The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-03-27
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS
BY THE EDITOR.


Whatever failings the early settlers of
Jackson county had, they were very
cleanly in their mode of living. We hear
great deal said about the filthy habits
of the Chinese This idea about cleanli-
ness is almost entirely matter of educa-
ton. There were an abundance of rabbits
in this county ever since l can remember,
but l never heard of any one eating
rabbit until the Welsh people commenced
coming to the county. IF any one ever
tasted rabbit in this county prior to the
year 1884, l would like to hear of it.
When the Welsh came, they ate rabbits,
geese, ducks, mutton, &c. None of the
original settlers ever tasted any of these,
except mutton, and but few ate it. The
objection made was, that rabbits were
covered with feas, geese were always
loose in the bowels, and sheep sometimes
had the rot, disease similar to consump-
tion in the human family and then that
strong smelling yellow matter on the
skin, at the root of the wool, was disgust
ing.
A family from New York settled
among the pioneers, and the good East
ern lady remarked that the people had
such rare opportunities for an excellent
dish. The swamps along the heads OF
the creeks swarmed with bullfrogs. On
sultry summer night you could hear
"jugarum! juga rum p a mile. This
Eastern lady said that the hind legs of
bullfrogs were as delicious as spring
chickens. And then the ponds abound
ed in turtles. What heather this good
lady was considered by the pious pioneers,
bullfrog's hind legs, and soup made of
green turtles
About forty years ago an old Welsh
man named Evans was walking along a
path, carrying a stick for a cane. Some
one had shot a rabbit, and as no one
thought of eating rabbits, he threw it
into the snow. Evans saw it, and as it
was frozen stiff, and not spoiled, he raked
it out of the snow with his cane, took it
home had it dressed, cooked, and then
he ate it. The old settlers were nearly
as much shocked as we are when we hear
of the Chinese eating rice and rats. EV'
ans was known as old rabbit Evans un
til the day of his death.
There is no purer animal than the
rabbit, and few animals the meat of which
is nicer or more healthy. 1t was all
prejudice.
Is there any animal in all creation
more filthy disgusting or unclean, than
the present American hog2 Pass g
slaughter house, if you please, and see
the improved hog, gorging itself with
blood, and other offal, and the most pu
trid carrion. 1t is nothing like the hog
of the pioneers. That was a compare
lively cleanly animal. 1t lived in the
woods, ate roots, nuts and acorns, slept
in bed of leaves raked together on the
upper side of log. and if feas got into
its bed it would select other quarters
The meat was much more like venisor
than like the meat of the filthy swine o.
the present day.
When I used to read of Eastern people
eating locusts and snails, l was almost
sick, and thought L would surely starve
to death before 1 would eat such disgust
ing food; yet am extremely fond o.
oysters, and they are far more disgusting
than snails or locusts. 1t is all matter
of education. Why, would you believe
it, l never tasted rabbit until l was thir
ty years of age. 1 have never yet tasted
goose, duck, eel, turtle, frog, clam, lob
ster, tripe, and dozen other popular
delicacies, and l do not pretend to be
over fastidious; but l can never quite
overcome the prejudice of early educa-
tion.
It is said that horse flesh is excellent