The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-05-12
LIFE IN THE PRIMITIVE DAYS.


style of living in that section, She says
that their girls know how to cook and to
carve without the aid of books, ard are
not ashamed to rell up their sleeves and
90 for the wash tub, or weed the vegeta-
Bile garden SO as to give them an appe-
lite, or they can iced the pig and
milk "Old Brindle," and then find
time alter the days work is done, to
sit down at night and read the weekly
paper. She then adds, ave cannot
find time to study the fashions, nor do We
want the time, as We never wear the pull
back dress or the grecian bend. We
can make our own dresses out OF ten
yards without trimming, and wear calf
skin shoes, which keep our feet comfort
able" This gives us a vivid picture of
primitive life as it was one hundred years
ago.
Then there were no railroads, indeed
no turnpikes in this region. The citizen
living west of the Allegbanics carried
carried MS peltry and ginseng to the
East on pack horses, where he bartered
for powder and 'ilcc, and returned with
his years supply TO his mountain home.
That home was log cabin with dirt or
luncheon floor, and he was regarded as
aristocratic who built his house of hewed
logs or had glass windows IN II. The
little clearing was made in the woods
when a supply of corn and potatoes was
raised. and there never was a necessity
for laying away the winter ; meat, TO-
ut any time the adventurous settler could
step a hundred yards from his cabin and
with the crack of his unerring rifle bring
down a deer OF turkey. The good
housewife who was equally
hale and hearty as the
husband. and who could lay hand to
the grubbing hoe, or with her axe help
TO fell the forest monarchs, would always
have ready the evening meal tor the man
when he returned from HIS days work or
hunt-and it WIS II savory meal OF
brolled venison and hot cake and coffee
with a pure aroma, and no bedeviled
chlckory in it to rob it of its delicious
ness. Such was life in the primitive days
the life that eur ancestors lived. But
what a contrast between then and now
Then the hale pioneer, with his long blue
Jeans hunting dress, ornamented with the
everlasting yellow fringe and moccasins
on his feet, would shoulder his rifle and
seng hoe and think nothing of walking
twenty miles day over the hills and
mountains, and return home at night
With a stout deer strapped to his back.
Now, the tidily dressed gentleman, with
cloth coat and tight boots think it
wonderful hardship to have 70 walk
three squares without catching II street
car.
Then the rosy checked mstron was sat-
isfied with two dresses q year, made
of striped linsey and six yards
to the dress, and made by
her own hands, even clipping
the wool from the sheep, carding it BY
hand, spinning, weaving it and making
it up, and all done in less time than 1t
takes her granddaughter Of oday to flute
and flounce hers. Now it requires thirty
and forty yards of goods of the latest
style until often the store bill is larger
than the skirt ofthe grandmother's dress.
Then bonnet was a good honest hon
net, the crewn full two feet and half
long. Now il is often wee, wee thing,
scarcely observable to the naked eye.
Then marriage was only marriage
with no marriage scttlements-the GER
emony being performed by the country
squire or the circuit rider who made his
circuit of hundred miles week, and
thought himself happy If he got sixty
dollars for his years services. Now the
father congratulates himself if the
daughters wedding only relieves his
pocket Of thousand or two.
Then the groom and bride would go
on horseback direct to the cabin which
was to be their future home, he carrying
his wardrobe IN his saddle pockets and
she hers in an old fashioned sachel
fastened to the horn of her saddle. Now
Europe must be taken IN on the wedding
tour, and the couple finally return to set
tie down on the old folks.
There was but little need for doctors
in those days. Plain, healthy food and
abundance of exercise gave no occasion
for govt, rheumatism or nver disease so
common in this dissipated age. The
early pioneers enjoyed health, lived long,
and when they go ready to die, they just
died and didn't fool about it.
A century has made many changes,
many improvements, and brought with
them their attendant evils. But this
view we take of the old times being bet
ter than the new, is a kind of morbid
feeling after all, Tor there are just as good
pure men and women to-day as ever
lived. Still, when We find now and then
among our mountains picture OF prim-
tive life, it is well enough to pause and
look at it under the light OF this Centen-
NAL year.