The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-06-15
NOTES ON JACKSON COUNTY.
EY D. MACKLEY.

AhSh iIOuA now. 1hSlO was
much less familiarity among young folks
then, but think there was more love
and respect for each other.
Young men who meant business would
go courting once in a week, or If the par
ties lived at some distance, once in two
weeks. Ii there was no serious objec
tions to tho visits of the young man, the
family would retire by eight or nine
o o'clock, and the young folks would bring
their chairs before the fire, close together,
and be seated, and talk until one or two
o clock, or sometimes all night. 1t will
be remembered that there was but one
room in the cabin, and the family would
all be sleeping very near to the place,
where the young folks we're sparkling.
They had to whisper very low If they
had any secrets to communicate.
Now let me suppose that the parties
have become engaged. The young man
before he leaves in the morning finds an
opportunity to ask the father for his
daughter. If consent be given, perhaps
the mother is called out and consulted.
Then the wedding day is fixed, and the
neighbors are invited to the distance Of
three or four miles. On the morning Of
the wedding the neighbors of the bride
assemble, and those who desire, mount
their horses and go to meet the bride
groom and his party. Ordinarily the
company by this time consists of twenty
to thirty couples. mostly young folks.
When within half a mile of the brides
residence, the procession stops, and by
agreement some two Of the most daring
and expect horsemen prepare themselves
by taking Off their hats and tying red or
yellow cotton handkerchiefsar around their
heads They then give a yell which is
is plainly heard at the residence of the
bride, and they start their horses at full
speed. Iris an exciting and dangerous
race. There is only path through the
woods, and the ground is often rough
and deep hollows to cross, and great logs
lying across the path. The crowd at the
house-men, women and children, all
come out Some one, perhaps the brides
father, has a bottle Of whisky in his
hand. The bottle generally holds 6
quart. 1t is q round, big-bellied bottle
with a twisted neck, and around the neck
are pieces Of notched tissue paper, rib
bons, &c. He holds up the bottle, anG
the foremost horseman gets it and takes
a drink, and then gives his competitor 4
drink. They both ride back to the
crowd, when the bottle is passed from
front to rear of the procession, all-mer
and women taking some. They do no
take much, and the quart bottle is no
entirely emptied.
| When boy, / was almost as mucl
pleased to see the men run for the bottle
at wedding, as the boy of to-day il
pleased to see the wonderful game o
base ball. 1t was so exciting. Well d.
l remember seeing two young men onc'
whose horses were side by side, coming
at full speed, and each man was striking
with large switch in the face of tn,
others horse, to beat him back as it were
Near the house a fallen tree lay across
the path, and the horses leaped over i
as safely as the Englishman's horse leap
the hedge when engaged in fox chase
The bridegroom rides in front Of, or q
the head of the procession, and som,
young woman is by his side. He als'
has his attendant. or attendance" as i
was termed. They all ride three time
around the house, when they alight anC
hitch their horses to the fence. Th'
bridegroom and his attendance enter tn
house first The bride and her attend
ance are seated, and two vacant seats ar,
by their side. The ladies are dressed il
white cambria, and bobinett caps on thei
heads. These caps fit closely over tn,
top of the head, with great frilled Dor
der at front and at the back of the neck
and a projection on the back part of tn,
top of the head, six to eight inches high
The men shake hands with the ladie
and take seats in the vacant chairs
Then the preacher or squire steps for
|
ties upon the floor and marries them
They take their seats, when their friend
shake hands with them, and wish then
much JOY" Next dinner. Then all tn
afternoon there is a good time, talking
and joking. The older men tell fighting
and hunting stories. the younger mel
engage in pitching quoits or dollars. hop
ping. jumping. wrestling. seuffiing, &c.
and if there be plenty of whisky, some
times fighting. Before night the dancing
commences and continues all night.
have often heard the humping of tn
feet on the puncheon floor a distance o
half mile.
Next day the crowd go to the residenc,
of the bridegroom's father, to have tn,
Unfair, and precisely the same perform
ances are gone through with, except tn,
ceremony Of the marriage itself
Next morning after the Unfair, the par
ties 20 to their homes, and the new mar
ried folks 60 to their own cabin and com
mence the journey of life, as happy NJ
doubt as the young folks are now.
The last one of these weddings that
saw more than forty years ago, but at
tended one on the Greasy Ridge, in Law
renee county, in the winter of l847, and
do not know but that they observe tn,
same customs to this day.
Perhaps some of my young readers will
say have drawn upon my imagination
or have caricatured the performance
but appeal to all the men and womeI
/ in the county who resided here as lonl
ago as fifty years, to say if ! have de
/ scribed il half as funny as it really was