my father bought of host ba rrel Of
maple sugar sweeten the crab apples with. l
think he paid three cents pound for it..
The next mornin found the way homeward
bound. In my 1t will tell of the difficulties in
getting home.
OLD SETTLER.