The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-07-08

ing House were held by Pennsylvania
grants. The county as now bounded has
an area of about $50 square miles.
Before the Revolution the Court House
and public offices were at Court House
Point, on Elk river; but there is not much
known of the public officers who tfliciateo
there. There was family OF some promi
hence in the county named Van Bibber
and Adam Van Bibber was Chief Judge in
the old Court. Francis Key was Clerk,
and Eli Vallette, Register of Wills, OF
Commissary, as the office was then called
After the destruction of the public build
ings at Court House Point, the Courts
were held in Charlestown some fourteen
years. Tobias Rudolph and Stephen Hyland
were Judges, and Joseph Baxter, Clerk
There were important land trials during
that period, aud eminent counsel were en-
gagged, among whom were Luther Martin
William Pinkney and Daniel Dulaney
The Court House at Elkton was built in
1871, and the Courts have been held there
ever since.
One hundred years ago there was a
sparse population within our limits, mostly
engaged in clearing up and cultlvating the
lands with the rude implements then IN
use; the cast iron and the steel pillow had
not appeared, and the old modern mould
board was in use, of which specimen
may be seen at the Centennial. Some.
times these were covered with pieces oil
saw blades or the skin of a gar, to assist
in shedding off the earth. The wheat was
seeded between the rows of corn at its last
blowing, and chopped in around the hills
of corn with hoe. This was done i'll the
month of August until after the Revou-
ton, when the Hessian fly made its ap-
pearance and destroyed the early sown
wheat-it was said to have been introduced
in the provender brought over by the Hes
sian troops. The wheat was cut with the
sickle, a reaper taking two corn rows, cut
ting through and binding back with the
sickle on his shoulder. twenty-five to
forty dozen per day was the work of
reaper and it was nicely done.
The log cabin of the early settler, OF
which some specimens remain, was usually
built on low ground, to be near spring OF
water, and under the hill to screen it from
the wintry winds. The logs were notched
together at the corners, and, after being
raised, were hewed down, inside and out
side, and the openings between the logs
were chinked with wood or stone, and
daubed with clay or lime mortar, and were
rooted with oak shingles. A house raising
was an interesting occasion in neighbor-
hood. You may recollect in the Harrison
campaign of 1910, the song entitled "Old
Tips Raisin'," in which are the the par
tculars of raising log cabin. To go in
from the outside you pulled the string OF
the latch, and the inmates fastened up in
the house by pulling in the string. "I ou
will never find my cabin shut up, and the
string pulled in, was generous invita-
ton. The chimneys were made of great
size, to lake in large logs, as the wood was
plenty and the Winters cold 1t was a
custom for the slaves to have holiday at
Christmas while back log would last, and
they would be preparing one for sometime
by soaking it in the water.
Books were scarce in the houses of the
early settlers, and the almanac was much
consulted, prognostics of the weather,
the changes of the moon, and whether the
sign was right for planting the different
crops, and for other operations.
Poor Richards almanac become great
favorite, and its maxims were in the cur
rent literature of the day, such as Never
buy what you don't want because it is
cheap" "a fat kitchen makes lean
will.'' "He that by the pillow would thrive,
himself must either hold or drive"
by horse power, and the mower used the
scythe, working from sunrise to sunset,
with short interval at noon, and for what
would now be considered very low wages.
1t is within my recollection when mowers
were anxious to get job at Elk Forge,
which lasted some weeks, at 625 cents per
day. A pint flask filled with whisky was
given to each hand in the morning. In
addition to the grain crops every farmer
had a. patch of flax sown, and when the
blue blossoms were out it made handsome
appearance.
Then there was the flax pulling, which
was merry occasion for the boys and girls,
as they pulled along together, and bound
it up in small sheaves-then followed the
supper and the plays. When. the flax was
prepared for spinning, the wheel of the
housewife went late and early, and the
roaring of the big wheel was heard, and
particularly in the long Winter evenings in
spinning wool for cloth and for stockings.
Many of the small farmers had looms for
weaving their own wear, and weaving for
their neghbors; the flax linen and the tow
linen, the cloth and the linsey, were strong
and substantial articles of domestic use.
Drab and blue grey were the prevailing
colors-the surtout of the men was usually
drab, with three capes, the lowermost COM
ing down to the elbows.
The early settlers provided school houses
for their children, but these were, in gen.
eral. rude structures, lily supplied with
books, and the seats often made of slabs
from the saw mill. The teachers enforced
obedience with the birch, and the children
were under their control from the time they
left home until they returned, in which
particular there has been no improvement
in our day. Good behavior is an import
ant element of education, as manners rap
idly mature into morals.
From an inventory and appraisement of
property taken in 1774, being about the
beginning of the Revolution, the prices are
as follows: Wheat, per bushel, 60; corn,
80; rye, SO; horses, $20to $40; cows, So to
$40.
the stalks and handed in for the husking,
which was generally at night; the neigh
bors gathered in, and the husking match
was quite an institution. The whisky went
around, and the corn songs of the darkeys
enlivened the occasion. After the husking
was over came the warm supper with pot
pie and coffee; and the young women who
waited on the table gave an interest to the
young men who were silly watching them.
Supper over, then the plays and feats of
activity commenced-playing the brogue,
riding the wild horse, wrestling, hopping
and chalking, and numerous other diver
sions among the yonths, while the old men
talked of crops, stock and State affairs.
THE PRINCIPLE COMPANY.
The Principle Iron Company was estab-
lished in 1715 and continued until 1881. 1t
consisted of the following members: Sir
Nicholas Hackell Carew, of Surrey; Thos.
Russell Birmingham and his sons, William
and Thomas; Stephen Onion, John Eng
land; Joshua, Samuel and Osgood Gee
William Cheterynd, Esq, of England, and
Augustine aud Lawrence Washington, OF
Virginia, father ard brother of George
Washington. These are the oldest iron
works in Maryland, and probably in the
United States, and exported the first iron
to England in 171S. In 1751 Maryland
and Virginia exported 1850 tons of pig
iron to England, being more than all the
other colonies. Stephen Onion and Thos.
Russell, Sr., if not the oiginators, were
the most active promoters of the enterprise.
They came to Maryland, opened ore banks,
purchased woodland for making charcoal,
built the Principle and North East works,