The Red Cloud chief., 1879-12-04
ORR Gg.NDaOTHER's DAYS.
An Oid-.<hooi Hou.s-wtfe-Npd Her Thrift,
Athtetsmsnt

Nm pet
achievements.
Prom the Turner'S Fall. Mass Reporter
Mrs. Orrin Payne. who was born In
Montague in 1890, Wa the oldest If nire
chilirrn-siN boys and three girls.
Verify she has lived a busy life. She
SAYS she cant remember when she did
not have 10 work. When - she taught
one term If school. receiving five shil-
lings per week and boarding round, al
ways having bread and milk for supper.
wearing a checkered tow gown. The
cloth for which she had spun herself.
For the II succeeding year, she kept
her fathers house, all her brothers (the
Youngest 1 and the oldest 49, living at
home. Beside providing for the table,
doing the washing and all the Ike du-
tie, Of the household, she spun al the
linen and rove and made the clothes for
the Who'll. family. The manner of liy-
ing then wa-, "A boiled pot every day for
dinner, served cold for breakfast, bread
crumbled 10y the hOu.ekccpcT, or pud-
ding and milk for >uppcr-pies only
Thanksgiving and election day.. Dur
ing this time she frequently went out
sewing for a day (lj hours), and when
they stopped the clock Ia prolong the
time, often Il hours, al l. - cents per
day. One June day she spun lG yards
shirting.
In lsl2 she married Orrin Payne.
Nathan Cheney remarked that she would
make a man Of any body and a good
store customer for him. Mr.. Payne wa>
three years her senior. lie died in 1873.
Her married life has been marked 10y
the same industry a her maidcnh0Od.
The first fuur years they raised flax and
made II into cloth afterwards, when il
WAS superseded by cotton. She has al
WAYS had 4 loom and made WOODEN
cloth. carpets, etc. Sh" took in iou
pounds per wear Ia make into cloth Ia
halves" She made about loo wards oi
froching "A year al x ccLt per yard. She
furnished the material for the uniform
Of 4 well known non-commi-~iuncd mil
itary company that hailed from her
nci@hborhood. Some years she has
woven 800 yards of carpcting. Her first
carpet WAS for Moses Bardcll; the price
Of weaving 10 cents per yard.
She has made all her own bed-quilt-
and great numbers for other people; al.
ways exhibited b~ed-quilts. stockings,
socks and Stocking-yarn, a; the Franklin
fairs, so long ~ the society has existed,
and always received premiums. Sho
had the care of a considerable dairy
made butter and cheese: boarded the
district schDolma'am two terms a
year for ~ consecutive years,
besides occasionally ,akin. other
boarderS. She says that her present
boardcr, Locke Payne, j. the Only one
from whom she has heard complaint,
and, like Oliver Twist, found fault with
his victualS and asked for more She
kept paupcrs when they were Knocked
off Il the lowest bidder. Old Granny
Sinclair, 10 years, at - cents per week :
Betsy Allen, two years, at 81: Hannah
Coon, three years, Olive Cary, two
years, Granny Ellis, two years, at 81
and never had one able To DO her own
washing.
Within six years she has woven 100
yards of carpcting and done consider
able spinning. Until within six wears
since She has been disabled by an acci-
dent, She has never hired help in the
house To the cot of $40. After Mr..
Payne got his farm paid for she began
To save in her own name, and
accumulated II considerable sum of
money.
The ncighbnrs of her early lifc-thc
bold ycom"nry of Dry Ilill-havc all
passed away. AntipuS Stewart went
away and hung himself: two large fam
lilies of BartlcttS; Darius. Daniel and
LibcouS Payne; Uncle Bill Greene ;
Martin and Elijah Goodnow: Tom and
John Hurd, have I'LL passed away. The
school has dcgcncrated from forty Ia
ten scholars. The o'd farms and houses
are occupied by foreigners and transient
inhabitants; and Dry Hill seems de>-
tined To become what il was apparent
ly designed fora link To hold the world
together, and grow wood and timber
UPON.